Five Historic St. Augustine Homes With Remarkable Stories
A vintage postcard of the Peña-Peck House on St. George Street. Image courtesy of the Peña-Peck House website.
St. Augustine has never been great at keeping its eras separate. A colonial street can lead to a Victorian porch. A centuries-old coquina wall can sit beside architecture from a completely different century. The city is a blend of old, new, and unexpected buildings from many periods sharing the same few blocks.
Historic St. Augustine homes are where that mix becomes impossible to ignore. Spanish Colonial residences, Greek Revival estates, and Victorian homes all found a permanent place despite changes in government. These houses belonged to merchants, physicians, politicians, and families whose lives intersected with some of the city’s biggest developments.
Peña-Peck House
The easiest way to find Treasury Street is by going to The Peña-Peck House on St. George Street. Photo courtesy of the Woman’s Exchange of St. Augustine.
At 143 St. George Street, the Peña-Peck House has spent nearly three centuries at the center of St. Augustine’s history. The white home was constructed around 1750 as the residence of Juan Esteban de Peña, Spain’s Royal Treasurer, during the reign of King Ferdinand VI.
The front door welcomed a new owner after Spain ceded Florida to Great Britain in 1763. Patrick Tonyn, the last British governor of East Florida, made the house his official residence and continued conducting government business there until 1785. The house is recognized as the last official seat of the British government in what is now the United States, giving it a unique connection to Florida’s colonial past.
The property changed hands again in 1837 when Dr. Seth Peck purchased it. He added the wooden second story, operated his medical office from the first floor, and raised his family there for decades. Nearly a century later, his granddaughter Anna Gardner Burt honored the family’s legacy by leaving the property to the City of St. Augustine. Since 1932, the Woman’s Exchange of St. Augustine has cared for the house while maintaining the Peck family’s furniture, artwork, and antiques. Unlike many historic house museums, the Peña-Peck House has preserved the feel of a family residence.
Markland House
Henry Flagler built grand hotels that redefined St. Augustine, yet one of the places he returned to again and again wasn’t a resort at all. It was Markland, the Greek Revival-style home of his close friend Dr. Andrew Anderson on 102 King Street.
Dr. Anderson earned his reputation as a respected physician, but medicine was only one of his many interests. He served on the St. Augustine City Council, supported local preservation efforts, and became known for his fascination with horticulture. The house was known for lively conversations, carefully planned gardens, and a host whose curiosity reached into nearly every corner of community life.
That passion also extended outside the home itself. Dr. Anderson transformed the property into a showcase for horticulture, cultivating ornamental gardens alongside one of the area’s best-known orange groves. While the landscape has evolved over time, Markland is still closely associated with Anderson’s lifelong fascination with plants.
Markland has worn many hats since the Anderson family lived there, serving as a private residence, hotel, and museum before becoming part of Flagler College. While the house is closed for public tours, the college uses it for weddings, receptions, meetings, and other special events. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 6, 1978, joining other nationally recognized St. Augustine landmarks such as the Castillo de San Marcos and the Ponce de Leon Hotel on the list.
González-Alvarez House
The González-Alvarez House, better known as The Oldest House, earned that title for good reason. While the residence dates to the early 1700s, archaeologists discovered it wasn’t the first home built on the property. Earlier wooden structures stood here decades before the current house, until the 1702 English siege of St. Augustine destroyed much of the city. What visitors see now is the result of rebuilding after that attack, giving the property an even longer residential history than many realize.
The original one-story residence grew during the British period with the addition of a wooden second floor and glass windows, features that reflected English building styles at the time. After Spain regained Florida in 1784, later owners continued expanding the property rather than tearing it down.
The name González-Alvarez has its own origin. Tomás González y Hernández, a Spanish artilleryman stationed at the Castillo de San Marcos, owned the property during Florida’s First Spanish Period. Then Gerónimo Alvarez obtained the home, adding on to the residence for his family, and their combined surnames became the name by which the property is known today. The house’s other nickname, “The Oldest House,” didn’t appear until the late 1800s, when owner Dr. Charles P. Carver began promoting the property to curious visitors.
Llambias House
When English forces set fire to St. Augustine during the 1702 siege, much of the city was destroyed. The Llambias House at 31 St. Francis Street survived the devastation, making it one of the city’s oldest surviving dwellings from the First Spanish Period.
