This Great Cross marks the approximate site where in 1565 the Cross of Christianity was first permanently planted in what is now the United States.
It is a beacon of the faith to remind all those who pass this way, by land or by sea, of the . . . — — Map (db m4638) HM
The Seawall in St. Augustine History
St. Augustine's history has been shaped by the sea since its founding in 1565. Over the centuries, colonial explorers, pirates, and seafaring merchants have found their way into Matanzas Bay, known today as . . . — — Map (db m127500) HM
The name Huguenot has been associated with the cemetery since the 1830’s and was probably reinforced during the tourist boom at the turn of the century. It is not known how the name was originated except that Huguenot was synonymous with . . . — — Map (db m188328) HM
St. Augustine’s most famous garage building began its life long before the automobile age. The crack running down the east wall from top to bottom shows the original length of the structure, before it was enlarged in the 1920s for automobile and . . . — — Map (db m154602) HM
The lynching of Isaac Barrett did not occur in the City of St. Augustine. He was murdered in Orangedale, over twenty miles to the west of this location. Regardless, both communities are in St. Johns County and as such, this event is a part of our . . . — — Map (db m211791) HM
The Lynching of Isaac Barrett Isaac Barrett, an African American tenant farmer, was lynched in St. Johns County, Florida, on June 5, 1897, after he was accused of assaulting the family of his white employer. According to press accounts, Mr. . . . — — Map (db m219783) HM
History of the Matchlock Arquebus The matchlock arquebus first appeared in Europe in the mid-1400s. The name is taken from its ignition source, a slow, hot-burning cotton or hemp rope called a matchcord, or simply slow match. The . . . — — Map (db m189000) HM
The Original Settlement of St. Augustine Comes Back to Life On September 8, 1565, Pedro Menéndez de Aviles founded the fledgling settlement of San Agustín here in the field before you, establishing what was to become the oldest continuously . . . — — Map (db m188859) HM
The Minorcans, some 1,300 people of Mediterranean origins, were brought to Florida in 1768 as contract employees to farm a large indigo plantation at New Smyrna, 70 miles south of St. Augustine. Though most came from the island of Minorca off the . . . — — Map (db m72960) HM
The Minorcans, some 1,300 people of Mediterranean origins, were brought to
Florida in 1768 as contract employees to farm a large indigo plantation at
New Smyrna, 70 miles south of St. Augustine. Though most came from
the island of . . . — — Map (db m143481) HM
The Monson Motel
formerly located on this site, was the
focal point of demonstrations led by
Dr. Robert B. Hayling
and
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
that resulted in the passage of the
Landmark
Civil Rights Act
of . . . — — Map (db m153902) HM
This magnificent LIVE OAK is one of the most remarkable trees in North America, reputed to be well over 600 years old, and thus surviving as though silent witness to that dramatic moment in 1513 when Juan Ponce de Leon finally discovered Saint . . . — — Map (db m128655) HM
Built in 1891, the St. Johns County Jail held prisoners until 1953. The previous county jail was located next to the Hotel Ponce de Leon in downtown St. Augustine, Florida. Henry Morrison Flagler (1830-1913), co-founder of the Standard Oil . . . — — Map (db m79613) HM
The oldest Presbyterian church in Florida was organized June 10, 1824, as the First Presbyterian Church of St. Augustine. The first church building was erected on this site January 1, 1825. In 1890 the congregation moved into the new sanctuary which . . . — — Map (db m108142) HM
Located Here on the Park Grounds The settlers of St. Augustine moved twice before finally settling at the town's present-day location south of the plaza in 1572. Franciscan friars arrived in 1573 and later established the first . . . — — Map (db m188800) HM
Dredging up a Piece of History For millennia, the peninsula of Florida was populated by large numbers of indigenous people who used the many navigable rivers as a superhighway to travel, trade and hunt. These natives flourished until . . . — — Map (db m189124) HM
Built in 1888. Originally housed The Surprise Store, "The largest and leading Department Store on Florida's East Coast". In 1934 it became The Plaza Hotel. From 1949-1986 it was the home of Potter's Wax Museum. — — Map (db m93401) HM
The Powder House Lot
In 1797–1800, the Spanish built on this site a coquina structure with tile roof and masonry fence, to store 100,000 pounds of gunpowder. A smaller structure was also built to serve as guard post. Each redoubt in . . . — — Map (db m100593) HM
The Rosario Defense LineThis earthen embankment re-creates a section of the defense wall that protected Spanish St. Augustine against attack in the 1700s. After crossing the natural moat on the outside of the wall formed by Maria Sánchez Creek . . . — — Map (db m47063) HM
Here on this site, 42 St. George Street, stood the home of the nation's first Black general, Jorge Biassou, who came to St. Augustine from his native St. Domingue (today the nation of Haiti) in 1796 as an officer of the Spanish militia.
