Anastasia in St. Augustine in St. Johns County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Davis Shores
Photographed by Craig Swain, August 2, 2011
1. Davis Shores Marker
Inscription.
Davis Shores. . Until the 1920s the northwest corner of Anastasia Island was a swampy lowland with occasional peaks of high ground. In 1925, wealthy Florida land developer D.P. Davis purchased the lowlands and raised them in a massive 1,500 acre dredge and fill operation. Davis designed and subdivided the new land to provide for 50 miles of streets, 100 miles of sidewalks and curbs, parks, plazas, two 18 hole golf courses, a casino, Roman pool, yacht club, hotel, apartments, residences, and business districts. Its distinctive curving street patterns, wide boulevards, unusual triangulated lots in a garden-like setting exhibit key elements of the most influential city planning movements of that time; the City Beautiful, Picturesque and Garden City movements. While many lots were sold, Florida's Land Bust of 1926 ended Davis' dream. Only eleven Mediterranean Revival style structures were built: six houses, four apartments, and a sales office for the Davis Corporation. By 1927, the newly completed Bridge of Lions led to a depressed area. Not until the prosperous post-World War II years did Davis Shores see revived interest and rapid growth. Today, Davis Shores still retains much of the original design and most of its 1920s structures.
Until the 1920s the northwest corner of Anastasia Island was a swampy lowland with occasional peaks of high ground. In 1925, wealthy Florida land developer D.P. Davis purchased the lowlands and raised them in a massive 1,500 acre dredge and fill operation. Davis designed and subdivided the new land to provide for 50 miles of streets, 100 miles of sidewalks and curbs, parks, plazas, two 18 hole golf courses, a casino, Roman pool, yacht club, hotel, apartments, residences, and business districts. Its distinctive curving street patterns, wide boulevards, unusual triangulated lots in a garden-like setting exhibit key elements of the most influential city planning movements of that time; the City Beautiful, Picturesque and Garden City movements. While many lots were sold, Florida's Land Bust of 1926 ended Davis' dream. Only eleven Mediterranean Revival style structures were built: six houses, four apartments, and a sales office for the Davis Corporation. By 1927, the newly completed Bridge of Lions led to a depressed area. Not until the prosperous post-World War II years did Davis Shores see revived interest and rapid growth. Today, Davis Shores still retains much of the original design and most of its 1920s structures.
Erected 2006 by City of St. Augustine and the Florida Department of State. (Marker
Click or scan to see this page online
Number F-592.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Places. A significant historical year for this entry is 1925.
Location. 29° 53.578′ N, 81° 18.259′ W. Marker is in St. Augustine, Florida, in St. Johns County. It is in Anastasia. It is at the intersection of Anastasia Boulevard (State Road A1A) and North St Augustine Boulevard, on the right when traveling west on Anastasia Boulevard. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2 N St Augustine Blvd, Saint Augustine FL 32080, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in First Coast and in Greater Jacksonville. It is also in the American South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 19, 2011, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,072 times since then and 89 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on September 19, 2011, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.
