November 18, 1963

On November 18, 1963, President John F. Kennedy made a five-hour trip to Tampa, Florida. From his family's winter home in Palm Beach, Kennedy flew into MacDill Air Force Base. The president then toured Tampa International Airport before embarking on a 28-mile motorcade through downtown Tampa. Thousands of people came out to see the 35th …

Don Manuel de Cendoya: The Governor Behind The Castillo De San Marcos

On October 2, 1672, Governor Manuel de Cendoya broke ground on a masonry fort for St. Augustine. Today, we know this fortification as the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument. Yet, what do we know about the historical leader behind the monument? Spain's Queen Regent Mariana appointed Cendoya to the governorship of Florida on October …

Mariana De Austria: The Queen Behind The Castillo De San Marcos

In 1669, Spain's Queen Regent Mariana de Austria (Mariana of Austria) approved the construction of a masonry fort to protect St. Augustine. Today, we know this fortification as the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument. Yet, what do we know about the historical leader behind the monumental decision? Born on December 24, 1634, Mariana started …

A Cartographic History of the St. Augustine Lighthouse

If you’ve been to St. Augustine at night - walked along the coast to take in the sharp tang of brine and the close sound of ocean waves colliding with the shore - you probably have seen a light in the distance, revolving in mechanical circles as it sweeps over the dark water below. A …

St. Benedict the Moor Catholic School

St. Benedict the Moor Catholic School is the oldest surviving brick school building in St. Augustine. In 1867, St. Joseph Society of the Sacred Heart arrived from France. The teaching order vowed to serve and minister to former slaves in Lincolnville. Up until that point, the state outlawed the education of Black Floridians. The society …

Presence / Erasure: Black History in St. Augustine | Reading List

Over 450 years of Black history fill the streets of St. Augustine. From the city's origins in 1565, Black men and women built their lives on the shores of the Matanzas River. The names of their children and grandchildren fill local Catholic parish records as early as the 1590s. Their sweat, skill, and resilience contributed …

Walls and Roads: From Bayfront to Avenida Menendez

Today, Avenida Menendez runs parallel to St. Augustine's seawall and the Matanzas River - from the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument to St. Francis Street. But did you know that Avenida Mendendez was once known as Bay Street? And before it became Bay Street, it was a coastal marsh? European settlement in this area …

First Day of Issue: August 28, 1965

St. Augustine is known as the “Oldest Continuously Occupied European Settlement in North America.” Pedro Menéndez de Aviles and his fleet landed on August 28, 1565, the Catholic feast day of St. Augustine of Hippo. Here, Spain established a presidio, military outpost, and staked claim to la Florida as a colony. Centuries later, St. Augustine …

First Day of Issue: St. Augustine’s Quadricentennial Stamp

St. Augustine celebrated its Quadricentennial, or 400th anniversary, in 1965. To commemorate the occasion, the United States Postal Service released the Florida Settlement Stamp and a series of collectible first day covers. The Florida Settlement Stamp, designed by New York artist Brook Temple, is printed in red, black, and yellow. It depicts a conquistador with …

Benet House

Have you ever stopped by Tedi's Olde Tyme Ice Cream on St. George Street? Long before serving sweet treats, the site was home to the Benet family and their store. Let us take a scoop into the past of 65 St. George Street. Located on the southeast corner of Cuna and St. George Streets, the …