TRANSFER OF FLORIDA TO THE UNITED STATES--AMERICAN OCCUPATION--ANCIENT
BUILDINGS, ETC.
On the 10th day of July, in the year 1821, the standard of Spain, which
had been raised two hundred and fifty-six years before over St.
Augustine, was finally lowered forever from the walls over which it had
so long fluttered, and the stars and stripes of the youngest of nations
rose where, sooner or later, the hand of destiny would assuredly have
placed them.
It was intended that the change of flags should have taken place on the
4th of July; owing to a detention, this was frustrated; but the
inhabitants celebrated the 4th with a handsome public ball at the
governor's house.
The Spanish garrison, and officers connected with it, returned to Cuba,
and some of the Spanish families; but the larger portion of the
inhabitants remained. A considerable influx of inhabitants from the
adjoining States took place, and the town speedily assumed a somewhat
American character. The proportion of American population since the
change of flags, has been about one-third. Most of the native
inhabitants converse with equal fluency in either language.
In the year 1823 the legislative council of Florida held its second
session in the government house at St. Augustine. Governor W.P. Duval
was the first governor after the organization of the territory. The
Ralph Ringwood Sketches of Irving have given a wide celebrity to the
character of our worthy and original first governor, now recently
deceased.
During the month of February, 1835, East Florida was visited by a frost
much more severe than any before experienced. A severe northwest wind
blew ten days in succession, but more violently for about three days.
During this period, the mercury sunk to seven degrees above zero. The
St. Johns river was frozen several rods from the shore. All kinds of
fruit trees were killed to the ground; many of them never started
again, even from the roots. The wild groves suffered equally with those
cultivated. The orange had become the staple of Florida commerce;
several millions were exported from the St. Johns and St. Augustine
during the two previous years. Numerous groves had just been planted
out, and extensive nurseries could hardly supply the demand for young
trees. Some of the groves had, during the previous autumn, brought to
their owners, one, two, and three thousand dollars; and the increasing
demand for this fruit, opened in prospect mines of wealth to the
inhabitants.
"Then came a frost, a withering frost."
Some of the orange groves in East Florida were estimated at from five to
ten thousand dollars, and even more. They were at once rendered
valueless. The larger part of the population at St. Augustine had been
accustomed to depend on the produce of their little groves of eight or
ten trees, to purchase their coffee, sugar, and other necessaries from
the stores; they were left without resource.
"The town of St. Augustine, that heretofore appeared like a rustic
village, their white houses peeping from among the clustered boughs and
golden fruit of their favorite tree, beneath whose shade the foreign
invalid cooled his fevered limbs, and imbibed health from the fragrant
air,--how was she fallen! Dry, unsightly poles, with ragged bark, stick
up around her dwellings; and where the mocking-bird once delighted to
build her nest, and tune her lovely songs, owls hoot at night, and
sterile winds whistle through the leafless branches. Never was a place
rendered more desolate."[41]
The groves were at once replanted, and soon bid fair to yield most
abundantly; when, in 1842, an insect was introduced into the country,
called the _orange coccus_, which spread over the whole country with
wonderful rapidity, and almost totally destroyed every tree it fastened
upon. Of late, the ravages of this insect seem less destructive, and the
groves have begun to resume their bearing; these add to the beauty of
the residences at St. Augustine with their glossy, deep-green leaves,
and golden fruit; and hopes of an entire restoration are now confidently
entertained.
In December, 1835, the war with the Seminole Indians broke out; and for
some years St. Augustine was full of the pomp and circumstance of war.
It was dangerous to venture beyond the gates; and many sad scenes of
Indian massacre took place in the neighborhood of the city. During this
period, great apparent prosperity prevailed; property was valuable,
rents were high; speculators projected one city on the north of the
town, and another on the west; a canal to the St. Johns, and also a
railroad to Picolata; and great hopes of future prosperity were
entertained. With the cessation of the war, the importance of St.
Augustine diminished; younger communities took the lead of it, aided by
superior advantages of location, and greater enterprise, and St.
Augustine has subsided into the pleasant, quiet, _dolce far niente_ of
to-day, living upon, its old memories, contented, peaceful, and
agreeable, and likely to remain without much change for the future.
Of the public buildings, it may be remarked that the extensive British
barracks were destroyed by fire in 1792; and that the Franciscan Convent
was occupied as it had been before, as barracks for the troops not in
garrison in the fort. The appearance of these buildings has been much
changed by the extensive repairs and alterations made by the United
States government. It had formerly a large circular look-out upon the
top, from which a beautiful view of the surrounding country was
obtained. Its walls are probably the oldest foundations in the city.
The present United States Court-house, now occupied by many public
offices, was the residence of the Spanish governors. It has been rebuilt
by the United States; and its former quaint and interesting appearance
has been lost, in removing its look-out tower, and balconies, and the
handsome gateway, mentioned by De Brahm, which is said to have been a
fine specimen of Doric architecture.[42]
Trinity Episcopal Church was commenced in 1827, and consecrated in 1833,
by Bishop Bowen, of South Carolina. The Presbyterian Church was built
about 1830, and the Methodist chapel about 1846.
The venerable-looking building on the bay, at the corner of Green lane
and Bay street, is considered the oldest building in the place, and has
evidently been a fine building in its day. It was the residence of the
attorney-general, in English times.
The monument on the public square was erected in 1812-13, upon the
information of the adoption of the Spanish constitution, as a memorial
of that event, in pursuance of a royal order to that effect, directed to
the public authorities of all the provincial towns. Geronimo Alvarez
was the Alcalde under whose direction it was erected. The plan of it was
made by Sr. Hernandez, the father of the late General Hernandez. A short
time after it was put up, the Spanish constitution having had a
downfall, orders were issued by the government that all the monuments
erected to the constitution throughout its dominions, should be
demolished. The citizens of St. Augustine were unwilling to see their
monument torn down; and with the passive acquiescence of the governor,
the marble tablets inscribed PLAZA DE LA CONSTITUCION being removed, the
monument itself was allowed to stand; and thus it remains to this day,
the only monument in existence to commemorate the farce of the
constitution of 1812. In 1818, the tablets were restored without
objection.
The bridge and causeway are the work of the government of the United
States. The present sea-wall was built between 1835 and 1842, by the
United States, at an expense of one hundred thousand dollars.