To walk the narrow avenues of St. Augustine is to step back in time. One incarnation or another of this northern Florida city has hugged the shore of Mantanzas Inlet since 1565, when Pedro Menendez de Aviles planted a Spanish flag in sandy soil near the inlet. Sighted during the Feast of St. Augustine, the city bears the saint’s name. On September 8 of 1565, the landing party attended a Mass led by Father Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Grajales, marking the first Christian ceremony to grace the New World. A hastily-constructed wooden fortress afforded the settlers a measure of protection from French Huguenots who claimed lands near present-day Jacksonville. Under the direction of Catholic missionaries, Timucuan natives soon joined in singing Mass at the Mission of Nombre de Dios, established along Matanzas Bay.

St. Augustine served as the Spanish center of operations for the exploration of Florida and the Caribbean. But their wooden buildings were no match for wet, humid seaside weather -- or for ravaging pirates. After capturing Spanish cities in the Caribbean, Sir Francis Drake brought 2,500 men against the city of 200; the city was sacked. When the survivors returned to the smoldering ashes, they vowed to build a mighty stone fortress. Castillo de San Marco rose slowly. Finished in 1695, it included several lines of battlements and a fort constructed of 8-foot thick blocks of coquina, a seashell conglomerate quarried on nearby Anastasia Island. While subsequent modifications changed the character of the fort, it’s regarded as the oldest standing structure in the United States. Its fortifications lead up to the city gates flanking St. George Street.

To enjoy the distinct flavor of old St. Augustine, walk around and immerse yourself in the historic district, which starts at the city gates. Leave your car at your motel or at the visitor’s center, and stroll the narrow streets. Or check in at the visitor’s center and choose from one of two guided tours that use trams to ferry you to historic sites; both offer “jump on and off” privileges.

St. George Street is the heart of Old Town, exemplary of the melting pot that occurred as the city passed through periods of Spanish and English rule before Florida became part of the United States. Now limited to foot traffic, the street beckons with a variety of museums, shops, and restaurants. Spanish homes with gleaming white stucco crowd close along the avenue, their wondrous gardens hidden behind high walls and gates. Eventually, a gate sits open, inviting inspection. Within, lilies and begonias bloom, wafting sweet fragrance into the street. Artists display their wares under the cool shade of spreading live oak trees draped with Spanish moss -- here, pottery; there, afghans. Freshly-painted scenes of the Spanish Quarter sit against a garden wall, drying. Shaded patios host patrons of pubs and food stands, who marvel as the cool salt breeze relieves the heat of high noon. Some streetcorner parks boast fountains with marble statuary, where water splashes gaily as children dunk their heads under the spray.

Several museums bring the Spanish Quarter to life. The Oldest Wooden School House, built around 1755, is a pine-and-cedar cabin joined together by handmade nails and wooden pegs. A one room school which also served as home to the Spanish schoolmaster, it has an accompanying outdoor kitchen. Slates, books, and utensils are preserved from Colonial times. At the Spanish Quarter Museum, costumed volunteers go about their duties of cooking, weaving, and tending gardens. The museum spotlights the lifestyles of the Spanish colonists circa 1740, and includes the grounds and interiors of five historic homes.

Next door, the National Greek Orthodox Shrine pays tribute to the Greek and Minorcan settlers of St. Augustine. They came to the New World in 1768, agreeing to serve Dr. Andrew Turnbull’s colony of New Smyrna in exchange for their freedom. After ten years of laboring in the mosquito-infested colony, the surviving laborers sought asylum in St. Augustine, traveling 75 miles by foot. Less than half survived the journey. Those who did gathered at the Avero residence for religious services. In 1965, the Greek Orthodox Church purchased the Avero house and built a shrine within, the St. Photios Chapel. Vivid frescos decorate the walls and ceiling of this most holy site. An adjoining museum displays holy relics and celebrates the Greek heritage of St. Augustine.

