The history of Trinity Episcopal Parish history dates back to the founding of the St. Augustine parish in 1821, following Florida's entry to the United States as a territory. In 1938, the Episcopal Diocese of Florida was accepted into the union during the General Convention. At this time, there were seven parishes; Trinity was amongst them. In 1830, construction began on the first church building. The 36-ft wide x 50-ft long structure was made of coquina, a local shell stone that served as a building material for many historic sites in the area. Trinity Church opened the next year, holding its first service on June 30. It was formally consecrated on June 5, 1834, by Nathaniel Bowen of South Carolina. Though only one major Civil War battle occurred in Florida (the Battle of Olustee in Baker's County), the war negatively affected the diocese. This led to the deterioration of the original structure. As a result, in 1895, Reverend C.M. Sturges directed the effort to enlarge and repair the church. Construction on a cruciform, neo-gothic building began in 1902. The new building could seat over 500 people, and services began anew in January 1903. In 1955, Trinity was expanded to include an education facility and Parish Hall. Over the next few years, a kitchen, administrative offices, and a nursery were added to the complex. The adjacent structure, Trinity Hall, was purchased in the early 2000s to serve as a meeting place and gathering spot. The 6,000 sq ft hall is located near the Bridge of Lions and across the street from the Plaza de la Constitución. Significant features of Trinity Episcopal include a modified Opus 1482 hybrid pipe and digital organ, originally built by the Æeolian-Skinner Organ Company. The church also has several carillons, donated in 1971, 2001, and 2003. Trinity is, however, perhaps most notable for its stained glass windows, including one by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Ten, including the Triptych above the altar, are the work of Franz Mayer &amp; Co. There are twenty-eight stained glass windows in total. Today, Trinity Episcopal Parish continues to hold services. Trinity Hall still functions as a venue for meetings, receptions, weddings, and other events.

Trinity Episcopal Church was founded in 1821, which coincided with the city's establishment.

Official website of Trinity Episcopal Church

Website

Trinity Episcopal in historic St. Augustine, Florida, is the oldest Protestant Church in the state. The original building opened for services in 1831 and was constructed of coquina. Damage incurred during the Civil War resulted in the construction of a new building in 1903. Neo-gothic in appearance, Trinity is well-known for its stained glass windows, including one by Louis Comfort Tiffany.

Trinity Episcopal Church

This very short walking tour includes landmarks such as the  Cathedral Basilica of Saint Augustine as well as museums, monuments, and landmarks from the colonial period to the modern civil rights movement. We hope to add more locations and additional walking tours soon. Enjoy historic St. Augustine!

