Historic Preservation and Archaeology in St. Augustine
St. Augustine, Fla – The city of St. Augustine rests on a rich archaeological foundation. Its history includes not only the city’s European origins of 1565, but also thousands of years of ancient Native American heritage. St. Augustine’s historic preservation and archaeology programs aim to preserve the diversity of the past while allowing the city to move towards a vibrant future.
In 1971, the city formalized its preservation planning with the creation of five Historic Preservation Zoning Districts with applicable architectural guidelines. The Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB) was created in 1974 to protect the architectural character and integrity of the historic preservation districts. There are seven National Register Historic Districts and 33 individually listed buildings and sites on the National Register of Historic Places. Five buildings have National Historic landmark designation, in addition to the Town Plan National Historic Landmark District which refers to the entire fortified Colonial city from Orange Street to San Salvador, and Cordova Street to Avenida Menendez.
To view the City’s Historic Preservation Master Plan, visit here.
The city’s efforts to protect its buried heritage continued in 1987 with the Archaeology Preservation Ordinance. The ordinance evaluates construction activities on both public and private properties. St. Augustine is one of the few municipalities in the country that has an Archaeology Program, which investigates an average of 20 projects each year. The varied nature of projects ensures an assortment of work sites and environments.
The St. Augustine Visitor Information Center opened a permanent exhibit in March 2017. The exhibit, called St. Augustine, America’s Enduring Colony 1565-1821, features jewelry, pottery, artifacts from pirate raids, and many other historical items found beneath the streets of St. Augustine.
To learn more about important Archaeological programs in St. Augustine, visit here, or contact Jenny Wolfe – Director of Historic Preservation, City of St. Augustine, 904-209-4326.
Located midway between Daytona Beach and Jacksonville, Florida’s Historic Coast includes historic St. Augustine, the outstanding golf and seaside elegance of Ponte Vedra, and 42 miles of pristine Atlantic beaches. For information call 1.800.653.2489 or go to the Visitors and Convention Bureau website at www.FloridasHistoricCoast.com. Check us out on Twitter @FlHistoricCoast on Instagram @FloridasHistoricCoast and @ViajaSanAgustin on Facebook.com/OfficialStAugustine and Facebook.com/ViajaSanAgustin. #StAugustine #PonteVedra #FloridasHistoricCoast #ViajaSanAgustin