First I will submit my apologies between these picture of St Augustine—I love that OLD town.
But the apology is not for that—-it’s for having no Bits and pieces edition of my Blog on Friday—-I got my 2nd vaccine on Wed and while I wasn’t what you’d call sick I was extremely tired and the injection site and my upper arm was quite uncomfortable for a few days—-it was nothing horrible but I just decided to take some down time—entering anything on the computer would have aggravated by arm (or at least I speculated on such) so I reclined on the couch, while I watched TV and reward —was much better on Friday and as you can see I’M BACK NOW—–so….
The famous Bridge of Lions, a double-leaf bascule bridge that spans the Intra-coastal Waterway connecting Anastasia Island to downtown, features a pair of Medici lions made of Carrara marble.
St. Augustine: Christian bishop and theologian
The discoverer of Florida was Don Juan Ponce de Leon, a former governor of Puerto RIco. Ponce de Leon sighted the eastern coast of Floriad on Easter Sunday, March 27, 1513, while on a trip in search of gold and silver, Ponce claimed the land for Spain and named it La Florida, or the Land of Flowers.
Historic St Augustine: Guide Book
Historic Churches In St. Augustine, Florida
Mission Nombre de Dios – Trail of Florida’s Indian Heritage
Mission of Nombre Dios as well as a few shrines and a museum are on a large property starting at Pine St. to the south
Bordered on A1A on the west
with Ocean Ave to the north—but there are some other properties with Catholic Church Themes to the north of Ocean Ave.
Oh and it’s stop 20 on the the Old Time Trolley
The Nombre de Dios Mission Sites
and just to confuse you north it’s about 5 blocks north of the City gate which is at San Marco Ave.
The first mass said to be celebrated here in the St. Augustine colony in 1565. The grounds here are lovely, and though I am not catholic I do enjoy visiting this site for its beauty and peace—there is an ancient cemetery and a chapel which is said to date to early St. Augustine. To top it off some of the grounds are on the water.
UF Archaeologist Discovered 17th Century Mission Church
In 1763, the stroke of a pen accomplished what pitched battles had failed to do, Spain gave Florida to Great Britain in exchange fol newly conquered (by the Brits) Havana and St. Augustine came under British rule for the first time. England ruled over the city and territory for 20 years which included the period of the American Revolution. The citizens of the city remained loyal to the crown throughout the span. in 1783, under the terms of the treaty sighed by England, France and Spain, East Florida and St Augustine returned to the the rule of Spain, which lasted 37 years.
Op Ed
Best St. Augustine Hidden Gem Attractions
Fountain of Youth Welcome Video
155 Magnolia Ave
Visit the spot where a nation’s history was born.
Historic site of the Ancient Indian Town Seloy. Here Ponce de Leon came ashore to landmark and record. Excavations of the original colony St. Augustine and its first Christian Burials can be seen here.
The Strange Story of St. Augustine’s Fountain of Youth
17th century St. Augustine had only about a thousand residents, mostly soldiers, craftsmen and their families. The Spanish colony, since its beginning, had lived under the threat of the British, as well as an assortment of pirates. The town had been burned, sacked, and attacked enough to produce a constant fear among the inhabitants. The town served a strategic role in protecting Spain’s interests in the New World, and in guarding the sea routes along the Florida coast.
Strange Florida: The Unexplained and Unusual by Charlie Carlson
Spanish Influence in Florida | VISIT FLORIDA
The Gonzalez-Alzarez House, known to generations of tourists and townspeople as “The Oldest House” is one of the country’s most studied and best documented old house, it has been continuously occupied by European and Americans since the early 1600s.
It it a 2 story-shingled house in the Ancient City, that has had several influences and it stands where once an older board and thatched hut stood on the site, which was burned by the British who invaded here in 1702. It began its life as a one story built of coquina stone and tabby (a mortar of sand, shells and water. And this is the oldest part of the Oldest House.
The Gonzales of the name of the house was Tomas Gonzalez Hernandez who reportedly came here from the Canary islands and who served in the artillery at the fort and lived here with his family—one of which, a baby passed away in 1727. He acquired the house by the way in 1723 through marriage and it remained in the family until the British took over in 1763, when the majority of the Spanish and those who served under them returned to Spain—it was sometime during this occupation that the clapboard 2nd floor was built
The British Period stretched from 1763 – 83 and over these years the house developed into its current make up of shape, size and with the Spanish and British influence being visible to this day..
Then the Spanish were back again and Geronimo Alverez purchased the house and he hand later members of his family lived her for close to 100 years,, when the house passed out of the family’s possession and became the home to various occupants over the years.
Then in 1918 The city’s Historical Society took over the property converting it into a exhibit of St. Augustine’s 400 years of existence.
It includes: Maria’s Room—as it was when she used it
Roofed balconies, cypress shingles.
General Hernandez’s bed (he was the Spanish’s leader in the Seminole War_
It use to also contain the Historical Society’s research library with documents, manuscripts and rare history papers, but that has been moved to Artillery Lane (#6).
There is also an ornamental garden with plants that were typically gown by the Spanish, British an American occupants.
Guests can take a guided tour of the House, the history museum, ornamental gardens, a rotating exhibit gallery, and the museum store.
… LANDMARK. IT IS THE OLDEST HOUSE IN FLORIDA, IT IS NOT THE OLDEST HOUSE
4 Artillery Lane, was once the Oldest Store Museum: An authentic turn of the century Genera Store and once the hub of St. Augustine’s social, political and economic life during the exciting times of the 1800’s. It is said that much of Florida’s history was planned and plotted around the pot-bellied store. When it was a museum over 100,000 items were on display including toys, dolls, high wheeled bicycles, guns, hats and sun bonnets and more.
A journey to the past at the Old Store Museum
The development of the new Oldest Store Museum took over three years. Over thousands of objects from St. Augustine’s past are on display. A turn-of-the-century general store was recreated with original store counters, displays and merchandise and the old warehouses were rebuilt using interiors from the original building. The museum is a vibrant step back in time for visitors that illustrates, in remarkable detail, what life was like in turn-of-the-century America.
I’ll be back next Tuesday with more of things to see and do in St. Augustine—Bits and Pieces on Friday—as long as I don’t have to take another shot of vaccine.
ST. AUGUSTINE BED & BREAKFASTS
