Governor’s House Library contains a wealth of information on the history of St. Augustine in the 20th century and the evolution of its built environment. Below you’ll find more information about each of our collections, finding aids and other digital resources available to you from wherever you are.
governor's house library
Research Collection
Our Research Collection contains archaeology records, historical research, interpretive material, and administrative files that were both collected and created by the Historic St. Augustine Preservation Board in their efforts to reconstruct Spanish Colonial properties in St. Augustine. These records provide us with contextual information that helps us better understand the changes made to St. Augustine's streetscape over time. The Research Collection is currently being reprocessed; please email library staff for the current state and holdings of this collection.
governor's house library
Map Collection
Our Map Collection contains nearly 900 maps of St. Augustine, Florida, and the Southeastern United States. Many of our maps were collected from other cultural heritage institutions around the globe and were primarily used by the Preservation Board to pinpoint the exact location of the original homes they reconstructed. They date from the late 1500s all the way to the 1980s. Click the link below to see a detailed list of our map holdings.
governor's house library
Photograph Collection
Our photograph collection consists of over 28,000 photographs in slide, negative, and print format. Most of these photographs were taking by Preservation Board staff members between 1959-1997 and illustrate their work and the evolution of the built environment in St. Augustine. Many of these photos are unique to our collection and are a valuable resource in exploring the more recent history of St. Augustine. Click the link below to see a detailed list of our photograph holdings.
governor's house library
Architecture Collection
Our Architecture Collection contains original design records for each building restored or reconstructed by the Preservation Board, as well as the 1900, 1935, and 1968 renovations to Government House. We also hold a variety of Historic American Building Survey drawings of historic buildings in Northeast Florida. Click the link below to see a detailed list of our design records.
governor's house library
Digital Collections
Many of our collection items have been digitized and are available for patrons to access remotely through the University of Florida's Digital Collections. We look forward to continuing to add digital material to our site in the future. To access the digitized items from Governor's House Library, clink the link below.
Other Online Resources
For additional online resources, we encourage you to visit our Facebook and Instagram pages, our pages on WhatWasThere and HistoryPin, and our blog, which is accessible through the Blog tab on this website. You may also find information useful to you on the website for Governor’s House Cultural Center and Museum.