General . . . — — Map (db m70979) HM
A New World Workhorse Pictured here are the archaeological remains of a Spanish chalupa that was wrecked in Labrador, Canada in 1565 — the same year that Pedro Menéndez de Avilés established the settlement of St. Augustine in the . . . — — Map (db m189125) HM
The Segui-Kirby Smith House is one of only 36 Spanish Colonial houses remaining in St. Augustine. The house dates from the late 1700s. The site on which it is situated has been continuously occupied since the late 1500s.
In 1786 it became . . . — — Map (db m107411) HM
This 2,000 seat theater is built on the site of the royal Spanish quarry, where the native shellstone called coquina was dug and ferried across Matanzas Bay for the construction of Castillo de San Marcos and many other early structures in colonial . . . — — Map (db m127362) HM
Dedicated to those who participated in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s in St. Augustine. They protested racial discrimination by marching, picketing, kneeling-in at churches, sitting-in at lunch counters, wading-in at beaches, attending . . . — — Map (db m74381) HM
This Timucuan hut would have been a comfortable shelter for two to three generations of family, providing protection at night from animals and cover from inclement weather. Timucuan Homes were mostly for shelter. Daily activities such as . . . — — Map (db m188868) HM
The burning of St. Augustine by the English in 1702 showed the need for additional defenses. The first of these was a palisade on this site. Later the defense was improved and extended around the town. Thereafter, no attack ever reached the homes . . . — — Map (db m127895) HM
The Villa Zorayda today houses an extensive antique collection from the original owners of this Grand Gilded Age home, Franklin W. Smith, and the Villa's second owner Abraham S. Mussallem, an authority and collector of Egyptian antiquities, . . . — — Map (db m169198) HM
This two-story coquina house and detached kitchen was built for Spanish merchant Andres Ximenez ca. 1798 for use as a general store, tavern, and family residence. After Florida became a U.S. Territory in 1821, Margaret Cook bought the property in . . . — — Map (db m143352) HM
This two-story coquina house and detached kitchen was built for Spanish merchant Andres Ximenez ca. 1798 for use as a general store, tavern, and family residence. After Florida became a U.S. Territory in 1821, Margaret Cook bought the property in . . . — — Map (db m193852) HM
This Gate opened in 1739, provided the only
access through the defense line
on the north side of Spanish St. Augustine.
Royal Engineer Manuel de Hita
built these coquina pillars in 1808.
This tablet was originally erected in . . . — — Map (db m127892) HM
Tidal Toilet (English)
This colonial restroom had a twice-daily, natural flushing system. Incoming tides filled the pit with seawater, and outgoing tides flushed waste out into the bay.
