Established in 1968, Flagler College is a four-year, private, liberal arts institution of higher education. Offering 29 majors, the school has been ranked by US News and World Report as well as The Princeton Review as one of the best regional colleges in the southern United States. The college is named for industrialist Henry Morrison Flagler. The centerpiece of the school’s 19-acre campus is the former Ponce de Leon Hotel, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
Established in 1968, Flagler College is a four-year, private, liberal arts institution of higher education. Offering 29 majors, the school has been ranked by US News and World Report as well as The Princeton Review as one of the best regional colleges in the southern United States. The college is named for industrialist Henry Morrison Flagler. The centerpiece of the school’s 19-acre campus is the former Ponce de Leon Hotel, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
Historic Tours of Flagler College highlight the architectural heritage of the former Hotel Ponce de Leon, listed as a National Historic Landmark. Built by railroad magnate Henry M. Flagler in 1888, the Ponce is considered one of the finest examples of Spanish Renaissance architecture and was one of the most exclusive resorts of its day.
Guests will begin their tour by exploring the courtyard while learning of the hotel’s Spanish Renaissance architecture and of the techniques and innovations used to construct Henry Flagler’s vision. Next is the grand lobby where they will look up into a 68-foot domed ceiling supported by eight oak caryatids hand carved with robed women, each slightly different from the next. The guest will move on to the dining room where the stained glass windows stream light onto the beautifully hand painted murals on the walls and ceilings. Finally, they will visit the Flagler Room, formerly the Women’s Grand Parlor, where they will gaze upon hand crafted Austrian crystal chandeliers, a clock containing the largest piece of intact white onyx in the western hemisphere, original hotel furniture and art, as well as personal photos and mementos from Henry Flagler and his family.
Every day in the Golden Triangle of historic St. Augustine, college students walk to and from their dorm rooms to class surrounded by Gilded Age luxury. These students attend Flagler College, whose main campus building was once the magnificent Ponce de Leon Hotel, designed by Carrere & Hastings for Henry Flagler. The elaborate hotel opened its dramatically carved doors to its first guests on January 12, 1888.
More Info
