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 O'Reilly House - St. Augustine, FL
N 29° 53.427 W 081° 18.676
17R E 469946 N 3306687
The O'Reilly House, also known as the House of Don Lorenzo de Leon, is now officially known as the Father Miguel O'Reilly House Museum. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
Waymark Code: WM8BH0
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 03/07/2010
Views: 8
Created From: O'Reilly House - St. Augustine, FL - posted by Biologist Marine
From the Florida Division of Historical Resources website: " St. Augustine O'REILLY HOUSE 32 Aviles St. c. 1763. Spanish and American Colonial elements. 2 and a half stories, coquina stone, stuccoed, 2nd-story balcony. One of the 10 oldest structures in the city. Used as a convent for a time. Private. N.R. 1974."
From the O'Reilly House Museum website:
The Father Miguel O’Reilly House is one of the oldest structures in St. Augustine, which makes it one of the oldest structures in the United States. The coquina and tabby portions of the building date to the First Spanish period (1565 - 1763). The Florida Master File puts the date of construction at 1691, and it is believed that during those 313 years, the property has only changed hands seven times (three of which were during the English period from 1763 - 1784). The artwork above is a detail of Father O’Reilly’s will pertaining to the O’Reilly House property, which he identified as the “stone houses with their orange groves,” which he bequeathed for the benefit of an order of female “religious educators according to the plan of Saint Francis de Sales.”
Since 1764, when Captain Lorenzo Josef de Leon (grandson of Joachim de Florencia, believed to be the original owner) sold the house to James Henderson, the owners of the house have been well documented. From the time Father O’Reilly purchased the property in 1785, the title to the property is unbroken and a matter of public record. Moreover, following the American Civil War, the physical appearance of the building is graphically documented in plan and elevation through photographs, drawings and maps.
As you step through the garden entrance you can clearly see that the original construction was influenced by the royal order of 1573. For defensive and security reasons, the decree stated that the main elevation of houses and gardens should be placed on the perimeter of streets. While the 1764 Puente map, a portion of which is shown on the home page, is the first documentary evidence showing a structure on the site of the O’Reilly House, archeological, historical and architectural evidence suggests that the house is from the same period as the Castillo de San Marcos.
Earliest Recorded Date of Construction: 01/01/1691
Additional Dates of Construction:
The evolution of the house has been grouped into five architectural phases dating back to the First Spanish Period. Following are brief descriptions of each of those phases.
First Phase: The original building was probably constructed as a two-story structure with two rooms on each floor. The second-floor opening was of wooden planks on exposed joists and the first-floor flooring was tabby concrete. A one-story loggia provided covered entry from a fenced courtyard on the south side of the building. There were no windows in the north wall, and an interior stair provided access to the second floor. The roofs were flat with a tabby concrete topping and rafters exposed to view. Window openings were equipped with interior shutters and windows on the first floor facing the street were equipped with rajas. Though none of the original doors or windows remain, some of the current doors and windows are probably in original openings.
Second Phase: The tabby concrete roofs were probably replaced with a wood-shingled gable roof during the late First Spanish Period or the British Period. It is believed that the ridge of the gable was oriented east-west and centered above the two-story block, and one side of the gable extended over the loggia. Since the new roof protected this wall over the loggia it may have been replaced with a wood frame wall with wooden siding, particularly if completed during the British period. Thus the existing wood framing of the south walls of the two existing larger rooms on the second floor may date from this period. Another stairway would also have been added from the loggia to the second floor.
Third Phase: The present configuration of the building was essentially completed during this phase, which probably occurred at various times between 1867 and 1910. The roof and second floor framing were removed and a new gable roof was centered above the full north-south width of the building. The loggia was probably enclosed at this time. The existing stairs were constructed using simple Greek Revival newels, treads, balusters, and a handrail. The six panel doors throughout the house are typical Greek Revival and probably date from this period. A chimney with fireplace was provided in the west wall of both the first and second floor rooms located in the northwest corner of the house, if not provided previously. A second chimney probably served cast-iron coal or wood stoves.
Fourth Phase: During the 1940s the building was repaired and refinished. A new coquina chimney replaced an earlier chimney of the west walls of the rooms in the northwest corner. The chimney in the east end of the north wall was removed above the roof, but remains visible in the attic. New decorative quarry tile floors and baseboards were installed in the first floor. The door leading to the south courtyard at the foot of the stairs was replaced with a window. A new door was provided below the stairs. Electrical work was updated at this time. Security systems were installed during the 1960s and 70s.
Fifth Phase: The building was totally restored from 2001 through 2002. Plumbing and electrical services were updated to meet contemporary codes. In places, the walls were stripped of plaster and taken down to expose the original tabby and coquina. This proved helpful in more accurately dating the age of the original structure.
Architectural Period/Style: Spanish and American Colonial elements
Type of Building e.g. Country House, Stately Home, Manor:
Coquina House
Interesting Historical Facts or Connections:
Not only does the house have significant historic value, it is truly a sacred space. Shortly after Fr. Miguel O’Reilly, an Irish priest in the service of the Spanish crown, bought the property in 1785 at the beginning of the Second Spanish Period, it became the parish rectory. And it was in this house, from 1794 to 1802, that Fr. O’Reilly privately taught a student who would go on to become a brilliant educator, author, defender of human and civil rights, and, most notably, a humble priest – Fr. Félix Varela. Fr. Varela, whose cause for sainthood is now before the Holy Father in Rome, is revered as much for his tireless work on behalf of the Irish immigrants in 19th century New York City as for his fight for Cuban independence.
Listed Building Status (if applicable): U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Main Material of Construction: Coquina stone, stuccoed
Private/Public Access: Public Access (Museum)
Admission Fee (if applicable): 0.00 (listed in local currency)
Opening Hours (if applicable): From: 10:00 AM To: 3:00 PM
Related Website: [Web Link]
Rating: 
Architect (if known): Not listed
Landscape Designer (if known): Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Tell us about your visit with any details of interest about the property. Please supply at least one original photograph from a different aspect taken on your current visit.
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