St Augustine-Oldest City In US

Lightner Museum, St. Augustine, Florida

My trip to Jacksonville to visit family is now officially over.

I spent 5 days visiting with my daughter, Becca, her husband, Mo, and their two beautiful daughters, Sophia and Ava.

Another highlight of the trip was spending 2 days in St. Augustine-the oldest city in the United States!

Fort Matanzas, St. Augustine, Fl

St. Augustine in is located on the Atlantic coast, in northeast Florida.

The city was founded in 1565, by Spanish Admiral Pedro Menendez de Aviles, who was also Florida's first Governor.

St. Augustine was the capital of Spanish Florida for more than 200 years, and was briefly the capital of British East Florida, when control of the territory changed from Spain to Britain.

Florida was ceded by Spain to the US in 1819, and in 1821 St. Augustine was named the capital of the Florida Territory, until the capital was changed to Tallahassee in 1824.

The city is a major tourist attraction.

One interesting thing we saw was the Saint Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine, called "The Jewel of St. George Street."

The Shrine initiated a Light-A-Candle Program in 1982, which honors the first Greek settlers on the American continent in 1777, and the parents, grandparents, and great grandparents who helped to forge a new life in America, so that generations to follow would have freedom and a better life.

Over 100,000 visitors tour the Shrine every year, to view archeological artifacts, historic depictions and art work, and the Wall of Tribute, which lists names of Greek ancestors, as well as benefactors and supporters of the Shrine.

We also took a fascinating tour of one of the oldest colonial buildings in the city, the historic Pena-Peck House.

The house was built of native coquina stone, in 1750, by order of King Ferdinand VI, for Spanish Royal Treasurer Juan Estevan de Pena and his wife Maria Antonia.

In 1763, Spain ceded Florida to Great Britain, in exchange for Havana in the Treaty of Paris. St. Augustine was captured by the British in the Seven Years War.

The house was home to two Governors during the 21 years of British occupation.

Spain subsequently regained Florida through another Treaty of Paris, and there were multiple owners and renters of the property, including Florida's first cattleman and rancher, F.X. Sanchez, who owned it in the early 1800's, and American General Joseph Hernandez, who captured Seminole Chief Osceola.

The house fell into disrepair, and eventually Connecticut native Dr. Seth Peck purchased it, and had a second floor wood addition added, to create more room for his family.

The last owner of the house was Dr. Peck's granddaughter, Anna Gardner Burt. When she died in 1931, she willed the house, with all furniture and art work to the city of St. Augustine, with instructions to maintain it "as an example of the old ante-bellum homes of the South."

The Woman's Exchange of St. Augustine opened the house for tours in 1932. Our tour guide was in her 80's, and her intimate knowledge of the house was most impressive!

After the 45-minute tour, we were tired and hungry, and stopped by Harry's Seafood Bar and Grille ("A New Orleans Style Restaurant") to have a bite to eat and listen to some live music.

I opted for French Baked Scallops, which came in a sinfully creamy Parmesan sauce, a cup of She Crab Soup, and a bowl of the best Red Beans and Rice I have ever eaten. Of course, there was all the home-baked bread and garlic butter we could eat.

French Baked Scallops at Harry's (shown here with collard greens)

A couple of relaxing hours, eating a gourmet meal on the garden patio, listening to mellow guitar music, and we were ready to see some more of historic St. Augustine.

We had walked by the Memorial Presbyterian Church after parking the car, and noticed it was also open for tours.

This impressive church was built by Henry Flagler, a founding father (with John D. Rockefeller) of Standard Oil. Flagler dedicated the church to "the glory of God," as a memorial to his daughter, who passed away as a result of childbirth in 1889. The church was dedicated in 1890.

The exceptional wealth of Flagler is evident throughout the church...

All the pews and the heavy, hand-carved doors are original, installed when the church was built.

The chandeliers and pew torch lights were originally gas, and were electrified in the 1920's.

There is a dome, which rises to a dizzying height of over 100 feet. It is beautifully decorated with ornate religious symbols. (I asked if I could go up into the dome, but it was not open to the public)

The church was built in the Venetian Renaissance style, reflected in the pointed arches and Byzantine dome. Tiles in the floor are Italian marble.

There are 92 intricate stained glass windows, designed by German artist Herman Schladermundt.

There is a hand-carved mahogany Eagle Lectern, and a baptism font carved from a solid piece of marble.

The church organ, impressive when originally installed, was rebuilt and expanded over the years, and eventually replaced with the current Aeolian-Skinner Pipe Organ in 1970. The new organ has 90 ranks, and over 5,000 pipes, including the chimes from the original organ. Midi technology has been added, to allow the organ to be played remotely from 6 different locations in the sanctuary.

After soaking in a day's worth of St. Augustine's history, our day would not be complete without soaking up a few rays during a peaceful stroll, a few miles south of the city, at beautiful Anastasia Island State Park, with its 1,600 acres and 4 miles of beautiful beaches, tidal salt marshes, and hammock preserves.

After that, it's back in the car and heading back home to Jacksonville, for a quiet evening before going off to bed.

It was quite a day in the oldest city in the United States!