On October 15, 1874, lighthouse keeper William R. Russell lit the oil lamp inside the new, first-order Fresnel lens for the first time. He most likely walked to the tower from his residence at the old St. Augustine Light Station, upon which the sea was rapidly encroaching. The lens is 9-feet tall, and Russell would have had to climb inside it to light the lamps. 📸: bryanlwilliams #staugustinelighthouse #staugustine #florida #lighthouse #museum #sunset #light #lovefl #beautiful #beacon #staugustinebeach #anastasiaisland #saintaugustine #lens #fresnellens #coast