*


XIMENEZ-FATIO HOUSE
PROPOSED PLAN OF PROGRESS


Based on Communications from:

Mr. Wm. Murtaugh, Director, Dated March, 1963
Department of Education,
National Trust for Historic Preservation,
815 17th Street, N. W.
Washington, D. C.

Mr. Earle Newton, Executive Director Dated April, 1963
St. Augustine Historical Restoration and
Preservation Commission
P. 0. Box 484, 46 St. George Street,
St. Augustine, Florida

1) Follow Mr. Murtaugh's Recommendations (1) through (6)

2) Restore the original Spanish Store of the period 1798, which Andres Ximenez
maintained in his home. Furnishing this Store with exact copies of the
various articles in his Inventory. Also selling in this shop useful,
educational and inexpensive items. Possibly Spanish imports.

We have a sketch of the physical aspects of this proposed Store by Dr.
Alfred Manucy, National Park Service. The Store should be located in
the North Room, on Aviles Street, which has the door into the garden. Cost?

3) The House should be open all year around with caretaker-guide service and
admission charged.

Tours through House could be timed at regular intervals. The public
waiting and possibly buying in the Store. The garage could be remodelled
(Spanish style) heated and air conditioned, to include living room, bedroom,
bath and kitchenette. This would provide living quarters for the manager
or caretaker. Cost?

4) Moderate Cost Suggestions:

Dormer windows with clipped back eaves (as in earliest photographs) Cost?

Restore original Spanish Wall on Aviles Street by removing iron and fill
in with coquina, raising same to a higher level. Cost?

Plant fast growing loquat trees to block out view of modern houses visible
over garden wall, on West side of property. Cost?

5) Major Projects:

Acquire two lots in the rear of the house and remove the modern houses
thereon.






















PJ i H]





EARLE W. NEWTON, Executive Director


STORICAL RESTORATION AND
PRESERVATION COMMISSION
A FLORIDA STATE COMMISSION


April 18, 1963


.P. 0. Box 484
46 St. George St.
ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA


Mrs. Julia J. Moseley
34O Charlotte Street
St. Augustine, Fla.

Dear Mrs. Moseleyt

With the quadricentennial year of 1965 approaching, we would like very
much to confer with a committee of the Colonial Dames as to the development of
projects which might represent their contribution to the celebration of this
most important national anniversary. I should think that these activities
might well center around the already handsomely restored Fatio House maintained
by the Colonial Dames.

I wonder if I might make a couple of minor suggestions which might be
done at a moderate cost in relationship to the house, which would carry its
restoration along much further by 19657? For example, you will notice that the
earliest photographs of the house show the dormer windows with clipped back
eaves. If this could be done it would help immensely in the authentic exterior
appearance of the house. Perhaps also you would be able to restore the original
Spanish wall along Aviles Street. It would not be necessary to completely des-
troy the modern wall which stands there at the present time in order to do this,
since a large portion of it is of coquina. It would only be necessary to remove
the iron and fill in with coquina and raise it to a higher level.

Two major projects which might be considered would be the acquisition
of the two lots to the rear of the house, and the removal of the modern houses
there, which detract so much from the Fatio House on the Cadiz Street side.
Doing this would complete the entire block on the Cadiz, Aviles and Artillery
Lano sides. At a later date, or as a part of this project, you might like to
restore the one or two small houses which stood on this property on Cadiz Street,
which could be rented for income if desired.


HERBERT E. WOLFE
CHAIRMAN
P. 0. BOX 1381
Y,. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA


WILLIAM L. SIMS, II
8EC.-TREAS.
P. 0. BOX 0871
ORLANDO, FLORIDA


J. SAXTON LLOYD
VICE CHAIRMAN
284-980 N. BEACH STREET
DAYTONA BEACH. FLORIDA


EDWARD BALL
80O FLA. NATIONAL BANK BLDO.
JACKSONVILLE i. FLORIDA


SAM T. DELL
200 N. K. FIRST STREET
P.O. Box ItS
SAINESVILLE. FLORIDA


v \j

^ jN
V '

tl


'K'


\ \


1
1,~

N,

\~ \~


\





















Mrs. Julia J. Moseley


Then there is also the project of Andres Ximenes, store. Judgng from
the documents which your historical album includes, the store--for which you
have a remarkably complete inventory--stood in one of the buildings near the
house which no longer exists. It is possible that archaeological research
could locate this. If you like, we would be very glad to provide expert super-
vision for such an archaeological effort. If for any reason it would be im-
possible to rebuild this and equip it by 1965, you might even install it
temporarily in the building which stands on your property and which had pre-
viously been rented. Some modest changes to the building as it stands could
turn it into an adequate temporary Spanish building which could house the store
until the original could be authentically rebuilt.

