💡Presidents Day History at the St. Augustine Lighthouse. When the Old Spanish Watchtower officially became Florida’s first lighthouse in 1824, James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States (1817–1825) and the last President from the Founding Fathers. When the current St. Augustine Lighthouse was completed in 1874, Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Army to victory in the American Civil War in 1865 and thereafter briefly served as Secretary of War. More St. Augustine Lighthouse history: The St. Augustine Light Station is a privately maintained aid to navigation and an active, working lighthouse in St. Augustine, Florida. The current lighthouse stands at the north end of Anastasia Island and was built between 1871 and 1874. The tower is the second lighthouse tower in St. Augustine, the first being lit officially by the American territorial government in May 1824 as Florida’s firs...