01/04/2023
On January 1, 1859 the light first turned on in the third St. Johns River Lighthouse!
The first lighthouse lasted only five years before it was destroyed by the ravages of waves, wind and current. The second lighthouse was built a mile inland in hopes of avoiding the same fate as the first lighthouse. This, however, was not the case. Over time, the shifting river threatened the lighthouse and sand dunes
nearly buried it. Attempts at preservation and repair were abandoned in 1852.
Finally, the third lighthouse began construction during the winter of 1857. The tower was a mile inland, built of brick and stood seventy-four feet tall.
The new lighthouse was only in operation for a short time before the Civil War broke out. In the south many lighthouses were not operated during the Civil War, but the St. Johns River Lighthouse continued. In 1864 a Confederate sympathizer, some say the light's keeper John Daniels, shot the light out. The lighthouse stayed inactive until it was relit on July 4, 1867.
In 1929, a lightship stationed off Brunswick, Georgia, was reassigned to a position roughly seven miles offshore the St. Johns River. The lighthouse became redundant and its use was discontinued on May 5, 1931.
The third St. Johns River Lighthouse still stands today and is now part of the Mayport Naval Station, just feet away from the runway.
