History's guardian -- Governor salutes St. Augustine historian
By PETER GUINTA
peter.guinta@staugustine.com
Publication Date: 03/06/09
David Nolan's love affair with St. Augustine began while working on the first official street-by-street survey of the city's houses, and his passion for black history emerged from listening to Lincoln-ville homeowners talk about the bitter civil rights struggle here.
"That was the perfect job for me," he said this week. "It was a great way to learn the city. I'd always loved old houses and always loved history."
Nolan's decades-long contributions to identifying and preserving African-American history have earned him the Governor's Point of Light Award, presented during Black History Month by Mayor Joe Boles and the St. Augustine City Commission.
The award text says, "In recognition of exemplary efforts that not only benefit your local community, but also lend truth to the belief that all citizens of Florida can make a difference in the lives of those they serve."
He said the honor came as a surprise.
In attendance was Jerry Kass, who was awarded the Point of Light Award in 1994, and historian Stetson Kennedy, among many admirers.
"(The award) was a bolt out of the blue. I came home and saw phone messages from the governor's office," Nolan said. "It was touching that all those people turned out, (and) it's nice to know that somebody thinks well of you."
Nolan has been outspoken in bringing out the history of buildings slated for demolition.
His first success came in 1979 as a member of Friends of St. Augustine Architecture, which opposed demolition of the Xavier Lopez House, a blinding-white Queen Anne-style house that once stood where the post office's back parking lot is now.
The two-story wooden structure, built in 1903, was moved back in 1980 and restored by the Mussallem family, who still owns it. Nolan said people living there had watched the funeral cortege of Henry Flagler pass in 1913.
He also worked on campaigns to save the Bridge of Lions, the lightkeeper's house and other landmarks.
But Nolan doesn't win every preservation battle.
He opposed demolishing Monson Motor Lodge and its swimming pool on the Bayfront. They are now a Hilton hotel.
The motel became historic after Dr. Martin Luther King was arrested there and world famous after a newspaper photo of motel manager Jimmy Brock pouring acid into the pool was published widely.
"(Losing that) was probably thWe hardest blow of all," he said.
Nolan also tried and failed to protect the crumbling 1840s-era St. Augustine Sea Wall from being buried.
"You hate to see a city despoil itself. You just wonder, 'Where do (developers) come up with these ideas?'"
His interest in black history grew while he worked on the survey.
He owns probably the only surviving copy of the city's first black newspaper, The St. Augustine Post, published in 1933, and he calls photographer Henry Twine one of the "best black photographers" Win American history.
It maddens him to know that Twine made a movie in the city, but a copy does not exist.
His 1995 book, "The Houses of St. Augustine," is still in print. He also wrote "Fifty Feet in Paradise: The Booming of Florida" in 1984 and contributed to "The Book Lover's Guide to Florida," published in 1992.
"I knew St. Augustine had been this great battleground of the Civil Rights era, but when you look around, you don't see any of it," he said. "There weren't many books written (about it).
"I never cease to be amazed that every year new things are being discovered about St. Augustine that we didn't know before."
Accomplished man
Local historian David Nolan has been an advocate for preserving our county's history for years. Below are some of his most noted successes:
* 1979: Helped save the Xavier Lopez House from demolition as a member of Friends of St. Augustine Architecture
* Fought to save the Bridge of Lions, lightkeeper's house and other landmarks
* 1995: Wrote the book "The Houses of St. Augustine," which is still in print today. He also wrote "Fifty Feet in Paradise: The Booming of Florida" in 1984.
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