First Congregation Sons of Israel

St. Augustine, Florida

April 7, 2022

The First Congregation Sons of Israel synagogue is the oldest synagogue in St. Augustine. Services were held in the homes of members while the building was being constructed and the sanctuary was finally completed in 1923. The original congregation was mostly Russian and Eastern European immigrants that settled in St. Augustine. The sanctuary of the church was hit hard by two hurricanes and had to undergo intense restoration in order to open the sanctuary back up in 2018. Due to the water damage, the seats are now covered in the same material that boat seats are made out of in order to prevent further damage.

https://www.firstcongregationsonsofisrael.com/

Exterior Photo 1:

Exterior Photo 2:

Artifact Photo 1:

The cabinet at the front of the congregation holds the Torah scrolls. These cabinets used to be portable arks used to safely transport the scrolls with immigrants from Europe. There is no longer a need for many of these arks to be portable so most synagogues have permanent cabinets like this one. Above the cabinet is the Eternal light which is always on.

Artifact Photo 2:

Originally the windows of the synagogue were normal transparent glass, this glass let too much heat through so they decided to replace it with stained glass. The stained glass that is now in the Sons of Israel synagogue was originally designed in 1873 for a synagogue in Atlanta, Georgia but then put into the synagogue here in St. Augustine. The 3 daughters of the original rabi found the great-grandson of the original artist to restore the windows to their original beauty. Remnants of the original stained glass can be found on the exterior of the building in a beautiful mosaic.

In Conversation Photo 1:

One of the stained glass panels in the synagogue chapel features the famous Ark of The Covenant. Due to the mystery surrounding the Ark of the Covenant's location, it has made many appearances in the media. Including one of its more famous cameos in Raiders of The Lost Ark. This Indiana Jones movie brought in $367,452,079 gross revenue and follows Jones' journey to finding the ancient biblical artifact before the Third Reich in order to can prevent it from ending up in the wrong person's hands. The Ark is said to contain the tablets that God gave to Moses.

https://static3.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/indiana-jones-lost-ark.jpg

In Conversation Photo 2:

Stained glass has been a popular form of architecture/ art since the middle ages and is usually found in churches or other important buildings in order to enhance beauty, regulate lighting and temperature, and tell a story. These stories typically have a religious background like the panels in the synagogue and many other religious buildings but this is not necessary as we see in the stained glass in the Ponce de Leon residence hall and dining hall. The Flagler College stained glass (pictured above) is one of the largest collections of Tiffany stained glass that remains at its original location and the gorgeous pieces of art attract thousands of visitors each year.

https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/1/stained-glass-window-at-flagler-college-in-st-augustine-florida-pete-wardrope.jpg

Literature in Conversation:

In Parable of The Sower the main protagonist Lauren struggles with her religious beliefs as she grows up and we she her develop her own religion, Earthseed. Despite her Father being a christian pastor Lauren struggles throughout the graphic novel as she discovers herself and her views of God. She knows it will not be easy but because it is something she believes in Lauren begins to share her religion with others and gain followers, much like a congregation that is just starting out. In one of her journal entries Lauren writes, "I am Earthseed. Anyone can be. Someday, I think there will be a lot of us. And I think we'll have to seed ourselves farther and farther from this dying place." Many of original First Congregation Sons of Israel members were immigrants that had seeded themselves far from what was once home. They were in an unfamiliar place with new people; however, through their strong faith they managed to grow their congregation from a few people in peoples houses to a successful synagogue with a full congregation.

Creative Component:

Above is my take on a stained glass window panel. I kept the transparency low to give the appearance of glass. While making this panel I wanted to tell a story like the windows in the synagogue. I decided to make a story about home. The mountain at the top represent my home in Virginia then the arrows point down to a wave which represent Flagler, finally another arrow point to a house because although these two places are very different they have both become home to me.

