St. Augustine Lighthouse
One of the highlights of a visit to St. Augustine is a trip to its iconic lighthouse. St. Augustine is the oldest continuously working port in the United States, dating back to its settlement in 1565. There has been some form of light house since that time. In the 1500's the wooden watchtower served as a beacon for sailors. In 1824 the American Territorial government commissioned the building of first lighthouse at St. Augustine. It was a structure built from coquina stone - a strong limestone quarried in the area. Coquina is a sedimentary rock comprised of sea shells that have been cemented together over time. Original St. Augustine Lighthouse - http://sar-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/superphoto/13832447.jpg The lighthouse was built very close to the beach and by 1870 was threatened by erosion. So the U.S. government again had a new lighthouse built, much further from the shoreline. This time the building was mad from brick and cast iron. Today,...