The Lighthouses of the Sunshine State - with Brendan Burke

From St. Augustine’s 16th century signal towers to an inland lighthouse in Lake George, the people of Florida have maintained a rich tradition in lighting our coasts to provide aids-to-navigation for mariners. In fact, over 50 lighthouses stand along Florida’s 1,300 miles of coast. Thanks to Brendan Burke, we will learn how the Sunshine State’s lighthouses have endured shifting sandbars, reef-strewn shallows, hurricanes, earthquakes, and even military attacks.

Burke is a maritime archaeologist with the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum. Beyond lighthouses, his research interests include steam technology and the history of shrimp boat building. Burke's talk will explore the history of lighthouses in Florida and the many roles they have played in shaping Florida's culture for the past 500 years.