Limpiado por las mareas . . . — — Map (db m127743) HM
An Ancient Form of Transportation The word canoe comes to English from the Carib word kenu (meaning dugout) via the Spanish word canoa. This linguistic exchange occurred in the sixteenth century as Spain expanded its colonial empire . . . — — Map (db m188869) HM
The large clay jars placed around the grounds are early Spanish water urns called Tinajónes. They were placed under the eaves of houses to catch rainwater and were buried halfway underground to keep the water cool. The Tinajónes in the park vary in . . . — — Map (db m189130) HM
During the First Spanish Period, prior to 1763, this site was occupied by the Christian Indian village of Tolomato, with its chapel and burying ground served by Franciscan missionaries. The village was abandoned when Great Britain acquired Florida. . . . — — Map (db m47388) HM
A 1737 map of the city of St. Augustine describes the site of Tolomato Cemetery as "the church and village of Tolomato, an Indian village served by Franciscan priests." The Tolomato Indians were Guale refugees fleeing attacks on their mission . . . — — Map (db m47389) HM
The characteristic site plan of Spanish Colonial architecture is evident in the Tovar House which is situated on the street edge and the property is enclosed with a solid wall. Rectangular window openings, a front balcony, and coquina stone . . . — — Map (db m112504) HM
The infantryman José Tovar lived on this corner in 1763. The original site and size of his house remained unchanged during the British period, when John Johnson, a Scottish merchant, lived here. After the Spanish returned in 1784, José Coruña, a . . . — — Map (db m77286) HM
From 1817 to 1818 U.S. armed forces led by General Andrew Jackson invaded Spanish Florida and fought the Seminole Tribe in what became known as the First Seminole War. As a result, Spain ceded Florida to the United States in 1819 as part of the . . . — — Map (db m229719) HM
As part of the Adams-Onis Treaty of 1818, Spain ceded both East and West Florida to the United States. On July 10, 1821, the 23-star flag of the United States replaced the Spanish flag above the Castillo de San Marcos and, during the Territorial . . . — — Map (db m229723) HM
In 1823, two years after Florida was acquired by the United States, leaders of the Seminole and Miccosukee Tribes met with government officials on the banks of the creek near this site to settle conflicting claims to Florida lands. After twelve . . . — — Map (db m155049) HM
An original Minorcan home constructed of coquina stone and owned by members of the Triay family until 1885. Restored in 1951 by the St. Augustine Historical Society. Acquired by Robert Gudrun Hall in 1963, and placed in 1986 on the National Register . . . — — Map (db m93366) HM
Trinity Episcopal Church faces the Plaza opposite the Cathedral Basilica. It is built on the site of the 1735 Spanish Bishop's House and the 1774 British Statehouse, and it might have some of their foundation stones in its walls. It is the oldest . . . — — Map (db m111101) HM
The Church of England was established in Florida during the British occupation (1763-1783). The Reverend John Forbes held services first in the Spanish Bishop's House then on this site. Later, the ancient Spanish church a short distance south on St. . . . — — Map (db m46850) HM
Henry L. Twine (1923-1994) and his wife Katherine “Kat” Twine (1925-2002) were longtime Lincolnville residents and prominent community leaders for who this neighborhood park was named. They were both active in the civil rights movement . . . — — Map (db m77261) HM
This structure is a hot shot furnace for heating cannon balls to be shot at wooden vessels and to set them on fire. It is part of the water battery built by the U.S. (1842-44) when this side of the moat was filled in and guns were mounted on the . . . — — Map (db m127657) HM
Launched in 1797 and named by President George Washington, she is the oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat in the world. These two non-firing cannons were part of the armament on board the U.S.S. Constitution — also known as "Old Ironsides" . . . — — Map (db m188790) HM
Under Continuous Attack (English)
Castillo de San Marcos has been under attack since construction began in 1672. Enemy gunfire assaulted these walls with little damage. The unrelenting onslaught of time and weather, however, are taking a . . . — — Map (db m127295) HM
At the turn of the century, St. Augustine's cigar industry was flourishing. Balmy nights and a good cigar were a tradition.
Just after World War I, the cigar industry flourished in St. Augustine. It was second only to the Florida East Coast . . . — — Map (db m134496) HM
Upham Winter Cottage 268 Saint George Street 1893 is listed in the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior — — Map (db m144124) HM
For those who have fought for it,
Freedom has a flavor
the protected will never know
Dedicated to all of the
United States Armed Forces
November 11, 2009 — — Map (db m104859) WM
Signals were exchanged between this tower and a similar one across Matanzas Bay, on the ocean shore near the present lighthouse. — — Map (db m46450) HM
Formerly at this site stood the Vilano Beach Casino, constructed in 1926-27. Casinos of the early 1900s were a source of social entertainment. Gambling was not provided. Big name bands from New York, vaudeville acts, theme parties and dances were . . . — — Map (db m125688) HM
Bostonian Franklin W. Smith designed and built the Villa as his winter residence. It is important for its distinct architectural design and construction method in addition to its role in the early tourism industry in St. Augustine. The novel . . . — — Map (db m112510) HM
The Villa Zorayda was constructed in 1883 as the winter home of Franklin Smith, a Boston millionaire who was so impressed by the magnificence of the Alhambra Palace which he saw during a visit to Granada, Spain, that he decided to build his house as . . . — — Map (db m102737) HM
Home of Bartolome Villalonga (1789-1825), son of Juan Villalonga of Minorca, and husband of Maria Acosta, of Corsican Greek parentage, erected between 1815 and 1820. — — Map (db m102378) HM
José Martí, a leading advocate for Cuban independence from Spain, visited St. Augustine in 1892. Martí came to collect support, supplies, and weapons for the Cuban Revolution. He met with St. Augustine's Cuban population, many of them cigar workers. . . . — — Map (db m134495) HM
In 1768, Scottish physician, Dr. Andrew Turnbull, received a large land grant 70 miles south of St. Augustine. Turnbull recruited 1,403 villagers from the Mediterranean and Baltic Islands of Minorca, Greece, Turkey and Corsica as indentured . . . — — Map (db m134498) HM
English:
Wall of Defense
The log wall at your right is a replica of the Cubo Line. The earth-and-palm-log embankment extended from the Castillo to the San Sebastian River a half-mile behind you. Two defensive walls . . . — — Map (db m128188) HM
The Warden Winter Home was built in 1887 for William G. Warden of Philadelphia. A partner with Henry Flagler and John D. Rockefeller in the Standard Oil Company, Warden was also the President of the St. Augustine Gas and Electric Light Company and . . . — — Map (db m46681) HM
Water wheels were common sources of energy in America throughout the 1800s and into the early 1900s.