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Augustine is one of the most historic and oldest buildings in Florida. It’s considered a National Historic Landmark. It's history begins on&nbsp;September 8, 1565 when the Spanish celebrated&nbsp;the founding of St. Augustine by hosting a Mass by the shore.Several churches stood in the city before the current Cathedral was built. English explorer and captain Sir Francis Drake attacked St. Augustine in 1586 and the original church burned down. It was rebuilt, this time with large timber.&nbsp;The church went through human battles and several fires during Queen Anne’s War. The English Governor of South Carolina, James Moore, raided St. Augustine destroyed the existing church&nbsp;(Cathedral of St. Augustine Historic Landmark). When the British took over Florida in 1763 any thought of rebuilding was put onto the back burner. After the Spanish regained control in 1784, calls for a new church emerged. In 1786 the Spanish ordered a construction of the new church. Finally, the church we see today was built. After the reconstruction a bell tower was added along with a Blessed Sacrament Chapel. It was about done around 1793 and re-opened August 1797. (Cathedral of St. Augustine Historic Landmark).It is designed with stones called coquina for walls and is held up by fluted columns that were built by the missions and parish churches (St. Francis Inn). The first bishop who was invested in the Cathedral was Augustin Verot.Henry Flagler also contributed to the appearance of the church. He was one of the few who constructed many of the modern buildings around St. Augustine, including the Bell Tower. His famous hotels brought a lot of tourists to town. After the fire from a nearby hotel in St. Augustine in 1887 spread to the Cathedral, he funded its reconstruction ("The Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine").&nbsp;Some more facts about the architecture of the Cathedral is that it not only is built with coquina, but also has curving facade bells, and clay roof tiles. The facade bells are dedicated to Spain’s Royal Family on thanksgiving for their contribution which provided a church for America’s First Parish. They were refurbished in 2013 as part of the Rejoice and Restore Project (Cathedral of St. Augustine Historic Landmark).The inside of the church has stained glass windows that have depict scenes from the life of Saint Augustine of Hippo, which is one of the main and important reasons to why St. Augustine is called St. Augustine. The ceiling is made out of plain wood, has a doric altar screen, three niches, chancel rail, box pews, movable Ionic side altars, and crystal chandeliers (Cathedral of St. Augustine Historic Landmark).Presently the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Augustine is surrounded by many fun tourist attractions such as The Old Town Trolley and George Street. The Bell Tower, that was constructed by Henry Flagler, was refurbished through a grant from William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust in January 2013 (Cathedral of St. Augustine Historic Landmark).&nbsp;This Cathedral is still treated like a modern church and not just a landmark. The Cathedral still holds Masses to this day and has a set schedule for anyone to go, Monday-Friday 7:00am, Saturday 7:00am and 5:00pm, and Sunday times are 7:00am, 9:00am, 11:00am, and 5:00pm. The Cathedral also holds a lot of events for people to go visit such as hosting choir concerts, art work walks, and Organ/Chello concerts. (<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.theoceangallery.com/the-cathedral-basilica-of-st-augustine/">www.theoceangallery.com/the-cathedral-basilica-of-st-augustine/</a>).

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Augustine is America's First Parish and is the oldest church in the state. The city of St. Augustine was founded and established in 1565 by Don Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, who began his adventure by sailing from the port of Cádiz, Spain. On August 28 of that year, which happened to be the feast day of Saint Augustine of Hippo, his expedition first sighted land along the east coast of Florida (the area that is today Cape Canaveral). Menéndez decided to name the settlement after Augustine to honor the saint. 

Constructed over five years (1793–1797) and rebuilt in the late 19th century, the cathedral was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970. Several churches stood in the city before this. English explorer and captain Sir Francis Drake attacked St. Augustine in 1586 and the original church burned down. It was rebuilt, this time with large timber, only to be destroyed once more in 1702 in an attack led by British-born South Carolina governor, James Moore. The church was not rebuilt and instead mass was held in the city's hospital. When the British took over Florida in 1763 any thought of rebuilding was put onto the back burner. After the Spanish regained control in 1784, calls for a new church emerged. Finally, the church we see today was built in the mid-1790s. Sadly, a fire destroyed it in 1887, though its walls were sturdy and were used to once again rebuilt the cathedral.

Cathedral Basilica of Saint Augustine 

Successively serving Spain, England, Spain again, the United States, the Confederacy, and again the United States, the Government House evolved and was repeatedly rebuilt.&nbsp;After Florida became a U.S. territory in 1821, the site became the charge of the Treasury Department, serving court functions, the customs service, and the postal service. In 1931 the U.S. Treasury Department invited Architect Mellen C. Greeley of Jacksonville to design a new U.S. Post Office and Customs House for the site. The building rose as an expression of recovery from the Great Depression. Inspired to develop a design compatible with the historic context, Greeley preserved the earlier building footprint, reconstructed a veneer of stucco on brick masonry integrated with coquina masonry from preceding structures, and utilized indigenous pecky cypress details and casement windows.&nbsp;In 1966, when the post office of St. Augustine was relocated outside the historic center, the building was transferred to the State of Florida through the Historic Surplus Property Program. Today the building stands within the St. Augustine National Historic Landmark District and is managed by the University of Florida to promote preservation, interpretation and education within St. Augustine.&nbsp;

The Government House is a historic structure dating back to the early 18th century. It was built to be the residence of the governor of Florida during the Spanish (1565-1763) and British (1784-1821) colonial periods. In later years it served a number of other purposes as well. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. 



