Florida Trip Spring 2005

John J. and Barbara R. Thomas

Saint Augustine

       Saint Augustine was the most important defense point for the Spanish gold trade route. In those days they had no way to tell longitude accurately so ships traveled up the coast of North America until they found the trade winds to take them back to Europe.

Castillo San Marcos was never defeated by the English or the pirates.

The interior of the fort.

The cannon deck.

       After visiting the fort we went to Old Augustine, a collection of early St. Augustine houses. One man bought all the houses on one block. He bought his first house and filled it with artifacts and junk, which he stored in his house, until he had to buy another and move in to it. Eventually he owned the whole block. He contributed the houses and all his collection to a museum. The houses date from 1790 to 1910.

Spear house

Carpenter house.

Worchester house.

Canova house.

Murat house.

       After lunch we visited the St. Augustine Cathedral.

St. Augustine Cathedral.

The altar.
The organ in the background was being played when we entered.

The mural in the choir loft.

       Our final stop was the Colonial Spanish Quarter, a living history center that preserved the early Spanish homes and history.

Gallego House and garden.

The main room in the house.
This was the home of a well to do family.
It has two rooms. This is the living room, office, and bedroom.

The kitchen with the stove in the rear corner.

A Spanish carpenter showing a boy how to use a drew knife.

The blacksmith.

The de Hita House.

The scribe.

We finished the day at the St Augustine Lighthouse.

Return to the top.                                   Continue to the Next Part of the Trip.