Historic Home Associated With Dr. Martin Luther King Relocated In St. Augustine

A historic Florida home frequently rented by Dr. Martin Luther King has been relocated to another part of St. Augustine.

Dr. King used the home during the Civil Rights Movement, and it has since become a symbol of its ties to the famed social justice leader. Wanting to keep the home intact but needing a new location, the entire house was uprooted and loaded onto a trailer for its new location.

According to First Coast News, the home left Butler Beach and now resides in Collier-Blocker-Puryear Park in West St. Augustine. The scene came as a surprise to many residents, especially as a whole stable house took up the highway.

It’s not every day you see a house come down the street,” said Leslee Keys, a St. Augustine resident.

While amazed at the sight, Keys also shared her excitement about the home coming to this side of town. The home could become a new attraction to the area, especially given its significance to Dr. King’s legacy.

“Anything like this will attract attention in a positive way, it’s way more than symbolic, it’s also bringing together two chapters in St. Augustine’s history. So yes, very exciting,” Keys said.

Dr. King used the home during his 1964 campaign to address racism in the St. Augustine area. He stayed at the beach property while driving attention to his cause, but also sparked the ire of white supremacists in the area.

Opponents to King’s cause set the house on fire, believing King was inside. The arson left the home nearly destroyed, but a couple bought the home and restored it. However, one bullet hole in its sliding glass door remains, serving as a reminder of King’s plight for justice.

Another couple then bought the home in 2021. They hoped to build around it, but local governance denied these efforts. These challenges left them with a choice between demolishing or moving it.

They opted for the latter, leading to the house’s new location. The last owner donated the home to St. Johns County, with its Parks Foundation gaining state funds for its relocation.

Now, the house will serve as an exhibit, further detailing King’s activism in the state of Florida.

“This will serve as an exhibit to give us a reason to talk about the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Dr. King, and Dr. Robert B. Hayling,” shared Troy Blevins, the project manager for St. Johns County Park Foundation. “It tells the story of that time.”

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