First Congregation Sons of Israel

 First Congregation Sons of Israel

St. Augustine, Florida

April 9, 2022

Before the synagogue was completed in 1923, Eastern Europeans who settled after the Civil War, held ceremonies in each others homes. The name "First Congregation" refers to the European Sons being the first of the area. Originally opened as an Orthodox synagogue, women and children sat above in a loft, while the men would attend the pews directly in front of the bimah. More settlers from Russia and Poland who came to St. Augustine, spoke a different language and had a different culture from the rest of the city. When the synagogue opened in 1924, it was welcoming to these folks as well as their beliefs. Since the opening, it has been troubled with the weathering of hurricanes, forcing it to be renovated and restored to how we see it today.

https://www.firstcongregationsonsofisrael.com/history

Exterior Picture 1

Exterior Picture 2

Artifact Picture 1

The Star of David that is in the center of the sanctuary is a remodeled version of the one that was there before it. The original was made of plaster but it was made to mush and was completely destroyed from the weather of St. Augustine. A student from Flagler College got a design and sent it to an architect who sent it to a contractor and had the design for the new Star of David made. After they had hoisted it into the air and attached it to the ceiling, they noticed that they had forgotten to paint it. They brought in a gorilla lift and had two Flagler students take turns going up and painting it to the beautiful gold color we see in this image.

Artifact Picture 2

Due to the high temperatures of Florida, regular panes of glass would keep too much heat within the synagogue, therefore resulting in the usage of stained glass. In the late 1950s, the three daughters of the founding rabbi discovered a synagogue that was being deconstructed overseas. Instead of wasting the beautiful art, they decided to reach out and ask for the stained glass windows that were made in 1873. They soon had them shipped out which is how we see the stained leaded glass in place today. Trying to restore the windows from a few breaks in the glass, the great grandson of the creator of these windows was contacted and brought over to fix them. He restored all 15 windows and that is how they are all still in perfect condition. 

Image 1 In Conversation

https://www.stjmod.com/becoming-catholic-rcia.html

The First Congregation Sons of Israel synagogue used to have a mikvah in its earliest years. A mikvah is a pool of natural water that would be used for women to bath in. However, it was also used as a specific method of conversion. Conversion as in the force to changed faith. Made out of the same coquina, native to Florida and popular in St. Augustine, they decided to cover it up after the building was finished.

The mikvah that has since been hidden, reminds me of a baptism in Catholic faith. In the Christian faith, in order to be admitted to the church, one can be sprinkled on the head with water or fully submerged. This mikvah, even though having different functions, is similar to baptism in that it is a pool of water that is used for people to be submerged in, relating to a faith.

Image 2 In Conversation

https://visualculturelc.blogspot.com/search/label/A%20History%20of%20VC%20Chapter%2012

The back wall of the sanctuary displays memorial boards called tablets. On each tablet are plates that contain a name in English and in Hebrew. Some plates only have death dates while others have a birth and death date. The plaques are purchased by members who have them engraved so that loved ones will always be remembered. The oldest board was from 1940 and although they seem to be in good shape, water damage destroyed the lights that went up the sides of the board.

The tablets in the synagogue are similar to this monument pictured above. A young architect by the name of Maya Lin, designed this Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in 1982. It stands in Washington D.C. with an original 57,939 names on it. The Wall was created into the Earth with the intentions of easy access for visitors. Being a reasonable height of seven feet tall, each name on The Wall can be acknowledged without going unseen. The visitors can also tough the wall, giving this memorial an extremely emotional touch. Like the Vietnam Veteran Memorial, the tablets in the synagogue give the viewers a sense of acknowledgement for the ones who have passed.

Literature In Conversation

Panel from Parable Of The Sower

"People tend to give in/ To fear and depression,/ To need and greed./ When no influence is strong enough/ To unify people/ They divide./ They struggle,/ One against one,/ Group against group,/ For survival, position, power."

This excerpt from page 82 of Parable Of The Sower displays a section of Earthseed that Lauren writes. Lauren's writing in this section of Earthseed, closely resonates with what the tour guide from the synagogue had told us. The tour guide had said that when the Russians, Polands, and other Eastern Europeans had settled in St. Augustine they were discriminated. Because these people spoke different languages, had different cultural backgrounds, and most importantly practiced a different religion, they were looked down upon and excluded from the community that was St. Augustine.

