![Villa Zorayda - St](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Villa_Zorayda_-_St._Augustine.jpg)
Villa Zorayda (also known as the Zorayda Castle) is a house at 83 King Street in
St. Augustine, Florida.
Built in 1883 by the eccentric Boston millionaire
Franklin W. Smith as his winter home,
it was inspired by the 12th-century
Moorish Alhambra Palace in
Granada,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
. Smith named it "Villa Zorayda", after one of the princesses in
Washington Irving
Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for his short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and " The Legen ...
's ''
Tales of the Alhambra
''Tales of the Alhambra'' (1832) is a collection of essays, verbal sketches and stories by American author Washington Irving (1783–1859) inspired by, and partly written during, his 1828 visit to the palace/fortress complex known as the Alhambr ...
''.
The building and part of Franklin Smith's art and antique collection were sold to Abraham Mussallem, a rug and antiquities merchant originally from Syria, in 1913. On September 23, 1993, it was added to the
U.S.
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
. The Villa Zorayda Museum is still owned by the Mussallem family and contains the original art and antique collection assembled by Franklin Smith and Abraham Mussallem.
History
![ZoraydaEntrance](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/ZoraydaEntrance.JPG)
Franklin W. Smith was an amateur architect
and pioneer experimenter in poured concrete construction. His winter home, Villa Zorayda, was the first residence built in the Moorish Revival style in Florida, and the first poured concrete building in St. Augustine.
Smith's concrete mix, which used crushed
coquina shells as an aggregate, and his method of pouring it in successive levels, was adopted by
Henry Morrison Flagler
Henry Morrison Flagler (January 2, 1830 – May 20, 1913) was an American industrialist and a founder of Standard Oil, which was first based in Ohio. He was also a key figure in the development of the Atlantic coast of Florida and founder ...
, a
Standard Oil partner and Florida developer, for his nearby hotels and churches on an even grander scale. Villa Zorayda could also be considered the first example of fantasy architecture in Florida.
Smith was an early member of the
Republican Party, and danced with his wife at
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
's inaugural ball in 1861.
He was also a founder of the
Boston YMCA
YMCA Boston (also known as "YMCA of Greater Boston") was founded in 1851 in Boston, Massachusetts, as the first American chapter of YMCA.
History
The YMCA of Greater Boston, founded in 1851, was the first YMCA in the United States. The organ ...
, and was involved in many reform efforts and schemes for public improvement in the course of his long life. He is buried in the
Mount Auburn Cemetery in
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston ...
. One block east of Villa Zorayda is the largest building Smith constructed in St. Augustine, the
Casa Monica Hotel
The Casa Monica Hotel is a historic hotel located in St. Augustine, Florida, in the United States. It was originally named Casa Monica, then Cordova Hotel, then Alcazar Annex, and now has its original name again. The Casa Monica Hotel is one of t ...
(later purchased by Henry Flagler and renamed the Cordova Hotel).
![Villa Zorayda Museum Court](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/Villa_Zorayda_Museum_Court.jpg)
In addition to its intended purpose as a private residence, the Villa Zorayda has been used as a restaurant, a nightclub and gambling casino, and a hotel. The building underwent renovations beginning in 2003 and reopened to the public in 2008. Audio tours are available in English, Spanish, and French. Audio tours provide an extensive overview of the history of the building, the building's role in St. Augustine's history, and the entire antique and art collection inside. The museum is open daily
The collection
The Villa Zorayda Museum contains intricate interior details, including most notably work in cast plaster with ground alabaster matching that of the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain. These alabaster and plaster reliefs are referred to as traceries or
arabesque
The arabesque is a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils" or plain lines, often combined with other elements. Another definition is "Foli ...
s and are replicas of walls in the Alhambra Palace.
The saying, "There is no conqueror but God", the same phrase reproduced in the tracery of the Alhambra, is inscribed in Arabic script above the front entrance.
The architecture of the building is accompanied by fine detail including hand painted wood panels and tiles, intricately designed fireplaces and doorways, and geometrically shaped windows and stained glass. The collection also includes hand-pierced brass lamps from Damascus and other parts of the Middle East, Oriental rugs, sculptures, carved furniture, decorative tiles, and Egyptian artifacts.
References
{{reflist
External links
*
David Nolan, ''Fifty Feet in Paradise: The Booming of Florida'' (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1984).
Villa Zorayda Museum- Official Website
a
National Register of Historic PlacesVilla ZoraydaGoogle Street View
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Florida
National Register of Historic Places in St. Johns County, Florida
Museums in St. Augustine, Florida
Historic house museums in Florida
Moorish Revival architecture in Florida
Buildings and structures in St. Augustine, Florida
Houses in St. Johns County, Florida
Houses completed in 1883
1883 establishments in Florida