More of St Aug & Flagler

I went back to St Augustine today. Two of the places I went to see were closed because it was Monday - bummer. I went to this different museum - the Lightner Museum. The building was originally the Hotel Alcazar, built by - you guessed it - Henry Flagler. The purpose of this hotel was to (1) provide accommodations for the not-so-rich, who couldn't afford Ponce de Leon Hotel, and (2) to provide some activity in St Augustine. He put in the largest indoor swimming pool at the time (1888), a bowling alley, tennis courts, Turkish and Russian baths, and a ballroom. Otto Lightner from Chicago bought the building in 1947 to house his many collections. I guess he bought collections that others had collected. Thus, there was a collection of very diverse collections - toasters, furniture, buttons, stuffed animals (I mean the big kind like a lion, a turkey), barber shop soap cups, etc., etc. The Turkish and Roman baths were still displayed - my favorite. Otto Lightner bequeathed the museum to the city. I doubt he included enough money to keep it running in top condition, because you can see where maintenance is required.

The city is fascinating. It was a walled city, with gates and a fort. The fort was made of coquina, a mixture of shells and sand. It was mentioned that the walls kind of absorbed the cannonballs when under siege. At night the people in the fort would go down and dig them out, and send them back the next day to the enemy. It also had a dry moat, which housed the livestock (future food) during a siege. It features a pedestrian mall, unique cobblestone streets, lots of sidewalk entertainment, a great harbor and interesting bridge, and much more. And of course Flagler was fascinating. He kept trying to think of new ways to spend all his money. He wanted the land the Methodist Church was on, so he built them one at another location. The Baptists then said, "How about us?" He ended up building them one, but it had to be done in 1? 2? year(s), and couldn't have a bell in the bell tower (so it wouldn't disturb his hotel guests). Then his daughter had a baby girl who died shortly after birth. His daughter died soon after that, while on the way down to visit him in FL. He built a Presbyterian Church in memory of them. He told the builders he wanted it done in 1 year, and, if it was, there would be big bonuses. It was done in time for a memorial service. He also built a clinic/hospital and all his employees and families had free health care there. That's a nice benefit!! Hmmm.. I wonder if any of his descendants are hiring.