Things to do / Travel Guide
There are two main draws to northeast Florida and the Panhandle for architecture buffs: The 19th-century Southern and Victorian architecture, and the significantly older, Spanish-style architecture mostly in St. Augustine.
Southern and Victorian Architecture
Fernandina Beach, St. Augustine, Pensacola, Daytona, Micanopy, Destin, and many other former resort towns founded in the 19th century have been revitalized, as people realize that northeastern Florida and the Panhandle are excellent historic and/or tourist destinations in their own right. As a result, many of these towns have re-energized their historic districts, meaning that there's now the chance to explore the wondrous 19th century Victorian architecture so much in abundance. Since many buildings were at their high points resort destinations, their architecture is purposefully flamboyant, with fun colors and visual effects.
For a flagship example of this type of architecture you can go to Fernandina Beach, the city on Amelia Island. The city boasts 50 blocks of classic High-Victorian, Greek Revival, Frame-Vernacular, and Italianate architecture. So that when you know what you're seeing when you go, this is just a short description of these styles and where you can find them:
- High-Victorian style was prevalent in the late 18th century, at a time when many of the regional and epochal styles were converging into a mélange of eclecticism. For examples of this ornate style on the island find Tabby House and Bailey House, both located on 7th Street.
- Greek Revival architecture came at a time in U.S. history, the early 19th century, when Americans liked to compare themselves to the Greeks, the originators of democracy. Buildings in this style feature tall Ionic and Doric columns and enormous and imposing windows and doors, and are usually white in color like marble. Seek out Simmons House on 10th Street for an example.
Frame-Vernacular was and is a very popular style in Florida and the South, and it refers to a simple wood-frame house built according to the builders needs at the time and the resources at his disposal. Houses in this style are most prevalent on Fernandina Beach.
Finally, Italianate architecture dates to 19th century England, when designers put an emphasis on picturesque Renaissance scenery. The style is more Mediterranean, almost like your in Venice. For a good example check out Fairbanks House on 7th Street.
Fernandina Beach is an excellent place to wander around, as this area of the city hasn't changed since the last buildings were built in the early 20th century. Many of the houses that make the island city so charming, such as the Bailey House and the Fairbanks House, are now converted bed and breakfasts.
In St. Augustine, be sure not to miss the famous Hotel Ponce de León, built by railway magnate Henry Flagler in 1887. The building itself is an exemplary of the Spanish Revival Style, and none other than Louis C. Tiffany, of light fixture fame, was engaged to design the interiors. The materials Tiffany used in this masterpiece were stained glass, mosaics, and terra cotta relief. For a while “the Ponce” was the most famous winter resort hotel on the East Coast, and it greatly influenced southern-Florida's architecture for the next 50 years. It no longer serves as a hotel, but you can experience its magnificence in tours provided by the current owner, Flagler College.
Tallahassee Architecture
Tallahassee, the capital of Florida since its pre-state days, is home to two historic district zones - the Calhoun Street Historic District and the Park Avenue Historic District. In these districts you can view and tour many beautiful and gigantic buildings built in the Greek Revival, Early Republic, Colonial Revival styles. For example, the First Presbyterian Church, at 102 North Adams Street, was built in the 1830s in the Greek Revival and Gothic styles. The old Florida State Capitol, built around 1840, is a landmark built in the Classical Revival style. It was used by the legislature when Florida became a state. There is an old residential neighborhood on Calhoun Street. The street has the nickname, you'll be interested to know, of “gold dust street,” owing to the fabulous buildings to be found there.
Spanish-Era Architecture
The city of St. Augustine is the oldest European settlement in the U.S. It has lots to show for it, with many buildings built in the old Spanish style. The feel you get walking around in its Old City is distinctly Mediterranean, like a 16th- and 17th-century Spanish fortified town on the Mediterranean Coast. However, the buildings that you will see are mostly from the 18th century, as unfortunately, most of the original buildings no longer exist. Many of the buildings were built by a material called coquina, which is stone made from compressed shells. It was the building material of choice for the early settlers.
The best architecture is in the St. Augustine Town Plan Historic District, where you can tour the Plaza de la Constitución on King Street. The highest concentration of Spanish-era architecture is on St. George Street. On the street's southern end is the mission-style Cathedral of St. Augustine. It was built in 1797 and restored after a fire in 1887, so the inside is a curious mix of the original Spanish motifs and Victorian embellishments.
Pensacola also has a good deal of Spanish-era architecture. Its history is different from that of St. Augustine's, as it wasn't truly settled until 1698. Moreover, Pensacola has, since its humble beginnings, become a huge city with a greater metropolitan population of nearly half-a-million, whereas St. Augustine has remained a small city, economically reliant for the most part on tourism. This means that Pensacola's Spanish roots have had greater chance to flourish and become influential in the area's architecture as a whole. You can find many of the Spanish-era buildings in the Seville Square Historic District. The District houses the Historic Pensacola Village, a living museum.
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