Getting the lay of the land in a new city is great from a trolley! Brief backgrounds on the more prominent or historical buildings or sites on the route are usually very interesting, and it’s fun to find out who built them and what is housed in them today.

But the real fun begins when you step off the trolley – at an area that piques your interest. Today we got up close and learned a little more about one section of St. Augustine – and a lot more about one man.

Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
To start at the beginning of this series, visit Seeking the Sun 2023.

Flagler College

Flagler College is more than just a historic (beautiful) building. Over 2,000 students pursue their college educations here in a variety of programs – fine arts, accounting, business and many more. Although the courtyard was square, I’m only showing the left-hand side to avoid the massive display of scaffolding on the right. Looks like I slipped up in the close-up of fountain photo below, but I had to get a photo of the froggies and turtles!

“The Exquisite Ponce de Leon Hotel. Henry Flagler, co-founder of Standard Oil, envisioned St. Augustine as an American Riviera. In that spirit, he built the ornate Ponce de Leon Hotel on land that was once an orange grove. Capturing the essence of Old Europe, the Spanish Revival-style building adorned with Moorish Revival architectural elements was designed by John Carrere and Thomas Hastings. The construction began in 1885 and ended in 1887. The building was the first major structure in the country to have a poured concrete foundation. The hotel also had steam heat. The grandeur of the building would influence architecture in southern Florida for the next half-century.” ~ READ MORE

“Flagler College celebrates over 50 years of providing a rich, comprehensive liberal arts education in a small, supportive environment. Its heritage, however, extends back more than a century. Navigate through our interactive timeline to learn more about the College’s namesake, Henry Flagler, and how a hotel became a college.”

I didn’t get any pictures of the “Largest selection of Tiffany-Glass windows still in use in the United States.” From the picture on the website, it looks like they could be in a dining hall, so on our next trip to St. Augustine, we will be taking a tour so I can get some pictures of those and the rest of this fabulous place!

Lightner Museum

Also built for the infamous Henry Flagler, it’s obvious he spared no expense on this hotel either! As soon as I started on this section, I added a tour of this fabulous building to our “next time” itinerary as well. We walked around the outside and with the sun in the worst possible place, it was still fantastic!

We went through the archways and into the center courtyard where several small, but beautiful shops were waiting for our money. Lush green plants surrounded a small bridge over a “river”. I gave up trying to get artistic pics of the bridge since I was behind a line of folks taking selfies or just gazing into the water. I knew we’d be coming back on another trip, so those shots had to wait.

“One of the greatest additions to Otto Lightner’s “collection of collections” is the building housing the museum he founded. In 1947, Lightner acquired the former Alcazar Hotel in St. Augustine, Florida. Closed since 1931, the building had fallen far from its heyday as a luxury Gilded Age resort hotel.” ~ READ MORE

“The Alcazar Hotel was initially conceived as an entertainment annex for the Ponce de Leon, but the design was soon revised and expanded to create an independent hotel. Work began on the new building in 1887, when the Ponce de Leon was substantially complete. Evocative of St. Augustine’s past as a Spanish settlement, and typical of the eclecticism of the era, Carrère and Hastings drew inspiration from Spanish architecture, enriching the building with elements of Italian Renaissance and Moorish design. A similar architectural vocabulary was employed by the architects at the Ponce de Leon Hotel, which had opened to great acclaim on January 10, 1888.” ~ READ MORE

Since we didn’t actually go inside, I forgot all about the Museum aspect of this visit. There are several rotating exhibits going on at all times and are definitely worth a look. And don’t forget to have lunch! Café Alcazar is located in the former swimming pool of the Hotel Alcazar and “sources the very best local ingredients for a delicious meal”. Sounds like we can make a day of it!

Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine

Another beautiful building that offers tours, The Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine really makes a statement standing tall in this same area. A gallery and a virtual tour of the interior will help with photos here, because we did not go inside.

“We are “America’s First Parish” and continue to serve not only the many families who call the Cathedral Parish their spiritual home, but also the thousands of visitors who come to “America’s Oldest City” for a spiritual pilgrimage or just to visit the beauty of the site.” ~ READ MORE

Flagler Memorial Presbyterian Church

This church was really something! And tours are offered on Fridays from 11am-3:30pm. Yep, it’s on the itinerary for next time too!

“MPC is a thriving and multigenerational congregation that is committed to Christian unity amid diversity. We strive to respect and love one another well through offering hospitality, committing ourselves to service, and fostering authenticity.” ~ READ MORE

“The present sanctuary was given to the church by Henry Morrison Flagler as a memorial to his daughter and was dedicated in 1890.  Flagler’s daughter, Jenny Louise Benedict, died due to complications from childbirth. Mr. Flagler and his first wife, Mary, are entombed in the Flagler family mausoleum, which is located in the church, along with daughter Jenny Louise and granddaughter, Marjorie.” ~ READ MORE for more history over the years.

Well, that about does it!

There is so much to see in St. Augustine, and I don’t want to give it ALL away! Our short visit didn’t leave as much time as we hoped to see it all. Darn it. Looks like we’ll have to come back!

Next up: Security with a View

Happy trails,
Barb