The 90-year-old Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine crosses the intercoastal waterway. It’s far younger than the city itself, which celebrated its 450th anniversary last year. St. Augustine remained under Spanish rule from 1565 to 1821, which accounts for its ornate Mediterranean architecture. Photo by Sean Pavone

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In 1607, a small band of settlers founded the first permanent English outpost in the Americas — Jamestown, in the Colony of Virginia. But by that time, another town already had existed since 1565, further south on what would later be called the East Coast.

Each November, we recall the Thanksgiving celebration that took place in 1621, when pilgrims in Plymouth, Mass., shared a feast with friendly Native Americans in appreciation for a bountiful harvest.

What’s less well known is that 55 years earlier, Spanish explorers much further south had participated in a similar occasion with members of another Indian tribe.

Last year, St. Augustine, Fla., where that often-overlooked event took place, celebrated its 450th anniversary. That supports its claim to be the oldest continuously-occupied European settlement in America.

A place of many firsts

Given that history, it’s no surprise that the city is replete with attractions touted as the “first” and “oldest” in the nation. Together, they offer visitors a setting that captures not just the stories but also an authentic atmosphere of the past.

The appeals of St. Augustine wear the soft veneer of centuries, and attract guests seeking to explore and experience times gone by.

Granted, the influx of tourism has brought with it touches of commercialism. Sprinkled among the history-rich centuries-old buildings, monuments and museums is a smattering of tourist trappings.

But they’re overwhelmed by the authentic remnants of the settlement’s colorful past, which are scattered throughout the 144 square-block historic district.

The Colonial Quarter is a good place to begin exploring. That bustling two-acre complex recreates the changing chapters of St. Augustine’s colorful past as it evolved from a 16th century Spanish colony, to 17th century fortified town, to 18th century garrison.

The neighborhood is a living history museum. A blacksmith, carpenter and other costumed historic interpreters combine facts with fun as they help onlookers relive the way things were over the centuries.

Spanish colonization

St. Augustine traces its European heritage to 1565, when an expedition led by Don Pedro Menendez-de Aviles, a Spanish admiral, landed and set up an encampment near a Timucuan Indian village. That tribe was one of a number of Native American groups which began occupying the area some 10,000 years ago.

Menendez was not the first Spanish explorer to come ashore in the region. In 1513, Ponce de Leon led the first known European expedition there in a quest to find and claim uncolonized islands — a journey that gave birth to the legend of the Fountain of Youth.

At the time, a fable about vitality-restoring waters was familiar on both sides of the Atlantic, but there is no historical evidence that de Leon was seeking to find that allegedly magical potion. Somehow, accounts of his supposed search found their way into history books after his death and the story stuck.

The combination of fiction with fact does not detract from the historical significance of the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park. This is the place where Menendez encountered the friendly Timucua people and wrote the first chapter of American Colonial history, establishing the settlement which over time evolved into present-day St. Augustine.

Attractions include a reconstructed portion of the Indian village, ship building and other exhibits, a planetarium, and cannon and weapons demonstrations.

As St. Augustine grew, so did its role in Spain’s efforts to expand its influence and fortunes. Perched at a strategic point along the route followed by that country’s treasure fleet carrying gold, silver and other valuables from the New World to Europe, it served as a vital frontier fortress.

Other than a brief interlude (1763-1784) when Great Britain gained control of Florida, St. Augustine remained under Spain’s rule. That accounts for the Mediterranean architecture and other reminders of Spanish influence. By the time the United States took possession of the city by treaty in 1821, it was already 256 years old.

Recreating the past

Reminders of those early years line the cobblestone streets. A section of the Gonzalez-Alvarez house, aka “The Oldest House,” was constructed in the 1720s and is part of a small museum complex that traces 400 years of life in St. Augustine. The home was built in the Spanish Colonial style, with touches of Britain’s Colonial architecture, which were added when that country briefly controlled St. Augustine.