When Lauren writes, "When no influence is strong enough/ To unify people/ They divide," it creates a direct connection to how the European settlers were one of the groups of St. Augustine's divided nature. The Muslim faith against Christianity, created a separation between the Spanish dissent already in St. Augustine and the new Islamic settlers. Although the division was true for the separation of both faiths, the Islamic faith was strong enough to bring those who did settle together. Creating the synagogue was an effort to create a community for the Sons of Israel, as they were excluded from the community of St. Augustine.

Creative Component

Castillo De San Marcos

 Castillo De San Marcos

St. Augustine, Florida

March 31, 2022

Constructed from 1672 to 1695, the Castillo De San Marcos has been used to learn about the history of St. Augustine and Florida for nearly 450 years. The original build of 9 wooden forts, Castillo was finally funded by Spain for the protection of Spaniards living here. With 18 years of renovation, the fort in 1756 is what the Spanish would finally call a finished product. With multiple attacks, the fort was home too many innocent people trying to protect themselves along with their city. The attacks and new conquerors also brought a numerous amount of renovations to the fort which makes it a bit different than it was when the Spanish were here. Meticulously and carefully constructed, every aspect of the fort has a purpose that protected the people and the City of St. Augustine.

https://www.nps.gov/casa/index.htm

Exterior Picture 1

A photo from the northwestern corner of the fort, highlighting three of the four bastions.

Exterior Picture 2

This photo displays the fort wall that was put up as part of the moat. When Spain had control over the fort, the moat was never filled with water. It wasn't until 1937 that the National Park Service dug out the moat deeper than it once was, and opened the flood gates letting high tides flood in. Years later, damage to the fort walls resulted from the filled moat leading the National Park Service to drain out all of the water and fill back in the moat to its original depth.

Artifact Picture 1

The Castillo De San Marcos is entirely created from coquina rock. Coquina is composed of shells and sediments that have been compressed together into layers of rock. It is the only source of rock found native to Florida and St. Augustine specifically which made the unique rock the only source for a stone fort. The exceptional rock is porous which was important in the use  of constructing the fort. The top of the fort is about 9 feet thick, while the base stands at a thickness of 18 feet. The porous composition of coquina can absorb the hits of cannons and other attacks, rather than shattering under the impact. National Park Service Ranger Jill explained coquina with the apology of a bb bullet hitting styrofoam. The impact is absorbed rather than deteriorating. It was time consuming to work with the coquina as you had to dry it out to then cut and construct, however the strength and durability of the fort was a successful outcome. 

Artifact Picture 2

The Castillo De San Marcos is a square structure with four bastions at each of the four corners. Inside of the cavity of each bastion is filled with dirt, shells, rock, and construction debris to keep the base solid and durable. The bastions were used to eliminate the blind spots of interlocking fields of fire. The bastions are diamond in shape, and with someone on each corner of the diamond, it ensured that whoever was protecting the fort could see all sides of the structure. Since they are pointed bastions and not curved, there were no blind spots, an enemy or visitor could be spotted from standing at one of the posts on the corners. 

Image 1 In Conversation

https://www.nps.gov/foma/index.htm

Fort Matanzas is another beautiful fort here in St. Augustine. Fort Matanzas was constructed nearly 50 years after Fort Castillo was finished. It stands on A1A heading south towards Daytona, about 30 minutes from Flagler College. Like Fort Castillo, Fort Matanzas is also made of coquina rock to hold its strong structure for almost 300 years. In addition, Fort Matanzas is also on the water on the intercostal. It is much smaller than Fort Castillo in size and in height. Fort Matanzas shares many similarities with Fort Castillo as both have defended the Spanish Military.

Image 2 In Conversation

https://www.historyextra.com/period/second-world-war/holocaust-world-war-two-facts-deaths-survivors-jews-concentration-camps-died-final-solution/

On a much larger scale, the containment of Jews in the German concentration camps from the Holocaust, is similar to the containment of the prisoners in Fort Castillo. The Jews under the rule of Hitler, were not able to leave or even live in Germany. They were kept in rooms and inside walls of barbed wire. The prisoners from The Fort were kept behind the walls of the fort in a dark room. The escape from a concentration camp was nearly impossible but few did escape. There are multiple novels on people who had escaped a concentration camp and Germany. Like the few Jews that did escape, the prisoners of Fort Castillo did end up escaping out of a window that was smaller than most of their bodies.

Literature In Conversation

Panel from Parable Of The Sower

"That was before Dad's parents were robbed and murdered. Before there was a neighborhood wall. Crazy to live without a wall to protect you."

