2023.5.30 / A Birthday Celebration (Part 2)
As mentioned in Part 1, our friend James arranged a tour of Flagler College for us as part of my birthday celebration. St. Augustine is full of beautiful architecture, history, and glamour of an age long gone. And the Flagler College is no exception!
Originally the Ponce de Leon Hotel, built in 1888 by millionaire Henry Flagler, it was a hotel until 1967 when it permanently closed. There was a period during WWII – 1942 – 1945 – when it was taken over by the Federal Government and it was the US Coast Guard training center; after the war it was returned, but the boom of guests visiting was no longer there, eventually causing its closure. In 1968 it became Flagler College.
Designed in the Spanish Renaissance style, it boasted 540 guest rooms (that now house college students). The grand lobby is magnificent with its 68 foot domed ceiling. Everything is gilded; if it looks like gold, it is gold! The ‘Ponce’ also has 79 Tiffany Glass windows. The details everywhere are amazing, especially when you remember everything was made by artists and craftsmen not machines. Painted murals on the walls and ceilings, ornate columns and ceiling moldings grace the rooms.
The courtyard with its beautiful fountain, covered walkways, and lush greenery offers a peaceful place to take in all the splendor and glamor. I can imagine women in beautiful gowns gossiping while sipping flutes of champagne in the garden, the captains of industry smoking cigars and conducting business deals while strolling the gardens, and the clandestine meetings of lovers.
There is a rumor that there is a secret tunnel going from the Ponce to the Alcazar (currently the Lightner Museum) where men would sneak off unseen, to meet their mistresses.
The door to the rumored secret tunnel.
As previously said, one can only imagine the lifestyle, guests and soirees in that Gilded Age…if the walls could only talk.
The Ponce was not the only hotel in St. Augustine built by Henry Flagler. He built the Alcazar to handle the abundance of guests coming to St. Augustine, and he also purchased the Casa Monica; after some renovations he reopened it as the Cordova.
A business magnate, Henry Flagler was a huge part in the development of Florida, building hotels from St. Augustine to the Keys and the Florida East Coast Railway to help get them and needed supplies there. He was certainly a visionary, leaving a legacy of beautiful architecture and history for Floridians and visitors to enjoy.
There is so much beauty and history at the Ponce, and the tour guides at Flagler College have a wealth of information to share along with some fun tidbits.
Henry Flagler’s face in one of the floor mosaic tiles in the Grand Foyer
Since it is a functioning college, it is best to make sure they are conducting tours before heading over. Tickets in advance are suggested and they are $17.00 per person.
Ciao,
Phil and Dee
Links:
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