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