These few lines from Parable Of The Sower resonate closely with the purpose of the fort. In these lines, the speaker, Lauren, is describing life before the wall that she currently lives in. The life her father lived without the wall surrounding their community was dangerous and unpleasant to live in such an uneasy fashion. The Castillo De San Marcos was this source of protection for the Spaniards that were being attacked by the British in 1702. They were forced to live inside the fort for 51 days on quartered rations. About to surrender, they were finally able to get a ship to Havana, Cuba. The fort walls saved them from the dangers that the Englishmen from Charleston instilled upon them, much like the walls of Lauren's community were in place to protect her from "maggots" that lived on the outside of the wall.

Creative Component

The wet and saturated ground,

I sink with any sudden movement.

In the dark we all walk around,

One guard to keep our amusement.

He talked of outside and escape,

Us inside, wept and tried to think.

A place of freedom, not stuck in a diamond shape,

The sky would be blue, yellow, orange, and pink.

The guard offered us to leave,

We all followed with a plan.

"Out the window," he said, like thieves,

Twenty of us, squeezing out of the shelter, we ran.

Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center

 Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center

St. Augustine, Florida

March 24, 2022

In 1866, black men and women created a community called Lincolnville that preserves the rich black history is St. Augustine. The Lincolnville Museum was originally the first black high school in St. Augustine and the building was preserved in order to preserve the stories and lives of black folks who lived here. Black history is often overlooked in St. Augustine despite all of the major historical events that have taken place here. The Old Town Trolleys don't even drive by the Lincolnville Museum or any of West St. Augustine, where black families have lived throughout the past. Currently the museum is a space to learn about significant events and people that changed the way that their community is preserved. The museum is also a space of cultural inclusion, with jazz music and more preserved factors of black lives in St. Augustine.

https://www.lincolnvillemuseum.org

Exterior Picture 1

The outside of the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center with the original sign from when Excelsior High School was the first black high school in St. Augustine.

Exterior Picture 2

Artifact Picture 1

This is an image of a red flapper dress on loan from a resident of St. Augustine's black community. In the 1920s young women started to display a careless, free, and independent attitude. The young women were called flappers and they pushed the limits and challenge every aspect of life from social barriers to political issues, as well as economic stigmas. The flappers of the 20s were considered the first free women in America due to their efforts in creating a new approach to how people visualize women. 

Flappers wore these extravagant dresses as a symbol of their freedom because these dresses were used as a statement for open sexuality and high fashion. The dresses were shorter which was considered rebellious because women weren't supposed to show too much skin. The flappers were a huge turning point in the development on women behavior in America's history.

Artifact Picture 2

The counter top showed at this diner is significant to the history of colored people in St. Augustine. Woolworth lunch counter on March 15, 1960 is where Florida Memorial College Students would have held a sit-in to protest against the racism occurring across the country. College students all over the country help sit-ins in protest, however this diner was one of the most well known sit-in locations in St. Augustine between 1960 and 1963.

Image 1 In Conversation

https://www.jwpepper.com/American-Voices/10317459.item#.YjzRZi9h1-U

American Voices is a play created to celebrate the American Century. Being a world leader in the late 1800s, the 20th century of America was looking bright. It touches on the new found patriotism from the end of World War I, the hard work involved during the Great Depression, and the pastimes that Americans enjoyed. Jazz music, singing, dancing, flappers, social and cultural change, and much more.

In third grade my entire class performed this play and this museum brought back memories of the songs that I had to memorize. Martin Luther King Jr., flappers, Elvis Presley and Louis Armstrong, are all people that were significant in the new frontier of American pastimes. I remember the play doing a great job of including the high points, such as jazz, and the low points with the Great Depression and racism. However, the play itself is directly correlated to the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center as it touches on many cultures of the 20th century.

Image 2 In Conversation

https://www.npr.org/2019/06/22/732675892/satchmo-in-his-adolescence-1915-film-clip-may-show-young-louis-armstrong

Louis Armstong is the most influential artist in the history of jazz music. His music played on the trumpet is how jazz is now considered a fine art. He transformed the way that music was classically made, by following notes. Louis was known for improvising solos and his solos created a focal point on the music he played. Now, jazz is most notably known for the instrumental solos that hit a wide variety of notes composed perfectly.

Literature In Conversation

Excerpt from Poetry of St. Augustine by Ann Browning Masters

"My version of this time period, however, represents a pre-memory and memory of the people and situations around me and is not representative of every lived experience of the time. Some of the oral traditions and stories made up and embellished by the tellers, passed along in ears long gone, changed eventually by a telephone game's reputation. Some known-for-a-fact events are occasionally described differently by two different Floridanos, Menorcans, or Crackers. The poetry of place sings here, but not always with the same words for everyone."

