Waterworks Building

Waterworks Building. . St. Augustine's first water pumping station was completed in 1898 and supplied the town with water from an artesian well. An adjacent fountain first aerated the water in a park-like setting before it was pumped into the building and then piped throughout the city., By 1927, this waterworks was replaced by a mire centralized one. The City of St. St. Augustine converted the building to a community center in 1928 and named the property Davenport Park in memory of George L. Davenport., The Beautiful, brick building remained a significant landmark of the community as it housed various organizations over time including the St. Augustine Art Association, the Little Theatre, and the St. Augustine Garden Club., In 2005 the City condemned the building due to unsafe structural conditions. The City embarked on a six-year rehabilitation effort in 2015 using grant funding resulting in structural updates and restoration of its 1928 appearance., (Upper left caption) Waterworks Pumping Station, ca. 1915 (St. Augustine Historical Society) , (Lower left caption) Davenport Park Clubhouse, 1936 (St. Augustine Art Association) , (Mid-right caption) Plans for the Waterworks Pumping Station conversion to a Community Center by local preservation architect F.A. Hollingsworth, 1928