Government House

Although Flagler's investment eventually paid dividends, the first years of the new&nbsp;resort were difficult owing to an epidemic of yellow fever in 1895 as well as one of the coldest winters on record. The hotel earned a reputation for service thanks to the talents of employees such as headwaiter&nbsp;Frank Thompson who would go on to&nbsp;become&nbsp;a pioneer&nbsp;advocate of racial equality in the early&nbsp;20th century. Guests to the hotel during these early years could enjoy baseball games organized by Thompson and other Black employees of the hotel who created a team known as the Cuban Giants. This team played and defeated some of the leading white major league stars during the offseason. Flagler, an entrepreneur, and co-founder of Standard Oil wanted to form a “winter resort” of sorts, so he opened this hotel to attract northern snowbirds (NPS.gov). It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, and it became a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 2006. (Josh)This and three other of Flagler's Florida&nbsp;hotels flourished during the 1920s and even survived the&nbsp;Great Depression. As was the case at several other&nbsp;large hotels, the War Department operated the hotel as a training facility for the coast guard during World War II. After the war, development throughout the area brought numerous discount hotels and chains to the area, eroding the hotel's business at the same moment that the costs of maintaining the historic building were becoming more burdensome. In&nbsp;1967, this hotel closed and the property was&nbsp;sold to Flagler College.&nbsp; The college has vowed to preserve the buildings historical, architectural, and unique structure (Flagler.edu).

Upon its completion in 1888, this&nbsp;hotel was the largest building to be&nbsp;constructed by using only&nbsp;poured concrete. Flagler's close friend Thomas Edison helped assure the building had reliable electric service by personally negotiating the shipment of generators from his firm to the Florida resort. The building featured interior stained glass furnishings designed by&nbsp;Louis Comfort Tiffany while ceiling murals in the lobby of the hotel were designed by&nbsp;Italian artist Virgilio Tojetti. Henry Flagler hired John Carrere and Thomas Hastings from a “New York firm, McKim, Mead, and White,” in 1887 to design the hotel (NPS.gov). Mr. Flagler chose the theme of Spanish Renaissance in order to maintain the theme of the nearby city and other establishments.Flagler College was founded in 1968 by Lawrence Lewis, Jr. a businessman, philanthropist, and a benefactor of generations of conservative politicians. Since its establishment in 1968, the college has expended roughly $60 million to reestablish the hotel and other historic buildings on campus as well as to add new facilities (Commonfund.org). Today the original hotel building is used as Ponce De Leon Hall, this is home to women’s dorms, the main dining hall for students, administrative offices, and it is used as a space for large events (Pelletier).&nbsp;Flagler College, a liberal arts institution, seems to be distancing itself from its liberal arts status by adding majors such as business and hospitality. However, liberal arts are still highly regarded with a solid number of majors in the field of Humanities, such as History, Philosophy, Religion, and the specific major of Liberal Arts (Pelletier).

In order to preserve the purity of the buildings, students residing within the original building are not allowed to use their fireplaces or light candles due to the building having a seven-minute burn rate. Virtually nothing can be put on the walls such as tape, or tacks to avoid damage (Pelletier). Initially, the college was just the original building, but since then they have added many new buildings such as Kenan Hall, which was the first library and is&nbsp;now an academic building, and it was built roughly twenty years ago. Since changing Kenan Hall to strictly a building for classrooms, lecture halls, and administrative offices, Flagler College has built a new library, as well as a student center. Pollard Hall, another building for classrooms was built just off campus in downtown St. Augustine, directly across the street from the main campus. Buildings such as this were built throughout downtown St. Augustine for more classroom space.&nbsp; Although these new buildings have kept up with the theme of Spanish Renaissance architecture, they do add their own modern twist (Pelletier).

In 1882, Henry Flagler, a New York entrepreneur and a co-founder of Standard Oil, became interested in the commercial possibilities of tourism along the Florida coast. He explored the potential of the small but historical city of St. Augustine, selecting a location to build a resort that would serve as a winter get-away for wealthy residents of major East Coast cities. This hotel and the railroad and other works by Flagler became the leading reason why St. Augustine and other Florida communities grew rapidly in the first half of the 20th century. Plans for this hotel were completed in 1887 and construction was completed a year later. Flagler and other developers followed the success of this property by funding railroads and other resorts further south in future years. The hotel closed in 1967. The main hotel building has been restored and is now part of the Flagler College campus. 

