Unique St. Augustine Gilded Age Living - Villa Zorayda

House Museum

Jun 2

Franklin W. Smith built his winter home, Villa Zorayda, in St. Augustine in 1883. He was inspired by the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain. Smith tested and utilized his own innovative method of construction using poured concrete and crushed coquina. Smith also built the Casa Monica Hotel which he sold to Henry Flagler. Smith’s Villa went on to set an architectural precedence in St. Augustine during the Gilded Age and began the Moorish Spanish Revival style of architecture seen throughout the city. For 20 years the Villa was a residence, and then a restaurant / club. In 1913, a few years after Smith’s death, the building and part of Smith’s collections were sold to Abraham Mussallem. In the early 1920’s Zorayda Club became a speakeasy and gambling casino. In the late 1920’s the Mussallems closed the club and used it as their residence again. They realized how important the building was to St. Augustine’s history and in 1933 opened the home as a house museum. The house contains many artifacts, but one in particular is rather unusual. It is the 2,400 year-old ‘sacred cat rug’ made completely out of cat fur and has the claim on the title of ‘oldest rug in the world’. It is also said to curse anyone that walks on it, thankfully the museum has it hanging on the wall.

Here is what caught my eye; I hope you enjoy!