Castillo de San Marcos

St. Augustine, Florida

March 31, 2022

Construction of the Castillo de San Marco began in 1672; however, it did not reach its final completion phase until 1756. This is the phase we see it in now as a cocina structure rather than its original wooden form. The Castillo was built to serve as a fortress for the town when they were in need of protection. The fort could hold the entirety of the town and a dry moat was built around it to protect the livestock and keep them out of sight from enemies. The Castillo was owned by the U.S. Army for a period of time before being taken over by the National Parks Service in 1916. It was one of the first places to get federal restoration money during the late 1800s and it became a national monument in the 1920s.

https://www.nps.gov/casa/index.htm

Exterior Photo 1:

Exterior Photo 2:

Artifact Photo 1:

All around the outside of the fort are large cracks that run up the side of the fortress. These cracks are due to age and water damage. The U.S. Army tried to repair some of these cracks when they owned the Castillo. The holes along the side of the crack are believed to be leftover scaffolding holes from the U.S. army's repairs to the fort. When the national park service took over they filled the moat with water to attract tourists; this caused the cracks to become much worse. Fortunately, the National Park Service has since recognized the mistakes they made with the property and is working hard to correct their mistakes.

Artifact Photo 2:

Located on the backside of the Castillo was once a second entrance/ exit point. This door has long since been filled in; however, you can still find what was once a door by locating a keystone. A keystone, as pictured in the photo above, is a stone that has been cut into a triangular/ wedge shape above a doorway. This keystone is the final piece placed during construction and locks all the stones into position, allowing the arch or vault to bear weight.

In Conversation Photo 1:

One of the most recognizable features of a castle is the turrets, or a small tower at the corner of a building or wall, typically a castle. The purpose of turrets is to provide defense for the property by providing a defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall. As their military use faded, turrets were also used for decorative purposes. The Castillo is no different, it is equipt with 4 turrets for defense. However, the Castillo has an added layer of defense called a bastion. Bastions are projecting parts of a fortification built at an angle to the line of a wall, so as to allow defensive fire in several directions and there are no blindspots.

https://historiceuropeancastles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/GLAMIS-CASTLE-1024x481.jpg

In Conversation Photo 2:

Literature in Conversation:

Creative Component:

I have created a simplistic postcard that captures the beauty and key architectural elements of the Castillo. On the back (second photo) I have included a brief message that I would write on the back of this postcard if I were to send it to someone.

Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center

St. Augustine, Florida

March 24, 2022

According to the plaque inside the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center, in 1866 small lots in Southwest St Augustine were leased to St. Augustine Blacks for $1.00 a year. The area that we now know as Lincolnville was first known as Little Africa but was renamed in 1880 to honor the president who abolished slavery. Despite the Jim Crow laws of the early 20th century, Lincolnville was thriving as an independent community filled with vitality, pride, and a strong sense of faith.

To commemorate the resilience of this community and remember their accomplishments as well as the struggles the black community in St Augustine faced the community created the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center in what was once the Excelsior School Building, which served as the first public black high school in Saint Johns County in 1925.

https://www.lincolnvillemuseum.org/

Exterior Photo 1:

Exterior Photo 2:

Artifact Photo 1:

The Equal Justice Initiative strives to create greater awareness and understanding of racial terror and lynchings. The program works with communities to commemorate and recognize the traumatic era of lynching. To do this they collect soil from lynching sites across the country and erect monuments and markers in these spaces. Above is the soil from the lynching site of Isaac Barrett as well as a photo of the Wall of Jars at the Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama.

Artifact Photo 2:

Prior to the opening of Butler beach, Florida's beaches were "whites only". This angered Frank B. Butler so he began to buy oceanfront property down Anastasia Island. Eventually, his property spanned from the Atlantic to the Matanzas River and was the only beach open to African-Americans between Daytona and American Beach.

In Conversation Photo 1:

Above is a photo of the Greensboro sit-in which sparked a movement of lunch counter sit-ins across the American South. I remember learning about this sit-in during middle and high school; however, I was unaware of the influence that this sit-in had on other American youths to do the same. When I saw the Woolworth counter at the Lincolnville museum I was shocked to learn that a similar sit-in happened just down. the street from Flagler college but it is rarely discussed.

