2011 • How well do you know the history of St. Augustine?

Many people on the First Coast have visited the historic St. Augustine and are familiar with some of the more famous sites and attractions, but what about the areas beyond the boundaries of the immediate historic neighborhoods and shopping areas?

Here is your chance to learn some of this fascinating history. Join local historian David Nolan on a "Know Your City" tour of the Nation's Oldest City. Under the sponsorship of Citizens for the Preservation of St. Augustine (CPSA), and in recognition of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's "National Historic Preservation Month," this tour will be offered on Saturday, June 18 at 9:30 a.m. and again at 12:00 noon.

Some of the lesser-known areas of St. Augustine will be highlighted on the tour, such as: the "Streetcar Suburbs" from the trolley age of nearly a century ago; old plantations that have been turned into subdivisions; Henry Flagler's first train station and the last remains of his mansion "Kirkside," which was demolished in 1950; hidden hotels from the Flagler Era; the home of TIME Magazine's Man of the Year for 1929; and many more.

Also included will be a view of the controversial Collins House on Nelmar Avenue, one of the St. Augustine's landmarks from the 1920's Florida Land Boom that was the home of longtime (1928-1947) Adjutant General Vivian Collins and his poet wife Marjorie Meeker Collins. It was also the residence of the famous American composer Sidney Homer and his wife Louise, one of the great stars from the Golden Age of the American opera. The house, though located on a residential street, is now owned by the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind, and is being subjected to a remodeling that is destroying many of its historic features and making it an eyesore to the neighborhood in violation of city codes. Highlighted will be threatened sites in need of preservation, and other sites where magnificent buildings once stood but which have since been demolished.

The cost of this fascinating and entertaining glimpse into St. Augustine's past is $15.00 per person. Tours will leave from and return to the parking lot of The Old Jail Museum, 167 San Marco Avenue, St. Augustine, with transportation sponsored by Old Town Trolley Tours of St. Augustine, Historic Tours of America. Advance reservations are required, as this annual tour is always in great demand, and may be made by calling Alison Simpson at 669-7919.

Hi-Resolution Images

Bricks Are Back:
Thanks to citizen Dr. Sue Middleton,
Saving the City's Brick Streets is on City Hall's Front Burner
 
The Citizens for the Preservation of St. Augustine (CPSA) announces it has awarded its highest honor of recognition for citizen service to Dr. Middleton for her effort to raise community-wide awareness concerning the preservation of this City's brick streets.  A commemorative brick was purchased in her honor and is placed in the patio built around the Zero Milestone of the Old Spanish Trail next to the city's Visitor Information Center.
 
The brick streets of St. Augustine are survivors of the Flagler Era and the early automobile age.  They are highly visible and part of the town’s charm and romance.  But they are often taken for granted - so many of the brick streets have been covered with asphalt. Those few remaining are in need of repair and with time they have become more and more uneven. Drivers increasingly demand repair or replacement. Asphalting over a bumpy street is quick, easy and cheap solution.

But thanks to Dr. Sue Middleon's vision, St. Augustine will join the ranks of other communities committed to celebrating its historic built environment. The City of St. Augustine now has an established public policy that requires replacement and repair of existing brick streets slated for maintenance.

2006 Annual Meeting

Neighborhood Concerns

Citywide Concerns

Long-Term Goals

Where will St. Augustine be in 5 years? Ten years? Twenty-five years from now? What will our city look like? How much of what now makes up our city will be alive and intact? And what can we do about it? At our Annual Meeting on Wednesday, January 18th, using a structured group charrette, led by Sandra Parks, attendees sorted out what we as concerned members of our city's primary preservation group can do to help preserve and protect St. Augustine in the coming years. Click on the links at left to see the results.

June, 2004

Florida Secretary of State Glenda Hood comes to St. Augustine for the First Annual Meeting of the Neighborhood Council.

As part of our celebration of National Historic Preservation Week, 2 special sightseeing train tours were hosted by David Nolan who narrated a tour of the Most Threatened Places on May 9th, 2004.

175 people concerned about the historic preservation of St. Augustine attended a CPSA-sponsored Special Presentation by David Nolan on Endangered St. Augustine on January 30, 2004. See the related news story in the St. Augustine Record.