St. Augustine History

The city's brick-lined streets, horse carriages, forts and grand hotels have charmed me at every stage of my life. My first visit at 14 was on a family vacation. I returned seven years later for a weekend with my best friend. Recently, on a romantic week with my husband, I discovered yet another side of the oldest city in the America.

St. Augustine is rich in history, and in the late 1800s, "rich" was the operative word. It was a grand time of magnates, marvels and magnificent monuments... theatrical resorts, lavish architecture and conspicuous luxury. Once a sparsely inhabited near-wilderness, the little town burgeoned as a premier resort destination for well-to-do northerners. It all began in 1883 with an auspicious visit by Henry Morrison Flagler.

In St. Augustine's early days, St. George Street was the main street, and today the thoroughfare is still considered the heart of the city. Here, visitors find historic attractions and some of the restaurants, galleries, bakeries and shops for which the city is famous. However, no trip to the Nation's Oldest City would be complete without time spent traversing some of the roads less traveled. St. George is just one of many enchanting streets that make up the city's historic downtown district.