History of Saint Augustine, Florida
Looking up some History of Saint Augustine Florida or looking for fun things to do? If so, you will find that Saint Augustine a rich cultural city filled with beauty and history!
Memorial Presbyterian Church
Saint Augustine is located in Northeast Florida. It is the oldest continuously occupied European-established settlement within the borders of the United States. Take a step into history and let’s look at how fascinating this city truly is.
The history of St. Augustine is as rich as the culture; Saint Augustine was founded by the Spanish sailor Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles back in 1565 and is now granted the title as the nation’s oldest permanently occupied settlement. Saint Augustine was given its name, San Agustin, after the Roman Catholic saint whose feast day is August 28th, which is the same day Aviles and his crew stepped foot onto the land for the first time. The city began small but throughout the years it has grown and today has over 12,000 residents and has a huge tourist population as well.
Castillo de San Marcos
The warm weather thanks to the humid subtropical climate makes this city a fabulous place to vacation any time of the year. While the beaches are a popular spot to visit, the real history of Saint Augustine can be found downtown in the heart of the city, the Plaza de la Consitucion.
An interesting tid bit of history of Saint Augustine, it became a resort community in the 1880’s, how awesome is that, and even back then people knew this city was a great destination for a vacation! Henry M. Flagler built the first two hotels here and he also founded the Florida East Coast Railway which helped to transport guests to and from his hotels not only here but also in Palm Beach and Miami. In fact, three of those hotels are still being used today.
Now, that you have a little history on this lovely city let’s see what notable people have resided here, popular people such as Ray Charles, the pianist, singer, and composer, Willie Galimore a football player, Tom Petty, the famous rock musician, and even David Nolan, author and historian just to name a few.
Of course, we have to tell you some fabulous places to visit should you find yourself visiting Saint Augustine. So, If you are planning a trip to Saint Augustine there are a few places we recommend checking out.
History of Saint Augustine: Fun Things to do and See
Castillo de San Marcos
• Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
• Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park
• Saint Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum
• Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum
• Freedom Trail of Historic Sites of the Civil Rights Movement
• Saint Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum
• And of course, Saint Augustine Beaches!
We hope you find this article helpful on the history of Saint Augustine, Florida. All photos are brought to you by the very talented and skilled, Scott Moore Photography.
