Page 16 - October 2016

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GUEST ADVANTAGE •2016 / 2017
ABOVE:
SOURCE OF ETERNAL YOUTH?
INSETS
MODERN AMMENTIES MEET HISTORICAL SETTING
The park’s next owner, Walter B. Fraser, an educator from Georgia who vacationed in Florida before relocating to the Nation’s Oldest City in 1927, saw the potential of St. Augustine to be a tourism venue and continued the work of McConnell to promote the Fountain of Youth as the birthplace of Florida.
But Fraser brought a new component to his brand of tourism, historic preservation. “He went to work
in forming historical preservation committees and in helping birth tourism for St. Augustine for its historical value,” says Keating.
In 1934, the first archaeological
dig took place on the park grounds. Over the past 80 years, everyone from the Smithsonian Institution to Yale University to the University of Florida have made discoveries on the 15 acres of history-rich land unearthing weaponry, jewelry and pottery.
Fraser ultimately passed control of the park to his son, John R. Fraser, who ran it for decades before his death in 2010, when his children took over. They’ve
continued to make improvements to the park as a tourist attraction as well as work to maintain the historical integrity of the property’s past.
“The Fraser Family, in essence, became stewards of the land, preserving it for future generations,” explains Keating. “Since 1927, the impact of the Fountain of Youth being a tourist attraction has been minimal and the owners greatly respect the archeological component of the property.”
While St. Augustine doesn’t appear to host waters possessing magical powers that bestow eternal youth and immortality, one thing is for certain: the springs that brought Ponce de Leon, hydrated the Timucuan Indians for three thousand years and served as the impetus for Menendez’s settlement has brought our little city a wealth
of history, vitality and a whole lot of bragging rights.