Hotel Ponce De Leon, 1888-1967

<div>Built in 1883 by Boston millionaire, Franklin W. Smith, its name Villa Zorayda is said to be taken from Washington Irving’s The Alhambra, Zorayda being the name of one of the princesses. It holds the honor of being the second house in the United States to be made of poured concrete. Smith wanted the house built of stone, but to have it shipped to Florida from out of country would have been too expensive. This problem was solved by the production of concrete blocks made of crushed coquina shells, sand, and Portland cement. </div><div>The residence was sold two years after Smith's death in 1913 to Abraham S. Mussallem, an avid collector. He expanded the museum’s collection of rare and historic artifacts that came with the house. Mussallem was an expert in both oriental rugs and Egyptian relics. While at Zorayda, he&nbsp;came into possession of an Egyptian rug and mummified foot. </div><div>The rug, known as the Sacred Cat Rug, is made of cat hair and said to be the world's oldest rug at 2,400-years-old. The rug now hangs on a wall behind plexiglass on the second floor of the Museum. </div><div>In 1922, it opened as Zorayda Club, a nightclub and gambling casino which closed in 1925 when Florida outlawed gambling. In 1936, it was opened as a tourist attraction called the Zorayda Castle, exhibiting items fitting the architectural theme of the building. </div><div>The Villa Zorayda was closed for an extensive restoration from 2000-2008 but is now restored to its original splendor.</div>

Located in historic St. Augustine across from Flagler College, the Villa Zorayda Museum was originally the winter residence of Franklin Webster Smith. The Villa Zorayda is one-tenth of a replica of one wing of the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain. The architecture style is Moorish Revival. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. 

Villa Zorayda Museum (Zorayda Castle)

&nbsp; &nbsp;The hotel was commissioned by Henry Flagler to appeal to the wealthy tourists who traveled south for the winter on his railroad. He commissioned Carrere and Hastings, the firm of John Merven Carrere and Thomas Hastings, to construct this architectural masterpiece. The building was completed in 1888 after two years of construction and at a cost of $1,000,000 and opened on December 25, 1888. While still in its unfinished stage it was first used to accommodate overflow patronage of her famous “sister” the Ponce de Leon. Flagler envisioned the Alcazar as a less expensive $2-a-day hotel. &nbsp;Four stories in height, the Alcazar in its original design had 300 guest rooms, a steam room, massage parlor, sulfur baths, gymnasium, a three-story ballroom, and the world’s largest indoor swimming pool. When the pattern of not having a private bathroom in every room changed, the number of rooms went from 300 to 170 (Lightner Museum History.)&nbsp; &nbsp;There were elaborate writing and lounge rooms for the guests, a spacious lobby, and two dining rooms with kitchens and refrigeration facilities. The hotel provided many activities for its guests such as an indoor swimming pool, grand ballroom, sulfur baths, steam rooms, massage parlor, gymnasium, bowling alley, archery range, tennis courts, bicycle academy and in 1889 the casino opened. For just 25 cents anyone from town or other hotels could enjoy the casino. In the south section of the hotel were the Russian and Turkish baths, the Swedish massage services, and other activities. The natural artesian water, obtained from a well with free-flowing water, used in the baths and the pool was seen to have medical benefits. Near the baths was the three-story ballroom, which was then the recreational and social center of the Alcazar. On the upper balcony of the ballroom is where they held staged dances, entertainment, and other social functions. The ballroom pool, was the world’s largest pool at the time with the west side for woman and the east side for men and a skylight that could crack open for ventilation (“Lightner Swimming in History.”) The indoor pool at the Alcazar was and still is the world’s largest indoor swimming pool. In February 1925, the national AAU Swimming championship meets were held inside the pool, which included nationally famous feminine entries as Gertrude Ederle, Helen Wainwright, Aileen Riggin, and many more. In its peak of popularity in the 1890s, the hotel entertained more than 25,000 guests during the early winter seasons.

