Join hosts Jeremy D’Entremont and Cindy Johnson for the first of three episodes for Florida Week! In 1824, the first lighthouse in Florida was built at St. Augustine, at the site of an earlier watchtower. Today’s 165-foot-tall brick tower, built in 1874, is a major attraction on Florida’s east coast.
The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum has a mission to “discover, preserve, present, and keep alive the stories of the nation’s oldest port.” Rick Cain is Director of Museum Services, and Jay Smith is Office Manager and Executive and Governance Support Manager. Jeremy interviewed Rick and Jay during a visit to St. Augustine in May.
The lighthouse history segment focuses on Winslow Lewis and his monopoly on American lighthouse lighting equipment from 1810 into the 1840s. And there’s another trivia contest and a chance to win prizes. There will be two more “Florida Week” episodes this week.
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Jeremy D’Entremont is the author of more than 20 books and hundreds of articles on lighthouses and maritime history. He is the president and historian for the American Lighthouse Foundation and founder of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses, and he has lectured and narrated cruises throughout the Northeast and in other regions. He is also the producer and host of the U.S. Lighthouse Society podcast, “Light Hearted.” He can be emailed at Jeremy@uslhs.org
Enjoyed the interview with St Augustine staff.
We spend three months in the winter in Cresent Beach just south of St. Augustine and visit the lighthouse frequently to learn from their staff about the extensive programs they provide.
They are really an excellent model for lighthouse preservation and education.