Photo Essay: The St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Musuem

A visit to the St. Augustine Lighthouse, in photos and reflections.

St. Augustine, Florida, is the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers, the city is home to a rich collection of historical landmarks. Among them are the bustling St. George Street marketplace, the formidable Castillo de San Marcos and the iconic St. Augustine Lighthouse.

I recently had the chance to explore these sites and found the lighthouse particularly moving. Climbing its 219 steps - 165 feet up - in a structure that’s now 151 years old puts human ingenuity and perseverance into perspective. Compare that to, say, the iPhone: in a little over 15 years, we’ve gone through more than a dozen versions. They had a way of making things last back then.

The lighthouse offered not just sweeping views of the coast, but also a palpable sense of the peril and persistence that defined life in early Florida. I share here a few of the photos I took during my visit. If you ever find yourself in northeastern Florida, St. Augustine is well worth the detour. It’s touristy, yes, but it’s also beautiful, welcoming and old in the best way imaginable.

The St. Augustine Lighthouse, completed in 1874, stands 165 feet tall and remains an active aid to navigation. Located on Anastasia Island, it is one of the oldest surviving brick towers in the U.S. and part of a museum dedicated to maritime history.

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