staugustinefl

This is a photo of the bathing pool and casino at the Hotel Alcazar in St. Augustine, Florida. At one time it was the largest indoor swimming pool in the world. As per Wikipedia: The hotel was commissioned by Henry Flagler, to appeal to wealthy tourists who traveled south for the winter on his railroad, the Florida East Coast Railway. It was designed by New York City architects Carrère and Hastings, in the Spanish Renaissance Revival style. The firm also designed the Ponce de León Hotel across the street, now part of the campus of Flagler College. Both structures are notable for being among the earliest examples of poured concrete buildings in the world. These architects later designed the New York Public Library in New York City and the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C. The hotel had a steam room, massage parlor, sulfur baths, gymnasium, a three-story ballroom, and the world's largest indoor swimming pool; however, after years as an elegant winter resort for wealthy patrons, the hotel closed in 1932. After purchasing the building to house his extensive collection of Victorian Era pieces in 1947, Chicago publisher Otto C. Lightner turned it over to the city of St. Augustine. The building is an attraction in itself, centering on an open courtyard with palm trees and a stone arch bridge over a fishpond. See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightner_Museum www.drbronsontours.com/bronsonalcazar.html

A photo of the courtyard at the Hotel Ponce de Leon in St. Augustine, Florida. See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponce_de_Leon_Hotel

This is a photo of the Hotel Ponce de Leon in St. Augustine, Florida. See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponce_de_Leon_Hotel