St. Augustine's Historic Attractions: The St. Augustine Lighthouse
and Museum
The vacation paradise of St. Augustine, Florida is also affectionately and legitimately referred to as "the Old City" by Florida locals and by historians. It's easy to understand why. St. Augustine is considered by many to be the oldest city in the United States. In fact, the original historic district of St. Augustine is considered to be the oldest populated area in all of the USA, Canada and Alaska. The origins of contemporary St. Augustine, Florida date back all the way to September 8, 1565- when Pedro Menendez de Aviles (a Spanish explorer) settled the area for the Phillip II, King of Spain. This came about half a century after Ponce de Leon (another Spanish explorer) first discovered Florida.
Because of the long, rich and diverse history
of St. Augustine (which makes it stand out from so many other
American cities with more modest histories) one can actually make
note of several St. Augustine historic periods. Each one is a
celebrated part of the life of this beautiful and charming Florida
city- that even today, still features much of the original Spanish
style architecture and themes for St. Augustine visitors to enjoy.
This makes a St.
Augustine, Florida vacation as much a trip back in time as
anything else.
Among the many spectacular
historic landmarks located throughout the Old City, one of
the most popular structures for Florida tourists to explore is
the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum. It was in 1824 that the
original Spanish watchtower became Florida's first ever lighthouse.
The original lighthouse used an ancient lighting method called
Winslow Lewis Argand lamps for illumination. Compared with contemporary
illumination methods this original technology paled in comparison
- quite literally.
By the time the late 1860's rolled around, the US government decided that the original lighthouse location was no longer adequate nor safe from the pounding ocean surf. In 1970 a new lighthouse was commissioned for construction. It wasn't until 1876 that the light-keepers actually moved into the new lighthouse quarters. This was a good thing however as the original lighthouse tower crashed into the balmy ocean waters in 1880.
This second lighthouse tower is the very same one that millions of Florida tourists visit each and ever year- a century and a quarter later. A tour of this amazing testament to early pioneer engineering ingenuity is both entertaining and educational. School groups are often counted among the many people who frequent the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum. Staff at the Lighthouse museum do a masterful job of taking visitors back in time to life as it was in the Old City of St. Augustine in the latter 19th century.
The St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum is just one of a wide
variety of interesting
historic attractions that can be enjoyed in and around Florida's
Old City. St. Augustine vacationers often like to split their
time here with trips to the beach (where the sun, sand and surf
is always appreciated), and on day trips to the various landmark
sites in and around the city. One of the most popular and enjoyable
ways to get around the city is via a St.
Augustine Historic Carriage. This lets you experience the
best of the St. Augustine climate (palm trees, ocean surf and
all) and the best of the many compelling city historical sites
that exist throughout the city.
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