&nbsp; &nbsp; In 1932 the Alcazar shut down due to the national economic depression and it remained closed and uninhabited until Otto Lightner purchased it in 1947 to house his museum. The interior of the building suffered deterioration during the 17 years that it had been uncared for. An extensive renovation was necessary before it would be habitable again, for which Mr. Lightner set aside $150,000 for. It wasn’t until the latter part of 1947 that the museum began receiving exhibits from the Chicago Museum of Mr. Lightner. The Museum became open to the public in 1948. When just three years later Otto Lightner died, the building fell into deterioration. In 1968 the city stepped in and began renovating the building into a new city hall (Lightner Museum.) In 1978, the new city hall was opened and a portion of the Lightner museum was moved to the second floor.

&nbsp; &nbsp;Today, the building is home to St. Augustine’s City Hall and the Lightner Museum. The museum houses Otto Lightner’s Victorian-era collection of more than 20,000 antiques which include everything from typewriters and music boxes to Tiffany glass, cut glass, and porcelain (Lightner Museum Offical Site.) His collections of fine and decorative art from the 19th century were extensive, the museum’s eclectic collection ranges from a mummy, human hair art, salt and pepper shakers, shrunken heads, cigar labels, and buttons. The first floor of the museum houses a Victorian village, a Victorian science and Industry room and a music room filled with mechanized musical instruments. The second floor contains cut glass, Victorian art glass, and stained glass and the third floor, in the ballroom’s upper balcony exhibits paintings, sculptures, and furniture. Located at the deep end of the previous Alcazar swimming pool, is Café Alcazar a unique restaurant that offers lunch seven days a week.

Lightner Museum, previously known as Hotel Alcazar, which houses Otto Lightner’s Victorian-era collection of antiques. Located at 75 King Street St. Augustine, FL across the street from Flagler College (Lightner Museum.) It’s is also St. Augustine’s city hall. The lighter museum is housed in the building formerly known as the Hotel Alcazar was built by Henry Flagler, founder of Standard Oil and the Florida East Coast Railway, when he commissioned the architects Carrere and Hastings to construct the building. The hotel ran from 1889 until 1932 when it closed during the Great Depression. Seventeen years later in 1947, Otto Lightner purchased the building with plans to turn it into a museum to house his Victorian-era antique collection. The museum opened two years later after it underwent much-needed renovations. This building is one of the earliest examples of a poured concrete building and is inspired by the royal palace in Seville, Spain and designed in a Spanish Renaissance revival style.


Lightner Museum

The house was constructed
in 1691 during the First Spanish Period, with portions of the building having
been in existence since 1565. The house is made of tabby and coquina and became
the home of Father Miguel O'Reilly in 1785 when he purchased it. He was an Irish
priest in the service of the Spanish crown and made this house a place of
spirituality and education.

Father O'Reilly included
a clause in his will that left the property to a religious order devoted to
education. The house was left to the Sisters of St. Joseph and has been under
their care since 1866. The Sisters of St. Joseph were recruited from Le Puy,
France by then Bishop of Savannah, Augustin Verot, who would later become the
first Bishop of St. Augustine.

The Museum focuses on
three main areas: the history of the house, the Catholic tradition it
represents, which has been kept alive since 1565, and the story of the Sisters
of St. Joseph.

The museum includes the
six-room house and garden. The garden contains native species of plants. Artifacts on display to show the city’s extensive
history include musical instruments the Sisters used to teach with and old
lesson plans and papers documenting the history of its Catholic tradition. It
was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Located in St. Augustine on historic Aviles Street, the Father O'Reilly House is believed to be one of the oldest structures in the city, second to Castillo de San Marcos. The structure dates back to 1691 and is located in the section of the city that was part of the original 1565 settlement established by Pedro Menendez de Aviles. Father O'Reilly used the house as a place for spirituality and education until his death, then the Sisters of St. Joseph gained care of the home.