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/USATODAY/GenericImages/2013/05/28/1369750065000-WOOLWORTHS-MISS-052813-2-1305281058_16_9.jpg width=2000&height=1171&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp

In Conversation Photo 2:

The Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center is located on Martin Luther King Ave. Although there are many streets named in his honor This street which runs through Lincolnville is special because he actually walked on it in the course of changing history. King spoke at St. Paul AME Church during the civil rights movement, as did Jackie Robinson. Hundreds or more attended rallies at the church which is located on what is now MLK ave. These individuals also marched to the Plaza de la Constitucion in downtown St. Augustine to push for civil rights.

https://floridahumanities.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/MLKinStAugustine.jpg

Literature in Conversation:

In [lukao] by Craig Santos Perez active erasure of culture and history is discussed by crossing out passages that discuss traditional practices, like the one below. 

This erasure of history happens all over the world to marginalized groups or when a country is not happy with its history. We can see this erasure in St. Augustine too, many people are completely unaware of how tightly connected st Augustine and the Civil Rights Movement are. Most people don't realize the rich Civil rights era history that is just in their backyards here. The Lincolnville Museum and Cultural center works hard so that erasure like this does not continue in our town.

Creative Component:

Above I have redrawn the Old Town Trolley Tour route. This new route passes almost all of the previous stops; however, it has been redrawn to include stops throughout Lincolnville. Doing this would not only educate visitors about how the Civil rights movement shaped St. Augustine but would also bring visitors to the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural center who otherwise would not have known it was there.

Lightner Museum

St. Augustine, Florida

March 10, 2022

Housed inside the former Alcazar Hotel which was commissioned by Henry Flagler The Lightner Museum was founded in 1948 by Otto C. Lightner. Mr. Lightner was the owner and publisher of the Hobbies magazine and his collections are still on display inside this one-of-a-kind museum space.  Lightner Museum has its origins in the craze for collecting that swept America in the years surrounding the Great Depression, so a wide array of different items can be found in this space.

https://lightnermuseum.org/

Exterior Photo 1:

Exterior Photo 2:

Artifact Photo 1:

"This desk is believed to have belonged to Louis Bonaparte who was appointed King of Holland in 1806 by his brother, Napoleon Bonaparte. The cabinet is in the form of a classical pipe organ. 200 drawers with mother-of-pearl drawer pulls resemble organ stops and the clock is in the form of a miniature pipe organ."

Information from a plaque inside the Lightner Museum.

Artifact Photo 2:

The swimming pool found inside the Alcazar hotel was the largest indoor pool in the world at the time of its construction in 1888. It was 120 feet long and 50 feet wide, this space is now home to the Café Alcazar. In its prime, the Alcazar hosted many events including the national women's swimming championship (1925). Men's changing rooms were on the east end of the pool while women's were on the west. The ladies end of the pool was closed off so that they could swim in privacy if they desired.

In Conversation Photo 1:

As a kid a loved arts and crafts and I still do in my free time. One of my favorite summer camp crafts was the sand art bottles like the ones above. Depending on your skill level You can make these as simple or complex as you would like. As I was walking through the bottom floor of the Lightner museum I noticed a shadow box with jars inside mounted on the wall. I thought They looked cool but had to do a double-take when I realized it was sand inside the jars making the beautiful designs. The pieces in the Lightner are the work of Andrew Clemens' (1857-1894) Sand Art Paintings. Some of Clemens' best pieces are said to go for around $100,000 each! It is truly amazing to see what humans are capable are creating.

https://www.bklynlibrary.org/sites/default/files/styles/eventcal_large/public/images/events/calendar/screen-0.jpg

In Conversation Photo 2:

Overlooking the old Alcazar pool in the upper level of the Lightner many antique pieces of furniture are displayed. One of these items is a mahogany cradle. To me this cradle looked extremely fancy and nothing like anything I have seen babies in recently. Most families today do not even own a cradle; instead, they opt for a crib that does not rock and most families also buy a separate swing for their babies to rock in.

https://assets.pkimgs.com/pkimgs/rk/images/dp/wcm/202147/0056/lennox-convertible-crib-c.jpg

Literature in Conversation:

Creative Component:

Inside the painting gallery in the Lightner Museum was a painting by Felix F. de Cranodepicting King Street around 1906. To show how much has changed in 116 years I put two photos back to back. On the Left is the Painting and on the right is a screenshot from Google Earth street view.

