The Casa del Hidalgo is located at 35 Hypolita Street, at the southeast intersection of Hypolita and St. George Streets in downtown St. Augustine, Florida. It was constructed in 1965 and housed the Spanish government's official exhibition and cultural center.
The Government of Spain purchased the lot on St. George Street with the intent to reconstruct a 17th-century Spanish colonial structure to contribute to the Restoration Area, a historic preservation project being undertaken by the State of Florida in advance of the 400th anniversary of St. Augustine's founding. This lot was adjacent to the lot on which the Marin-Hassett House, which housed the Pan-American Center (sponsored by the Organization of American States), would be reconstructed, and directly adjacent to the plot of land that became the Hispanic Garden.
The structure that was located on the property prior to the construction of the Casa del Hidalgo was the Weinstein building. It was a three-story wooden structure that served as a grocery store, and was demolished in 1964 to make way for construction on the new building. [1]
The cornerstone of the Casa del Hidalgo was laid by Don Manuel Fraga, Spain's Minister of Information and Tourism, on October 19, 1964. The cornerstone was taken from the former home of Pedro Menendez, founder of St. Augustine, in Aviles, Spain. Prior to its arrival in St. Augustine, the stone had been displayed at the New York World's Fair in both the Spanish Pavilion and the Florida Pavilion. [2] The building was designed by Spanish architect Javier Barroso, and the construction work was completed by Butler Building and Contracting. [3] The two story, 10,000 square foot house was constructed of coquina. [4]
The Casa del Hidalgo cost $200,000 to build, and was dedicated in September 1965 by Lieutenant Colonel Camilo Alonso Vega, Spain's Minister of the Interior. Other dignitaries in attendance at the dedication included U.S. Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall, Florida Governor Haydon Burns, and Senator Spessard Holland. Local participants in the ceremony included Herbert E. Wolfe, Director of the National Quadricentennial Commission, Earle Newton, Executive Director of the St. Augustine Historical Restoration and Preservation Commission, St. Augustine Mayor John D. Bailey, and Archbishop Joseph Hurley, who blessed the building. [5]
Immediately after irs dedication, the Casa del Hidalgo was opened to the public. It was managed by Joaquin Pujol, the assistant director of the Spanish National Tourist Office. There was no admission charge, and the exhibition center was open seven days a week. It was housed with rotating exhibits provided by the Spanish government, with many of the artifacts on display coming from the 1964 World's Fair, including decorative arts and other Spanish crafts. [6] In addition to an exhibit space, the Casa del Hidalgo also housed a tourism office for those interested in visiting Spain. [7]
Today, the Casa del Hidalgo operates as multi-tenant retail and restaurant space. [8]
The Memorial Presbyterian Church is a historic church constructed in St. Augustine, Florida, in 1889 by American industrialist Henry Morrison Flagler. It is located at 32 Sevilla Street. It was dedicated to the memory of his daughter Jennie Louise Benedict, who died following complications from childbirth at sea in March 1889.
The Ribera House is located at 22 St. George Street in St. Augustine, Florida. It is a reconstruction of the home that originally stood on this site during the First Spanish Period (1565-1764) of St. Augustine.
The Triay House is a historic property located at 31 St. George Street in St. Augustine, Florida. It is a reconstruction of the First Spanish Period structure that stood on the site.
The Sánchez de Ortigosa House is located at 60 St. George Street, St. Augustine, Florida. It is a reconstruction of a home dating from the First Spanish Period (1565-1763) that stood on this site.
The Arrivas House is located at 46 St. George Street, St. Augustine, Florida. It was the first completed restoration project of the Historic St. Augustine Preservation Board (HSAPB), and was named after early owner Don Raimundo de Arrivas.
The Cerveau House is located at 26 Cuna Street in St. Augustine, Florida. It is an original house, constructed in the 19th century.
The Florida Heritage House is located at 1 Aviles Street, or 11 King Street, in St. Augustine, Florida. It is a reconstruction of a late Spanish colonial-style house built in the 19th century.
The Gómez House, located at 27 St. George Street in St. Augustine, Florida, is a reconstruction of a simple wooden house dating back to Florida’s First Spanish Period (1565-1763).
The De Mesa-Sánchez House is located at 23 St. George Street in St. Augustine, Florida. It is a restoration of a home dating back to East Florida's First Spanish Period.
The Luciano de Herrera House is located at 58 Charlotte Street in St. Augustine, Florida. It is a reconstruction, depicting a house from St. Augustine's Second Spanish Period (1784–1821).
The Ortega House is located at 70 St. George Street in St. Augustine, Florida. It is a reconstructed home representing the architectural style of the First Spanish Period (1565-1763) in Florida.
The Marin-Hassett House is located at 97 St. George Street in St. Augustine, Florida. It is reconstructed on its foundations that date to St. Augustine's First Spanish Period.
The Joaneda House is located at 57 Treasury Street in St. Augustine, Florida. It was restored to be an example of a Second Spanish Period (1784-1821) residence. It is one of the oldest buildings in Florida.
The Salcedo House and Kitchen are located at 42 and 42 1/2 St. George Street, in St. Augustine, Florida. They are reconstructions of 18th century structures that stood on these sites in St. Augustine's First Spanish Period (1565–1763).
The Pellicer-De Burgo House is located at 53 St. George Street in St. Augustine, Florida. It is a reconstruction of two connected houses built during the British Period (1763-1783) of East Florida.
Earle W. Newton, II (1917–2006) was a historian, preservationist, publisher, educator, and art benefactor.
The Hispanic Plaza is a garden in St. Augustine, Florida owned and maintained by the St. Augustine Foundation, Inc. It is closed to the public and is only opened for special city events.
Elizabeth Towers (1899–1985) was an American philanthropist and socialite known for her dedication to historic preservation in northeast Florida.
The Paredes-Dodge House is located at 54 St. George Street in St. Augustine, Florida. The one and a half story structure was built between 1803 and 1813, and is one of the only surviving colonial structures in St. Augustine.
The Segui-Kirby Smith House is a historic house at 12 Aviles Street in St. Augustine, Florida. Built in the late 1770s, it was the childhood home of Confederate States Army General Edmund Kirby Smith (1824–1893), the commanding general of the Trans-Mississippi Department from 1863 to 1865 and the chancellor of the University of Nashville from 1870 to 1875. It is owned and operated by the St. Augustine Historical Society and is home to the St. Augustine Historical Society Research Library.
