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.