Sightseeing in St. Augustine

Henry Flagler built this beautiful, Spanish style building as a luxury hotel in 1885. Flagler had become a successful businessman, making money in the grain business he started in Ohio. Later he became a partner with John D. Rockefeller and together they formed the Standard Oil Company. He became unbelievably wealthy.

On his honeymoon in 1884, he came to St. Augustine where he saw the business potential in the area. When the hotel was under construction in 1885, he bought the Florida East Coast railroad, and then extended it from Jacksonville to St. Augustine. Eventually he extended it all the way to Key west. The hotel finally closed in 1967. However, Flagler heirs donated the building and $20,000,000 to form the college.

I went on a tour of the building, and saw some beautiful architecture. All of the walls are rich, dark paneling. All of the hotel windows are made Tiffany, very famous for his glass designs for windows and popular glass shaded lamps. The windows in the schools cafeteria are insured for $33,000,000, and have bulletproof, hurricane-proof outer glass protecting them. This is one of the panels from those windows in the student cafeteria.

The hotel was the first to be built with electricity, and Thomas Edison, a friend of Flagler’s, designed the system. People were so afraid of the new technology, the hotel furnished staff people to go to rooms to operate the light switches.

I've taken over 200 pictures, and I hope to add a story to the website in a few days. So far, I haven't been able to take the time to work on the pictures. I thought it was going to rain today, but the sun came out. It's back to sightseeing.

I will be posting pictures from this trip at www.mitchellwebs.com/staugustine.htm.