Father Miguel O’Reilly House Museum

Andres Ximenez operated a general store in the house (or an outbuilding), and also sold liquor and even had a pool table for public use. Sadly, he and his wife died in 1806; he father managed the house and took care of their children. The children sold the house to widower Margaret Cook in 1830. Her husband signed the papers giving her legal rights to conduct business in her name before he died, which was uncommon back then. Cook converted the house to a boarding house and hired a woman named&nbsp;Eliza Whitehurst to help manage it. Eliza died in 1838 and Margaret&nbsp;then sold it to Sarah Petty Anderson who would later hire Louisa Fatio in the 1840s. Louisa bought it in 1855 and operated the boarding house until her death in 1875. Tourism in Florida&nbsp;increased after the 1819&nbsp;Adams-Onis Treaty&nbsp;between the U.S. and Spain, which resulted in&nbsp;Spain finally&nbsp;ceding Florida. The new state attracted people from all over which increased&nbsp;demand for lodging. Even though Florida was now an American state, the native Seminoles continued to resist and people fled to boarding houses such as this one to escape the violence that occurred.

The Ximenez-Fatio House is one of St. Augustine's most interesting buildings. First constructed in the late 1700s, the house is one of the city's best examples of the Second Spanish Colonial period (1783-1821; the first one began in 1513 and ended in 1763 when the British gained control of the Florida territory). In addition to its age, architecture and well-preserved condition, the house is also important for women's history. In the 19th century it became a boarding house managed by women who earned the respect of guests, many of whom were wealthy elites from the northeast, and the community. The house is named after the first owner and builder of the original section, Andres Ximenez, and the last owner, Louisa Fatio. The house is a museum and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. It has been owned and operated by the  The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America since 1939.

Ximenez-Fatio House Museum

Reviewing all final details and will be published in December.

Solana House

The
Spanish Military Hospital Museum is an authentic reconstruction of a military
hospital that stood on this site during the Second Spanish Colonial Period
(1784–1821). The current reconstruction was built using archived Spanish
records in 1966.

The
hospital was originally a convalescent home by William Watson during
the British Occupation of the city from 1763-1783. Soon after the Spanish retook
possession of the town a fire destroyed the old hospital; Watson also left
Florida at this time. In 1971 the government purchased the home and modified it
for use as a military hospital. 

Aviles
Street was originally known as Hospital Street because the medical facility was
situated along the roadway. The medical clinic treated strictly military
personnel during St. Augustine’s Spanish and British Colonial periods. 

The
original hospital complex consisted of three main structures and several
outbuildings. The West Wing, built during the First Spanish Period, burned down
in 1818. The British constructed the East Wing and Apothecary, but a fire
destroyed the East Wing in 1895. The hospital was closed two years after the
United States assumed control over Florida.

Several
other buildings were constructed on the lot over time. While a modern building
still occupies the site of the West Wing, the building that replaced the East
Wing was torn down in 1960. Archaeological excavations uncovered the foundation
of the original hospital structure. 

The
Museum includes an Apothecary and garden, period surgical procedures and
medical instruments, methods pharmacists used to create various medicines, the
development of medical practices that are still in use and rooms used such as
the administration office, patient wards, morgue and the mourning room. The
doctors would combine medical knowledge from Europe and Africa to achieve higher
survival rates. A bell would ring to summon mourners; this practice inspired
the phrase “For whom the bell tolls.”

This St. Augustine museum includes exhibits related to medicine in the colonial period and the general history of the Second Spanish Period (1784-1821). The museum is located at the site of a colonial-era hospital that mirrors the history of Florida. The facility known as Hospital West was constructed in the First Spanish Period while Hospital East was constructed during the British Period. The site was later home to an apothecary within the William Watson House which was constructed in the British Period. While the original buildings no longer exist, the current building was constructed on the foundation of the former hospital facility. In addition to exhibits related to the history of medicine, the Spanish Military Hospital Museum has the only educational tour dedicated to the second Spanish period in St. Augustine.

