Published by the Department of Public Affairs, City of St. Augustine. Florida November 2 2010
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Spanish Quarter on recruiting drive
The recruiting drive is on, and the Colonial Spanish Quarter wants you!!
The 1740s living history museum drive attracted some 50 potential volunteers to the Taberna last week as the city Heritage Department continued plans to strengthen its program.
Lead Museum Tech Greg Sikes outlined more than a dozen areas of opportunity, from carpenters and seamstresses to docents - the folks who interpret life in the1740s garrison community.
How about learning to knit the colonial way - using very tight and small gauge yarn for socks, using four knitting needles at a time?
There are behind-the-scenes opportunities, too, Heritage Operations Manager Catherine Culver says, for construction skills using contemporary tools.
Sign up today, or get more information, at 904-825-6830. |
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Lincolnville Festival 2010
The 30th annual Lincolnville Heritage Festival rolls out at Francis Field next weekend, offering an abundance of soul food and solid vibes.
Sponsoring American Legion Post 194 and Fort Mose Historical Society have assembled some premier artists for the Friday - Sunday festival, including Kool & The Gang, Boyz II Men, Willie Green, and the Jazz Ambassadors of the US Army Field Band.
Look for soul food, BBQ, craft vendors, a Kids Zone, and more.
Proceeds go to benefit the Kids Safe Zone program of American Legion Post 194.
Details here. |
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Some sugar after campaigns |
We could use a little sweetening after this acrid political campaign season, and Dr. Lucy Wayne, author of Sweet Cane: the Architecture of the Sugar Works of East Florida, will offer it up tonight in a talk at 7 in Flagler College's Flagler Room.
There were eight sugar works sites in Volusia and Flagler Counties, built between the second half of the 18th century and 1835, and destroyed during the Second Seminole War of 1835-1842. Most were never rebuilt and the sugar industry moved to other areas in Florida.
Dr. Wayne, SouthArc vice president, will provide a history of the industry, the impact of technological changes on the sugar works, and a history and description of each of the eight sites. |
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Prepare for some 400-year-old delicacies Saturday as the living history group, Los Compaņeros de la Cocina (The Companions of the Kitchen) present their second heritage food event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Colonial Spanish Quarter Museum.
The free event (food samples available for purchase) presents the 16th century blending of European, African, and Native American foodways and the birth of the first uniquely American cuisine.
The group's goal is to assist in authentic and historically accurate reproduction of our region's early cuisine and culinary customs - within the bounds of modern hygiene and safety standards. Information here or call 1.877.352.4478. |
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The UF Strategic Plan
Preservation Institute for St. Augustine? | |
One in a series of summaries from the University of Florida's St. Augustine Historic Area Strategic Plan for management of 34 state-owned properties here. The plan was developed in cooperation with federal, state, and local officials.
"The College of Design, Construction and Planning has a 40-year history running the Preservation Institute: Nantucket (PI: N) as an off campus field school where graduate students learn documentation, research and hands-on conservation and restoration techniques on the historic island of Massachusetts," the UF plan notes.
"This program, which includes students from around the nation and international scholars, could be used as a model for creating a similar program in St. Augustine.
 "The PI: N is a stand-alone self-funded program that is not dependent on the university's budget. Such a field school in St. Augustine would utilize UF faculty along with visiting lectures. There are additional opportunities for the Preservation Institute: St. Augustine (PI: SA) to operate, offering year round programs to more students and adding additional coursework in traditional crafts, preservation techniques, museum conservation, public archaeology, as well as historic preservation."
In Nantucket, "Projects for the students are identified by various historic organizations and the town government, and there are joint lectures, exhibitions and other citizens' activities co-sponsored in the facilities that the UF owns on the island.
"Space needs for expanded academic programs, including laboratories, housing accommodations, libraries, studios and classrooms with state-of-the art wireless and instructional technology could be accommodated in some of the state-owned historic buildings or the new proposed interpretive center.
"Separate storage space for research, materials, and artifacts would also be required, but such space may provide an opportunity for a public library or exhibit hall. Currently, the UF main campus provides storage and curatorial care space for more than two million St. Augustine artifacts. The facilities and expenses associated with this artifact curation are borne by UF's Florida Museum of Natural History."
The plan concludes, "The strategies outlined in this Plan will enable expansion of these and other UF research, teaching, and service activities. Such partnerships would greatly enhance the historic preservation of the state-owned buildings in St. Augustine and benefit the citizens as well." |
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Opportunity to peddle through history |
St. Augustine is both the first city and the starting and ending point of Bike Florida's special seven-day/six-night luxury tour through history along the River-to--Sea Loop Trail November 6-12.
The 260-mile adventure includes a ferry crossing, travel by houseboat down the St. Johns River, visits to country museums that showcase pioneer life, swimming in Florida's famous springs, beach walks, and visits to historic districts.
Details here or call 352.224.8602. Bike Florida Inc. is a non-profit organization devoted to promoting safe and enjoyable biking throughout the Sunshine State. |
History's Highlight
1770s St Augustine - A French Report
One in a series of historic features for our 450th, researched by George Gardner
4 years, 10 months, 7 days to St. Augustine's 450th anniversary
From an account byLee Kennett, Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Georgia
This unsigned, undated report is most probably the work of a French officer who arrived in Charleston late in 1777 and was captured by the British and held prisoner at St. Augustine during the American Revolution.
St. Augustine is situated on very poor soil, a loose white sand which produces no crops, having for fruit trees only oranges and a few peaches; however, for a part of the year European vegetables do fairly well.
St. Augustine is half deserted, mostly inhabited by some five hundred Menorcans, sent over at the peace of 1763, who are steadily succumbing to misery.
 The fort which defends the entrance to its port is fairly good, a square built of masonry with a moat filled with water and a sheltered access also of masonry. It has fifty pieces of heavy cannon.
The entrance to the port is very difficult for any vessel because of a very dangerous bar. Its channel is sometimes no more than five or six feet deep. In a few years this port will be absolutely useless to its owners through impossibility of access.
Nevertheless, in present circumstances it is very useful to the English; otherwise they would be unable to maintain ships before the ports of Georgia and Carolina for lack of water and supplies.
The English have at present a garrison of a thousand regular troops in the fort and town of St. Augustine. In addition, there are in the province about 900 men, militia, Indians and light mounted troops.
The Indians of Florida are few in number; at the most there are some 400 in this region capable of bearing arms. At the present time the English are humoring them and lavishing attention on them. From time to time they make joint forays into Georgia, principally in the hopes of procuring cattle.
The English frigates and corsairs stationed at the port of Charleston have taken seventeen French ships from last November up until March, and some four hundred sailors from these ships have been taken to St. Augustine.
Since the prisoners have become more numerous the English have found it better to give them their liberty, but to provide them with neither shelter nor food, so in a region such as that, where there is not the least resource, they have been in a pitiable state.
Fortunately the governor, desiring to conserve the little food there is in the colony, has decided to send them to the French islands in a brigantine prepared for this purpose and in three smaller craft which the French ship captains obtained permission to purchase with their own money. |
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The St. Augustine Report is published by the Department of Public Affairs of the City of St. Augustine each Tuesday and on Fridays previewing City Commission meetings. The Report is written and distributed by George Gardner, former St. Augustine Mayor (2002-2006) and Commissioner (2006-2008) and a longtime newspaper reporter and editor. Contact The Report at gardner@aug.com |
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