Governor's House Library

06/05/2026

Did you know St. Augustine used to have a Colonial Williamsburg-style living history museum quarter on St. George Street? San Agustin Antíguo (later called the 'Spanish Quarter') boasted a colorful cast of animals! Check out this blog post from 2024...

We cannot overlook the contributions of the animals who helped to bring history to life at San Agustin Antíguo. During the 1960s, the living history museum hosted a menagerie of creatures represent…

06/03/2026

For generations, passionate people have collaborated to preserve St. Augustine’s history. Interpreters, guides, craftsmen, and, yes, visitors are all vital participants in our heritage of historic preservation. And we have no plans to stop!

Though Preservation Month 2026 has come to a close, the oldest city continues our daily work to share and uphold the values of historic preservation.

📚 The photographs featured in this post are from the UFHSA Governor’s House Library Photograph Collection.

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06/03/2026

St. Augustine's Historic Colors: YELLOW! 💛 🌻
UFHSA Governor’s House Library is lucky to house and share collections related to St. Augustine, Florida’s heritage of Historic Preservation.

There are three variants of yellow in the “Historic Colors of Spanish St. Augustine”, a brochure published by the City of St. Augustine in the 1980s with funds from the U.S. Department of the Interior. Check our page for past and future installments of this colorful series!

06/01/2026

📚 🌻 Mid-1970s ... A walkabout on Water Street! 📚🌻 The Abbott Tract Historic District stands directly to the north of the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument. Recognized on the National Register of Historic Places, this district of St. Augustine is noted for its architectural variety and historic value to our city's story.

These images from the UFHSA Governor's House Library Photograph Collection show just a few of the historic homes along Water Street.

06/01/2026

In 1973, six Flagler College students spent six weeks “time travelling” back to Spanish colonial-era St. Augustine.

Their goal was to learn what life was like for 1750s Floridians. They lived on St. George Street, in two colonial homes provided by the Historic St. Augustine Preservation Board. For the class, students had to adhere to the subsistence practices of the colonial era – even fishing for their dinners!

A canoe they used in the class was built by Frank Charlie of the Miccosukee Tribe at Big Cypress Reservation.

Images courtesy of UFHSA Governor’s House Library.

05/28/2026

When a structure disappears into history, and roads shift with time, where do preservationists look to find it again? Dr. Kathleen Deagan faced this quandary when she began "The Town Plan of Sixteenth-Century St. Augustine" in 1981. Learn more about the process (and how archaeologists participate in & inform historic preservation) in our blog post from 2020...

How do you map the past in a modern city? When structures disappear into history and roads shift with time, where do you look? In the Spring of 1981, archaeologists – led by Dr. Kathleen Deag…

05/27/2026

May is Preservation Month & UFHSA Governor’s House Library is lucky to be able to share St. Augustine’s heritage of Historic Preservation through our archives.

In today’s installation of the “Historic Colors of St. Augustine” series, we’re starting with the basics. White was the most common base color for colonial homes in St. Augustine – but colonists didn’t choose it just for looks!

Click the link in the comments below to learn more about whitewashing buildings in colonial St. Augustine, FL.



National Trust for Historic Preservation

05/27/2026

How different would the streets of St. Augustine look today without the steady, practiced eye of Herschel Shepard?

"Profiles in History: Herschel Shepard" shares an overview of the prodigious career of UF Historic St. Augustine, Inc Board Member, Herschel Shepard. (Pictured below in 1977!)

Read the most recent blog post from the UFHSA Governor's House Library - link in the comments!

05/25/2026

On this final week of Preservation Month 2026, we'd like to share these images of the 1971 reconstruction of the Pellicer de Burgo House. Located at 53 St. George Street, this reconstruction is an example of a British Period (1763-1784) structure. It was originally built and lived in by two Minorcan men: Francisco Pellicer and José Peso de Burgo. Check the comments for a link to our LibGuide on the property.

These images are from the UFHSA Governor's House Library Photograph Collection.

05/23/2026

Happy National Preservation Month! Every May, we celebrate our historic sites, neighborhoods, and landmarks that tell the American Story. Our region is home to dozens of such historic spaces.

📚 These aerial photographs of St. Augustine’s Historic Downtown District are from March of 1966 – before Flagler College was founded – keen eyes will spot many changes!

Courtesy of the UFHSA Governor’s House Library Photograph Collection.

, National Trust for Historic Preservation, St. Augustine, Florida 💡