May 24th A National Register Historic District- Lincolnville

Happened by this sign on my way down Martin Luther King Avenue.  

At the intersection of MLK Street and Bridge Street 

The District  

The Inscription:

Lincolnville Historic District

Once the site of Indian villages, colonial plantations and orange groves, Lincolnville began as a settlement of emancipated slaves in 1866. African-Americans, who trace their origins to the City's 16th century founding, played an integral role in the history of St. Augustine for centuries before the forced segregation of the late 1800s led them to create their own community institutions. Here, they built churches, schools, and a vibrant business center surrounded by residences that displayed the ornate architecture of the age. By 1903, Lincolnville had become a major part of the City, encompassing both the African-American community itself and the adjacent white residential areas that had grown up with it. In 1964, civil rights demonstrations organized in Lincolnville attracted nationwide attention and influenced the Congressional debate that led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Today, the fifty-block Lincolnville neighborhood still contains the Ancient City's largest concentration of late Victorian Era buildings, most of them private homes. The Lincolnville Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.

Sponsored by the City of St. Augustine in cooperation with the Florida Department of State

F-353
1994

And the district itself....  there are any number of structures in the area that are in the district that are listed: 

The Lincolnville Historic District is St. Augustine's most prominent historically black neighborhood and is associated with many significant events in the city's African American history. Founded in 1866 by former slaves, the district remained relatively static until the late 19th century. Segregationist practices that swept the South between 1890 and 1910 spurred the growth of black owned and operated commercial enterprises. Washington Street in the district became the heart of the black business community. In 1877 the "People's Ticket" that included black Republican D.M. Pappy, a leader in the Lincolnville community, swept city elections. By the early 20th century Lincolnville was a major subdivision of St. Augustine with a high level of political participation among its residents. In 1964 St. Augustine became a focal point for the Civil Rights Movement. Neighborhood churches and businesses were the sites of meetings and the bases from which peaceful protest marches began. In the spring of 1964, national attention was focused on St. Augustine as the protest of black and white civil rights activists continued, including the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Today, Lincolnvilles' architectural heritage includes the highest concentration of Victorian-era buildings in St. Augustine. Among these are the Italian Gothic style St. Mary's Missionary Baptist Church (Washington Street) and St. Paul's AME Church (M.L. King Avenue) built in the Gothic Revival style. Both figured prominently in the 1964 protest. Also of note are D.M. Pappy's House on Oneida street and Yallaha Plantation House on Bridge Street. The plantation house, built in 1800, is one of the oldest residences in Florida. Many of these buildings were constructed by black carpenters and builders.