Tolomato Cemetery

St. Augustine, Florida

February 24, 2022

The Tolomato Cemetery, which is not even an acre large, was in use as a cemetery from the 18th century until 1884 and it is the final resting place for nearly 1000 individuals. Inside you can find burials of people from Spain, Cuba, Ireland, Minorca, Italy, Greece, Africa, Haiti, France, and the American South and Northeast. You can find the graves of soldiers from both sides of the Civil War, and even the burial place of a man important in the history of Cuba, who may one day be declared a saint, Fr. Felix Varela.

http://www.tolomatocemetery.com/

Exterior Photo 1:

Exterior Photo 2:

Artifact Photo 1:

Shown above is the grave of Elizabeth Forrester. This is believed to be the oldest marked grave in the state of Florida, meaning both the name and date are marked and visible. Elizabeth died at the age of just 16 years old and was buried in 1798. After her burial, two Castillo soldiers robbed her grave for her valuable clothing. Because of this the Tolomato cemetery put up a fence and a guard began to watch over the cemetery to prevent future grave robbers from doing the same to the other burial.

Artifact Photo 2:

"Father Felix Varela of Cuba, whose canonization process is underway, was also buried at Tolomato in 1853.  The small white chapel that is the distinctive feature of Tolomato was built to hold his remains by Cubans who had been his students in the seminary in Havana and friends in New York City." Father Felix Varela now rests in Cuba.

Information from the Tolomato Cemetery website.

In Conversation Photo 1:

Many of the people buried in the Tolomato cemetery passed away due to the Yellow fever epidemic in the late 17th century. In other parts of the country including Lynchburg, Virginia contagious diseases like smallpox, cholera, and scarlet fever, were killing large numbers of people. People that become ill with these diseases were quarantined in the Pest House at the Old City Cemetery in Lynchburg, Virginia. The Pest House was Lynchburg's first hospital. The medical care and standards of cleanliness we know today were virtually non-existent, and most patients died. The dead were buried only a few yards away.

https://www.gravegarden.org/the-pest-house/

In Conversation Photo 2:

In coastal cities like St. Augustine, historic sites are facing threats such as climate change and sea level rise. Historians and preservationists are turning to technologies like 3D imaging as a way to preserve cultural resources for future generations. The Tolomato cemetery is located at a low point in the city which makes it more susceptible to flooding. The ground collapsed in several areas, vaults were damaged by water and falling trees and the Tolomato Cemetery Preservation Association, the organization that handles things like restoration and preservation, lost a lot of records that were being stored on site after hurricane Matthew. Which is why the cemetery is turning to Davide Tanasi from the University of South Florida and La Florida, with the goal of creating a collective biographical database of all the people who lived in Florida during the colonial period. This is done by using "two different kinds of 3D digital imaging technologies, such as 3D scanning and digital photogrammetry, to map out, in three dimensions, the entire cemetery and all the markers and the funerary monuments in it,” said Tanasi, who is an Assistant Professor of Digital Humanities and the Director of the Institute for Digital Exploration, which conducts visualization projects of cultural heritage sites in Florida and the Mediterranean.

https://news.wjct.org/first-coast/2019-05-02/historians-turn-to-3d-imaging-to-preserve-sites-threatened-by-climate-change 

Literature in Conversation:

Creative Component:

Oldest House Complex

St. Augustine, Florida

February 17, 2022

the González-Alvarez House is the oldest documented First Spanish Period Colonial house in Florida. It is made from cocina and was built in the 1720s. The bottom floor of the house is preserved to resemble the older Spanish houses while the second floor is designed to represent how the house would have looked once it had more British influence. The Gonzales-Alvarez House interprets four distinct periods of St. Augustine's history.

https://staughs.com/oldest-house-museum-complex/

Exterior Photo 1:

Exterior Photo 2:

Artifact Photo 1:

This is one of the four statues found in the oldest house complex that are allegories for the seasons. These statues were features in the formal planting of the gardens in the 1890s when homeowners Dr. and Mrs. Charles P. Carver brought the to Florida from the 1893 Columbian exposition in Chicago.

