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 …
Continue reading Don Manuel de Cendoya: The Governor 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 …
Continue reading Mariana De Austria: The Queen Behind The Castillo De San Marcos
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 …
Continue reading A Cartographic History of the St. Augustine Lighthouse
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 …
Continue reading Walls and Roads: From Bayfront to Avenida Menendez
In 1764, Juan de Rivera lived at present-day 22 St. George Street. He was born around 1732 into a family of either Guale or Yamassee Native Americans from the nearby mission Nuestra Señora del Rosario de la Punta. His father was Pedro de Rivera and his mother María de la Cruz. Rivera followed in his …
In 1513, Spain claimed much of today's Southeastearn United States as their own - naming the large area La Florida. Their colony covered an area already home to a wide variety of Indigenous cultures and tribes. To convert the Native Americans to Christianity, control such a large area, and prevent colonization by other countries, Spain …
St. Augustine's first Catholic parish – Nuestra Señora de los Remedios (Our Lady of the Remedies) – met just south of today's Plaza de la Constitución from 1572 to 1702. However, Carolina Governor James Moore's 1702 siege left St. Augustinians without a place to worship - save the chapel of a hospital. Located to the …
Continue reading Nuestra Señora de la Soledad | Our Lady of Solitude
"Hey do you know about the USA? Do you know about the government? Can you tell me about the Constitution?" Nope, not the United State's Constitution from School House Rock's 1976 song Preamble. Today, we sing about the constitución behind St. Augustine's Plaza de la Constitución. Join us as we harmonize over the other revolutionary …
Since 1598, Governor's House has served the city of St. Augustine in many different ways, including as a governor's residence and office, barracks, a courthouse, a post office, a museum, and a library. However, did you know it also housed a school? Let us head back in time together to learn more about this short …
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 …
Governor's House Library 