The Houses of St. Augustine

Book excerpt: When the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, St. Augustine was already half a century old. Founded in 1565, the city has been continuously inhabited ever since, and its architectural styles tell stories of boom and bust, fad and tradition, war and peace, modernization and historic preservation. This affectionate portrait of our oldest city offers a comprehensive survey of the many architectural features that have expressed the needs and preferences of St. Augustine's inhabitants over more than four centuries of Spanish, British, and American government. From the coquina stone structures of colonial times, through Victorian gingerbread and Henry Flagler's Spanish revival, to the cookie-cutter subdivisions and condominiums of modern times, the houses of St. Augustine are introduced in this lovely and readable book like characters in a historical drama. Each chapter highlights a broad historical period and includes a lively discussion of the city's distinctive character during that era. Representative styles and forms of each period are illustrated with color photographs and original watercolors by Jean Ellen Fitzpatrick.