(Continued from the previous page) Margaret Cook and Eliza Whitehurst Florida became a U.S. Territory in 1821, bringing people to see this “foreign” land. In 1830, Margaret Cook purchased the property from the Ximenez heirs and converted it into a boarding house. Margaret Cook was a well-to-do widow from Charleston, South Carolina who was married, became a mother, widowed, married again, and widowed again by the age of 20! Owning a boarding house was an accepted career for a widow in 19th century America. Afterall, this is a time when unmarried women were “given” to their brother to manage their finances after the death of their father until they married or their death. Having escaped being passed from one male family member to another, Margaret was fortunate enough to have had both of her husband’s leave their real estate interests to her and she was able to claim her inheritance. Margaret enclosed two warehouses Ximenez had built to make four guest rooms and a large parlor. The billiards room was converted into a grand dining room and the tavern into the guest lobby. Margaret hired Eliza Whitehurst, also a widow, to be the live-in manager of the boarding house. Eliza was likely Margaret’s sister, although this has yet to be proven. Eliza managed the boarding house for nine years and raised two children in the home. Not much is known about Margaret and Eliza’s day to day lives at the house. We do know that Eliza often had money troubles and borrowed from Dr. Seth Peck more than once. After a year of ill health, Eliza passed away in the home on 1838. She is buried at Huguenot Cemetery with a beautiful grave marker dedicated to her by her children.
Sarah Petty Anderson Sarah was born in North Carolina in 1782 as Sarah Petty Dunn but spent her adolescent years in the Bahamas. She married George Anderson in 1800. The couple moved to Florida and purchased Mt. Oswald Plantation in present-day Volusia County. The death of Sarah’s mother left George the owner of the Dunn family’s plantation, just west of Mt. Oswald. The management of both plantations proved to be too stressful for George and he died in 1830, leaving yet another one of our ladies a widow. A very wealthy widow. Sarah sold Mt. Oswald and purchased a sugar plantation in present-day Port Orange, in 1832. She named the plantation Dunlawton and sons and brotherin-law ran the property while Sarah lived in the safety and comfort of St. Augustine. Sarah then made another real estate purchase, the great house on Hospital Street. Rough times were ahead, however, and on December 24, 1835, Dunlawton was burned by marauding Seminoles along with 25 other plantations throughout the state. After Sarah purchased the property, she went to work right away sprucing it up. John Hammond Moore, a lawyer from Charleston, South Carolina, wrote: “The society in this place is good. I spent the evening at Mrs. Anderson’s – where I had the pleasure of being made acquainted with General Hernandez.” (1837) A South Carolina Lawyer Visits St. Augustine. (pp. 36). In 1850 Sarah met Louisa Fatio in St. Augustine and offered her the job of a lifetime… Manager of Mrs. Anderson’s Boarding House. Louisa Fatio Louisa Fatio was a woman of elegance and a “most estimable and popular lady” as noted by author Charles Lanman in 1856. Louisa was born Luisa Phelipa Patricia Fatio on March 17, 1797 at St. John’s County Florida. Louisa was the first child born to Francis Philip Fatio Jr. and Susan Hunter. Susan died early, leaving one son and three daughters. Louis would marry again having another three children. The Fatio family was influential in 18th and 19th century Northeast Florida. Patriarch Francis Philip Fatio Sr. was a native of Switzerland who moved his family to British East Florida in 1771. By the time of his death in 1811 he owned 10,000 acres of land he called New Switzerland with twelve miles of riverfront where he grew oranges, indigo, and turpentine. Although Louisa lived a life of privilege for 19th century Florida it is safe to say her life was one of constant uncertainty and fear. Her childhood home burned to the ground during the Patriot Wars of 1812. The family narrowly escaped in a small boat and retreated to a family home in Fernandina, which was heavily damaged by a hurricane. They eventually decided to rebuild New Switzerland and moved back in 1824. Tensions between the Seminoles heightened, and the plantation was among twenty-five burned to the ground on December 24th, 1835. The family moved to St. Augustine and did not rebuild. Although rumors of a British officer fiancé persist, there is no written evidence of this suitor and Louisa remained unmarried her entire life. Due to her unmarried status, it was expected she would live with her family until the death of her father where she should go on to live with another married sister or brother. Louisa had other plans, however. Big plans. Louisa inherited a number of acres of her father’s land and after receiving her inheritance, and her independence, she began her life
14 / MARCH 2022