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The town of St Augustine was
officially established by Don Pedro
Menendez de Aviles in 1565, forty
two years before the English colony
at Jamestown, and fifty five years
before the pilgrims landed at
Plymouth Rock, making St Augustine
the oldest permanent European
settlement on the North American
continent.
 The next two hundred years presented
a number of challenges to St
Augustine. In 1568 the town was
attacked and burned by Sir Frances
Drake, then in 1668 the pirate
Captain John Davis plundered the
town, killing sixty residents in the
process. The British established
colonies in Georgia and the
Carolinas, prompting Spain to
finally authorize the building of a
stone fortress to protect St
Augustine from attacks coming from
the north. After twenty three years
of building, the famous Castillo de
San Marcos stood as the main defense
of St Augustine. Several major
attacks were launched against the
Castillo, however to this day the
fort has never fallen to enemy
attack. In 1763, Spain ceded control
of Florida to the English in order
to regain the capital of Cuba. This
ushered in twenty years of British
rule in Florida, coinciding with the
American Revolution. In 1783 Florida
was returned to the Spanish under
the Treaty of Paris for a period of
thirty seven years at which time the
Spanish sold Florida to the United
States, relinquishing control of
Florida forever.
 In 1845, Florida became the 27th
state admitted to the union. After
decades of hardships caused by
yellow fever and the Seminole War of
1836, the town had finally begun to
prosper. After the end of the Civil
War in 1865, speculators and land
developers began coming to Florida
which prompted more growth in St
Augustine. Henry Flagler arrived in
the 1880’s, who developed the town
as a leisure resort for travelers.
He had made his fortune as a
co-founder of Standard Oil Company
with John D. Rockefeller, and saw
great potential in the area.
Flagler’s efforts turned the town of
St Augustine into the cultural and
vacation hotspot that it is today.
Although turn of the century fires
destroyed many historic locations,
the influence of early Spanish
settlers and Henry Flagler are
apparent everywhere you turn in St
Augustine.
St. Augustine’s rich and abundant
history is found all over the Old
City. When you vacation here you
will enjoy a city steeped in
tradition where beautiful locations
and historic landmarks abound. Our
St. Augustine FL
Bed and Breakfast
is located right in the heart of the
historic district of St. Augustine
and within walking distance to all
of the great vacation attractions in
the area. Book your getaway today!
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact us at 904.826.0650 or 800.521.0722,
email us, or use our
online request form.
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