Past Hypolita Street, St. George’s takes on a different flair. Buildings from the 40s, 50s, and 60s lend their charm to the old business district, now a mecca for shoppers. At Cathedral Street, the grandest of St. Augustine’s churches awaits -- the Cathedral of St. Augustine. The coquina structure dates back to 1797, its walls built from stones from the ruins of the Mission of Nombre De Dios and from the quarries on Anastasia Island. In 1887, the interior was gutted by a massive fire. According to local legend, railroad magnate Henry Flagler consoled the priest as the flames leapt through the church, vowing he would help to rebuild. The church reopened for Easter services within a year. In 1976 the cathedral was designated a minor Basilica, only one of twenty-five in the United States.

Visitors are welcome to tour the cathedral. Over the doors and near the altar, murals portray the settlement of St. Augustine. The large, open hall feels distinctly European, with its decorated timber trusses and elaborate altar. Twelve stained glass windows from Germany celebrate the life of Saint Augustine, and fourteen oil paintings depicting the Stations of the Cross decorate the walls. Supplicants kneel in front of a beautiful blue and gold depiction of the Virgin Mary in the Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel.  

Outside the cathedral, the Bridge of Lions sweeps over Mantanzas Inlet to Anastasia Island, gateway to the beaches. Across the square is Trinity Episcopal Parish Church, the oldest Protestant Church in America. Its cornerstone was laid in 1825; the unfinished building was consecrated in 1831. The exterior is coquina; the interior simple, renovated once in 1904. Its storied history includes the Reverend Satudenmayer being chased out of town during the Civil War after praying for President Lincoln. The Sisters of the Order of the Resurrection ran an orphanage and a women’s home here during the Spanish-American War.

At the end of Cathedral Street is the former Ponce De Leon Hotel, a visual delight of modern Spanish architecture. This turn-of-the-century hotel enjoyed great popularity along Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railroad until similar resorts popped up in the warmer cities of Palm Beach and Miami. The hotel became Flagler College in 1968. To see what appealed to Florida vacationers in the 1900s, take a left onto Cordova Street and walk a block to Flagler’s other hotel, the Alcazar. Inside, the Lightner Museum houses three floors of memorabilia from the Gilded Age. The lower level of the hotel, once an elegant casino and swimming pool, contains an array of antique shops. Across from the museum on Granada Street is Zorayda Castle. In 1883, millionaire Franklin Smith commissioned this reproduction of the Alhambra, Spain’s classic Moorish castle, as his summer home.

Following Cordova Street back past Flagler College, turn left on Valencia Street. Here, the Flagler Memorial Presbyterian Church stands as a tribute to the millionaire’s passion for architecture and love for his daughter. Flagler joined the local congregation in 1883, but its roots were much older. St. Augustine hosted Florida’s first Presbyterian congregation, assembled in 1824; their humble church rose by 1830. They reclaimed the French Huguenot Cemetery, a public burial ground used extensively during the yellow fever epidemic. Many of Florida’s Protestant pioneers are buried there, beneath spreading live oak trees just outside the city gates.

Flagler’s tragic loss of his young daughter led him to promise a new church for the congregation. He employed two crews of workers, day and night, to complete the church in less than a year. No expense was spared. Craftsmen were brought in from Europe to finish the interior in a Venetian Renaissance style. Bronze chandeliers in the shape of crosses hang from the brightly-decorated ceiling; the stained glass windows incorporate local elements such as palm trees. All of the interior woodwork is hand crafted Santo Domingo mahogany.

Flagler’s daughter was interred in the mausoleum, adjoining the sanctuary. The First Lady, Mrs. Benjamin Harrison, came for the opening service in March 1890. Upon Flagler’s death in 1913, he was laid to rest next to his wife and daughter in the mausoleum. Visitors are welcome to tour the church, the mausoleum, and its formal gardens.

Two other congregations touched by Flagler’s generosity lie within sight of his church. At the corner of Sevilla and Carrerra is the Ancient City Baptist Church, the first Baptist Church in Florida. Flagler offered the pastor an empty piece of land adjoining his estate if the church could be built within two years. Its first service occurred on Feb. 10, 1895; President and Mrs. Warren G. Harding attended morning worship there nine days later. A block away is the Grace United Methodist Church, at the corner of Carrera and Cordova. The original Methodist congregation had a small church on a piece of land Flagler wanted for the Alcazar Hotel. In exchange, he offered the land and the use of the architects he employed for the Presbyterian church. The late 1800s building has a distinctly Moorish look.

