UF students develop strategies to protect St. Augustine neighborhood

November 28, 2007

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Graduate students from the University of Florida’s College of Design, Construction and Planning Historic Preservation Program will give a public presentation at 2 p.m. Sunday at Sala de Montiano Auditorium in the Government House at 48 King St. The students will share their preservation and design solutions in neighborhood conservation for the Abbott Tract and adjacent San Marco Avenue.

The Abbott Tract is a section of historic St. Augustine that dates to 1860 when Lucy Abbott, a young woman in her 20s, arrived in St. Augustine. She began purchasing land north of the Castillo de San Marcos, and by the 1870s, the astute businesswoman owned a large tract of land north of the city. She built nine structures in the area which still stand — the first house dates from 1861 and the last several from between 1885 and 1894. The Abbott Tract saw rapid development until 1904 when 126 houses lined the streets. The area’s development was primarily conceived, designed and developed for residential use.

The UF students worked with the City of St. Augustine’s Department of Heritage Tourism and with private organizations in the city, and their research assimilates the social history, the architectural styles and building practices, and the preservation and economic potential of this area.

“While the area still thrives as a residential community, conservation strategies at the local level need to be in place to protect the Abbott Tract’s rich and layered past. The students studied the area and developed solutions to help preserve remarkable sector of our nation’s oldest city,” said Roy Graham, director of the college’s historic preservation program, who led the students’ in their work.

Research efforts were greatly supported by the knowledge and staff of the St. Augustine Historical Society, the St. Augustine Department of Heritage Tourism, St. Augustine Planning Department, the St. Augustine Record, and local residents and merchants.