New Orleans group visits Fatio House

Ximenez-Fatio House hosts The Historic New Orleans Collection member and guest tour

SAINT AUGUSTINE –  The Ximenez-Fatio House Museum at 20 Aviles St. in downtown St. Augustine, recently hosted The Historic New Orleans Collection member and guest tour on Saturday, October 12 from 1:30 pm until 2:30 pm. The event included guided docent-led tours and presentations by Ximenez-Fatio House Executive Director Julie Vaill Gatlin and professional staff members for an in-depth look at the house and its authentic antiques and collectibles along with the cultural aspects of residing as a boarder at the Ximenez-Fatio House.

The tour group included 25 members and donors from The Collection as one of the organization’s travel functions to historic locations nationwide, and as outreach, education, and development of programs to add to the experience of outside collections of historic documents and objects. Gary Sass, owner and president of AdLib Luxury Tours and Transportation, Inc. in Ponte Vedra coordinated the event for The Collection leaders and staff.

The Historic New Orleans Collection is a museum, research center, and publisher dedicated to preserving the history and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South. Founded in 1966, the nonprofit has grown to include 13 historic buildings on three French Quarter campuses and exhibition center at 520 Royal Street. Programs and installations along with a museum shop and Café Cour are open to visitors.

Across the street at 533 Royal, the historic Merieult House anchors a complex of attractions including the Louisiana History Galleries and the organization’s house museum, the Williams Residence. The Chartres Street campus, located at 410 Chartres, comprises the Williams Research Center, the Boyd Cruise Gallery, and on-site collections storage.

The Collections group traveled to St. Augustine from New Orleans to view the Ximenez-Fatio House and other local historic sites, and was led by The Collection’s Daniel Hammer, president and CEO; Jack Pruitt, Director of Development and Community Relations, and Alfred Lemmon, Director of the Williams Research Center.

SUPPORT HISTORIC HOUSE

The activities support the Ximenez-Fatio House Museum property owners, The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in The State of Florida (NSCDA-FL) and the organization’s mission to encourage public outreach which promotes the nation’s heritage through preservation, patriotic service, and educational projects.

Built as a merchant’s home and place of business in 1798, the coquina stone Ximenez House later became “Miss Fatio’s”, St. Augustine’s most fashionable boarding house. Today, it is a historic house museum, carefully researched and authentically restored to reflect its heyday during Florida’s first tourism boom throughout its Territorial and Early Statehood periods of 1821-1861. Every room tells a unique story about early visitors and how they experienced the Nation’s Oldest City. For more information about the Ximenez-Fatio House Museum and tours, contact Julia Vaill Gatlin at 904-829-3575 or email execdirectorxf@bellsouth.net.

As a visitor destination, the Ximenez-Fatio House Museum is open for tours from Tuesday through Saturday, 11 am to 4 pm and guided tours of the buildings and rooms are available from 11 am until 3:30 pm, closed on Sundays and Mondays. The property is available for group functions including weddings and events. During tours, regular admission is $5 for St. Johns County residents; adults $10; children, students, seniors and military $8, and the family rate is $25. Private group rates are $6.50 per person.

The Ximenez-Fatio House is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and the Historic American Buildings Survey. It is a Florida Heritage Landmark and is also recognized as an integral part of the St. Augustine Town Plan National Historic Landmark District. The House is rated as a top Hall of Fame attraction in St. Augustine by TripExpert and is a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence designation venue, awarded to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn the highest levels of reviews from travelers.

The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in The State of Florida (NSCDA-FL) was incorporated in 1899. In 1939, they bought the Ximenez-Fatio House from the Fatio heirs to use as their state house museum. Considered as one of St. Augustine’s best-preserved Spanish colonial dwellings, the museum depicts the boarding house lifestyle of Florida’s Territorial/Early Statehood Period. It is one of the first museums in America to interpret 19th century women’s history. Visit Twitter at https://twitter.com/XFHouse and the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/XFHouse?v=wall&viewas=0. View the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDp_Nr7IAzU. Visit the website at https://www.ximenezfatiohouse.org/.