A citizens’ action group committed
to the preservation of St. Augustine’s historic and scenic
resources.
Through the promotion of issues which protect our city’s
historic character and the quality of life for its residents, we will
work to maintain St. Augustine’s distinction not only as the
site of the oldest continuously occupied European and African American
settlements
in the U.S, but as a city where residents, tourists and commerce are
part of a living diverse community.
The Citizens for the Preservation of St. Augustine, Inc.
joins the National Trust for Historic Preservation to commemorate
the fourth annual National Preservation Month in May 2008.
And while the theme of this year's National Preservation
Month--This Place Matters--is new, the idea behind preservation
month remains the same: celebrating the country's diverse
and irreplaceable heritage. Throughout May, thousands of
partners across the country will demonstrate the importance
of our nation's heritage as they focus on many aspects of
the preservation movement including historic travel, heritage
education, historic homeownership, and community revitalization.
This house, located on Oviedo Street and six others are
threatened with mass demolition. The property owner has claims "economic
hardship" justifies the demolitions and desires to build
a hotel and restaurant. The seven structures are within the
National Register Model Land District, St. Augustine, Florida.
Announcements:
Tour St. Augustines "Lesser Known" Past
How well do you know the history of St. Augustine? Many people on
the First Coast have visited the Nation’s Oldest City 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), this tour will be offered
on Saturday, May 17 at both 9:30 and 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
highlighted will be endangered sites in need of preservation, and
other sites where magnificent buildings once stood but which have
since been demolished. Proceeds will benefit the preservation programs
of CPSA. The cost of this fascinating and entertaining glimpse into
St. Augustine’s past is $10.00 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 and may be made by calling Kathy Schirmacher
at (904) 808-1886 or Toni Wallace at (904) 808-4743 (between 6:00
and 10:00 p.m.).
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.
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.
Florida Secretary of State Glenda Hood comes to
St. Augustine for the First Annual Meeting of the Neighborhood
Council.
Pictured: CPSA member and Council delegate Wilton Rooks, Lighthouse Executive
Director Kathy Fleming , Mayor George Gardner, Secretary of State Glenda
Hood, CPSA President Judith Fox-Fleisser, and Neighborhood Council President
and CPSA Vice President Dale DiLeo.
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.
Residents should become educated and involved in the process of our
local government. CPSA provides an independent monitor of government
actions.
Preservation means more than saving and restoring buildings. It refers
to the quality of life for the residents of St. Augustine.
Resident interests should be balanced with business and institutional
interests.
The mass and scale of buildings, street layout and
pedestrian scale contribute to numerous historic designations and
are important to preserve St. Augustine’s unique qualities.
A Historic Preservation Plan should guide the enforcement of existing
ordinances and development of new ones to protect the historic heritage
of St. Augustine.
We are fortunate to live amidst the history of this city.
Preserving
it for future generations is our goal.