Casa de Hildago
In the early years of St. Augustine, the area between old town and the Castillo de San Marcos was a swamp. After the construction of the Castillo, the population boomed and began to extend towards the fort. Following the construction of the city’s first seawall in 1705, the land became habitable. Casa del Hildago is located within this stretch of land. The artifacts and features found illustrate the expansion during the construction of the Castillo dating to the mid 17th century. The excavations uncovered several foundations. One foundation, a 17th century pole-and-frame, could have been associated with Native American workers brought to build the Castillo. The second, a shell foundation, is most likely belonged to an 18th century structure related to the population boom after the construction of the Castillo. The most prominent artifact was a 17th century bronze metal of St. Onofruis, patron saint of weavers.
In 1964, St. Augustine built the current building in celebration of the 400th anniversary of its founding in 1565. In the 1990s, the building was used as an exchange school for a university in Spain. The school sold it back to St. Augustine and after sitting vacant for several years; today, it holds several stores and restaurants.
Researched, written, and narrated by University of West Florida Public History Student Kelcie Lloyd
