St. Augustine: Train depot restoration considered

[JayBird]

Dr Bronson, not to be rude but have you read this thread? The buildings history is cited through a few well respected sources. As a side, does anyone what became of this? Was it saved?

[glwilson_us]

This is not the St. Johns railroad. This is the small gauge Jacksonville line that Flagler would buy.

[JayBird]

This is not the St. Johns railroad. This is the small gauge Jacksonville line that Flagler would buy.

Well now I am confused, are you asking if this was the Railroad Station for St. Augustine? Because before you said it was never anything but a building for water utility.

I just don't know where anyone is getting information that this particular building was anything besides a city water works built in 1897. Someone needs to point to any source that this building was actually a train station.  Gil Wilson aka Dr. Bronson

City to shore up collapsing depot

City commission looking for $2M to fix Flagler-era railroad building

By PETER GUINTA   |   More by this reporter  |  peter.guinta@staugustine.com   |   Posted: Tuesday, June 16, 2009 ; Updated: 9:12 PM on Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Built in 1883, the structure served as the first railroad depot for the Jacksonville, St. Augustine & Halifax River Railroad, later part of the Florida East Coast railway purchased by Henry Flagler.









Source: http://www.staugustine.com/stories/061609/news_061609_054.shtml

[Ocklawaha]

^^^^^BUMP^^^^^

This building is indeed the 'original' depot. As for the FLAGLER DEPOT, well, sort of. It would have been the depot that Mr. Flagler and his lovely wife arrived at when they first visited the city and BEFORE they owned anything here short of an apartment in Jacksonville. It is a pretty amazing structure.

WHAT IT WAS:

Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Halifax River Railroad... It was the station for the Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Halifax River Railroad, a dusty and poorly built 3' foot (narrow gauge) line connecting the ferry landing in South Jacksonville with San Marco Street in St. Augustine. One wonders if and or how long the Jacksonville station stood and if/and/or any of the old buildings around Kings Avenue Skyway Station could be related??

Maybe to help sort things out. WHAT THE SAN MARCO BUILDING IS NOT:

The St Johns Railway ... Tocoi (steamboat wharf) to St. Augustine, depot sat in the parking lot of the former FEC RY offices and current Flagler College buildings off of US-1. There are many piers that were removed from their San Sebastian bridge under the new US-1 bridge, Archer Western had me come and look at the site to tell them what it was. They were pretty amazed to find what they were calling a old highway bridge, turned out to be a 1830's vintage railroad trestle. (totally abandoned)

St Augustine and Palatka Railway... From the parking lot of the College (per above) and curving off of the railroad from the San Marco area alongside the St. Johns Railway, then continuing west southwest through Elkton, Spuds, Hastings to East Palatka. After Flagler bought the line from Jacksonville to the San Marco station, this was the next link in the chain that would someday reach Key West as the FEC RY. It is likely this is when the San Marco station was basically abandoned in favor of the 'parking lot' site where the three railroads joined.

Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Indian River Railroad... The first 'major' phase of Flagler's railroad empire, the rail lines were consolidated under this name and standard gauged (4' 8 ½"). This company operated the St. Augustine Union Station, built where the fire station is today on Malaga, and in the nearly identical foot print and design as the fire station. The little yard in front of the fire station is still 'FEC PARK'.

Florida East Coast Railway... All of the above,

St. Augustine and North Beach Railway... This was a horsecar line (streetcar) that left the San Marco Street Station and angled over through (just south of the museum) marsh at Fort Mose, it made a lazy 'S' curve along the Tolomato River then crossed over where Aunt Kate's is today. It was owned by the family that developed much of Vilano Beach and it's casino (recently razed), RV park, and restaurant. The family and the restaurant is still there and it's full of photos! Aunt Kate's ROCKS! I have a survey showing how this line was to be tied into the streetcar system but have found no further records. They may have used this station after the FEC companies moved on.

St. Augustine and South Beach Railway... A little interurban line (light-rail) that ran from St. Augustine Beach, nearly across the foot of the lighthouse, to the ferry landing at the east end of the Bridge of The Lions today. They would eventually bridge the river with a substantial pivot span draw toll bridge, road on one side, railroad on the other. After a time of urbanization the line was electrified and became the anchor for the St. Johns Electric Railway. The City streetcar system. The depot sat at the foot of King Street downtown on the waterfront. It survived and today is near the airport.

The St. Johns Electric Railway... This streetcar system became quite a respectable piece of property but with the great fire of 1914, and the movement of the FEC RY (and the tourists of the era) south toward Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and eventually Key West, the railroad ran into early financial difficulties around 1920. By 1924 a plan was hatched to tear out all city streetcars for busification but to extend the line on the island further south into the 'City of St. Augustine Beach,' electric car operation would continue for a few more years from the foot of King, over the trestle (eastbound) to the beach, returning via the Bridge of The Lions (westbound).

Right now, the entire historic San Marco station is fenced off with contractor fencing and I'll be fishing for updated information.

[jcjohnpaint]

Such a beautiful building