174 Avenida Menendez

Avenida Menendez is named for Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, the Spanish conquistador who founded St. Augustine on September 8, 1565 — making it the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the United States, predating Jamestown by 42 years and Plymouth Rock by 55 years. The street was originally a pathway of crushed shell and sand running parallel to Matanzas Bay during the First Spanish Period, later named "Bay Street" by the British in the 1770s — a name it held for nearly two centuries. In the 1880s, Henry M. Flagler transformed St. Augustine into a Gilded Age resort destination, and the bayfront promenade became the city's most fashionable address. A 1957–1959 widening project modernized the street, and in 1962 it was officially renamed Avenida Menendez — the name it carries today as one of the most recognized addresses in Florida's oldest city.

Built 1891 — Moroccan Revival / Gilded Age Victorian, a rare example of the exotic Moorish-influenced style popularized in St. Augustine during the Flagler era (see also: Flagler College / Ponce de León Hotel, 1888; Lightner Museum / Alcazar Hotel, 1888 — both within 0.6 miles). Zoning: HP-1 — Historic Preservation District 1, the most restrictive and prestigious historic designation in St. Augustine. Exterior alterations visible from the street require a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) from the Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB). This protects the neighborhood from incompatible development, preserving property character and long-term value. 2020 full restoration completed; condition described as "pristine and polished."