Spanish Military Hospital Museum

In 2005, St. Augustine resident and civil rights veteran&nbsp;Barabara H. Vickers began an effort to create a monument to honor the leaders of the city's&nbsp;peaceful protests. Vickers&nbsp;organized a series of meetings and led a committee that discussed several ideas for the monument. The effort grew to include area educators and institutions, leading to a renewed interest in the civil rights movement and spurring numerous research projects that recorded the experiences and perspectives of participants in addition to raising funds for this monument.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The group organized a non-profit foundation and commissioned this statue by Brian R. Owens.&nbsp;Plaza De La Constitucion was chosen for the site of the statue due to the many protest marches that passed through this area during the early 1960s. The monument was unveiled on&nbsp;May 14, 2011 at a ceremony led by Barabara H. Vickers with a crowd of around 200 people in attendance. Due to heavy rains, the&nbsp;ceremony was held under the roof at the park's central&nbsp;plaza-perhaps a fitting&nbsp;location as this once held the&nbsp;city's leading slave market.&nbsp;&nbsp;Hank Thomas was among the speakers at the dedication. Thomas&nbsp;was one of the original Freedom Riders that risked their lives to&nbsp;protest segregation by challenging segregation at bus stations throughout the South.&nbsp;Dr. Robert B. Hayling, a dentist who led many of the local protests in&nbsp;St. Augustine was also present and spoke at the dedication of the monument.&nbsp;

Dedicated in 2011, the Foot Soldier Monument is the latest addition to St. Augustine's Plaza De La Constitucion, a historic park that includes monuments and markers tracing the history of the city from the arrival of the Spanish to the present. The monument depicts images of four non-specific individuals that together represent the hundreds of African Americans from St. Augustine who served as "foot soldiers" by participating in civil rights marches and other peaceful protests against segregation in the 1960s. 

St. Augustine's Foot Soldier Monument

The police coerced or convinced&nbsp;most of the students to testify that their advisor had coerced them into participating in the protest as part of an&nbsp;effort to build a case against Hayling. Understanding that Hayling would likely be convicted of contributing to the delinquency of minors and other trumped-up charges, four of the students refused to turn on Hayling even when faced with being taken from their homes and placed in a reform school. These four students, Willie Carl Singleton, Samuel White, JoeAnn Anderson Ulmer, and Audrey Nell Edwards spent the rest of 1963 detained in a reform school rather than falsely accuse their advisor. The four young people proudly acknowledged their willing participation in the protests against segregation and with the help of the NAACP they were released back to their families in early 1964.&nbsp;When the sixteen teenagers sat at the whites-only lunch counter, the manager contacted the police who arrested the young people but said that they would free the teens if they and their family would sign a paper accusing their mentors of coercing them into participating in the sit-in and promising not to participate in demonstrations until they were twenty-one. The families of four of the participants supported their&nbsp;children in refusing to sign this paper or accuse their&nbsp;advisers. Known today as "the St. Augustine&nbsp;Four," JoeAnn Anderson, Audrey Neil Edwards, Samuel White, and Willie Carl Singleton endured jail and reform school rather than sign the document.&nbsp;In response to their "defiance," Judge Mathis sentenced the four teens to correctional facilities. The girls were sent to Florida’s correctional faculty and the boys were sent to Florida’s Industrial School for Boys for a year. Local African Americans were outraged by the sentencing of these young people and adults and their fellow teens gathered at St. Paul’s AME Church to plan out protests and marches.&nbsp;African Americans held several protests downtown and picketed outside of St. Augustine business that practiced segregation. Dr. Hayling led marches to the Old Slave Market in protest of the arrest of the young people. Police attacked the participants of this march and Hayling was arrested. However, the NAACP and local Black residents continued to put pressure on the city and its businesses. On January 14, 1964, Governor Farris Bryant demanded the release of the teens and they were reunited with their parents.&nbsp;

In the summer of 1963, Dr. Robert Hayling worked with a sixteen young civil rights activists and organized a sit-in at the Woolworth lunch counter at this location. A section of the original Woolworth's lunch counter where sixteen African American teens participated in the sit-in has been placed inside the Wells Fargo bank. The lunch counter depicts four Black students participating in the sit-in, a reference to the four that were sentenced to a reform school for a year because they refused to implicate their advisor or sign a form stating that they would not participate in additional civil rights protests. 

St. Augustine Historic District Walking Tour (Short Tour)

Trinity Episcopal Church

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information