Ann Browning Masters is a poet that writes about Menorcan history in St. Augustine from a Menorcan perspective. With the oral history that she does have, she puts together a narrative of what most reliably happened and what life was like. Masters is attempting to preserve the history that wasn't documented by the Menorcans or any witnesses. Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center is carrying out the same acts of preservation for the black community in St. Augustine, as Ann Browning Masters has done for the Menorcan community. Like the Menorcans, black history in St. Augustine has been poorly recorded and preserved. With only oral histories, we make the inferences and stories from the black community as Ann Browning Masters has done for the Menorcans. 

Creative Component

These boots are exhibited in the Lincolnville Museum. They belong to J. Edgar Hoover, the founder and first Director of the FBI in 1935. Hoover has also made a number of modernizations to police technology including fingerprint files and forensic labs.

The Lightner Museum

 The Lightner Museum

St. Augustine, Florida

March 10, 2022

Prior to being a museum, the Lightner Museum was a hotel created by Henry Flagler. Otto Curtis Lightner started out as a typer for The Daily Journal newspaper for Kansas City. He became the president of the Associated Trade Press Company which then led him to the start of his own company The Lightner Publishing Company. Lightner made a magazine named Hobbies where he showed off his collections of antique furniture, coins, rocks, minerals, glassware, autographs, stamps, and so much more. The Alcazar Hotel was bought by Lightner in 1947 as a place to store all of his collections. Currently it is a museum for people to see all of collectibles as well as a restaurant that elaborately stands in St. Augustine on King Street.

Lightner Museum Website: https://lightnermuseum.org

Exterior Picture 1

The Lightner Museum from the east side of the lawn.

Exterior Picture 2

Walking through the initial entrance brings you too an extravagant courtyard with a fountain, mini bridge, and plenty of vegetation. 

Artifact Picture 1

Lithography is an iconic printing process of the 1880s. The process is explained as printing from a flat surface where grease is placed on areas where the ink should stick and not placed where the the ink should not stick or the areas of open space. This is an example of a lithograph printed on parchment done by an unknown artist. The artifact is expected to have come from a Victorian home in Chicago where Lightner had lived. This piece was added to his collection around 1930 and it goes with many of his glasswork pieces.

Artifact Picture 2

Louis Comfort Tiffany was a significant man in the discipline of art, glasswork specifically. His discovery for his love of working with glass started in 1875 where he mainly focused on stained glass pieces. The unique designs and transformation of glass to art made him America's first, and best, glass creator. His business, Tiffany Studios, biggest customer was Louis Comfort Tiffany and he collected his artwork for years.

This piece named Prima is a lead glass window panel made in New York around 1924. It is part of the Aesthetic Movement in art which originated in Britain and swept across America in the mid 1860s. The movement focused on the flamboyant environment of art that allow more individuals to connect to the beauty of art. The environment of this piece includes the floral creations draping down the exterior of the panel, as well as a goddess who is beautifully wrapped in a white robe along with flowers draping around her head. Prima was expected to be made for a buyer who wasn't looking for something too expensive due to its smaller size, however the beauty captured is adored throughout the Aesthetic Movement. 

Image 1 In Conversation

https://visualculturelc.blogspot.com/search/label/A%20History%20of%20VC%20Chapter%202

Analyzing the first artifact pictured previously in the blog, there are numerous messages we can take from the clothing, to the scenery, to the color scheme. It is very similar to this piece of artwork named "Liberty Leading the People" by Eugene Delacriox. Both have characteristics that challenge the authority of male leadership. 

Delacriox's art pictures a women leading the France through the First French Revolution and the artifact in Lightner's collection is an Indian women holding an American flag. Both women are shown above the other individuals in the photo as if they are superior and in power. They hoist their heads high above the rest of the people pictured and they hold their flags high in the air showing their determination and fight for liberty. The women are also wearing red caps on their heads, originally worn by working class people, then changed to a symbol of liberty. Another similarity is the exposed breasts. Exposing of breasts in contemporary art symbolizes goddesses and power. 

In both works of art, the women are represented as a symbol of liberty. 

Image 2 In Conversation

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Dining_Hall_at_Flagler_College.jpg

Flagler College shares a lot in common with the Lightner Museum. The dining hall and the Ponce de Leon Hotel share one of the largest collections of Tiffany stained glass totaling nearly $3.5 million worth. These sites, being only 100 yards apart, both share a presence of Louis Comfort Tiffany and his art. Otto Lightner's fascination with Tiffany's stained glass led not only to the installation of the same glass into the Ponce de Leon Hotel, but he ended his life with his collection right next to another collection as remarkable as his. The Lightner Museum and the Ponce de Leon Hotel show the presence of Tiffany's art, making their structures significantly popular.

