Flagler College, Saint Augustine

flagler college is located in the former hotel ponce de leon built by henry flagler in 1887. flagler built the florida east coast railway which terminated in key west. flagler built several opulent hotels on the east coast of florida. the college has an excellent collection of louis comfort tiffany stained glass windows. the building which houses flagler college is one of the finest examples of spanish renaissance architecture in the united states. the college offers tours of this historic building, for information, 904-823-3378.

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This was constructed by Henry Flagler in 1887 as a hotel in order to draw tourists to Florida. It went well until the Depression era at which time many people lost wealth and did not travel much. It was called Ponce de Leon Hotel and styled in Spanish Renaissance. The interior is said to be the influence of Louis Tiffany direction. The hotel continued under different name until 1964, except for WWII when the Coast Guard took over for training. In 1968, the 19 acres and buildings were given to start Flagler College.

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The centerpiece of Flagler College is Ponce de Leon Hall, completed in 1888. The hotel, listed on the National Register of Historic Places was build by Henry Flagler, who was a Florida railroad developer and co-founder of Standard Oil. In its heyday many celebrities stayed here including Babe Ruth, Mark Twain and President Theodore Roosevelt. The Coast Guard used the hotel as a training center during WWII.

In 1968 Henry Flagler's grandson helped develop the old hotel into a University. Today the private four-year liberal arts college offers 21 majors and is considered to be in the top tier of southeastern colleges.



The sign at the old hotel reads:

PONCE DE LEON HOTEL

The magnificent structure was erected between 1885 and 1887 by Henry M. Flagler, the hotel and railroad magnate whose activities contributed greatly to the development of Florida's eastern coastal area. Designed by the New York architectual firm of Carrere and Hastings, the building reflects the Spanish Renaissance style throughout. The hotel was the first major edifice in the United States to be constructed of poured concrete, a mixture of cement, sand, and coquina shell. The interior is decorated with imported marble, carved oak, and murals painted by Tojetti and George W. Maynard. Its stained glass windows were created by Louis Tiffany of New York. The Ponce de Leon Hotel was the flagship of the Flagler hotel system which soon extended all along the east coast of Florida. Located in the "Winter Newport," this resort hotel entertained celebrities from around the world, including several U.S. Presidents. During World War II, the hotel served as a Coast Guard Training Center. In 1968, this historic landmark was converted into Flagler College, an accredited liberal arts institution. Independent and coeducational, the college serves students from across the nation.

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Flager College was originally built in 1888 as a Grand Hotel, and is an absolutely gorgeous building. It is in the Spanish Renaissance style and features mosaics and stained glass designed by Louis comfort Tiffany.

You can enter the beautiful courtyard and lobby free of charge, so it's worth visiting if you are walking downtown. Guided tours are available as well at 10am and 2pm. You can get tickets in a room off the lobby.

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The main campus was originally built in 1888 by oil and railroad magnate Henry Flagler as the Ponce de Leon Hotel. Thomas Edison personally helped to make this the first building in Florida equipped with electricity, and Louis Tiffany created stained glass windows as well as several mosaic murals.

It was sold to the college for its use when it was founded in 1968 and then restored, costing $43 million.
Although it is an active college campus, tours are also given during the day for a nominal fee, just to enjoy the architecture.

Take a tour of the former Hotel Ponce de Leon, a Luxury Resort for the rich and famous, built by Henry Flagler in 1887.

Famous for it's tiffany windows, artwork and architecture, it's now the home of Flagler College.

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Located only a few blocks from the Castillo de San Marcos is Flagler College. This masterpiece of Spanish Renaissance architecture was the dream of Henry Morrison Flagler, above left, industrialist, oil magnate and railroad pioneer.

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HOTEL PONCE DE LEON (Now Flagler College). King and Cordova Sts. 1887-1888. Spanish Renaissance Revival with Moorish Revival elements. John M. Carrere and Thomas Hastings, architects. 3 and a half to 4 and a half stories, modified U-shaped, central dome flanked by square towers. Interior decorated with Tiffany glass, murals, and mosaic tiles. The premier of 3 Flagler hotels in the city. Considered one of the finest examples of its architectural style in the U.S. and the first large building to be made of poured concrete. Now Flagler College.

Henry Flagler was once a partner of John D. Rockefeller and helped him form Standard Oil Company. He was a very rich man and did great things with his money. This was originally a hotel and was turned into a university some years ago.

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This was the luxury resort called the Ponce de-Leon Hotel built by Henry Flager in 1888. This example of Spanish architecture became Flager College, a four year liberal arts college, in 1967. As a resort, it was only opened for the three/four month winter season of January -April.

The former Ponce de Leon hotel was built in the 1880's by Henry Flagler. It's a masterpiece of Spanish Renaissance architecture. It was decorated by Louis Tiffany, lighted by Thomas Edison and painted by muralist George Maynard. The old hotel is now an active private liberal arts college. Guided tours are available during summertime when there are no classes.