The Ximenez-Fatio House Museum announces its formal participation in First Friday Art Walk on Friday, Jan. 1 with a book signing by Ann Browning Masters, Ph.D. and author of Floridanos, Menorcans, Cattle-Whip Crackers: Poetry of St Augustine. The event is free and open to the public and will run from 5 pm until 9 pm with Masters’ appearance from 6 pm until 9 pm. Books will be available for purchase.

Dr. Masters is a retired faculty member of the St. Johns River State College. She continues to read from her work in the Eckerd College Road Scholar program. In 2015, she was knighted by the Board of Directors of the Easter Festival Committee of 

St. Augustine for her dedication in promoting Saint Augustine’s Spanish heritage. As a St. Augustine native, she is a 12th generation Floridian.

In addition, Roger Smith, Ph.D., local historian, author and re-enactor will be featured with his newest publication and book signing at the historic property during art walk on Friday, Feb. 5. 

The Ximenez-Fatio House is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and the Historic American Buildings Survey. It is a Florida Heritage Landmark and is also recognized as an integral part of the St. Augustine Town Plan National Historic Landmark District. Ximenez-Fatio House has been rated as the #1 attraction in St. Augustine by TripAdvisor and received TripAdvisor’s 2013 and 2014 Certificate of Excellence designation. The Ximenez-Fatio House Museum is owned and operated by The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in The State of Florida (NSCDA). For more information, contact Julia Vaill Gatlin, Executive Director at 904-829-3575 or email info@ximenezfatiohouse.org.

Ongoing public awareness events are held at the Ximenez-Fatio House as part of the non-profit organization’s mission to further America’s national heritage through historic preservation, patriotic service, and educational projects. Visit the website at www.ximenezfatiohouse.org, Twitter at https://twitter.com/XFHouse and the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/XFHouse?v=wall&viewas=0. View the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDp_Nr7IAzU.

About The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America (NSCDA):
The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America (NSCDA), founded in 1891, is an unincorporated association of 44 Corporate Societies with more than 15,000 members. The NSCDA has been a leader in the field of historic preservation, restoration, and the interpretation of historic sites. Today, 41 diverse properties are owned outright by the Corporate Societies of NSCDA. 13 additional museum collections are owned by the Dames and 30 more properties receive substantial volunteer and financial support from Dames.

The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in The State of Florida was incorporated in 1899. In 1939, they bought the Ximenez-Fatio House from the Fatio heirs to use as their state house museum. Considered as one of St. Augustine’s best-preserved Spanish colonial dwellings, the museum depicts the boarding house lifestyle of Florida’s Territorial/Early Statehood Period. It is one of the first museums in America to interpret 19th century women’s history.