Its survival wasn’t simply a matter of luck. Builders relied on coquina, a local shellstone known for its durability, and designed the property around Florida’s climate. A detached kitchen lowered the risk of fire reaching the main house, while the courtyard brought light and airflow into the living spaces.
The house takes its name from José Llambias, a Minorcan merchant who purchased the property in the 19th century. His family contributed to the thriving Minorcan community that influenced St. Augustine’s businesses, traditions, and culture. Although the Llambias family didn’t build the home, their long association with the property gave it the name visitors recognize today. Over the years, the property became a boarding house, later an antique shop, and eventually a historic site.
The City of St. Augustine acquired the Llambias House in 1916 before restoring the property and opening it as a museum. Rather than being remembered for a single famous owner, the house embodies more than 300 years of change along St. Francis Street.
The Kenwood Inn
Inside The Kenwood Inn, 14 unique guest rooms and suites pair antique-inspired décor with updated amenities.
Built in 1865, The Kenwood Inn occupies 38 Marine Street in St. Augustine’s historic district. The residence began welcoming overnight guests in 1886, beginning a hospitality tradition that continues today.
Its Queen Anne architecture gave the house a very different appearance than many of the Spanish Colonial homes already lining St. Augustine’s streets. Decorative woodwork, wraparound porches, tall windows, and high ceilings showcase a later period in the city’s architectural history.
Unlike many historic homes that eventually became museums or private event spaces, The Kenwood Inn continues welcoming overnight guests today. More than a century after its first guests arrived, people still spend the night beneath the same roof, surrounded by original architectural details and antique furnishings collected over the years.
Historic St. Augustine Homes Around the City
Every house has a date on a plaque and a list of former owners. For historic St. Augustine homes, that is a surprisingly short introduction. A small marker might tell visitors when a residence was built and who once lived there, but it rarely captures the moments that happened inside.
St. Augustine’s oldest residences are not all grand estates or carefully preserved showpieces. Some complement the streetscape, looking almost ordinary until you learn the names, events, and quirks attached to them. Yet the one thing they all have in common is being proof that some of St. Augustine’s biggest surprises come with a mailbox instead of a monument.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you go inside historic St. Augustine homes?
Many historic St. Augustine homes welcome visitors, but access depends on the property. Museums like the Peña-Peck House, the González-Alvarez House, and the Llambias House offer guided tours or self-guided experiences. Others, such as Markland, are generally closed to the public except during special events or private rentals, while The Kenwood Inn welcomes overnight guests.
Which architectural styles can you see throughout the Historic District?
The city’s preserved homes showcase a wide range of architectural styles, including Spanish Colonial, Greek Revival, Victorian, and Queen Anne. Walking through the Historic District reveals how residential architecture changed across more than four centuries, with each era leaving its own influence.
Why are so many historic St. Augustine homes built with coquina?
Coquina, a natural stone made from compressed shells, became one of St. Augustine’s signature building materials because it was readily available nearby on Anastasia Island. Its durability and unique appearance made it a practical choice for homes, churches, and public buildings throughout the city’s early history.
How far apart are the homes featured in this article?
Most of the featured homes are located within St. Augustine’s Historic District and are less than a mile apart. Many are connected by a short walk, making it possible to visit several in a single afternoon while enjoying museums, local shops, restaurants, and other nearby landmarks.
Which historic homes are free to visit?
Most preserved homes charge a small admission fee or require a guided tour, although some offer free access during special events such as St. Augustine’s annual Historic Homes Tour or community open house programs. Exterior views of many properties are always free to enjoy while exploring the Historic District.
What other historic homes are there in St. Augustine?
Many. The Ximenez-Fatio House Museum, Seguí-Kirby Smith House, and De Mesa-Sánchez House are just a few additional examples. A drive through neighborhoods like Lincolnville and the historic district also reveals countless older homes that have simply remained private residences.
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And experts say that’s what to expect going forward, too. As Selma Hepp, Chief Economist at Cotality,
That’s helpful no matter which side you’re on. When the number of homes for sale isn’t changing much, you know what you’re walking into – how many options you’ll have as a buyer, and how much competition you’ll face as a seller.
Yes, there was one brief spike above that threshold, but overall,