Re-creating the past

The University of Florida has taken over management of 31 properties in old St. Augustine, but whether they can be called historic is a matter of interpretation.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published July 23, 2007

ST. AUGUSTINE - The gray masonry Government House in a plaza here survived as the home and headquarters for Spanish and British rule for more than 200 years. It was reconstructed from ruins several times during the colonial era, once after being burned and reduced to rubble by the British.

But now the two-story structure faces its toughest and most expensive challenge yet - the destructive powers of aging.

It is not alone. It is among 31 historic buildings that have become too costly for the local government to maintain and repair, so the University of Florida has taken over their management in the oldest continuously occupied city in the United States.

Some structures date to the 18th century, but about two-thirds are restorations built as late as the 1970s, mainly on the original foundations.

For the past decade, the city has been leasing the buildings for $1 a year from the state, but the $1.5-million in rent from the shops and restaurants that occupy them is not enough to provide for upkeep. The city has been providing about $200,000 a year for maintenance.

Crumbling history is a problem for a city whose main draw for tourists is its colonial allure.

St. Augustine was founded in 1565, 42 years before the English colonized Jamestown and 55 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. It is known for its imposing 17th century Spanish fort, the Castillo de San Marco, and all manner of tourist attractions from souvenir shops in historic buildings to ghost tours to the supposed Fountain of Youth.

William Adams, the city's director of heritage tourism, said St. Augustine is a treasure trove with its history of Spanish, British and American roots.

"St. Augustine today contains the largest concentration of historic resources in the United States that testify to the presence of Spain and Spanish-speaking people in this country," Adams said.

But those resources are expensive.

A task force determined the 31 structures need about $7-million in deferred maintenance and repairs, including a $4-million upgrade needed at Government House from salt intrusion.

The University of Florida took over the properties July 1, and its architects and engineers have dug through archives stored at Government House and hauled off stacks of documents to study in Gainesville, Adams said.

"At this point, they are assessing the buildings, what condition they are in, the repairs and the money that is going to be needed to bring them up to an acceptable standard of use," Adams said.

One of the issues facing the university is that the Legislature did not provide any funding for maintenance when it transferred the buildings.

State Rep. William Proctor, a St. Augustine Republican who pushed for the bill, said once university officials come up with a dollar figure, he will ask for money from the Legislature.

"I think this is going to be a good thing for the city, the state and the nation. These buildings are a national treasure," said Proctor. "I don't think any historian wouldn't say the same thing."

Adams and Roy Graham, director of the university's College of Design, Construction and Planning, believe school is the logical manager for the properties.

Some university classes have been taught in the city for years, and UF archaeologist Kathleen Deagan has unearthed buried secrets under centuries of dirt and muck, including the location of Fort Mose. It was established by escaped African-born slaves who fled British plantations in the Carolinas to seek freedom in Spanish Florida.

"I think it's an incredible opportunity for the whole university," said Graham, who was the resident architect at colonial Williamsburg in Virginia before coming to Florida.

"All of the programs which are part of the university's structure will be enhanced by having a presence in St. Augustine. St. Augustine will provide a laboratory for the university," said Adams, a former Florida State University history professor.

Many of the buildings were rebuilt in the 1960s and 1970s on 18th century foundations.

David Nolan, an author and historian in St. Augustine, says some of the properties aren't truly historic "because I watched so many of them being built."

"Only a handful are truly old. What they really represent are a period piece of what is now a discredited approach to historic preservation - tearing down old buildings to build fake new ones."

Adams defends the reconstructions: "What the buildings do is provide the visiting public with a visual presentation of what St. Augustine looked like during the colonial period."

The owners of two businesses located in the buildings said they had no problem with the change.

"Actually, it doesn't make any difference," said Gary Smock, who along with his wife owns Knock on Wood, a wood products shop, in a building from 1910 on Cuna Street. "They are old buildings, and they take a lot of maintenance."

"I'll be interested to see how UF changes it," said Michael Misiaszek, manager of the Cuna Street Toy Shop, which is in a building constructed in 1880. "We could use a paint job and some minor maintenance."

Graham said he doesn't think the management changes will affect the businesses, including restaurants, gift shops and art galleries.

"No one is going to interrupt the income-producing properties. We need all the money we can get," Graham said.

[Last modified July 22, 2007, 22:36:21]