Skip to primary navigation Skip to content Skip to footer
Back to Blog

Haunted St. Augustine Lighthouse

piteegirls

Nestled along the picturesque coast of St. Augustine, Florida, stands a beacon of maritime history and mystery: the St. Augustine Lighthouse. Beyond its stunning architecture and panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean, this iconic landmark harbors a legacy steeped in tales of the supernatural, making it a magnet for ghost hunters and history enthusiasts alike.

Standing at 165 feet tall and built between 1871 and 1875, The St. Augustine Lighthouse is considered one of the most haunted spots in the ancient city. While there are several stories of hauntings and spirits, the one that captures the most attention is the tragic story of the Pittee girls.

Hezekiah Pittee, the superintendent of the lighthouse construction, relocated from Camp Elizabeth, Maine with his family to oversee the project. Residing on-site with his wife Mary and their children, the Pittee family adapted to their new surroundings. The children loved to play on the grouds of the lighthouse construction, including riding a railway cart between the building site and the docks. Tragically, on July 10, 1873, three of the Pittee girls, Mary (15), Eliza (13), and Carrie (4), along with another girl were riding the cart when it plunged into the water. Witnessing the event was a Mr. Dan Sessions, who lifted the cart off the girls. Tragically, three of the four girls had drowned, leaving only the youngest, Carrie, as the sole survivor. In the aftermath of the accident, both the construction site and the town came to a standstill as they mourned the loss of the girls, with the entire community joining together to pay their respects at the funeral.

However, that was not the last time the Pittee girls would play on the grounds, like they did when they were alive. Visitors and staff have reported eerie encounters and unexplained phenomena around the lighthouse, often attributed to the presence of the Pittee sisters’ restless spirits. Some claim to have heard the faint laughter of children echoing through the corridors, while others report seeing ghostly apparitions playing near the water’s edge.

Lighthouse Park, which is on the water’s edge by the Lighthouse, has seen its share of entities, orbs, and mysterious laughter. Sometimes our guest on the Everdark Express capture mysterious photos during the tour and investigation.

Would you like to meet the Pittee girls yourself? Join us for an Everdark Express, visit the grounds of the Lighthouse, and see if you can spot them for yourself.

  • Posted in: