Yesterday's St. Augustine
A nostalgic view of St. Augustine, through the eye of the camera, from the 1860's to the 1920's
by Geoff Dobson

Visit Geoff's other history site, Wyoming Tales and Trails, a history of Wyoming told through more than 600 historic photos of the Old West.

This page: 1860-1880's

Music: By the Light of the Silvery Moon


City Gates during the Civil War, photo by Samual A. Cooley. A similar photo used to be on the wall of the St. George Pharmacy, only with the mule and dray actually between the gates. The St. George Pharmacy was located where the Bunnery is now situated at 121 St. George Street.


Offices of the New York, Nassau & Savannah Steamship Line; the Savannah, Nassau & Havana Steamship Line; and the Georgia & Florida Inland Steamboat Line, circa 1880. Photograph courtesy Florida Archives, Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.


Union Troops in Fort Marion during the Civil War, photo by Samual A. Cooley
Note the tents on the gundeck. During the Civil War, Union forces occupied the City.


1875 British engraving of Calle de la Merced [Mercy Street], St. Augustine. Some depictions of St. Augustine were quite imaginative!


City Gates looking north, 1881. The building to the left is the San Marco Hotel. The site of the hotel was later donated to the City by Elizabeth Kitterlinus and was known for years as the "San Marco Lot" and was used by the City as playing fields. The fields have now been removed and the lot is used as a parking lot and "activities field." The gentleman in the photo is James A. Jackson.


In 1887 a fire swept most of downtown St. Augustine, north of the Plaza. These before and after views are from Harper's Weekly. The top view if of the St. Augustine Hotel constructed in 1869 on what later became to be known as the "Vail Block." After the fire the building later occupied by the "Booksmith" on the corner of Cathedral and Charlotte as well as the First National Bank and a hotel were constructed on the site. The bottom views depict the ruins of the Cathedral and the Public Market both of which were reconstructed.


Marine Street, approx. 1893. Photograph courtesy Florida Archives, Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.


Bay Street, 1893. The site of the buildings depicted was later the site of the Bennett Hotel and is now occupied by a restuarant at 12 Avenida Menendez.

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