Another first for St. Augustine – and it’s no surprise – but the oldest wooden schoolhouse in the United States is a little piece of history that you might be surprised to see is still standing after more than 200 years!
In a world where everything seems to be automated or completed with the help of heavy duty machinery, it can be hard to believe that the entire building was built by hand. The logs are actually held in place with wooden pegs! Not only is this the oldest wooden schoolhouse, but it was also the first co-ed school – beginning in 1788.
Under the rule of Imperial Spain the original schoolmaster actually lived above the schoolhouse! Once inside, you’ll see animatronic figures that tell stories and describe the building. You can also see actual original artifacts like cooking utensils and even copies of the students’ original schoolbooks. On the way out you might notice the giant chain wrapped around the building – believe it or not, this was an early attempt to protect the building from hurricanes!
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Things to know:
Region: Northeast Florida
Related Onsite Offerings: The garden onsite contains the original privy, the well and the original kitchen, which by law needed to be separate from the building to prevent fire. A pecan tree here has been authenticated to be at least 250 years old and still bears nuts!
Related activities: The house actually appears on the tax rolls for the year 1716, but more than likely it existed years before then.
Getting there: The Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse is located at 14 St. George Street, just south of US 1/Ponce de Leon Boulevard on Orange Street.
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