Lincolnville in St. Augustine in St. Johns County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
160 M.L. King Avenue
ACCORD Freedom Trail
The southern half of Lincolnville was, in colonial times, a plantation called "Buena Esperanza" (Spanish for "Good Hope"). During the Flagler Era of the 1880s, it was bought by Standard Oil millionaire William Warden and developed as a residential subdivision. One of Warden's investments was the local gas and electric company, whose manager lived in this elegant Victorian house, which originally bore the address of 160 Central Avenue.
In 1954, the U. S. Supreme Court ruled in the famous case of Brown v. Board of Education that racially segregated schools had to end. This was a harbinger for the end of the Jim Crow system of discrimination that had prevailed since the end of Reconstruction. Most of the southern states responded by establishing some kind of official state commission to see what could be done to preserve racial segregation as long as possible. Florida's contribution to that was called the Fabisinski Committee, headed by Judge L. L. Fabisinski--who had grown up here in this house in the early years of the twentieth century. Five decades after Judge Fabisinski left, this house became, in 1964, the home of Dr. Robert B. Hayling, the courageous dentist who was the main organizer of the civil rights movement in St. Augustine. For his outstanding leadership, Dr. Hayling has been hailed as "The Father of the Civil Rights Act of 1964."
There is no other house in St. Augustine--probably no other house in America--that within its walls has sheltered the two opposite sides of that great conflict that shaped our modern democracy. Thus, it is known as "The Civil Rights House."
This Historical Marker Presented this 2nd Day of July, 2009 by Northrop Grumman
Erected 2009 by The 40th Anniversary to Commemorate the Civil Rights Demonstrations, Inc. (ACCORD).
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Notable Events. In addition, it is included in the Florida, St. Augustine Freedom Trail series list. A significant historical month for this entry is July 2009.
Location. 29° 52.888′ N, 81° 18.798′ W. Marker is in St. Augustine, Florida, in St. Johns County. It is in Lincolnville. Marker is on Martin Luther King Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 160 M L King Ave, Saint Augustine FL 32084, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. 156 M.L. King Avenue (within shouting distance of this marker); 94 South Street (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Reverend Goldie M. Eubanks (about 400 feet away); Last Slave Cabin (about 400 feet away); a different marker also named The Last Slave Cabin (about 500 feet away); 177 Twine Street (about 500 feet away); Twine Park (approx. 0.2 miles away); 111 Lincoln Street (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in St. Augustine.
Also see . . . The ACCORD Freedom Trail. Website homepage (Submitted on March 6, 2011, by Gwendolyn Duncan of St. Augustine, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on September 20, 2021. It was originally submitted on March 6, 2011, by Gwendolyn Duncan of St. Augustine, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,122 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 6, 2011, by Gwendolyn Duncan of St. Augustine, Florida. 3. submitted on April 13, 2017, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. 4. submitted on May 20, 2014, by James R. Murray of Elkton, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.