The St. Augustine Lighthouse - Haunted Lighthouses

The St. Augustine Lighthouse sits on the north finish of Anastasia Island in St. Augustine, Florida. The present tower, which was constructed in 1874, rises to 165 feet over sea degree. The unique lighthouse, constructed in 1824, was roughly 500 yards northeast of the present lighthouse. Due to the receding shoreline, it fell into the ocean back in 1880.

During its early background, the lighthouse employed up to 3 lightkeepers at a time. There was a head keeper and two assistants. In 1955, when the lighthouse was automated, there was no longer a want for lightkeepers and the last 1 left at that time. The lightkeepers, who would really live on web page, had been replaced by lamplighters, who would have a tendency the light but did not really live there.

In accordance to the lighthouse's official web page, there have been 7 folks who have died on the lighthouse grounds: 3 lightkeepers, a keeper's wife and 3 young ladies. Many of these are mentioned to have died of purely natural triggers. One man fell to his death from the unique lighthouse in 1859, and the 3 ladies died in a tragic drowning accident.

The lighthouse and its surrounding buildings have a long background of paranormal exercise and stories of the hautings have been passed on and have been featured in well-liked television exhibits, books, and local lore for decades. Site visitors and staff say they have observed moving shadows and heard voices along with unexplained sounds. Some tour guides claim they hear anyone climbing the tower actions, but the footfalls fade away, and no 1 is ever there at the leading of the tower. There is also mentioned to be a minor lady who likes to perform pranks residing in the keeper's residence, a tall man in the basement, and a spirit who likes to perform with the merchandise in the present shop. One former keeper was infamous for enjoying his cigars. Now, the scent of his cigar can nevertheless be detected various instances a week.

Many staff members have reportedly observed a hazy male figure strolling by the lighthouse. Footsteps from an unseen presence can be heard shuffling on the gravel and the actions outside the lighthouse. Other reviews are of a lady observed on the lighthouse stairway or strolling in the yard outside the buildings.

Possibly the most popular tragic story is that of 3 young ladies who died for the duration of the development of the 2nd lighthouse. The story says that there was a rail automobile or some form of motor vehicle that went from the light station to the ocean. The young children liked to perform on it and ride on it for pleasurable. On July 10, 1873, the cart by some means ended up in the water. Five young children fell into the water and some of the Workers managed to save a boy and a lady. Two of the constuction superintendent's daughters, Mary and Eliza, and a young black lady, either a servant or the daughter of a employee, drowned.

It really is mentioned that now, the ladies can be heard laughing in the tower late at night. The eldest of the development superintendent's daughters, Mary, has also been spotted sporting the very same blue velvet dress and blue hair bow she was sporting when she died. Reviews also say that the the figures of two minor ladies can occasionally be observed standing on the lighthouse catwalk.

For years there have been reviews of a large dark, male spirit that hangs around the water collecting cisterns in the basement. Supposedly he was a sailor or a former lightkeeper who hung himself in the lighthouse in the 1930's. In accordance to the lighthouse's web page, there isn't any evidence or evidence that anyone ever hung him/herself there.

History says that the unique proprietor of the lighthouse was forced to promote it to the government in 1865 since it was believed that the land under the lighthouse was receding and the ocean would ultimately swallow it. The state provided to acquire the lighthouse for alot significantly less than it was really worth and he refused to promote. The government then threatened to get the lighthouse by means of eminent domain and give him almost nothing. At this level, the former proprietor was outraged and vowed in no way to depart the lighthouse. Lighthouse staff say he would seem to have stored his vow as his spirit is occasionally observed late at night strolling in and around the house.

One of my favored episodes of Ghost Hunters was filmed at the St. Augustine Lighthouse. The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) stopped by to see if they could demonstrate or disprove any of the hauntings. For the duration of the episode, they caught a couple of intriguing factors on the two video and audio. There was a female voice that seemed to say "aid me" a couple of instances on the audio recording. The video camera captured a dark figure moving truly immediately up the circular staircase and then stopping to look in excess of the railing down at the camera crew from the leading floor. The figure then disappeared. When Jason and Grant went to investigate, they recognized the door at the leading which would be the only exit was padlocked from the within. There was also a movement detection light that in no way came on right up until the TAPS guys received up there. General, with the evidence they captured, the guys determined that they truly couldn't demonstrate the spot was not haunted.

The St. Augustine Lighthouse is at present owned and maintained by the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum, Inc. The lighthouse is operational and is an official, privately-owned, energetic aid to navigation. The museum is open to the public and the admission cost money preservation of the lighthouse and packages in maritime archaeology and schooling. The lighthouse offers night tours of the web page, though they will not guarantee any ghosts.