Restoration

Repainting the Lighthouse

In the 1960s, the St. Augustine lighthouse and the lightkeepers' house were boarded up and the property was vacated. The lighthouse became the victim of time and neglect. The salty sea air slowly damaged the exterior including the paint, the iron gallery, the brick structure and the tin oil house roof. Humidity and the salt air had also deteriorated much of the interior. The cast iron spiral staircase was rusty, the paint was peeling, and the wooden cabinets were warped. The keepers' house also suffered severe damage when it became the victim of arson in 1970.

Through community effort and the work of the Junior Service League of St. Augustine (JSL), the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Lightkeepers¹ House were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. The JSL signed a 99-year lease in 1982 with St. Johns County for the house and its surrounding grounds. The JSL began a massive restoration project to save the historic structure. Fundraisers, grants and community support helped fund the restoration.

The Junior Service League also signed a 30-year lease with the US Coast Guard to begin restoration on the lighthouse.