Governor's House Library

05/23/2026

Happy National Preservation Month! Every May, we celebrate our historic sites, neighborhoods, and landmarks that tell the American Story. Our region is home to dozens of such historic spaces.

📚 These aerial photographs of St. Augustine’s Historic Downtown District are from March of 1966 – before Flagler College was founded – keen eyes will spot many changes!

Courtesy of the UFHSA Governor’s House Library Photograph Collection.

, National Trust for Historic Preservation, St. Augustine, Florida 💡

05/23/2026

Happy National Preservation Month! Every May, we celebrate our historic sites, neighborhoods, and landmarks that tell the American Story. Our region is home to dozens of such historic spaces.
 
📚 These aerial photographs of St. Augustine’s Historic Downtown District are from March of 1966 – before Flagler College was founded – keen eyes will spot many changes! 
 
Courtesy of the UFHSA Governor’s House Library Photograph Collection.
 
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05/22/2026

Congratulations, Dr. Cleary Larkin!

Congratulations to Dr. Cleary Larkin who was selected to serve as selected to serve as one of six 2026 Modernism in America Awards jury members. Presented by Docomomo US, the awards are in their 13th year and are the only national program to recognize and celebrate the documentation, preservation and reuse of modern buildings, structures and landscapes. To learn more about the awards and the other jury members please visit https://docomomo-us.org/events/modernism-in-america-awards

05/21/2026

The archaeological and historical investigation of St. Augustine's Last Slave Cabin exemplifies the power of memory, and just how multi-faceted Historic Preservation can be.

Happy Preservation Month 2026! Read more about the structure in our blog post from 2025 ...

This Lincolnville garage on South Street holds more than cars, the structure contains a long history pre-dating much of its surroundings and a mystery. It is thought to be the last surviving slave …

05/20/2026

May is Preservation Month & UFHSA Governor’s House Library is lucky to be able to share St. Augustine’s heritage of historic preservation through our archives. “Historic Colors of Spanish St. Augustine” is one such document!

You might recognize this brochure from a recent post by our Flagler intern, whose excitement for this document made us want to share it a bit more widely with YOU.

Should we post the rest of this series on Facebook?

05/19/2026

What was St. Augustine like during the American Revolution? Our newest exhibit, curated by the UFHSA Education Committee, is open now!

In celebration of the USA’s Semiquincentennial, “Florida At War” explores a chapter of our city’s history that is not widely known. In fact, St. Augustine played an important role during the American Revolution — but not on the side of American independence! The city and its residents remained loyal to Great Britain, with many consequences. You can explore their stories TODAY.

America250FL & America250

05/18/2026

Did you know? St. Augustine was the home of a British newspaper called the "East-Florida Gazette" during the American Revolution. Our newest exhibit at the Governor's House Cultural Center & Museum explores our city during wartimes!

At one time, interpreters (like the one pictured here) printed replica copies of the "Gazette" to share this little-known history of St. Augustine’s British Period. The press itself is still on display at the Colonial Quarter's “Printing Office” today.

This photograph is from the UFHSA Governor's House Library Photograph Collection.

05/13/2026

This Preservation Month 2026, we say "Thank you, Reenactors"! 🥁📚🏺

Historical reenactors who participate in "living history" events are a lively part of St. Augustine's culture of historic preservation. Interpretive programs that take place in historic structures (or throughout entire historic cities!) breath the life of the present into the stories of the past.

These digitized slides from the UFHSA Governor's House Library Photograph Collection show just a glimpse of the generations of people who have participated in St. Augustine's historical reenactments.

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National Trust for Historic Preservation

05/11/2026

The story of St. Augustine's Ribera House (22 St. George Street) underlines the Preservation Month 2026 theme of "all people are created equal". Explore the connections between St. Augustinians in the late 1700s and today in our blog post from 2021:

In 1764, Juan de Rivera lived at present-day 22 St. George Street. He was born around 1732 into a family of either Guale or Yamassee Native Americans from the nearby mission Nuestra Señora del Rosa…

05/09/2026

05/08/2026

Graduation season is all a-buzz in St. Augustine! The Ponce de Leon Hotel, which is now the centerpiece of Flagler College's main campus, is a National Historic Landmark with a living purpose. Our staff is so grateful to have hosted a graduating Flagler senior as our Spring 2026 intern. Congratulations to ALL 2026 grads! 🎓 👏