St. Augustine tops Preservation magazine's 'Summer Guide to Historic Downtowns'

Preservation magazine recently highlighted historic landmarks such as the Castillo de San Marcos and the Casa Monica Hotel in an article titled “Summer Guide to Historic Downtowns.”

St. Augustine was the first city listed, followed by downtown areas in Illinois, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Missouri and Virginia.

“Historic preservation is critically important in a city that is almost 500 years old, where many of our most significant cultural assets are either historic sites or museums housed in historic buildings,” said Christina Parrish Stone, executive director of the St. Johns Cultural Council.

One of the best: St. Augustine hotel was named a 'Best Resort in Florida' by Travel + Leisure

Local history: Former St. Augustine Beach Hotel earns national historic status for role in civil rights

From the summer guide listing in Preservation magazine:

“Founded by the Spanish in 1565, St. Augustine is America’s oldest continuously occupied city. You’ll find dozens of historic sites just a short walk from luxurious accommodations, including the 1888 Casa Monica Resort and Spa and The Collector Luxury Inn and Gardens, a 1-acre oasis comprised of nine historic homes dating from 1790 to 1910. Stroll along the Matanzas River to visit the Castillo de San Marcos, the longest-standing masonry fort in the continental United States. Enjoy fine dining in award-winning restaurants and fine art in our galleries and museums, including The Lightner, which showcases decorative arts in a stunning gilded age hotel designed by architects Carrère and Hastings. Opportunities to experience performing arts — from opera to theater, chamber music to ballet — abound.”

The Cultural Council has partnered with Preservation magazine to distribute new cultural guides about St. Augustine throughout the United States.

“We started with the Northeast and Midwest, focusing on areas that have airports with direct flights to Jacksonville or St. Augustine,” Parrish Stone explained. “We chose Preservation because of our spectacular architecture and history; we knew the magazine’s readers would enjoy learning more about Florida's Historic Coast. In addition, we partnered with the National Trust to create the online guide to Florida's Historic Coast that maps and provides direct links to 10 important cultural assets in St. Johns County.”

Find the interactive guide here: bit.ly/3QBeHI3

St. Augustine praised for art, culture, historic sites

The magazine article mentions arts and cultural opportunities such as opera, music and ballet performances in St. Augustine in addition to the historic landmarks.

“One of the things that makes St. Augustine so special is that many of our beautifully preserved historic sites — like the Hotel Ponce de Leon/Flagler College, Lightner Museum/Alcazar Hotel, The Governor's House and The Water Works — are places where visitors and residents can experience performances, exhibits and other arts and cultural programming,” Parrish Stone said.

“Cultural travelers love to visit these places, so making them aware of everything we have in St. Augustine — certainly more per capita than any other place in America! — helps our tourism industry. But it's equally as important to make our residents and local and state government officials aware of the challenges of caring for historic sites and buildings, and to encourage investment in historic preservation. We need more grant funds available to support rehabilitation and preservation of historic buildings, so we can continue to enjoy them as residents and show them off to our visitors.”

The Water Works renovated by St. Augustine

Speaking of recognition, the city of St. Augustine was recently recognized at the State Historic Preservation Conference for its work restoring The Water Works, the Cultural Council's new home.

“The reviewers were especially complimentary about the fact that the building is being used for cultural programming,” Parrish Stone said.

Built in 1898, the former pumping station was converted to a community center in 1928, where it operated the Little Theatre of St. Augustine and the St. Augustine Garden Center. The building closed in 2005 due to safety concerns. The Water Works was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. It has been recently renovated by the City of St. Augustine.

“The Water Works is a very cool place to see a play, a concert or a film. We're excited about the programming we have coming up in the next few months, including partnerships with the Gamble Rogers Music Festival, St. Augustine Film Festival and A Classic Theatre.”

Find events at HistoricCoastCulture.com or by subscribing to the St. Johns Cultural Council newsletter by emailing sjcc@historiccoastculture.com.

This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: St. Augustine tops Preservation magazine's guide to historic downtowns