View source for Gonzáles and De Hita Houses

{{Infobox NRHP
| nocat = yes
| name = Gonzales and De Hita Houses
| nrhp_type = cp
| partof = St. Augustine Town Plan Historic District
| partof_refnum = 70000847
| image = Gonzales and De Hita Houses.jpg
| caption = Taberna de Caballo, 2018
| location = 35 St. George St<br />[[St. Augustine, Florida|St. Augustine]], [[Florida]]
| coordinates = {{coord|29|54|54|N|81|18|44|W}}
| locmapin = USA Florida
| built = {{Start date|1979}}
| architecture = [[Spanish Colonial]]
}}
The Gonzáles House and the De Hita Houses are located at 33 and 35 [[St. George Street (St. Augustine)|St. George Street]], [[St. Augustine, Florida]]. Both houses are reconstructions of [[History of Florida|First Spanish Period (1565-1763)]] homes built on their original foundations.
== History ==
A 1763 Spanish map shows that at the same lot stood a coquina house belonging to Bernardo Gonzáles and a tabby house belonging to Gerónimo de Hita.<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UFE0051216/00001|title=Exploring the Origins of Today's St. Augustine: Post-War Reconstructions|last=Dorn|first=Kaitlin|publisher=University of Florida|year=2017}}</ref> Both of these men served in the mounted dragoons and lived near the [[Castillo de San Marcos]]. When the two left Florida at the start of the Florida’s [[History of Florida|British Period (1763-1783)]], the properties went to [[Jesse Fish]], who in turn sold them to Captain Andrew Rainsford. The lot was vacant for much of the 19th century.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00090508/00001?search=gonzales+%3dhouse|title=Statement of historical significance|last=Historic St. Augustine Preservation Board|date=July 14, 1976|website=University of Florida Digital Collections}}</ref>
== Historic St. Augustine Preservation Board ==
The Historic St. Augustine Preservation Board purchased the land where the De Hita House once stood with funds donated by Elizabeth Towers, a member of the board.<ref name=":0" /> The Board (at that time called the St. Augustine Historical Restoration and Preservation Commission) won a condemnation suit to acquire the Smith boardinghouse (Gonzáles House) at 33 St. George Street for $17,500. Within thirty days, the Smith property was to be demolished and restorative work continued at both sites.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Smith Property Condemned|date=January 18, 1965|work=The St. Augustine Record}}</ref> The city of St. Augustine had granted the Commission condemnation powers in 1959 at its inception. After two years of failing to negotiate a selling price for the Smith boardinghouse, the Commission decided to go to court, as a last resort.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Milestone Passed In Restoring Plan|date=January 19, 1965|work=The St Augustine Record}}</ref>
Archaeological digs led by Dr. Kathleen Deagan of [[Florida State University]] revealed the original foundations.<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://www.staugustine.ufl.edu/docs/MeltingPot.pdf|title=Before and After the Melting Pot: A Summary Report|last=Cobb|first=Charles|last2=Waters|first2=Gifford|last3=Ness|first3=Kathryn|year=2017}}</ref> The reconstruction of the two homes was completed in 1979 with funding from the Florida Bicentennial Commission.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/places/pdfs/AD_70000847_04_21_2014.pdf|title=St. Augustine Town Plan Historic District (Additional Documentation)|last=United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service|date=April 21, 2014}}</ref>
== Present day ==
Today the Gonzáles and De Hita Houses operate as the Taberna del Caballo,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.visitstaugustine.com/restaurant/taberna-del-caballo|title=Taberna Del Caballo {{!}} Visit St. Augustine|work=Visit St Augustine|access-date=2018-11-17|language=en}}</ref> a Spanish themed restaurant that is part of St. Augustine’s [[Colonial Quarter]] Museum. It is managed on behalf of the state by [[University of Florida Historic St. Augustine, Inc.|University of Florida Historic St. Augustine, Inc]].
==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Houses in St. Augustine, Florida]]