The Story of the Nation’s Oldest City
by Jay Humphreys
Purpose Defined
For the next 250 years, St. Augustine existed to serve three purposes. First, it provided a base of operations
to defend Spain’s La Florida from foreign intruders. In fact, Menéndez largely accomplished this task within
the first few weeks of his arrival when he destroyed a French settlement known as Fort Caroline.
Secondly, St. Augustine served as a place of refuge for the Spanish treasure fleets delivering the untold
wealth of the New World to Spain.
Lastly, St. Augustine was to serve as the starting point for converting the natives of Florida and the
Southeast to Christianity. Father Lopez created the first Mission and led the first celebration of a parish mass
in what is now the United States.
And for slaves who could escape to St. Augustine, their freedom could be secured by simply swearing
their allegiance to the King of Spain and converting to Catholicism.
A British Interlude
Although here for only 21 years, 1763-1784, the British made a lasting impression on St. Augustine. Granted
Florida by Spain in exchange for Cuba, the British industriously set about converting the area into the center
of a thriving agricultural enterprise.
Stars and Stripes
By the early 1800s, Spain no longer needed La Florida and St. Augustine became a U.S. territory. On March
3, 1845, Florida entered the Union as a slave state. In March 1862, without firing a shot in its defense, the
City of St. Augustine surrendered to a large U.S. fleet that arrived just offshore. The resulting occupation by
Union forces spared St. Augustine from destruction.
Henry Flagler
In 1883, “The Father of Florida Tourism” visited St. Augustine and what most impressed him was the old
city’s “potential.” Flagler was a man whose wealth was so enormous that he could afford to make his dreams
come true. He built a railroad that brought visitors from as far away as New York. He built the magnificent
Hotel Ponce de Leon and the Hotel Alcazar. New churches, paved streets and electric lighting were added,
and soon St. Augustine became one of the most sought-after destinations in the world.
The Great Depression and World War II
St. Augustine’s success as a tourism destination continued well into the 1920s, but the stock market crash of
1929 meant the exclusive clientele cat