Literature In Conversation

Excerpt from "Sonnet XVII" by Pablo Neruda

"I don't love you as if you were a rose of salt, topaz / or arrow of carnations that propagate fire: / I love you as one loves certain obscure things,"

The speaker is convincing the subject of his writings that he doesn't love them in the generative way that people adore these precious things. A salt-rose, topaz, and the alluring arrow on fire, are all objects that catch the attention of common people. These are objects traditionally loved by everyone, however, the speaker is saying that his love isn't traditional or typical. His love for her is much deeper than the surface level of the beauty that is adored by these signs of love. 

This is contrary to what Otto Lightner and his museum represent. Otto Lightner is a collector of all things commonly admired by people. Lightner Museum is filled with incredible collections that are respected by everyone that visits and especially Lightner himself. In opposition to the way that the speaker of Pablo Neruda's sonnet expresses his affection for his lover, Otto Lightner is a collector of the typically cherished items that attract the eye of individuals.

Creative Component

Tolomato Cemetery

 Tolomato Cemetery

St. Augustine, Florida

February 24, 2022

The Tolomato Cemetery was in use up until 1884 and it consists of the three major time periods in St. Augustine. It was first the place of the Indian Mission in the First Spanish Period, then later it was a British Cemetery when the Minorcans had moved here during the British Period, and finally a Cathedral Cemetery during the Second Spanish Period. During the Early Statehood Period and after the Civil War, the cemetery was when there was a halt to people be buried here. This cemetery consists of 1000 people of different ethnic and national backgrounds in its tight enclosure of only 1 acre. The burials in the Tolomato Cemetery include those from Spain, Cuba, Ireland, Minorca, Italy, Greece, Africa, Haiti, France, and America. Currently the space is used for tours as well as research on the people buried here along with their genealogical history of their descendants.

http://www.tolomatocemetery.com

Exterior Picture 1

This is a photo from the front entrance of the Tolomato Cemetery on Cordova St.

Exterior Picture 2

The beautiful landscape of the Tolomato Cemetery as pictured.

Artifact Picture 1

This is the grave of 16 year old Elizabeth Forrester and it has the title of the oldest marked (named and dated) burial in the state of Florida in 1798. She was from Philadelphia and it is speculated, based on other discovered records, that she and her family had moved to St. Augustine from the outbreak of tuberculosis. Elizabeth's marker is one of one-hundred and five that lice in the Tolomato Cemetery.

The grave  tells us that her family was well off due to the stone itself. Because Florida has no natural stone, families would have to order marble form Charleston, Georgia, or New York. There was also an imported marble stone from Italy that the well-known family names would use to show their class in society. Although any marble stone showed upper class fortune, the difference between the Georgia marble and the Italian marble is that the Georgia marble weakens easily, develops layers, and is quite veiny. Meanwhile the Italian marble is durable and very long-lasting. Evidently in the picture, this seems to be a Georgia marble due to its flaking and veiny nature. 

Another observation that can be taken from this site is the above ground tomb. The above ground burial points to a Spanish background, as the Spanish preferred this type of burial. 

Artifact Picture 2

The row of stones captured in the photograph represent some of the Veterans of the Civil War. It was part of President Truman's and President Eisenhower's efforts to recognize these fighters with markers. If you look closely at the top of the grave you can see that there is a symbol that represents that of a Veteran. They also have CSA engraved on them which stands for Confederate States of America. In St. Augustine during the time of the Civil War, there were many differing opinions. Some residents liked the Confederacy, while other didn't. However, these men's lives were preserved through respecting that they fought in the war.

Image In Conversation 1

https://antiques.lovetoknow.com/Civil_War_Political_Cartoons

At a stop in the tour, the tour guide showed us the graves of the soldiers from the Civil War. All of their graves have the symbol of a veteran however they also have CSA printed on it. CSA or the Confederate States of America, reminded me of a political cartoon that my professor of United States History class showed us. This political cartoon shows the controversy, debate, and trouble that the country faced regarding the Civil War.

Image In Conversation 2

https://www.mykindofitaly.com/post/michelangelo-s-marble-mountains

This is the quarry where white marble is extracted in Carrara, Italy. This precious metamorphosed rock has to be drilled with a diamond bit in order to even pierce its hard surface. It is cut to separate the vertical planes that are visible in the picture. The marble stone from the grave sites, if the family was wealthy enough, would come from this quarry pictured. As discussed before, the Carrara Italian marble was the best stone you could have. Obtaining this beautiful rock would show the class of the family on the stone. This quarry can actually be toured either on a tour or by yourself.

