St. Augustine, FL — The Ximenez-Fatio House Museum has been chosen as the recipient of an $8,000 grant awarded by the Americana Corner Grant Program. This generous award will allow the museum to begin a major restoration and preservation project on the 1798 coquina and tabby constructed house museum. The Ximenez-Fatio House Museum is one of only 31 coquina buildings remaining in St. Augustine, Florida, the nation’s oldest continually occupied city.
The project will begin by carefully removing mildew on the lower part of the coquina walls. The mildew needs to be carefully removed by hand as power washing methods would destroy the delicate coquina. When the removal process is complete, this will then allow for annual protective coatings of limewash on the building exterior, which will be manually applied to prevent the coquina walls from deterioration.
“Through the generosity of the Americana Corner Grant Program, we will continue restoring and preserving this very special house museum building for future generations to come.” said Stefanie Kite, Operations Manager of the Ximenez-Fatio House Museum.
The Americana Corner Grant Program was created to remind Americans of our nation’s wonderful past. The program assists organizations that are focused on telling the incredible story of America from its founding era through its first century as a nation. 2022 Grant Program recipients include 67 organizations across 24 states.
The Ximenez-Fatio House is a long-standing fixture of historic St. Augustine. This historic house museum is located on Aviles Street, just south of the Plaza de la Constitucion. Constructed in 1798 by Spanish merchant, Andres Ximenez, the first floor of the home was originally used as a grocery store, tavern, and billiards hall, while the second floor acted as a dwelling area for the family. The property was kept in the Ximenez family following Andres’ death in 1806 but was purchased in 1830 by Margret Cook, who converted it into a prominent boarding house. The home went on to be owned by two additional unmarried women, Sarah Petty Anderson and Louisa Fatio, over the next 50 years. With the arrival of Henry Flagler and his luxury hotels in the 1880’s, boarding houses were no longer fashionable, leading to the house being rented out as an artist retreat and various commercial businesses.
In 1939, the National Society of Colonial Dames of America In The State of Florida purchased, restored, and furnished the home, opening it as a historic house museum for the first time on May 6, 1946. Today, the Ximenez Fatio House Museum is one of the premier historic destinations in downtown St. Augustine. The Ximenez-Fatio House Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Guided and audio tours are available. Groups and field trips can reserve tours in advance as well. Special programming is presented throughout the year.
Visit www.XimenezFatioHouseMuseum.org or call 904-829-3575 for more information.
The Ximenez-Fatio House is located at 20 Aviles Street in historic St. Augustine, Florida. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places and a Florida Heritage Landmark. The property is owned by The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in The State of Florida, since 1939. Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, with special night-time tours available on select dates. A gift shop is also on site, and the property and grounds can be reserved as a venue. Visit ximenezfatiohouse.org or call 904-829-3575.
