St Augustine’s Lincolnville Historic District was founded in 1866, and was designated as an historic district and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. Lincolnville spans 45 blocks and includes the highest concentration of Victorian-era buildings in St. Augustine.
Lincolnville has a specific style of architecture called Frame Vernacular, a wood frame building which was defined by construction materials of the day.
Here are some facts about Lincolnville:
- Between 1890 and 1910 the segregation practices in those times spurred the growth of black owned and operated commercial enterprises.
- Washington Street in the district became the heart of the black business community. In 1964 St. Augustine became a focal point for the Civil Rights Movement.
- Mary’s Missionary Baptist Church (Washington Street) and St. Paul’s AME Church (M.L. King Avenue) were built in the Gothic Revival style.
- The plantation house, built in 1800, is one of the oldest residences in Florida.
- Details of frame vernacular homes often include trusses and roofs, an offset entrance, raised up on piers and you’ll see some of the front porch flair from Georgian or Italianate homes
The City of St Augustine has a Fix-It-Up Program where they offer income based grants of up to $20,000 to repair the homes. The Fix-It-Up Program provides low-income, owner-occupied households with essential home repairs. The goal of this program is to keep residents in their Lincolnville homes, and provide assistance to those who may not have the resources to complete essential repairs. More info here is on the City of St Augustine website.
