Just across the Matanzas River from downtown St. Augustine is Anastasia Island. Today, we know it as a sprawling, lively spot for businesses, tourist attractions, beaches, and residential area. But just 100 years ago, the island was very different. D.P. Davis (Florida Memory) David Paul "D.P." Davis was a Tampa land developer already well known …
The Bridge of Lions was built between 1925 and 1927 as a way for automobiles to travel from downtown St. Augustine to Anastasia Island. Florida East Coast Railway bridge expert Henry Rodenbaugh organized the bond to finance the bridge in the early 1920s. Simultaneously, a developer named D.P. Davis was planning to dredge the northern …
The Battista Boazio map of St. Augustine, published in 1589, shows a Spanish watchtower on the northeast corner of Anastasia Island. This eventually approximated the spot where the current day St. Augustine lighthouse, built in 1874, stands. In 1737, the Spanish replaced their early wooden watchtower with one made of coquina. It was important to …
It's Talk Like a Pirate Day! To commemorate this fun holiday, Governor’s House is retelling the tales of Sir Francis Drake and Robert Searles, two feared men who raided our town either to intimidate or gain material wealth. Sir Francis Drake was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I and a sworn enemy of Spain. The …
Continue reading Pirate Attack : Drake and Searles Raid St. Augustine
On May 28 and 29, 1586, Sir Francis Drake orchestrated an attack on St. Augustine. Drake was ordered by Queen Elizabeth I to sail across the Atlantic with 25 ships and raid Spanish strongholds in the Caribbean and South America. Before St. Augustine, Drake and his fleet made stops in Colombia and the Dominican Republic. …
The scope of paranormal activity in St. Augustine is usually limited to ghosts, and for good reason - ghost stories have featured prominently in the folklore of the City for a long time. However, the Ancient City also has some good stories of creatures from another corner of the unknown: sea monsters. Verrill, A.E. (1897). …
Governor's House Library 