Maria Sanchez Creek
Dublin Core
Title
Maria Sanchez Creek
Alternative Title
Maria Sanchez Creek Water Park
Maria Sanchez Lake
Lake Maria Sanchez
Date Modified
1880s
c. 1923
Type
This natural resource is a creek that has been turned into a lake.
Description
This creek first appeared and was named on the Antonio Arredondo map of 1737. There is no definitive answer of who this lake is named after. It used to be the eastern boundary of the City of St. Augustine reaching as far north as present-day Flagler College's Ponce Hall.
The creek became a lake when Henry Flagler started the construction of the Hotel Ponce de Leon by dredging sand from the current Fort Mose Historic State Park to fill in the northern reaches of the creek. The work was overseen by Captain Frederick W. Bruce and Franklin W. Smith.
After the 1880s, it has had a succession of at least three names: Maria Sanchez Lake, Maria Sanchez Creek Water Park, and Lake Maria Sanchez. In the early 20th century, a dam was built by the City of St. Augustine by South Street. This feature is located in Lincolnville, a historic neighborhood in St. Augustine.
The creek became a lake when Henry Flagler started the construction of the Hotel Ponce de Leon by dredging sand from the current Fort Mose Historic State Park to fill in the northern reaches of the creek. The work was overseen by Captain Frederick W. Bruce and Franklin W. Smith.
After the 1880s, it has had a succession of at least three names: Maria Sanchez Lake, Maria Sanchez Creek Water Park, and Lake Maria Sanchez. In the early 20th century, a dam was built by the City of St. Augustine by South Street. This feature is located in Lincolnville, a historic neighborhood in St. Augustine.
Mediator
Accessible to the public with no visitor restrictions.
Rights Holder
St. Augustine, FL 32084
GPS Coordinates: 29.8856° N, 81.3116° W
GPS Coordinates: 29.8856° N, 81.3116° W
Source
The following books, articles, websites, and photographers were used to find the above photographs or illustrations:
Photograph 1 (c.1885): Graham, Thomas. Mr. Flagler’s St. Augustine. Gainesville, FL: University of Florida Press, 2014.
Photograph 2 (1910): Harvey, Karen. St. Augustine and St. Johns County. Virginia Beach, VA: The Donning Company, 1980.
Photograph 3 (2023): Augusty, Jean-Marc. "A View of Maria Sanchez Creek." March 11, 2023.
The following books, articles, and/or websites were used to find information about this location:
GovernorsHouseLibrary. “From Creek to Lake: The Maria Sanchez.” Governor’s House Library: Explore St. Augustine’s History. June 16, 2021. https://governorshouselibrary.wordpress.com/2021/06/16/from-creek-to-lake-the-maria-sanchez/.
Photograph 1 (c.1885): Graham, Thomas. Mr. Flagler’s St. Augustine. Gainesville, FL: University of Florida Press, 2014.
Photograph 2 (1910): Harvey, Karen. St. Augustine and St. Johns County. Virginia Beach, VA: The Donning Company, 1980.
Photograph 3 (2023): Augusty, Jean-Marc. "A View of Maria Sanchez Creek." March 11, 2023.
The following books, articles, and/or websites were used to find information about this location:
GovernorsHouseLibrary. “From Creek to Lake: The Maria Sanchez.” Governor’s House Library: Explore St. Augustine’s History. June 16, 2021. https://governorshouselibrary.wordpress.com/2021/06/16/from-creek-to-lake-the-maria-sanchez/.
Rights
Flagler College Special Collections is neither the original nor current copyright owner for the photographs. Please contact the publisher or source cited for each photograph to obtain a copy and/or permission to reproduce these items.
Is Referenced By
The following St. Augustine Fiction books feature this natural feature as a location:
The Vessel Tinaja
The Picolata Road
Three Vassar Girls at Home
The Relic
The Vessel Tinaja
The Picolata Road
Three Vassar Girls at Home
The Relic
Date Submitted
This record was last updated on March 28, 2023.
Citation
“Maria Sanchez Creek,” St. Augustine Fiction, accessed May 15, 2024, https://staugustinefiction.omeka.net/items/show/348.