2007 Sep 14-16 Historic St Augustine

"Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done." - Psalm 9:11

The Charm Of The Nation's Oldest City

On this Coastal Clean-Up & Lighthouse Day, we visited St Augustine ... America's oldest permanently settled European city with the oldest port and first lighthouse in Florida. Standing at 165-feet, this still active lighthouse was built in 1824 and lit on April 5, 1824.

The lighthouse has a commanding view of the beaches and the Atlantic Ocean. Sonya and I climbed the 219 steps of this coquina structure to take a peek from the observation deck.

Many parts of this old city are very dated, including this 600-years-old Oak Tree in the compound where we stayed. It is one of the most remarkable trees in North America.

We took the Ripley's Believe It Or Not! trolley tours to learn about the interesting history of this charming old settlement ...

St Augustine, founded in 1565, is America's oldest permanently settled European city. It was founded at the time of exploration for new trade routes, new lands and treasures - about 42 years before the English colonized Jamestown and 55 years before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. Six Spanish expeditions to settle Florida between 1513 and 1563 all failed. In 1564, the French established a fort and colony on the St Johns River, threatening the Spanish treasure fleets which sailed along Florida's shoreline.

Spanish King Philip II sent Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles to Florida to colonize this area. After destroying the French garrison on the St Johns River, Menendez founded the town of St Augustine in 1565.

Some 20 years later, in 1586, the English corsair Sir Francis Drake attacked and burned St Augustine.

The Spanish rebuilt St Augustine and constructed Castillo de San Marcos between 1672 and 1756. This magnificent fort was built of coquina, a local shell-rock fomation, to defend and protect St Augustine. We saw the firing of the cannon ... boom!

But 82 years later, the pirate Captain John Davis plundered the town, killing 60 inhabitants.

In 1702 and 1740, the English attacked St Augustine. Neither attack succeeded, but ironically, St Augustine was handed to the English peacefully when Spain ceded Florida to England in 1763. In 1783, it returned to Spanish rule, and in 1821, it was sold to the United States.

The United States acquired St Augustine just in time to experience an epidemic of yellow fever and the outbreak of the Seminole War. Forty years later, during the American Civil War, the town was occupied by Union troops.

After the Civil War, Henry M Flagler, co-founder of Standard Oil, arrived with his railroad and grand ideas of making St Augustine a winter haven for the rich. In 1887, he built the former Hotel Ponce de Leon was a luxury resort for the rich and famous. Now it is home to Flagler College. Some of the other architecture here are among the oldest in the nation - the Gonzalez-Alvarez Oldest House is the area's oldest Spanish Colonial home; the Oldest Wooden School House in USA was built during the first Spanish occupation, and this early colonial building is constructed of red cedar and cypress joined by wooden pegs.

Of course, Sonya and Ethan preferred the white sandy beach facing the Atlantic Ocean. Michele and I were more mesmerized by the charm of this old Spanish city.

The visit to the San Sebastian Winery was a little disappointing as it was just a factory building that showcased their prized wine - there was no vineyard to be seen. Nonetheless, they have very good wine!

We may come to St Augustine again after February 14, 2008 when the magnificient Bridge of Lions completes its renovation and restoration.