Myths & Mysteries

"A Ghost - Somebody tried last Thursday night to get up a ghost at the fort, but it was a failure. Lost (Lots) of people went there about 9 o'clock at night; we was one of them, but the ghost didn't amount to much... We don't think much of these sham ghosts. If they could get up a real bonifide ghost, such as we read about, there would be some fin (fun) in it and everybody would go and see it."

- The St. Augustine Star, Jan 4, 1872

Get the Facts Behind the "Ghost Stories"

The stories of ghosts unique to the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum have been featured in popular television shows, books, and local lore for decades. The Lighthouse and Museum and its precursors have stood on this site for centuries as witness to countless triumphs and tragedies, and as a beacon to land and sea. However, not only does the light emanating from the Fresnel lens atop the tower act as a beacon it also illuminates the history of this ancient city. Within that history the stories of those who lost their lives in tragic circumstances on these grounds is undeniable and an important part of the fabric of St. Augustine's past. (A complete history of those who died on the grounds of the St. Augustine Light Station can be found at the bottom of this page.)

Today the Lighthouse & Museum welcomes visitors to America's oldest port and is anxious to portray its stories as it changes lives through education, discovery and the preservation of history. Please join us, plan a visit today become a member, and find out how you can support our work.

The Facts

Many people have lived here and some have died on-site. Below are the only deaths in our records.

• A Lightkeeper never fell from the current tower. John Carrera died in 1853 at the first lighthouse. Joseph Andreu, did fall from the first lighthouse and die in 1859. (After her husband's death the town rallied around Maria Andreu and she became the Head Keeper.)
• William Harn died of consumption (tuberculosis) on April 1, 1889 while still Head Keeper. (Kate Harn, William's wife, became the Second Assistant keeper after her husband's death.)
• Head Keeper Rantia's wife died here on Sept. 21, 1894. At this time, we do not know how she died.
• Three young girls did die during the construction of the lighthouse. There were the daughters of the superintendent of construction of the tower - Hezekiah Pittee. Since the construction was taking so long, Pittee moved his family down from Maine. They lived in a house on-site. There was also a rail car, handcart or some type of vehicle that went from the light station to the ocean. The workers used this to bring the supplies from the beach to the work site. The children, Pittee had five, used to ride on it for fun. On July 10, 1873, something happened and five children fell into the water. Workers were able to save a boy and a girl. Two of Pittee's daughters, Mary (15) and Eliza (13), and a young black girl, either a servant or the daughter of a worker, drowned.
• As far as we know, no one ever hung him/herself here. There is a story that some passing mariner hung himself in the house in the 1930s. We have no proof that this happened.

Our special donors, known as Founding Lights, are offered invitations to exclusive nighttime events. Click on the donate link to find out how to be a Founding Light and be the first to be invited to these special events.

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