64-68 Washington Street

64-68 Washington Street

64-68 Washington Street, St. Augustine, Fla. 32084

St. Mary's Baptist Church

The eastern section of Dumas Tract Subdivision, the genesis of Lincolnville, is bounded on the north by Bridge Street, an 18th century thoroughfare which led to one of three late colonial San Sebastian River ferry crossings. The subdivision also is in the vicinity of the early 18th century Indian village of Palica. The tract evolved out of two early 19th century Spanish land grants to Bartolo Juarez and Gaspar Papy, a prosperous Greek merchant who came to St. Augustine from New Smyrna in 1777. Both soon developed some of the first commercial orange groves in Florida. By the late 1830's, the grants were consolidated by Peter Sken Smith, a prominent Territorial period land speculator, who subdivided much of the tract and commenced selling lots. The economic depression of the 1840's ended attempts to develop the areas on the fringes of the old city, and by 1840 Philip Weedman and Peter Dumas, county clerk and post-Civil War leader of the Florida Radical Republicans, acquired most of the property formerly belonging to Smith. After the war, the community of Africa soon developed on the marshes of Maria Sanchez Creek as newly freed Blacks began renting the property from the city. Africa, later called Lincolnville, extended along the banks of the Creek and by the early 1870's, Blacks began buying lots and building homes along Central Avenue and Benedict Street. Construction along Oneida and Bridge Streets commenced later in the decade. By 1885, Lincolnville was a rapidly growing Black community, although some Whites lived along Bridge Street next to the Craddock Hotel. The eastern edge of Lincolnville, Washington Street, became a prosperous Black commercial district in the first several decades of the 20th century. By that time, Lincolnville had extended beyond its original boundaries into adjacent areas, particularly Genovar and Atwood Tract Subdivisions. Today Lincolnville generally refers to the all Black neighborhoods in the southwest peninsula.

The original wood frame commercial building at 64-68 Washington Street housed many business. Among these were: Burton Masters' meat market (1889), E. Glover's grocery (1899), Ike Kukowsky's dry goods store (1899). One of the few Black men in St. Augustine to own and operate a cigar manufacturing factory was Alvin T. Gibbs, and who had the shop at 64 Washington in 1907. Another occupant was Andrew Huff, an embalmer at W. F. Macon Company (1911), Fernando Falaney, who had a meat market here (1911), and the Ideal Tailors, operated by Nathan and Morris Tarlinsky and H. O. Livingston. Today the entire building is owned by St. Mary's Baptist Church.

Nolan, David

Florida Master Site File

Historic St. Augustine

7811

Joshua Smith

8SJ2314