Post Office - St. Augustine, FL
Posted by: 
Rayman
N 29° 53.553 W 081° 18.770
17R E 469795 N 3306920
A former governor's mansion, courthouse, and post office is now home to a museum and St. Augustine Preservation Board.
Waymark Code: WM5WZ2
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 02/22/2009
Views: 18
From
Florida: A Guide to the Southernmost State:
The POST OFFICE, St. George St. between Cathedral and King Sts., a two-story L-shaped building of stucco and coquina with a red tile pitched roof, distinguished by its weathered wood balconies, was reconstructed in 1936-37 along the lines of a 1764 drawing. It embodies part of the structure of the Governor's Mansion, which was rebuilt on this site in 1690.
Since the late 1500s, there has always been a governmental-type building at the west end of the public plaza. The governor's residence served until the 1680s when it was replaced by a two-story building with balconied masonry walls. This version was burned in 1702 by British troops after their unsuccessful siege of the Castillo. It was rebuilt from 1706-1713 and renovated in 1759. The British took possession of Florida in 1764 but the building was not changed significantly until the Spanish returned to rule in 1784. Following the cession of Florida to the United States in 1821, the Government House was pressed into service as a courtroom.
It remained in use as a courthouse, along with office space and post office, until 1891. It continued as a post office until 1965 when it was transferred from federal control to state control. It has undergone extensive renovations in recent years and now houses the Government House Museum and offices of the Historic St. Augustine Preservation Board.