A Water Wheel is a machine that converts the energy of free-flowing water into useful forms of power, often in a watermill. It . . . — — Map (db m143892) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m229579) HM
Weapons of War (English)
Touring the fort, you will see three types of artillery: mortars, howitzers, and cannons. Attackers as well as defenders had access to many types of weaponry. Each one had its own strengths and weaknesses. A . . . — — Map (db m127751) HM
Weapons of War (English)
Touring the fort, you will see three types of artillery: mortars, howitzers, and cannons. Attackers as well as defenders had access to many types of weaponry. Each one had its own strengths and weaknesses. A . . . — — Map (db m193851) HM
The Hiram Faver Trail meanders about 2.5 miles through three plant communities, arriving at the Carter plantation site at Hemming Point overlooking Pellicer Creek. Land in this park was occupied by Native Americans and later by Spanish and British . . . — — Map (db m208057) HM
In 1765, William Bartram, famed Colonial Naturalist visited the Coquina Quarry & recorded the flora & fauna of the area.
Erected by
The Presidents Council of Garden Clubs & St. Johns County Inc. &
Gaillardia, Dianthus, Cherokee, . . . — — Map (db m127360) HM
(Front):In memory of a distinguished American soldier, citizen of St. Augustine, Fla. Born December 4, 1818. Died December 30, 1885. His courage in battle was conspicuous; His devotion to duty unfailing; His ability recognized by three . . . — — Map (db m220164) HM
During World War II, German U-boats patrolled the shipping lanes off the coast of Florida attacking cargo ships carrying vital supplies across the Atlantic. For this reason, the Coast Guard maintained a strong presence at our lighthouse and used . . . — — Map (db m126900) HM WM
Memorial
To Those Who Gave Their Lives
In The Service Of Their Country In
World War II
“St. Johns County, Florida”
“Through 1946”
Army
Adams, Horace H. • Babcock, Elliot C. • . . . — — Map (db m143655) WM
Xavier Lopez, descendant from a pioneer Minorcan family, succeeded as a merchant and public servant. He owned the house, passing it to his daughter upon his death. The house is significant as one of St. Augustine's best examples of Queen Anne . . . — — Map (db m111555) HM
This property is a significant example of Spanish, British and American architectural influences. The one story kitchen building is as old as the original rectangular two story house. An addition to the house, being used then as a boarding house, . . . — — Map (db m108341) HM
Blessed with communal origins, enthused former members of The First Baptist Church in Lincolnville who lived in West Augustine were inspired to establish what is today a unique edifice-built in 1921.
The heritage of the church echoes such . . . — — Map (db m152197) HM
Noted author Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960) rented a room in this house in 1942. One of the few surviving buildings closely linked with Hurston’s life, it is an example of frame Vernacular construction, with cool, north-facing porches on both . . . — — Map (db m77257) HM
This small brick structure was originally a privy (outhouse), likely built before the house sometime between 1872 and 1875 (there was also one in the south corner).
It was turned into a shed after indoor plumbing and bathrooms were added to the . . . — — Map (db m126898) HM
These bricks are the remains of the south privy (outhouse), built for use primarily by tourists rather than the keepers’ families. At some point during its history this outhouse was converted into a toilet.
