The schoolhouse in St. Augustine is constructed of pest-resistant red cedar and cypress timbers secured with wooden pegs. Drinking water was drawn from a well, and a privy was dug away from the main building. To protect the house from heat and fire dangers, the kitchen was located separate quarters, detached from the main building. A garden with hibiscus, bird-of-paradise, and other tropical plants offer fragrant aromas and soothing shade.
If you look closely, you may also notice an enormous anchor secured to the house with a long chain. These are not a part of the original construction. Worried that a hurricane might whisk the little schoolhouse away, townspeople added the anchor in 1937.
