The Ximenez-Fatio House and Museum and the National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in The State of Florida (NSCDA-FL) will feature re-enactors and living historians in period dress, displays and demonstrations during the 10^th Annual Seminole War Commemoration and Convocation of Seminole War Historians event on Saturday, August 12 from 2:00 pm until 4:00 pm, 20 Aviles Street in downtown St. Augustine. Events are designed to educate the public about St. Augustine as a vital gateway to the remote and scattered battlefields of the long, violent and costly Second Seminole War.

Activities at the Ximenez-Fatio House and Museum will feature Seminole Indian War period historians and presentations of exhibits and displays including one of the rooms that serves as an interpretation of the Seminole War period, specific to a war officer who may have been a guest at the fine boarding house establishment.

Also, a living history break-out session and program workshop will be featured with Steve Rinck from the Seminole Wars Foundation. Event participants and the public are invited to attend. According to Rinck, all related events will be held throughout downtown St. Augustine and are designed to deepen the understanding and appreciation of the important era in Florida’s development. For registration and information about Commemoration activities in St. Augustine that run from August 11 until August 13, visit Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Seminolewar and http://events.eventzilla.net/e/convocation-of-seminole-war-historians-2138894235.

The annual heritage event is hosted by the House Museum and Convocation of Seminole War Historians in St. Augustine with a myriad of experts from Seminole Wars Foundations and West Point Society of North Florida. The purpose of the Seminole Wars Foundation is to preserve significant sites involved in the Seminole Wars, to establish educational programs about the importance of the period, and to publish pertinent material relating to the wars.

Ximenez-Fatio House and Museum participation is part of its mission to support public outreach which promotes the nation’s national heritage through preservation, patriotic service, and educational projects. For more information, call 904-829-3575 or email execdirectorxf@bellsouth.net.

The historic Ximenez-Fatio House structures and grounds were built in 1798 by Andres Ximenez, a Spanish storekeeper. For example, the original portion of the Ximenez-Fatio House includes a coquina house and the detached kitchen which became a tavern, private residence and later a fine boarding house for military officers, sea captains, dignitaries and families from the north and south.

The Ximenez-Fatio House Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 am to 4:00 pm and tours of the buildings and rooms are available from 11 am until 3:00 pm, and closed on Sundays and Mondays. The property is available for group functions including weddings and events. During tours, regular admission is free for St. Johns County residents; adults $10; children, students, seniors and military $8, and the family rate is $20. Private group rates are $6.50 per person.

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. The House is rated as a top attraction in St. Augustine by TripExpert along with TripAdvisor as a Certificate of Excellence designation venue, awarded to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn the highest levels of reviews from travelers.

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. For more information, call 904-829-3575 or email info@ximenezfatiohouse.org.

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.