Turn left on Cordova and right onto Cuna to rejoin St. George Street. Enjoy dinner at one of the many intimate restaurants tucked in the alleys between St. George’s and the Castillo, or continue to explore the other historic attractions that St. Augustine has to offer.


OTHER ATTRACTIONS
No trip to St. Augustine is complete without a walk through the Mission of Nombre de Dios park, behind the Prince of Peace Church on San Marco Avenue. A 208 foot cross, visible from the beaches of Anastasia Island and to seafarers beyond, marks the spot where the first Mass of the New World was given. The cross was erected in 1965 to honor the city’s 400th anniversary. Shrines and religious statuary graces the park’s walkway. Tucked away in a shaded grove is the La Leche shrine, the first shrine dedicated to the Blessed Mother in America. Here, the faithful pray for the safety of the unborn. The original Catholic mission to the New World once stood in this grove; while its ruins have been long gone, archeologists continue to gently probe for relics from the 1600s.

Other historic sites include the Oldest Store, the Oldest House, the Old Jail,  the Old Drug Store, and the Fountain of Youth -- yes, the one Ponce De Leon was seeking when he discovered Florida. Drink from the crystal clear spring and wander through the grove where the remains of a Timucuan village was found. Other museums include the Museum of Weapons and Early American History, the Museum of Florida’s Army, Potter’s Wax Museum, the Museum of Yesterday’s Toys, and the Peck House.

Housed in a creepy old mansion that looks like a vacation destination for the Addams family, Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museum is a great late-night attraction -- it’s open until 10 PM. Tour the unusual and bizarre from Ripley’s original collection. Or if you’re looking for a real scare, try “A Ghostly Experience,” a 1-1/2 hour nightly walking tour featuring ghost stories and the haunted sites of St. Augustine (Reservations, 800 / 797-3778). The same firm offers a tamer tour focusing on architecture and romance, “The Evening Stroll.”

Off of Route A1A, Anastasia Island State Recreation Area boasts several miles of pristine beach and plenty of opportunities for swimming, fishing, and relaxing. Next door, the black-and-white striped St. Augustine lighthouse dates back to 1875, and still guides ships to safe harbor. It’s open to those who dare to climb the 219 steps to the top. An adjoining museum explains the long history of lighthouses and watchtowers on Anastasia Island. Across the street, the St. Augustine Alligator Farm has been showing off their giant beasts since 1924. It’s now a zoological park where you can see alligators prowl their natural habitat.

Anastasia Island is also home to the Amphitheatre and the nightly presentation of the “Cross and Sword,” Florida’s official state play. The drama depicts the settlement of St. Augustine. During Lent, a Passion Play is presented. Performances are Thurs., Fri., and Sat. at 8:30 PM. (Reservations, 904 / 471-1965).

 
IF YOU GO
St. Augustine is 39 miles south of Jacksonville, 96 miles north of Orlando. From I-95, follow FL Rt. 16 into town.  Lodgings abound in and around Old Town, from bed & breakfast to standard motel and hotel chains. On tree-lined Cordova Street, enjoy local hospitality at Casa De Suenos (904 / 824-0887), Southern Wind (800 / 781-3338), Carriage Way (904 / 829-2467), or the Old Powderhouse Inn (904 / 824-4149). Clustered near the Mission of Nombre de Dios are a Holiday Inn, Ramada Inn, and Best Western.  Additional accommodations line A1A south on Anastasia Island. Beach lodgings are available within 10 miles -- follow A1A south to St. Augustine Beach for a surfside room.  For a detailed list of lodgings, contact the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce (800 / 653-2489), or check their website at http://www.oldcity.com

This article appeared in 1997 in Vagabond Magazine
Reprint rights available