The smaller brick square just to the . . . — — Map (db m126954) HM
Just to the east of this well stood the original wooden kitchens, used prior to adding the brick kitchens on either side of the keepers’ house.
The well had a pump handle, like the one you see between the two old kitchens in the picture to . . . — — Map (db m126897) HM
This is one of two brick kitchens added in 1888, replacing former wooden kitchens that were located closer to the lighthouse tower. Before indoor air conditioning and safer cooking techniques, kitchens were detached from houses to protect them from . . . — — Map (db m126957) HM
Wooden Buildings Offered Little Protection
Founded in 1565, St. Augustine suffered Indian attacks, pirate raids, and military invasions. Within the first hundred years, nine wooden forts were burned, destroyed by storms, or had simply rotted . . . — — Map (db m127408) HM
After WWII, the nation's construction boom responded to high demand and Davis Shores. Housing of this period contrasted with Davis' original Mediterranean-inspired vision. Buildings were mostly single-story block houses in either a sprawling Ranch . . . — — Map (db m216755) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m47390) HM
The St. Augustine Lighthouse began as a Spanish watchtower and is St. Augustine’s oldest brick structure. Rare proof exists of African Americans on site during its construction. The 1876 house includes an uncommon coquina basement that stored . . . — — Map (db m126958) HM
The monumental and graceful lions that guard both sides of the Bridge of Lions are modeled from the historic Medici Lions that once adorned the Villa Medici in Rome and are now displayed in the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence, Italy. The first pair . . . — — Map (db m220177) HM
A wood frame cottage on this property was relocated to the Florida Agricultural Museum in 2019 after the city of St. Augustine purchased this lot.
Between 1946 and 2017 the property and cottage were owned by the prominent Meldrim family. The . . . — — Map (db m216756) HM
From this site, General James Oglethorpe, commanding military forces from Georgia and Carolina, bombarded Castillo de San Marcos from June 27 to July 20, 1740. The Castillo’s massive coquina walls absorbed the cannon shot and damage was slight. . . . — — Map (db m153588) HM
These ruins are all that remain of what was probably a Spanish barracks which housed the quarry overseer, master masons, and stonecutters who were involved in the construction of the Castillo de San Marcos. The quarry, located directly across the . . . — — Map (db m106439) HM
About 200 yards south-east of this point are the remains of the King's Coquina Quarries. (Coquina, a type of limestone composed of mollusk shells and sand, is found along the north-east coast of Florida.) Coquina was used in the building of many . . . — — Map (db m28361) HM
Sometime before 1586 Spanish settlers constructed a wooden watchtower on Anastasia Island at the entrance to St. Augustine's port. By 1737 the Spanish tower was constructed from coquina that was quarried nearby on the island. A guardhouse and . . . — — Map (db m220179) HM
The creek at the shoreline of this property has a rich history and has long been known to locals as "Quarry Creek." The deep-water channel, named Escolta (Escort or Guard) Creek by the Spanish, was used for landing boats on Anastasia Island from St. . . . — — Map (db m216757) HM
Through his love of baseball and through his love for St. Augustine and its people, Frederick G. (Fred) Francis took baseball out of the sandlots and lifted the St. Augustine Saints to four pennants while he was at the helm.
Fred Francis made it . . . — — Map (db m173972) HM
The dates of this arrival and departure are unknown. What is known is that the Calus (a) Indians were a very warlike tribe that did not want the Spanish in their territory, and so they fought with them and killed many. After two or three months of . . . — — Map (db m188797) HM
Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles was from the northern regions of Spain in a district known for its seafaring traditions and Celtic roots. In 1565, news reached Madrid that a group of French settlers, led by the explorer Jean Ribault, had established a . . . — — Map (db m188798) HM
In 1740, General James Oglethorpe of Georgia, vowed to "take St. Augustine or leave my bones before its walls." The Spanish Governor Manuel de Montiano vowed in turn to "shed his last drop of blood" in defense of the town. Neither had to keep their . . . — — Map (db m46349) HM
This anchor was purchased by Walter B. Fraser and placed here in 1933. The ship's name and site of the anchor's recovery are unknown, but Britain's Royal Navy used this size and type of anchor on their famous 74-gun ships of the line. First designed . . . — — Map (db m188998) HM
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