St. Augustine Florida - America's Oldest Continuously Occupied City

St. Augustine is located on the northeast coast of Florida. The City of St. Augustine was founded 42 years before Jamestown, Virginia and 55 years before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock making it the oldest permanent European settlement on the North American continent. The city celebrated its 450th birthday in 2015.

The Spanish explorer, Don Juan Ponce De Leon claimed the land for Spain in 1513 and named it La Florida, meaning “Land of Flowers.” Between 1513 and 1563 the government of Spain launched six expeditions to Florida and all failed.

The French established a fort and colony on the St. Johns River in 1564. Admiral General Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles was named governor of Florida and attempted to colonize the territory and obtain and protect the land from pirates and settlers from other nations.

History changed forever on August 28, 1565 when Don Pedro Menendez arrived off the coast of Florida and entered a community of Timucuan Indians. He named the village St. Augustine and from there he and his soldiers conquered the French colony and held the coast of Florida for the Spanish. Menendez began building the town of St. Augustine while establishing missions for the Indians and exploring the land. He spent nine years maintaining and growing the city while protecting it from the French and pirate attacks. After his death, his nephew became Governor of Florida. Upon his death, the King of Spain determined the Florida territory was important to Spain’s long term economic future and began provide funding for the community.

Spain authorized the building of a stone fort to protect St. Augustine as assaults from the north became more frequent. The Castillo de San Marcos took twenty three years to build and was completed in 1695.

In 1763, Spain ceded Florida to England and in 1783 was returned to Spanish rule for thirty-seven years. In 1783, Florida was returned to Spanish rule for a period of thirty-seven years. On July 10, 1821 Spain relinquished control of Florida to US troops.

Florida became the twenty-seventh state admitted to the Union in 1845. The Castillo de San Marcos was renamed Fort Marion in honor of a Revolutionary War hero, and the capital of East Florida was moved from St. Augustine to the new town of Tallahassee.

Florida seceded with the rest of the Confederacy in the Civil war and Union troops occupied the City during most of the conflict. When the War ended a new trade began for the City, a trade known now as “tourism.”

In the 1880’s Henry M. Flagler chose St. Augustine as the location for a major winter resort with the help of his friend John D. Rockefeller. Due to the popularity of the area, Flagler was responsible for the building of hotels, hospitals, city hall, and several churches.

In 1959, the state of Florida began an ongoing preservation effort to restore many of the colonial structures to their original state. Today, St. Augustine is a showcase of Spanish culture and a popular destination for travelers from all over the world. The many historical sites, miles of Atlantic coast beaches, museums, art galleries, dining and entertainment venues, and attractions make St. Augustine a beautiful place to visit and to live.