Governor’s House Library

Governor’s House Library is managed jointly by UF Historic St. Augustine, Inc., and the UF George A. Smathers Libraries with the mission of preserving and providing access to the historical resources that enhance our understanding and appreciation of St. Augustine’s built heritage. Primarily created by a defunct state agency, the Historic St. Augustine Preservation Board, the collections in the Governor’s House Library document the city’s built environment and provide invaluable historical information about the city and its inhabitants through time.

About the Library Our Collections

Temporary Exhibit | May 2024 – today

Pics: Photographs from UFHSA Governor’s House Library

Please join us for our newest exhibit “Pics: Photographs from UFHSA Governor’s House Library” at Governor’s House Cultural Center and Museum! Staff members volunteered to select from our collection of nearly 28,000 print photographs, negatives, and slides. Each accompanying their picks with a written statement explaining their connections to ideas and places in the images. “Pics” opens in conjunction with the St. Augustine History Festival (May 8-12, 2024).

An exhibit poster for "PICS: PHOTOGRAPHS FROM UFHSA LIBRARY" at Governor's House Cultural Center and Museum.

digital collections

Governor’s House Library Digital Collections

Access digitized material from the Governor’s House Library collections wherever you are through the Historic St. Augustine collection hosted by the University of Florida Digital Collections.

black and white historic image of the city gates in St. Augustine, FL

Guides @ UF

Governor’s House Library and St. Augustine

“Governor’s House Library and St. Augustine” is a guide of resources and information for researching the history of St. Augustine and using the Governor’s House Library collections.

A color photograph of the University of Florida mascot Alberta the Alligator as a stuffed animal sitting in front of a computer screen in an archive.

Source: The Magazine of the University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries

Zora Neale Hurston in St. Augustine: A Collaboration Between Libraries, Museums, and Theatre

Celebrated Black writer, anthropologist, and folklorist Zora Neale Hurston visited St. Augustine, Florida, several times over the course of her life, most memorably in 1927 and 1942. This article highlights the cross-institutional and cross-community effort to tell the story of this lesser-known part of Hurston’s life and career that emerged between St. Augustine and Gainesville.