Artifact Photo 2:

These playing cards are displayed on the lower level of the house. This level of the house represents the Spanish era as well as the time when this house was likely a bar. Cards would have been used for entertainment and numbers and letters on the cards were not necessary since many people at this time could not read or write.

In Conversation Photo 1:

Kitchens like the one in the oldest house and this one at Point of Honor in Lynchburg, Virginia were separate structures from the rest of the house. This was a safety precaution in case of fire. This way if there was a kitchen fire the only thing that would need to be rebuilt is the small kitchen building rather than the whole house. Kitchens at the time were very minimal since electricity was not a widespread luxury yet. Kitchens were equipt with a fireplace made for cooking and a table for prep work. Wood, pots, pans, and some preserved foods could also be found in these small buildings. 

https://www.pointofhonor.org/ 

In Conversation Photo 2:

Literature in Conversation:

Creative Component:

St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine

St. Augustine, Florida

February 10, 2022

Located off of St. George Street, St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine is dedicated to the first colony of Greek people who came to America in 1768. The shrine contains exhibits that depict the life of early Greeks in America and the development of the Greek Orthodox Church in America. You can find artifacts, photographs, and historical documents that tell the story of the first Greek colony in the New World. Also within the shrine is the St. Photios Chapel which is a beautiful small-scale representation of a classic Greek orthodox chapel.

https://stphotios.org/

Exterior Photo 1:

Exterior Photo 2:

Artifact Photo 1:

The garments above are referred to as vestments and were to be worn by the bishop during worship services. The bishop is considered an icon of Jesus Christ and when leading services the church deems that he should resemble the "King of Glory in all His Majesty". Each piece of clothing has a meaning that can be found in the old testament and the style was developed during the Byzantine empire. The specific order that these garments must be put on is as follows: Tunic, Stole, Maniples, Genual, Imperial Robe, Small Omoforion, Cross, Engolpion, Mitre, Staff, Candlesticks.

Artifact Photo 2:

The box above holds relics which according to catholiceducation.org "is a piece of the body of a saint, an item owned or used by the saint, or an object which has been touched to the tomb of a saint." In this specific box (called a Reliquary) the relics are small pieces of bone. These relics were obtained from the Vatican and were gifted to the national shrine in 1984 by the Three Hierarches Greek Orthodox Church in Brooklyn, New York.

In Conversation Photo 1:

When walking through the Greek Orthodox Shrine the ornate robes behind the glass cases immediately caught my eye. Not only are they beautiful but they made me think about my church back home. In the Disciples of Christ denomination of Christianity the pastor typically dresses in robes and stoles during service. These robes and stoles are not nearly as decorative as the vestments worn in the Greek Orthodox church; however, they are worn in both churches due to tradition. They show that the individual wearing it is an ordained minister and a representative of God. Sometimes similar robes can also be found on acolytes as well as newly baptized individuals. 

Not all denominations/ ministers choose to wear traditional robes. This is because of the Reformation of the 1500s. At the time many people were breaking away from the Roman Catholic Church, and as a reaction to this many clergies stopped wearing robes as a mark of separation from the Roman church. Other denominations that formed after the Reformation choose not to wear robes because they claim that robes were a mark of the elevation of clergy over the laity.

https://cdn.cokesbury.com/images/products/ExtraLarge/685/507685.jpg 

In Conversation Photo 2:

Within the chapel were candles that had been lit and placed into a box of sand. Whenever a see candles in a religious context I immediately think of candlelit Christmas Eve services (called midnight mass) at church. These candles are meant to be symbolic of the light of Christ on the Night that he was born. Leading up to this service advent candles are lit to represent hope, peace, joy, and love. Candles are extremely important in Christianity as they represent Christ, the spirit of truth, illumination of dark times, and hope for light after death. Candles are often used during prayer or meditation like the prayer candles in the shrine.

https://www.ourherald.com/wp-content/uploads/images/2017-12-28/9p1.jpg

Literature in Conversation:

Creative Component: