The Treasurer's House
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The Treasurer's House was one of the 18th century "pretentious" homes of St. Augustine, having been built using what is called the Wing Plan with only 26 homes in this layout listed on the 1788 de la Rocque map. As a result, during the British period, this house was used as the home for two British governors; Lieutenant Governor John Moultrie, who lived at the house while building Bella Vista Plantation on the west bank of the Matanzas River; and Patrick Tonyn, who was the final British govenor in the United States staying in power after the Revolutionary War's Treaty of Paris to facilitate the city's transfer back to the Spanish.
After Tonyn left, Francisco Xavier Sanchez and his family lived in the house from 1791-1821. The house was bought by Dr. Seth S. Peck in 1837 for his family's home, his medical practice and for a general store. From 1834 to 1837, the Peck family lived at Mrs. Whitehurst's boarding house (the Ximenez-Fatio House). Prior to Dr. Peck's ownership, the roof of the Treasurer's House had remained flat, but Dr. Peck had the second floor and balcony constructed during his ownership. An entire wing of the house was removed at some unspecified date and reconstructed between 1968 and 1970.
Dr. Peck's granddaughter, Anna G. Burt was one of the local women hired in the 1870s to provide an education for the Plains Indians incarcerated in Fort Marion. In the mid- to late-1890s, Felix F. de Crano, selected Miss Burt's home as one of his subjects for painting the character of St. Augustine. Her long-time and trusted servant, Emmeline Warren, was honored by inclusion in the painting of the house.
The building remained within the Peck family until 1931 when Anna G. Burt willed her home to the City of St. Augustine, who made an agreement with The Woman’s Exchange of St. Augustine in 1932 to maintain and manage the house, and open it up to tours. The Peña-Peck House is one of the sites in St. Augustine to be added to the Historic American Buildings Survey published March 1, 1941. The building was restored using funds from the St. Augustine Restoration Foundation, Inc. in the 1960s. The Women's Exchange still maintains the gift shop and gives tours of the house.
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The Women's Exchange operates the Peña-Peck House as a house museum limited days of the week. For more information, please visit the WEx at the Peña-Peck House website.
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The following books, articles, websites, and photographers were used to find the above photographs or illustrations:
Drawing (c.1750 - 1837): Waterbury, Jean Parker. “The Treseurer’s House.” El Escribano: The St. Augustine Journal of History. St. Augustine, FL: The St. Augustine Historical Society, 1994.
Photograph 1 (1890s): Pollack, Deborah C. Felix F. de Crano: Forgotten Artist of the Flagler Colony. Lightner Museum, 2014.
Photograph 2 (n.d.): Bowen, Beth Rogero. St. Augustine in the Gilded Age. St. Augustine, FL: The St. Augustine Historical Society, 2008.
Photograph 3 (1932): Bowen, Beth Rogero. St. Augustine in the 1930s and 1940s. St. Augustine, FL: The St. Augustine Historical Society, 2019.
Photograph 4 (1994): Nolan, David. The Houses of St. Augustine. Pineapple Press, 1995.
Photograph 5 (2024): Augusty, Jean-Marc. "Modern House." September 26, 2024.
Photograph 6 (2025): Owens, Katherine. "Original Historical Marker." June 3, 2025.
Photograph 7 (2025): Owens, Katherine. "New Historical Marker." June 3, 2025.
Photograph 8 (2025): Owens, Katherine. "Florida Historic Places Plaque." October 2, 2025.
The following books, articles, and/or websites were used to find information about this location:
Adams, William R., and Paul L. Weaver, III. Historic Places of St. Augustine and St. Johns County: A Visitor’s Guide. St. Augustine, FL: Southern Heritage Press, 1993.
Gordon, Elsbeth “Buff.” Walking St. Augustine: An Illustrated Guide and Pocket History to America’s Oldest City. Univ. of Florida Press, 2015.
Manucy, Albert C. The Houses of St. Augustine: (Notes on the Architecture from 1565 to 1821). St. Augustine, FL: The St. Augustine Historical Society, 1962.
Nolan, David. The Houses of St. Augustine. Pineapple Press, 1995.
Waterbury, Jean Parker. “The Treasurer’s House.” El Escribano: The St. Augustine Journal of History. St. Augustine, FL: The St. Augustine Historical Society, 1994.
WEx at the Peña-Peck House Gift Shop & Historical Museum. “Discover The Peña-Peck House: A Living Piece of St. Augustine’s History.” 2025. https://penapeckhouse.com/.