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The Centennial House, a home that lists on the National
Register of Historical Places, offers guests a seamless blend
of 19th-century ambience and 21st-century creature comforts in
St. Augustine, Florida. 
Centennial House is a premier eight-room inn offering
private luxury baths (most with whirlpools), gas fireplaces in
larger rooms, and queen- and king-sized beds. Amenities in
each lodging accommodation include climate control,
sound-proof insulation for privacy, hair dryers, robes, down
pillows and blankets, Egyptian cotton towels, and cable
television with VCRs. Guests will also enjoy a complimentary
video library and soft drinks, early morning coffee/tea, a
daily newspaper, wireless Internet access, and in-house fax
and copy machines.
The old-and-new motif extends from these 21st-century
creature comforts to antique-filled sitting areas, grandiose
10-foot ceilings, an old transom that rests atop the front
door, and molding themes that complement the home's antiquity
throughout. Most of the home's original windows have also been
preserved and provide lovely views of the courtyard gardens
and the horse-drawn carriages that pass in front of the
Centennial House.
An elegant breakfast is served in a beautifully appointed
formal dining area or the welcoming comfort of the Sun Porch.
The Centennial House is located in the heart of St.
Augustine's historic district and is just a leisurely stroll
away from the district's eclectic collection of shops and
restaurants as well as the ever-popular intracoastal
waterfront whose shores are host to leaping dolphins and
beautiful marinas.
The enormous felines that guard the nearby Bridge of Lions
will steer you back into St. Augustine's ancient past as will
the Lightner Museum, the famed Fountain of Youth, the Castillo
de San Marco ("the old fort"), and all of the city's
ornate churches that proudly showcase the artistic glass of
Louis Comfort Tiffany. And while you're here, you may also
want to plan a day trip to Disney World (it's only two hours
away) or spend time at the World Golf Hall of Fame. Of course,
with the ocean "just down the road," you can enjoy a
vast array of water sports ranging from fishing to surfing to
boating; and for those who like to walk the links, there's an
excellent golf course nearby. |
Sketchy records make it difficult to pinpoint the bed and
breakfast's construction date, but census reports show that it
had to be built sometime from 1899 to 1904. Which actually
makes the Centennial House relatively new in comparison to
surrounding San Augustine, a city that historians widely
acknowledge as the nation's oldest.
In actuality, the Centennial House, a home originally
inhabited by turn-of-the-century St. Augustine councilman J.D.
Oliveros, has received a few modern-day architectural upgrades
that promise to keep it looking both old and new well into
this century and the next.... a blend of charming hospitality
and luxuriously comfortable accommodations. |
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Traveler's Choice Travel and Lodging Directory of Bed and
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