159 Cordova St
St. Augustine, FL 32084

Over the decades the settlement was expanded from this northeast area, around
present-day Washington, Oneida, Dumas, St. Francis, St. Benedict and DeHaven
streets, and businessmen developed the entire peninsula. It was characterized
by narrow streets, small lots, and houses built close to the street line,
similar to the colonial St. Augustine style and land-use pattern.

When Standard Oil magnate Henry Flagler came to St. Augustine in the 1880s,
he redeveloped the city to serve as a "Winter Newport," a resort for the
wealthy. His changes also affected Lincolnville. He filled in the northern
reaches of Maria Sanchez Creek to create high ground for development (the
landfill included dirt with archeological remains excavated from the site of
Fort Mose). His Standard Oil partner William Warden dredged the southern part
of the creek to create what is now Maria Sanchez Lake. This expanded the
eastern boundary of Lincolnville to the Ponce de Leon Barracks at 172-180
Cordova Street. The Barracks is now considered one of the historic district's
major buildings. During the late 19th and early 20th century, it housed
African-American servants and others who worked at Flagler's hotels in the
city.

Some of the African-American waiters from the hotels formed the first professional black baseball team in the United States. When they played locally, they were known as the Ponce de Leon Giants; when they played in the North, they were known as the Cuban Giants. One member of the team, Frank Grant, was later elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Jacksonville native and nationally known writer James Weldon Johnson wrote about the baseball team in his 1933 autobiography Along This Way.

The Lincolnville neighborhood currently spans 45 blocks on the southwest
peninsula. Lincolnville is an eclectic neighborhood of homes, businesses,
churches, parks, and museums. A number of festivals and events take place
each year in Lincolnville, including the Blues Festival at the St. Benedict
the Moor Catholic Church, and the Jazz Festival at the Lincolnville Museum
and Cultural Center.

The Lincolnville Porch Festival is a one-day event, held in September, during
which intimate concerts take place simultaneously at different porches
throughout the neighborhood.