Literature In Conversation

Excerpt from "Habitat Threshold" by Craig Santos Perez

"We do not know which to fear more, / the terror of change / or the terror of uncertainty,"

In this stanza from "Thirteen Ways Of Looking At A Glacier," the speaker is expanding on the human emotion fear. He elaborates that humans fear change as much as we fear the unknown. In this poem specifically, the speaker is expressing the change of the environment and how the lack of our efforts to preserve are changing Earth rapidly. However, the lack of preservation makes us scared of the outcome that is coming upon us. This fear of change being expressed in the poem by Perez is similar to how humans typically fear death. The inclusion of the third line of the stanza, "or the terror of uncertainty," is most closely related to our fear of death. One of the main reasons that we fear death is because of the uncertainty of afterlife as well as the uncertainty of how we pass. However, there is simply no way to get past this fear other than to accept that change is normal. Change is normal. Death is normal.

Creative Component

Oldest House Complex

 Oldest House Complex

St. Augustine, Florida

February 17, 2022

The Oldest House in Florida stands on Charlotte St in St. Augustine Florida. This house was originally a single story structure and the original house was taken down due to the burnings and riots that happened in the late 1600s. Rebuilt between the years 1703 and 1707, the house has evidence of the first Spanish settlers from their work done on the first floor of the house. It also contained artifacts and evidence from the British settlers from the addition of the second floor of the house. Overtime, the St. Augustine Historical Society has put together artifacts from all time periods, including when Americans had moved into the house as well. All of the cultures and individuals that have lived in this house may still not be known, however there are enough artifacts and history to acknowledge the people we do know of that have lived out their daily lives here. 

https://staughs.com/oldest-house-museum-complex/

Exterior Picture 1

This is an image of the kitchen at the Oldest House Complex. Fires were very common in cooking during this time, therefore it was preferable to have a detached kitchen so that if there was a fire, the house was still safe.

Exterior Picture 2

The wall that is connected to the house and separating the street from he courtyard, has three holes. Placed in each of these holes are three conch shells.

Artifact Picture 1

The bottom floor of the Oldest House has a room that was what the original house consisted of. With the documentation that the historical Society does have, they have confirmed that 14 people were living in the same room all together. This is a picture of what is called a rat rack. It was something that guarded the food and if a rat happened to get all the way up to the food, it scared the rats. Only being held up by the ropes that are photographed, the unstable surface would sway back and forth, forcing the rats to jump off. Rats were common in the house because there were no windows panes. Instead, there were wooden planks to form a cage on the outside of the house to blockade the windows. Unfortunately this allowed for rats and other pests to enter.

Artifact Picture 2

This artifact is placed in the middle of the original room of the oldest house. This device is not for cooking, but for keeping mosquitos out of the house. Window panes were something that only the wealthy had, and given that 14 people lived in this small space, it is clear that these people were not wealthy. Since the windows didn't have panes and were only barricaded by wooden cages, it was inevitable that insects were always in the house. This would keep the mosquitos away from the amount of smoke that would billow out of it. It is known that the amount of smoke from this device was very harmful to the people that lived there. The wooden cage on the windows also allowed for some of this smoke to escape but the mass amount of it was detrimental to the individuals living here.

Image in Conversation 1

https://www.history.com/news/tenement-photos-jacob-riis-nyc-immigrants

Something that stuck with me  is when the tour guide said that an estimated 14 people, that they know of, had been living in the oldest house at the same time. In 8th grade history class we learned that in the 1880s, or the Industrial Revolution, immigrants would move to New York for jobs, better working conditions, and to live out the American Dream. Like the oldest house in St. Augustine, up to 18 people would cram into a single room called a tenement. During this time, New York City was disgusting from the lack of hygiene and care put into the city. Immigrants would cram into these rooms that were poorly lit, poorly ventilated, flooded with rats, diseases, and without plumbing, all to work so they could live in America. Living in the oldest house sounded awfully similar to the living conditions of the immigrants in New York City in the 1880s.

