Help us preserve the Ximenez-Fatio House Museum! After 227+ years of use, hurricanes, and general wear and tear, the preservation, restoration, and overall maintenance are ongoing processes. By making a donation, you are ensuring the character, culture, and history will remain intact for current and future generations. Every contribution received directly contributes to the preservation of these vital spaces, safeguarding their rich history for generations to come.
Following the new Maintenance Manual from the Joseph K. Opperman, Architect (JOAK) 2024 Historic Structure Record, the following projects will be undertaken over the next two years to ensure the Museum is in excellent condition to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Help us to meet this goal!
Thank you for your support.
Preservation: Preserving a historic building means maintaining its existing historic materials.
Preservation at the Ximenez-Fatio House means maintaining the building in structure and appearance — even the elements that were added after the original coquina house was built in 1798. For instance, the wing parallel to Cadiz Street was added in the mid-1800s. Even though these parts of the house are not original, we still preserve their structure and do not tear them down, as they are important to the interpretation of the property
Restoration: Restoring a historic building means removing elements that were added after a certain time period.
Restoration on our property occurred in 1939 when the Ximenez-Fatio House was bought by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Florida. Modern elements like plumbing were removed to turn the building into a Historic House Museum.
The Ximenez Fatio House Museum on Aviles Street in St. Augustine is honored to have been chosen by the Jessie Ball duPont Foundation for a Match program to take place ONLINE between Nov. 1, and Dec. 31, 2025. We are in the middle of a very special preservation program to prepare our 227-year-old museum for our nation’s celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.