23/01: Lightner Museum
Category: General
Posted by: The Agnew Family
The Alcazar Hotel was built by Henry Flagler in 1888. To keep the hotel guests entertained the back portion of the building was a casino and included a ballroom, swimming pool, Turkish Baths, Russian Baths and a gymnasium. Due to the depression, the hotel closed in the 1930s. In 1946 Otto Lightner purchased the hotel to house all of the items he had collected over the years. Today the building is owned by the City of St. Augustine and is known as the Lightner Museum.
During the depression Otto Lightner purchased many items from the wealthy who were forced to sell off some their possessions. Due to this, his collections are many and cover a large range of items. These three items are made completely of shells.
There were a number of Chrystal pieces.
This was my favorite item in the museum. Couldn't figure out how to fit him in my purse.
There were some beautiful pieces of furniture.
There is an extensive collection of music boxes including a nickelodeon, Violano-Virtuosa and The Gem Rollerorgan that the guide is playing.
The building was as interesting as the items inside the building. From the third floor ballroom you could look down into what was the pool. The guests entered the pool from the second floor. The roof over the pool was made of glass and opened to allow ventilation (the spring water smell of sulpher). This photo shows what the pool looked like when it was being used.
This is what the pool looks like today. The glass roof caved in during the 15 or so years the the building was closed and has been replaced with a solid roof. A restaurant occupies the deep end of the pool and shops line the sides of the pool.
The Russian Bath or steam room had lots of seating. The Turkish Bath, towel rooms and a massage room were located nearby.
The fountain at the front of the Lightner Museum looking across the road at the Flagler College. The Flagler College resides in what was once the hotel for the rich and famous .... the Ponce de Leon.
Across the side street from the Lightner Museum is the Casa Monica Hotel. Franklin Smith built this hotel in 1888, but unfortunately it did not do well and he sold it to Henry Flagler four months after it opened. This building operated as the St. Johns County Courthouse from 1968 to 1997. In 1997 the building was aquired by Richard Kessler who completely renovated the building and it reopened as a hotel in 1999. The second photo is a tower on the Flagler College.
Villa Zorayda was built in 1883 in a Moorish Revival style modeled after the Alhambra Castle in Spain. It's a very colorful building.
During the depression Otto Lightner purchased many items from the wealthy who were forced to sell off some their possessions. Due to this, his collections are many and cover a large range of items. These three items are made completely of shells.
There were a number of Chrystal pieces.
This was my favorite item in the museum. Couldn't figure out how to fit him in my purse.
There were some beautiful pieces of furniture.
There is an extensive collection of music boxes including a nickelodeon, Violano-Virtuosa and The Gem Rollerorgan that the guide is playing.
The building was as interesting as the items inside the building. From the third floor ballroom you could look down into what was the pool. The guests entered the pool from the second floor. The roof over the pool was made of glass and opened to allow ventilation (the spring water smell of sulpher). This photo shows what the pool looked like when it was being used.
This is what the pool looks like today. The glass roof caved in during the 15 or so years the the building was closed and has been replaced with a solid roof. A restaurant occupies the deep end of the pool and shops line the sides of the pool.
The Russian Bath or steam room had lots of seating. The Turkish Bath, towel rooms and a massage room were located nearby.
The fountain at the front of the Lightner Museum looking across the road at the Flagler College. The Flagler College resides in what was once the hotel for the rich and famous .... the Ponce de Leon.
Across the side street from the Lightner Museum is the Casa Monica Hotel. Franklin Smith built this hotel in 1888, but unfortunately it did not do well and he sold it to Henry Flagler four months after it opened. This building operated as the St. Johns County Courthouse from 1968 to 1997. In 1997 the building was aquired by Richard Kessler who completely renovated the building and it reopened as a hotel in 1999. The second photo is a tower on the Flagler College.
Villa Zorayda was built in 1883 in a Moorish Revival style modeled after the Alhambra Castle in Spain. It's a very colorful building.