Governor's House Library

09/17/2026

🧑‍🍳ABCs of St. Augustine Architecture: K is for Kitchen 🧑‍🍳

Today's installment of your favorite local history series shapes two very different examples of Spanish Colonial kitchens from two of St. Augustine's Spanish Periods. (There are many more examples of historic kitchens throughout our "Ancient City".)

1) The Gallegos House was reconstructed by the Historic St. Augustine Preservation Board (HSAPB) in 1963 to exhibit the First Spanish Period (1565-1763).
2) The Salcedo House was reconstructed by the HSAPB in 1965 to exhibit the Second Spanish Period (1784-1821).

Every Thursday for the rest of the year, we'll be sharing an "ABCs of Architecture" post that celebrates St. Augustine's architecture and shares the collections here at UFHSA Governor's House Library.

09/14/2026

Today marks the beginning of a mini-series we’ve decided to call wherein we’ll share a weekly illustration from the hand of Ernest A. Meyer (1864-1949). A native to New York, Meyer’s family wintered in St. Augustine in the late 1870s before moving here from 1882 to 1884. Those years left a lasting impression!

Check back in the coming weeks for more beautiful illustrations like this one from the UFHSA Governor’s House Library collections. Also check out the St. Augustine Historical Society’s Meyer Collection, which holds photographs and drawings from E.A. Meyer and his family.

09/12/2026

This oversized postcard (circa 1895[?]) shows St. Augustine's seawall and the past location of the St. Augustine Yacht Club. If you look close, you can see the electric street railway that once ran parallel to the Matanzas Bay!

This postcard is a part of the UFHSA Governor's House Library Photograph Collection. Find is here on UFDC: https://ufdc.ufl.edu/USACH00478/00018/citation

09/10/2026

ABCs of St. Augustine Architecture: J is for Joist

A foundational element of architecture, joists are supports beams that run parallel to each other. Like joists, together we are stronger!

Every Thursday for the rest of the year, we’ll be sharing an “ABCs of Architecture” post that celebrates St. Augustine’s architecture and shares the collections here at UFHSA Governor’s House Library.

09/08/2026

In honor of St. Augustine, Florida's 461st birthday, we've pulled four iconic postcards from the UFHSA Governor's House Library Allen Lastinger Postcard Collection. Despite its historic appearances and stories, our "Ancient City" has changed greatly over those 4+ centuries. From national monuments and colonial fortifications to ever-changing roadways and welcome centers, reminders of St. Augustine's history -- and opportunities to engage with the past -- are all around us. Happy Founder's Day, all!

09/04/2026

🧭September 4th (9/4) is 904 Day!🧭 People and businesses all over NE Florida are using this day to bring focus to this beautiful and historic region that we are so lucky to live in.

09/04/2026

It's back to school season! Did you know? During the Second Spanish Period, the Governor's House Cultural Center and Museum housed a school.

Since 1598, Governor’s House has served the city of St. Augustine in many different ways, including as a governor’s residence and office, barracks, a courthouse, a post office, a museum…

09/03/2026

⚓ ABCs of St. Augustine Architecture ⚓️ I is for Iron! While St. Augustine isn't infamous for its ironwork like fellow historic Charleston, SC, our "Ancient City" has many examples of architectural ironmongery! As always, the locations of our footage is noted at the top of the video. Only seventeen more letters (and Thursdays!) in 2026

09/01/2026

“Do you know who has been the real heroine of the romance of these last weeks, Sara?”
“Who?”
“The demi-lune!”

This image (circa 1870-1880) from the UFHSA Governor's House Library Photograph Collection shows the ravelin (or demilune) of the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument. Placed in the front entrance of a fort, a demilune is a separate defensive structure. This piece of military architecture was once used to protect the wall of the St. Augustine's iconic fort. Since the tourist boom of the 1800s, though, "she" has had much more romantic purposes...

The excerpt of dailogue above is from Constance Fenimore Woolson's short story "The Ancient City", which was published in the December 1873 - January 1874 editions of Harper's New Monthly Magazine. The story is in the public domain and can be found to read for free online.

09/01/2026

This Friday is "904 Day"! We're looking forward to seeing appreciative and educational posts from all over the region.

This Friday is “904 Day” recognizing St. Augustine’s 904 area code. We invite you to join our celebration by posting a photo of your favorite places in “904” this Friday using #904 – then tag a friend, business, or venue to invite them to share. What makes the 904 special? Show us on 9/04!

Did you know that Florida got its first telephone exchange in neighboring Jacksonville in 1880? In St. Augustine, commercial hookups and localized service grew significantly from 1890-1900s. In 1947, the entire state of Florida was assigned the 305 area code by American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T). In 1965, as St. Augustine was celebrating the 400th anniversary of its founding, the northern half of Florida was assigned area code 904.