| The St. Augustine Lighthouse sits on the north end of | | | | and some of the Workers managed to save a boy |
| Anastasia Island in St. Augustine, Florida. The current | | | | and a girl. Two of the constuction superintendent's |
| tower, which was built in 1874, rises to 165 feet above | | | | daughters, Mary and Eliza, and a young black girl, either |
| sea level. The original lighthouse, built in 1824, was | | | | a servant or the daughter of a worker, drowned. |
| approximately 500 yards northeast of the current | | | | It's said that today, the girls can be heard laughing in the |
| lighthouse. Due to the receding shoreline, it fell into the | | | | tower late at night. The eldest of the construction |
| ocean back in 1880. | | | | superintendent's daughters, Mary, has also been |
| Throughout its early history, the lighthouse employed up | | | | spotted wearing the same blue velvet dress and blue |
| to three lightkeepers at a time. There was a head | | | | hair bow she was wearing when she died. Reports |
| keeper and two assistants. In 1955, when the | | | | also say that the the figures of two little girls can |
| lighthouse was automated, there was no longer a | | | | sometimes be seen standing on the lighthouse catwalk. |
| need for lightkeepers and the last one left at that time. | | | | For years there have been reports of a large dark, |
| The lightkeepers, who would actually live on site, were | | | | male spirit that hangs around the water collecting |
| replaced by lamplighters, who would tend the light but | | | | cisterns in the basement. Supposedly he was a sailor |
| didn't actually live there. | | | | or a former lightkeeper who hung himself in the |
| According to the lighthouse's official website, there | | | | lighthouse in the 1930's. According to the lighthouse's |
| have been seven people who have died on the | | | | website, there isn't any proof or evidence that anyone |
| lighthouse grounds: three lightkeepers, a keeper's wife | | | | ever hung him/herself there. |
| and three young girls. Several of these are said to | | | | History says that the original owner of the lighthouse |
| have died of natural causes. One man fell to his death | | | | was forced to sell it to the government in 1865 |
| from the original lighthouse in 1859, and the three girls | | | | because it was believed that the land under the |
| died in a tragic drowning accident. | | | | lighthouse was receding and the ocean would |
| The lighthouse and its surrounding buildings have a long | | | | eventually swallow it. The state offered to buy the |
| history of paranormal activity and stories of the | | | | lighthouse for alot less than it was worth and he |
| hautings have been passed on and have been | | | | refused to sell. The government then threatened to |
| featured in popular television shows, books, and local | | | | take the lighthouse via eminent domain and give him |
| lore for decades. Visitors and workers say they have | | | | nothing. At this point, the former owner was outraged |
| seen moving shadows and heard voices along with | | | | and vowed never to leave the lighthouse. Lighthouse |
| unexplained sounds. Some tour guides claim they hear | | | | staff say he seems to have kept his vow as his spirit |
| someone climbing the tower steps, but the footfalls | | | | is sometimes seen late at night walking in and around |
| fade away, and no one is ever there at the top of the | | | | the property. |
| tower. There is also said to be a little girl who likes to | | | | One of my favorite episodes of Ghost Hunters was |
| play pranks residing in the keeper's house, a tall man in | | | | filmed at the St. Augustine Lighthouse. The Atlantic |
| the basement, and a spirit who likes to play with the | | | | Paranormal Society (TAPS) stopped by to see if they |
| merchandise in the gift shop. One former keeper was | | | | could prove or disprove any of the hauntings. During |
| infamous for enjoying his cigars. Today, the scent of | | | | the episode, they caught a few interesting things on |
| his cigar can still be detected several times a week. | | | | both video and audio. There was a female voice that |
| Several employees have reportedly seen a hazy male | | | | seemed to say "help me" a few times on the audio |
| figure walking through the lighthouse. Footsteps from | | | | recording. The video camera captured a dark figure |
| an unseen presence can be heard shuffling on the | | | | moving really quickly up the circular staircase and then |
| gravel and the steps outside the lighthouse. Other | | | | stopping to look over the railing down at the camera |
| reports are of a woman seen on the lighthouse | | | | crew from the top floor. The figure then disappeared. |
| stairway or walking in the yard outside the buildings. | | | | When Jason and Grant went to investigate, they |
| Perhaps the most famous tragic story is that of three | | | | realized the door at the top which would be the only |
| young girls who died during the construction of the | | | | exit was padlocked from the inside. There was also a |
| second lighthouse. The story says that there was a rail | | | | motion detection light that never came on until the |
| car or some type of vehicle that went from the light | | | | TAPS guys got up there. Overall, with the evidence |
| station to the ocean. The children liked to play on it and | | | | they captured, the guys determined that they really |
| ride on it for fun. On July 10, 1873, the cart somehow | | | | couldn't prove the place wasn't haunted. |
| ended up in the water. Five children fell into the water | | | | |