ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – The St. Johns County Cultural Resource Review Board is seeking community feedback on plans to demolish the historic Old County Jail on Lewis Speedway.
The old detention center played a significant role in the civil rights movement.
It’s where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was held after he was arrested while attempting to integrate the Monson Motor Lodge by eating lunch there. The building is now the Bayfront Hilton in Downtown St. Augustine.
A fingerprint card from King’s arrest is now on display at the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center.
His case eventually went before a grand jury at the federal courthouse in Jacksonville, where a judge ruled in his favor, marking a key moment in history.
Just a week later, another group of protesters held a swim-in at the Monson Motor Lodge, attempting to integrate its pool.
On June 18, 1964, the hotel’s manager was caught on camera pouring acid into the pool to stop them. The shocking image helped galvanize the country, and the next day, the U.S. Senate passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Now, the St. Johns County Cultural Resource Review Board is considering demolishing the old jail, and many locals are pushing back. A petition on Change.org with 61 signatures is calling for the building’s preservation as a historic landmark.
The St. Augustine Jewish Historical Society has also created a Facebook group titled “Save the Historic St. Johns County Jail: A Civil Rights Landmark,” which has about 40 members actively sharing concerns and updates on the issue.
The Cultural Resource Review Board was expected to review the application during a Feb. 10 meeting, but the item has been removed from the board agenda “to allow for more time for the CRRB to review the Cultural Resource Management Plan and further community engagement.”
St. Johns County Administrator Joy Andrews released a statement:
“St. Johns County understands the significant cultural resource of the detention center annex as it relates to the local and national civil rights movement. I commend our staff for recognizing the importance of this upon receiving the application. They are following our Cultural Resources Review Process and Land Development Code. We will carefully weigh preservation options alongside the SJSO’s operational needs. We are committed to proceeding thoughtfully, guided by a forthcoming consultant’s analysis, CRRB recommendations, and continued robust community dialogue.”
The St. Johns County Board of Commissioners said the Sheriff’s Office submitted the demolition request for the former jail, which was constructed in 1952. The reason for the request was maintenance costs, employee health concerns, and the need for site security.
The county has yet to schedule a date to review the proposed demolition.
