From May 26 to July 5, 1823, the "Old Government House" (known today as Governor's House Cultural Center and Museum) was the center of Florida lawmaking. The second session of Florida's Territorial Legislative Council was held in St. Augustine for its five-week meeting. Before Florida became a U.S. territory, St. Augustine and Pensacola served as …
Continue reading Commemorating the Bicentennial of Florida’s 1823 Territorial Legislative Session
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 …
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 …
Continue reading Presence / Erasure: Black History in St. Augustine | Reading List
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 …
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 …
Over 100,000 years ago, the St. Johns River formed as Florida's peninsula took shape. Starting as trapped ocean water, the river eventually became over 300 miles long and a vital part of life. Its freshwater flows northwards from marshes in today's Indian River County to the Atlantic Ocean in present-day Jacksonville. Humans began to call …
We eat history everyday. We grow traditions in our gardens. And culture simmers in our kitchens. Our culinary and agrarian story in St. Augustine is a unique and complex layering of culture, history, and geography. It is both grounded in our soil, water, seasons, and flora - as well as influenced by the globe. What …
Continue reading Growing St. Augustine’s Story: One Food at a Time
It seems like we all know Juan Ponce de Leon for his quest to find the "Fountain of Youth", but here in St. Augustine we have a special love for this explorer; he is credited with naming Florida in 1513! There aren't a lot of definitive answers about Ponce de Leon's early years. He was …
You will find many unique objects illustrating St. Augustine's past in Government House. The storied walls contain collections ranging from archaeological archives to colorful paintings. But no other object holds as many of Florida's stories as Dr. Michael Gannon's desk. Dr. Gannon - a historian and former priest - served as a University of Florida …
Did you know that June 19 is the 60th anniversary of the Preservation Board's creation? We'll be celebrating this significant milestone all month by sharing more in-depth posts about the history of our collections and the people behind them. When the St. Augustine Historical Restoration and Preservation Commission was established by Governor Collins in June …
Governor's House Library 