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.