The Discovery of Fort Mose

The St. Augustine Lighthouse presents a series of five lectures through September 2025 under the umbrella title "History in the Shadow of the Tower," focusing on significant events over the past 150 years. The series is part of the year-long celebration of the 150th anniversary of the lighthouse.

On February 20, 2025, at 6:30 p.m., Flagler College professor and anthropologist, Dr. Lori Lee, and Chuck Meide, Maritime Archeologist for the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum, discuss Fort Mose. They will focus on how the original site for Fort Mose was found and the fort's significance in the history of St. Augustine and the United States.

Admission: All events are free. Reservations are required.

When: Thursday, February 20, 2025, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Where: The St. Augustine Waterworks is located at 184 San Marco Avenue in uptown St. Augustine, FL 32084. NOTE: While the address is 184 San Marco Avenue, the only driveway on San Marco is Exit Only. Access to the Waterworks is through the St. Augustine Main Library parking lot. (Use 1960 North Ponce de Leon in your GPS.) 

The Series of Lectures

To celebrate 150 years of Lighthouse history, the St. Augustine Lighthouse presents a speaker series entitled History In the Shadow of the Tower:

• December 19, 2024, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. — World War II and St. Augustine by Eliot Kleinberg, Florida Talks and Florida Humanities Council
• February 20, 2025, from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. — The Discovery of Fort Mose by Dr. Lori Lee, Flagler College, and Chuck Meide. the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP).
• April 24, 2025, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. — Launching Florida's Tourism Industry (Florida's Gilded Age) by Dr. Leslee Keys, Flagler College (Retired)
• July 2025, TBD, from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. — The Long, Hot Summer: St. Augustine's Civil Rights Movement by Dr. Michael Butler, Flagler College
• September 18, 2025, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. — The Making of St. Augustine's Art Community by Dr. Keri Watson, University of Central Florida

To register for any of these lectures, go to the events page on the Lighthouse website. 

The History of the Lighthouse

On October 15th, 1874, Lighthouse Keeper, William R. Russell lit the St. Augustine Lighthouse for the first time. One hundred and fifty years later, the 165-foot lighthouse still serves as a navigational aid for ships and pleasure boats at sea. 

During the First Spanish Period in St. Augustine (1565–1763), the Spanish built watchtowers along the coast on what we know now as Anastasia Island. Soldiers manned the watch towners and warned the town when a ship was sighted. The northern tower was upgraded to a lighthouse in 1824. When that tower was threatened by beach erosion, a new tower was built and completed in 1874.

These programs are presented, in part, by Florida Humanities and Florida Arts and Culture.