The Lighthouse in Wartime

The St. Augustine lighthouse has proven to be a coastal sentinel in more ways than one. Besides guiding ships safely into harbor or past her shores, the lighthouse has been involved in the various wars that have affected our country.

During the Civil War, Confederate sympathizers removed the Fresnel lens from the first lighthouse. The Union eventually recovered the lens, which had been hidden. The light, however, was not re-lit until 1867.

When the Spanish-American War broke out in 1898, Americans feared an attack by the Spanish navy on the former colony of Spain. The Lighthouse Board equipped the lightkeepers with code flags, marine glasses and signal books in case of emergency. A telephone line ran from the lighthouse to the then US Customs House in town. The war, however, soon ended without harm to the city or its lighthouse.

The light was dimmed in WWI and the keepers took up arms to defend our shores if necessary. Visitors were banned from the lighthouse as it was government property in wartime. With the conclusion of the war, life returned to normal at the light station.

As in most of America, World War II had the largest impact on the light station. Once again the light was dimmed to prevent prowling German U-boats from destroying passing ships. The Coast Guard also stationed armed men at the lighthouse to act as coastal lookouts. One of these men was always on duty at the top of the tower. As in previous wars, the military banned visitors from the light station.

Through all the wars, however, the St. Augustine Lighthouse remained unscathed.