We would also be very glad to confer with the Society to see if there
is any way in which the house could be open more often. It is one of the out-
standing restored properties in St. Augustine, and I am sure it is a great
disappointment to many visitors who come on days other than Thursday, in the
winter, not to be able to see it.

I think you might also want to give the house its proper historic
title. From the documents, it seems rather clear that Andres limenes built this
house between 1797 and 1803. It ought to carry his name. However, it has been
known so long as the Fatio House, that you might like to consider a combination
name, such Ximenes-Fatio House. This would preserve the local and sentimental
connections with the Fatio family, but give the building the name of its first
owner, as is proper in all historic house terminology. Undoubtedly the real
original Fatio house will be rebuilt by the Restoration within a few years, and
then we would have two Fatio houses.

It was pleasant to have you with us on the trip to Spain; you contri-
buted a great deal of good humor. I hope you have fully recovered from the
exhausting effects of the experience.

Cordially,



Earle W. e won
Executive Director
EWN/mr


page two


April 18, 1963









1r0 W.lliUPm Mfur'tugh of the National Trust, on orgrnization chartered by Con(;r- s
n cn o n a of the Public Parks Service to educate end stimulate interest in proaer-
va.ion,, ad to deal with the probl-nms of interpretation, administration, furnishings
ond rctorati.on, mot with the Beard of the Nationcl Society of the Colonial Dames
of America in the Sta.e of Florida at the Fatio Houce in St. Augu3tine After
studying the house, its furnishings e.id available history, he thought we should
decide what Interpretation of thin house we were trying to give the public. Do
wo winh to be a gallery casetype museum of St. Augustine in general, or do we vwnt
to present the house itself end the family life of the original owner?

We aro fortunate to have an original house, and recording to Mr. Earl Newton, Chairman
of the Riatoration Co~nmnsion in St, Auguatin6, "The best old private house in town."
Furthermore, we have available en architect's drawing of the house as sketched by
the C C,, Co in the 1930's end on file in the Library of Congress, an inventory and
final. will of Ximinoz, the Spaniard who built the house in 1795 1798, unusually
good source material as a beginning to doing genealogical re search on the family
and establishing a socio-economic picture.

Mro Mirtaugh recommended we:

1) s 1 oke a statement of our aims a collective decision.

2) Formulate a master plan -- a written policy of a step by step development
of our attempt to recapture the house.

3)s Do extensive reacarch, realizing documentation is a mandatory investment of
money

4h) Change name to Ximinez House and furnish appropriately.

5): Estoblish an Acquisitions Committee, which should be strong, not permanent,
have an odd number and outside members vho will stay slaves to the master
pl.an

6): Eatabllsh good public relations and aeseciations with other historical and
restoration societies

He suggested a process of procedure moving slowly:

1): Leave the house as it is for nov.

2): Writji up on one sheet for the publics

WhC livad in the house.
What vicinsitude it had undergone.
Information for certain perl.od,
State m&astor plan being dramno

3): D-,,wlop gallery room with emphasis on St, Augustine and Florida returning
other things where they belong,.

4): Appoint Raseorch end Acquisitions Conmmittees

5): charge admission.

6): Bave small shop with useful, educational and inexpensive items.

R omb:ro a imu~ein house is a three dimensional historical document and is worth
sav~ on the criteria of oarhitecturoe, or association with a historical person,
or both.,

'Too house should be historically factual or approximate it as closely as possible.
mo .e can buy a&n old house, fill it with old furniture and open it to the public as
.n (ornp]. of the social history of St. Augustine during a certain period but ve
should not foist off a historical lie on the public.

it is obvious we do not know here we are going. Our first floor is all wrong, and our
second floor over furnished, and not properly furnished.
I 0 *













9 4fr9
ft^ -

&)&A~t tayLl
J~3 & ^*~4

~~L~&^8 7JR v


(^i -t^^ r


(j7
























9


y

/


/


7)
C---,


*


1.-