Image in Conversation 2

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_van_Eyck

The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck is an iconic piece of artwork. Analyzing the image we can see numerous items that might convey the couple's wealth. From the chandelier, to the clothing, to the structure that signifies the most wealth, the bed. The bed from the painting is similar to the bed on the second floor of the oldest house. As it was, the bed from the oldest house, along with the entire second floor, is from the British Era in St. Augustine. The tour guide had mentioned it being one of the most precious artifacts in the entire house as it also signifies the wealth. Parallel to the portrait, that bed frame was also a significant part of the painting due to its tall bed posts and red drapings. The bed in the oldest house and the bed in the image share many similarities.

Literature in Conversation

Excerpt from "Habitat Threshold" by Craig Santos Perez

"...who build who trust who bury who future who house who house who house on this our only"

In this poem "We Aren't The Only Species," Perez expresses all the ways that human life is similar to all other life forms. We carry out the same tasks, feel the same emotions, and react in similar ways to all species. The part of this poem that stands out to me is the emphasis of our way to house. The poem states three times, "who house," which is convincing that Perez wants to accentuate that all species "house." The definition to "house" means to provide living quarters or shelter. The first humans who built and designed the Oldest House in St. Augustine, prove that a natural behavior of species is to protect themselves. The Oldest House is an example of housing because it was not more than just shelter to the first people living there. The house wasn't a home because of the amount of people it housed and the small space. A home is a place of comfort and stability, which the first residents did not experience there. Perez's poem highlighting the importance of our species and the need to house is visible as to why the Oldest House in St. Augustine was built.

Creative Component

The soot filled my lungs. I couldn't breathe with all the smoke filling my lungs. The walls of the house entrapped all of the black smoke created by the fire pit. The air was thick and trickled out of the windows that were barricaded by wood. I had a feeling that getting bit by a few bugs was better than inhaling the black smog. Besides the smoke making it hard to breathe, there wasn't much air for all 14 of us to share. With 2 windows and only a small area for all of us to live in, we struggled to take deep breathes. I'm tired and desperately need sleep. We fall asleep on the hard ground with hardly an inch of barrier between us and the dirt. Trying to fall asleep, I hear someone next to me attempting to get a breath in. All I hear is the rattling of their lungs. A small stream of air, breathe in, breathe out. Their lungs rattling on the way in and on the way out, followed by coughs. Living in this house is a challenge, but I'm thankful for the shelter provided for me. 

The Saint Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine

 The Saint Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine

St. Augustine, Florida

February 10th, 2022

Built in 1749, the Saint Photios Greek Orthodox Chapel is the first national living memorial of the Greek immigrants and pioneers that resolved their search for a safe place in the Avero House. The Saint Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine website discusses the history of the sacred place that was once a home to daily life tasks and is now transformed into a decadent gallery with eye-capturing exhibits. In addition to the informative aspect of learning about the Spanish and British cultural background, the Chapel is also a place where members of the public can go and honor ancestors of their own.

https://stphotios.org/about/our-history/

Exterior Picture 1

The Saint Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine was described as being a Colonial Spanish house by expert and Executive Director, Ms. Polly Hillier. This is exposed in the lackluster appearance of the front of the house. The first placard on the house describes the heritage of the Avero family and the restoration of the sacred building that now stands on the same ground. The second signage emphasizes the Shrine itself, allowing the visitors to be enlightened on the worship and refuge undergone in this space. Furthermore, the sign also dedicates the shrine to the 400 Greeks that suffered in search of safety.

Exterior Picture 2

Ms. Polly Hillier elucidated why the courtyard is a barrier before going into the shrine. The Colonial Spanish culture of the house accounts for many of the creative aspects that might go as unnoticed unless furthered observed. The entrance of the shrine is not available from the street, exhibiting the degree of praise and worthiness that the shrine holds. Another observation that Ms. Hillier noted was that the roofs were flat. Again, the Colonial Spanish architecture included flat roofs that need an exceptional drainage system in order to direct the rain off of the roof to designated areas. The areas where water is to be channelled is packed with coquina rock to stop the pressure of rain pouring off the roof. Every aspect of the house, if observed meticulously, can be correlated to the Colonial heritage of the building.

Artifact Picture 1

James George Pleicones Couchell was the first executive director of the Saint Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine. Holding many titles from deacon to the holy priesthood, he later picked up the name Bishop Dimitrios of Xanthos. Bishop Dimitrios was appointed Ecumenical Officer of the Greek Othodoz Archdiocese of America. Obtaining other levels of official hierarchy, he officially retired in St. Augustine. Bishop Dimitrios is a propulsive force in the extraordinary Orthodox decision making of America, and the shrine in St. Augustine is blessed to be gifted his cassock in the collection.

