By the 1840's, mariners began complaining the harbor light was to weak, and it was decided to elevate it. Ten feet was added to the tower, and in 1852 another twelve feet added. However, even the extra height wasn't enough for the mariners to differentiate between the lighthouse beacon and the lights of the nearby city. In 1854 a larger lantern and a fourth-order Fresnel lens were added. By the 1860's, erosion around the base of the lighthouse was of great concern. So, in 1872 the Lighthouse Board funded a new station 600 yards to the southwest, pictured above. The 165-foot brick tower is painted with spiraling black and white bands, and is the only spiral banded lighthouse in FL. It also retains its original first-order Fresnel lens. Six flights of stairs with frequent landings make the tower climb an easier one, and well worth the sweeping view it affords of "America's Oldest City."
After the lighthouse was automated in 1955, the federal government sold the station grounds to St. Johns County. The Junior Service League of St. Augustine later leased the property. In 1980 they began a sweeping restoration of the entire site, which has been returned to an exceptional condition.
At the time of my visit here in 2001, the lighthouse was open to the public, and the light was an active light.
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