Did you know that Florida’s oldest residential neighborhood isn’t just the oldest in the state, but considered the oldest continuously occupied European-established settlement in all of the U.S.?
Over in St. Augustine, Old City South is a historic district lined with ancient oak trees and 18th-century architecture that feels like stepping back in time. It features the highest number of colonial-era homes in the city, from the González-Alvarez House (“The Oldest House” in Florida) to the Miguel O’Reilly House on Aviles Street, which is recognized as America’s oldest public street.
Keep reading to learn more about this unique piece of Florida’s past.
History of St. Augustine and Old City South
Founded in September 1565 by Spanish explorer Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, St. Augustine predates both Jamestown (1607) and Plymouth (1620) by decades.
While the city’s early days were marked by pirate attacks and subsequent rebuilds, the footprint of Old City South has been lived in continuously since those Spanish colonial times. Following a devastating blaze in 1702, which destroyed many of its original wooden structures, the neighborhood began taking its current shape when residents built homes out of coquina, a nearly indestructible sedimentary rock made of compressed shells.
Historic homes and sites in Old City South
- González-Alvarez House (14 St. Francis Street): Also known as “The Oldest House,” the current structure dates back to the early 1700s. Today, it operates as a museum showcasing Spanish, British and American history.
- Aviles Street: Recognized as the oldest public street in the U.S., Aviles Street was platted in the 1570s. Today, it’s a vibrant arts district with galleries and outdoor cafes.
- Ximenez-Fatio House Museum (20 Aviles Street): Built in 1798, this coquina stone house later became one of St. Augustine’s most famous boarding houses for tourists in the 1800s.
- Fernandez-Llambias House (31 St. Francis Street): A National Historic Landmark and built sometime before 1763, this historic house is one of the few to survive from the first period of Spanish Florida.
- O’Reilly House (32 Aviles Street): Constructed in 1791 for an Irish priest who served the Spanish colony, this historic home is now a museum dedicated to the Catholic tradition in the state.
In addition to historic homes, there’s plenty more to explore right outside the neighborhood. You can walk up to the oldest public park in America, the Plaza de la Constitución, or explore the oldest masonry fort in the continental U.S, the Castillo de San Marcos!
Visiting St. Augustine
If you want to get straight into the history, the drive from Miami to St. Augustine is roughly 319 miles and takes about four and a half hours.
Learn all about Old City South here.
