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This past April, Florida’s iconic black and white striped red capped St. Augustine Lighthouse received a make-over in anticipation of the City of St. Augustine’s 450th birthday to be celebrated this September 4-8.
The head-to-toe restoration project was to repair damage to the brick and metal work, as well as the painting of the entire tower.
Kathy Fleming, Executive Director of the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum, said, “The metal repair work and new paint will help protect the brick, iron, and copper surfaces of the tower from the salt air and hot sun. Maintaining a historic structure, like lighthouses, requires continuous work.”
The entire project is estimated at $280,000, of which grants and appropriations of $200,000 were secured. The museum also received additional funds through a crowdsourcing on line funding/donation program.
The 165-foot tall St. Augustine lighthouse was built in 1874 and automated in 1955. Today, visitors can climb the tower and still view its working first order Fresnel lens as well as tour its first class museum.
All photographs courtesy of Shannon O’Neil, First Light Maritime Society and St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum.
This story appeared in the
May/Jun 2015 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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