It was built as a luxury hotel, (The Hotel Ponce De Leon), in 1887 and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
This is the main building, Ponce De Leon Hall, (Note the shadow of one of the huge palm trees here).
Our tour began in the main building, entering the Rotunda. The intricate details of this entire property is truly amazing. For instance the gold paint in the murals is actually 14K gold.
The Tiffany Stained Glass windows nestled among mosaics and Terracotta figures were so very pretty. We weren't allowed to go to the upper floors so my pictures were a bit dark with the sun shining through the windows.
Italian artist Virgilio Tojetti prepared the ceiling murals in the Grand Parlor. They are spectacular, my pictures do not do them justice.
The Dining Hall is another large room with stained glass windows and murals on the ceiling.
This hotel, now college, is rich with history and is a very interesting place to see.
It was the nation’s first major poured-in-place concrete structure and, thanks to the Edison Electric Company, was one of the first buildings in the nation to have electricity.
The hotel's guest would stay, a required, 3 months at a time.
It has hosted it's share of the rich and famous, from Teddy Roosevelt to Mark Twain and baseball legend Babe Ruth. The hotel was one of the few of Henry Flagler's hotels that were not casualties of the Great Depression.
If you are in or near St. Augustine, I Highly recommend taking this tour. (Though it is only available for tours in the summer months).
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Great shots! I can only imagine the beauty of the murals and everything if I was there in person. You did fine with what light you had.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the quick tour and history lesson.
I screwed up the first link I used on Hey Harriet today. I reposted the correct link. Have a look if you care to.
Peace
Oh the history here...I adore St Augustine the odest city in the nation. We go there often!
ReplyDeleteHuge palm tree, gigantic shadow--wondrous!
ReplyDeleteSHADOW, SHADOW
Shadow, shadow drawing near,
You are all alone, I fear;
Let me be your new-found friend—
I’ll stick with you to the end!
© 2011 by Magical Mystical Teacher
River Shadows
Beautiful building. The dining hall is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteSeveral folks used photos from the past this week. I always find them fascinating. This looks like a beautiful place.
ReplyDeleteI remember college buildings in the usual way, concrete block and brick. Functional, but not at all rich in architectural delights. Flagler, on the other hand, is rich in style and substance. Built in a different era, its opulence actually adds a look of the rich past, so we can compare styling of the eras. Stunning in look, great in shadow!
ReplyDeletenice shots :)
ReplyDeletemany fabulous shots here. great shadow shots.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful place! Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteSuperior post!! Stunning photos and I learned something once again...about the 1st ever 'poured concrete'. You amaze me with your knowledge.
ReplyDeleteThanks for popping by yesterday for my Shadow Shot. Today's post is:
Macro Halloween Candle Holder...Eerie!!
HAVE A TERRORIFIC WEEK!!
What a beautiful building - thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHave a good week!
Wow this is huge and beautiful!
ReplyDeleteChinese Lantern