St Augustine - Oldest House

This is reputedly one of the oldest houses in the U.S. It sits on a site that the St Augustine Historical Society says has been occupied by Europeans since the early 1600's. The present structure, Oldest House, also known as the González-Alvarez house, was built sometime around 1702 out of coquina, a soft, local shell-rock. One of the owners was Tomás González, a soldier stationed at the Castillo San Marcos. Another was Geronimo Alvarez, who bought the house in 1790, which stayed in his family for nearly 100 years. It was renovated several times throughout its history and today visitors can see the evolution from its Spanish beginnings through British influences to early American style. There are exhibits on the former residents and examples of different period furnishings.