Paniagua Lane

Dublin Core

Creator

Title

Paniagua Lane

Alternative Title

Treasury Street

Type

This is one of the original streets in St. Augustine.

Description

Treasury Street is the narrowest street in the United States at just over six feet wide!

On the corner of St. George Street (Calle Real) and Treasury Street (Paniagua Lane) is the Peña-Peck House (Treasurer's House), which is how the street got its name. The Treasury building was originally located either next to the home or across the street (Treasury). There is evidence that originally this street was called Paniagua Lane, although this was slightly unconventional for the Spanish, as they did not name their streets in the traditional sense, but based on landmarks. 

There is a legend that Treasury Street was built narrow so burglars could not carrying off the city's gold from the treasury building because the road was not wide enough for a horse and carriage. However, pre-1850s, most of St. Augustine's streets were this narrow. The section of Treasury Street from Charlotte to Bay streets has never been widened so it is original to serve as an authentic piece of St. Augustine’s colonial history.

Mediator

Open to the public

Rights Holder

City of St. Augustine

Relation

The Peña-Peck House is on this street.

Source

The following books, articles, websites, and photographers were used to find the above photographs or illustrations:

Photograph 1 (1883/1885): Knibloe, Walt. F. Schneur's Illustrated Guide and History of St. Augustine, Fla. St. Augustine, FL: Chas. F. Schneur, 1883/1885.

Photograph 2 (1888): Witteman, A. St. Augustine. New York: A. Wittemann, 1888.

Photograph 3 (1891): Bierstadt, Edward. Sunlight Pictures Saint Augustine. New York: The Artotype Publishing Co., 1891.

Photograph 4 (c.1920s): St. Augustine. Kansas City, MO: Van Noy-Interstate Co., c.1920s.

Photograph 5 (2025): Owens, Katherine. "Treasury Street Intersection with Charlotte Street." June 3, 2025.

The following books, articles, and/or websites were used to find information about this location:

Gordon, Elsbeth “Buff.” Walking St. Augustine: An Illustrated Guide and Pocket History to America’s Oldest City. Gainesville, FL: University of Florida Press, 2015.

GovernorsHouseLibrary. “Fact or Fiction: Treasury Street.” February 8, 2018. https://governorshouselibrary.wordpress.com/2018/02/08/govhouselibrary-treasury-street/.

Rights

Flagler College’s Rare Books, Floridiana & Institutional Repository are 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 historic site as a location:

Don Juan McQueen
Goldon Sorrow
Grandmother in Cellophane
Reckless Endeavor
Voices in the Fire: A Novel

Date Submitted

This record was last updated on June 10, 2025.

Citation

The Spanish, “Paniagua Lane,” St. Augustine Fiction, accessed June 22, 2025, https://staugustinefiction.omeka.net/items/show/419.

Geolocation