St. Augustine, Florida
Preserving Its Treasured Past
By Tom and Joanne O'Toole – This article courtesy of Florida RV Traveler
Touring Old St. Augustine
As you walk through the old gates, you're on pedestrian–only St. George Street, the restored district's main street. Liberally sprinkled along the route are gift shops, restaurants and ice cream parlors.
Some of the buildings are private residences, offices and businesses whose balconies, interior gardens and architecture reflect the St. Augustine of centuries ago.
Oldest Fortress
The Presidio de San Agustin, more commonly known as the Colonial Spanish Quarter, comprises buildings and craft shops as they would have been in the 18th century. Here you find costumed craftsmen, storekeepers and townsfolk eager to engage visitors as they go about the daily routines of an earlier life.
Across the way, on the quiet bank of Matanzas Bay, protected from the open sea by Anastasia Island, sits Castillo de San Marcos, the great star–shaped fortress. Started in 1672 – but not completed for another 23 years – it served as the community's successful fortress for decades.
It was a little like locking the barn door after the nag had fled, as Sir Francis Drake had pillaged and burned the town in 1586, and the English buccaneers again plundered the settlement in 1668.
Now a National Historic Landmark, it is under the care of the National Park Service, which reports it to be the oldest masonry fortress in the U.S. The symmetrical fort has 33–foot high ramparts that are 12–16 feet thick at the base and made of Florida coquina shell stone (crushed shells and coral), which continues to harden with age. The fort was surrounded by a moat and outer defense earthwalls. It was considered impregnable. Visitors can tour the fort year–round.
Although St. Augustine's original wood–and–thatch structures are lost forever, archaeologists have the nearly indestructible coquina foundations and footers as blueprints to the past (as they are discovered).
"Oldest" School & House
One type of early construction is seen at the "oldest wooden school" (made of square–logged cypress and cedar) on St. George Street. The downstairs served as a one–room school, while the upstairs was living quarters for the teacher.
A more graceful example is "the oldest house" (1727) on St. Francis Street, said to be on a site that was continuously occupied since the early 1600s. The four flags flying in a cluster (Spanish, British, Confederate, and U.S.) from a corner of the building represent different eras in local history. The stucco main floor was built by the Spanish and originally occupied by the family of Tomas Gonzales, while the frame second floor was added later by a retired British officer. A National Historic Landmark, the oldest house is surrounded by outbuildings, related museum structures and other interesting sites.
Walking the narrow streets around the oldest house offers a chance to capture the flavor of the town in its original form. Homes are being privately restored, and the residential section has already become very expensive real estate.
Back on the bayfront, the Spanish Mission of Nombre de Dios (Name of God) is where Spanish Admiral Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles is said to have first walked ashore in 1565. Having sighted the area 11 days earlier on the feast day of Saint Augustine, he named it a permanent colony for Spain.
A magnificent 208–foot–high stainless steel cross has been erected here and is one of the city's symbols – as are the stone lions at the Ponce de León statue in the main plaza and the baroque Bridge of Lions. If you visit in the near future, you'll witness the bridge rehabilitation project.
Discover the Fountain
Off Magnolia Drive, where ageless oak trees have created an archway the length of the street, is the Fountain of Youth Discovery Park, for those who feel their visit is not complete without gulping down a paper cup full of the local elixir. Did we? Of course.
Downtown, Flagler College and Flagler Memorial Church are architectural monuments to Henry M. Flagler, the significant benefactor to this city and developer of much of Florida's east coast and the railway to Key West. The college was once the posh Ponce de León Hotel, built by Flagler, who hoped to make St. Augustine the American Riviera.
Within walking distance, he built an equally elegant hotel and soon bought another. The one–time Alcazar Hotel now houses city hall and, across the courtyard, the Lightner Museum.
The Casa Monica Hotel, on an adjoining corner, was the one he purchased three months after it opened, in 1888. Still serving its clientele, it has recently undergone a $17 million restoration. Is it any wonder Flagler was often called the creator of Florida tourism?
Many historic sites here are free to the public. Visit the Plaza de la Constitución (the central square and former slave market laid out in 1598), the Matanzas Bay waterfront, Cathedral Basilica, the Huguenot Cemetery near the city gates, St. George Street, the college and much more. In no time, you'll sense the charm of this peaceful city.
Sightseeing Strategies
Need to slow down? A clippity–clop, snail's–paced horse–drawn carriage tour is a relaxing way to soak up the flavor.
For those who have time, there are plenty of interesting sightseeing options. During the day, there are tour boats departing from the city marina, and a harbor shuttle across the bay and up Salt Run to the lighthouse and museum. In the evening, an authentic tall ship schooner takes guests for a sail on the bay, while another nighttime frolic is the Ghosts and Gravestones tour aboard the Trolley of the Doomed.
This oldest city in North America has weathered the storms, and has used its heritage to fashion a community that seems to blend the old and new quite nicely. It is truly a time capsule, showcasing nearly 500 years of American history.
Historical Note…
St. Augustine was established 42 years before the English settled Jamestown and 55 years before the Pilgrims landed in New England.
In 1763, Spain gave Florida to England in exchange for Cuba, but a treaty agreement in 1783 returned it to Spanish rule. In 1821, Spain sold Florida to the United States and, a few decades later (in 1845), it became the nation's 27th state.
For More Information
St.Augustine Visitors Bureau
88 Riberia St., Suite 400
St.Augustine, FL 32084
(904) 829-1711
(800) 418-7529
www.visitoldcity.com
Bryn Mawr Ocean Resort
4850 Highway A1A S.
St.Augustine, FL 32084
(888) 768-9638
(904) 471-3353
www.brynmawroceanresort.com
North Beach Camp Resort
4125 Coastal Highway (A1A)
St.Augustine, FL 32084
(800) 542-8316
(904) 824-1806
www.northbeachcamp.com
St.Augustine Beach KOA
Kampground Resort
525 W. Pope Road
St.Augustine, FL 32080
(800) 562-4022
(904) 471-3113
www.koa.com/where/FL/09205
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Consult your 2007 Woodall's North American Campground Directory for a complete list of area campgrounds.
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