Artifact Picture 2

In the discovery of the St. Photios Greek Orthodox shrine, multiple artifacts had been exposed to investigators. The archeological mining through the shrine when it was first being explored in 1970, surfaced remnants that were a significant find for the history of the Greek Orthodox. The minuscule cross photographed has been accepted as the emblem of this shrine in 1971 and it still represents it today. The unique structure of the cross is unlike the normal simplicity that crosses possess. The bulky end, in opposition to the ordinary skinny elongated end of a cross, is hypothesized to symbolize the Holy Trinity. 

Image 1 In Conversation

https://www.catholicsun.org/2019/10/29/usccb-elevates-oldest-marian-shrine-in-u-s-to-national-shrine-status/

This photo of The National Shrine of Our Lady La Leche is related to the St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine. It is not only because both of these structures are shrines that they share similarities, it is due to their Colonial Spanish architecture. 

The building for The Our Lady La Leche Shrine is located in St. Augustine on San Marco Ave. However, the Shrine itself is placed about 50 yards from any street around it. In parallel to what Ms. Hillier, the executive director of the Greek shrine, said about the Colonial Spanish architecture, shares similar characteristics that the shrine of Our Lady La Leche has. 

The nature of Our Lady La Leche shrine is in correspondence to the same Colonial Spanish architecture that the Greek Orthodox shrine has. Ms. Hillier explained that Spanish shrines were usually unable to be reached from the road. The Our Lady Le Leche shrine has a courtyard comparable to the one at the Greek Orthodox shrine. To get to either of them you must walk through a courtyard that separates the shrine from the street. The courtyard gives awareness to respect that the sacred area cannot be accessed by just anyone. 

Image 2 In Conversation

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g37535-d4522203-Reviews-Basilica_of_the_Sacred_Heart-South_Bend_Indiana.html

Not being affiliated with any religion, going to different cultural sites that are centered around a faith is very unorthodox for me. Traveling to shrines, churches, and synagogues, it is difficult to truly respect them in the way that religious people do. When I attend these places, I instead admire the art, architecture, and artifacts that are present in each, finding them extremely similar. This is the church in the middle of the University of Notre Dame's campus. The Basilica of the Sacred Heart is a church that I attended in 2018 when visiting Notre Dame. Attending Mass for this church is a very unique experience but the gold features along with the colorful and decorative ceilings is what I find interesting. The detailing on the ceiling is very similar to the shrine's. Both have people and beautiful bright colors lining the ceiling.

Literature In Conversation

Title of Passage: Floridanos, Menorcans, Cattle-Whip Crackers Poetry of St. Augustine

Author: Ann Browning Masters

"In 1777, indentured servants, mostly from the Balearic Island of Menorca, Italy, and Greece, walked to St. Augustine from the failed indigo plantation of Scottish Dr. Andrew Turnbull. This group of Roman Catholics and Greek Orthodox eventually became known as Menorcans in St. Augustine."

This quote from Ann Browning Masters writing is evidence for the inferred founders of the National shrine. Seemingly, the shrine is a Greek Orthodox Chapel, which is confirming that the Menorcans are contributors to the Greek Orthodox ideology and religion experienced in St. Augustine during the late 1700s. It is only now that the city has recovered the artifacts and displayed them to give recognition to the Greek settlers that established this form of Christianity here. The quote from Ann Browning Masters is related to the shrine because the Menorcans that came over in 1777 established Greek Orthodox Christianity in St. Augustine.

Creative Element

The entrance to the shrine has symmetrical sand-pits on both sides. Despite the beautiful array of candlesticks burning until they burn out into the sand, this isn't the first time I have experienced candlesticks burning. Not being affiliated to a religion, I quickly associated the burning candles to a compelling tradition of Christians. A pamphlet that I had grabbed on my way out of the shrine was titled "Let Us Light A Candle For You," I intended to learn from reading about the tradition. It discusses how the tradition started in 1982 in regards to the dedication day of the shrine. The candles are lit to remember the ones who have passed and sacrificed their life for the freedom of future generations. 

The justification for why the candles in the shrine had occupied my attention is because of my foreign language trip to Ecuador in spring of 2019. One of the sites that we had visited was the La Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús in the capital of Ecuador, Quito. My visit to this church was so memorable because the entire thing is made with real gold. We went into this whole room dedicated to lighting candles and my friends and I, not being religious, all lit a candle and contributed to the culture of the local Ecuadorians. I didn't know why I had paid for a candle or why I was lighting it, making the experience even more memorable. The shrine, allowed for me to learn about my experience in Ecuador, as well as also establishing a connection with one of the most unique experiences that I have had in my life.