Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker Detail

Description: St. Augustine High and Grade School opened on October, with an enrollment of more than 400 students in Grades 1-12. The new public school, billed locally as “the finest school in Florida,” was the inspiration of W.S.M. Pinkham, Mayor of St. Augustine and Superintendant of Public Instruction in St. Johns County. The three-story eclectic-revival style school was designed by Robinson & Reidy, Associate Architects, of Savannah and New York, and was constructed at a cost of $60,000. It features a clay tile work, carved rafter ends, an arched entranceway, stepped gables, hipped roof towers, and decorative tile work. The school’s first floor basement contained lunch and recreation rooms and bicycle storage areas. The second and third floors housed 23 classrooms, a large auditorium, and a library. Two science labs were located on the small fourth floor. Theodore Culp, former principle of the DeLand Schools, was appointed as the school’s first principal. The School’s first graduating class in May 1911 included six students. When the school closed in December 1981, it was known as Orange St. Elementary School. Since 1983, the building has housed the St. Johns County School Board and District Administration Offices.