1980 Henry Hird Map of St. Augustine, Florida

This is Henry Hird III's 1980 'sightseeing' map of St. Augustine, Florida. The map illustrates the historic parts of St. Augustine during the rush to preserve the city's historic architecture, primarily driven by the St. Augustine Historical Society and the Historic St. Augustine Preservation Board. Their dedicated efforts transformed St. Augustine into the popular tourist destination it is today.

A Closer Look

Two maps on one large sheet of newsprint, with print advertisements for local businesses on the verso. The lower map details 'Old St. Augustine', including frontage along Matazanas Bay and the Intercostal Waterway. The upper map is a more general illustration of the St. Augustine area, including Anastasia Island, the historic area, the San Sebastian River, and Vilano Beach.

Downtown St. Augustine

Oriented towards the west, this view presents the historical area of St. Augustine, with the oldest Spanish colonial structures near Matanzas Bay in the foreground. These include the Castillo de San Marcos, constructed in the late 17th century, and the Basilica Cathedral of St. Augustine, built in the late Spanish period at the end of the 18th century. The Bridge of Lions, in the foreground, perhaps the most distinctive structure in St. Augustine, was completed in 1927 on the tail end of the Florida Land Boom. By the end of the 20th century, the bridge suffered from structural problems and had to be considerably renovated, a process completed in 2011.

St. Augustine General Map

Oriented towards the west, this map embraces the broader region around St. Augustine's historic downtown, highlighting local businesses and roads, with connections to major roads and highways, waterways, parks, entertainment venues (including an alligator farm!), and important historical sites, which are accompanied by explanatory text. An inset at left displays a continuation of the A1A South and Marineland, a groundbreaking oceanarium or marine attraction that established a model copied elsewhere in Florida and beyond many times since. The verso includes additional advertisements for local shops, restaurants, and attractions, which are tagged with coordinates corresponding to a grid in the border of the map on the recto.

Publication History and Census

This map was drafted by Henry Hird III and published by Atlantique Press as a 'Free Sightsing Map' (Limit one per family). Although not stated specifically on the map, it was likely heavily subsidized, if not outright financed, by 'St. Augustine by Sighseeting Trains', one of the more popular and still operating local attractions. We are aware of several editons. The present example is dated 1980, and may be the earliest. We note another example, where the maps are separated, issued in 1985.