Sánchez de Ortigosa House facts for kids

The Sánchez de Ortigosa House is a special building in St. Augustine, Florida. It's located at 60 St. George Street. This house is a rebuilt version of an old home that stood here during the First Spanish Period (1565-1763). It helps us understand what life was like long ago in St. Augustine.

The Story of the Sánchez de Ortigosa House

The original Sánchez de Ortigosa House first appeared on city maps in 1763 and 1765. It was a stone building owned by José Sánchez de Ortigosa. José came from Ronda, Spain. He married a local woman named Juana Theodora Pérez. They had nine children together. José Sánchez de Ortigosa was a privateer. This means he was a ship owner or captain who was allowed by his government to attack and capture enemy ships during wartime.

Changes Over Time

By 1788, during Florida's British Period (1763-1783), the stone house was gone. A wooden house stood in its place. Earle Newton, who directed the Restoration Commission, explained why this happened. He said that homes from the First Spanish Period often didn't last. The English settlers sometimes tore them down to use the building materials. Then, they would build new wooden houses instead.

Rebuilding History: The Restoration Project

In 1966, the St. Augustine Historic Restoration and Preservation Commission finished rebuilding the Sánchez de Ortigosa House. This group later became the Historic St. Augustine Preservation Board. They built it as a one-story house with a pink color. It stands at the corners of St. George Street and Cuna Street. The roof was made of tile and cement, just like many old Spanish homes.

Who Helped Fund the Project?

A lot of the money for this rebuilding project came from Edward Ball. He was a businessman from Jacksonville, Florida. His donation helped make sure this important piece of history could be brought back to life.

San Agustín Antiguo: A Living Museum

For a while, the Sánchez de Ortigosa House was part of a special place called San Agustín Antiguo. This was a "living history museum" in St. Augustine. It meant people could visit and see what life was like in the past.

The Carpenter's Shop

During this time, the Sánchez de Ortigosa House was used as a carpenter's shop. It was set up to look like a shop from the First Spanish Period. Workers there repaired old furniture and made new pieces. These new items were used in other historic houses or sold to the public. Earl Shugart created many wooden items and furnishings for the restoration area in this shop.

Skilled Woodworkers

The Preservation Board also had a job to build furniture for a Southern Bell Telephone Company building. Kjell Lunestad, a skilled wood carver and cabinet maker from Norway, joined the team in 1968. He also worked at the Sánchez de Ortigosa shop. Kjell made special items like "monk's benches" and "hope chests." He was very talented and often put pieces of white pine and fir wood together without using any nails!

The Sánchez de Ortigosa House Today

Today, the Sánchez de Ortigosa House is a retail space. A company called Spanish Dutch Convoy operates a shop there. The University of Florida Historic St. Augustine, Inc. manages the site for the state of Florida. It continues to be an important part of St. Augustine's historic downtown.

Images for kids

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  Sanchez de Ortigosa, 2018