Ponce de Leon Hotel - St. Augustine, FL
Posted by: 
Rayman
N 29° 53.526 W 081° 18.878
17R E 469621 N 3306870
The first of many hotels established by Henry Flagler in Florida is now the home of Flagler College.
Waymark Code: WM7W5J
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 12/11/2009
Views: 22
From
Florida: A Guide to the Southernmost State in the St. Augustine points of interest section:
The PONCE DE LEON HOTEL (open Jan. to Apr.), Cordova St. between King and Valencia Sts. and extending to Sevilla St., together with its landscaped grounds enclosed by a chain fence with spiked iron balls in place of links, covers six acres. The monolithic concrete and coquina structure, with its red tile roof, many domes and spires, lavishly decorated arched gateways and interior ornamentation, was built by Henry M. Flagler. He sent Carrère and Hastings to study the architecture of Spain, many details of which they incorporated in their eclectic design. The Ponce de Leon opened in 1889, the first of the Flagler chain of Florida east-coast hotels, and established St. Augustine as a fashionable winter resort.
The large building continued to operated as a hotel until it was gifted to Flagler College when the institution was founded in 1968. Lawrence Lewis, Jr., one of Henry Flagler’s principal heirs, founded Flagler College. The philanthropist envisioned a small, private liberal arts college on the grounds of the magnificent old hotel. Opened as a women's college, Flagler was reorganized as coeducational in 1971. Lewis served as chairman of the Board of Trustees of Flagler College during these formative years, from 1968 to 1988. Since 1971, the college has spent more than $43 million dollars restoring the historic campus and adding new buildings.