St. George Street in St. Augustine, FL is always bustling with action, even on Tuesday afternoons. That’s where you find “Casa Rodriguez,” a three-story coquina and wood structure that has roots going back to the 1500s. For the last 35 years, it’s been run by a woman who turned it into a beautiful jewelry store. She’d like to retire, so the building is going up for auction to the highest bidder.
Jena Baker-Dennis works for Great Expectations Realty who is putting on the auction. “About 225 years ago, this property was actually auctioned off,” says Baker-Dennis. “So, we’re carrying off the tradition of auctioning it off again.”Baker-Dennis says the three-story historic structure is incredible. “There’s parts of the building that date back to the 1500s,” she said. “So, it’s very rare to find a lot of buildings on St. George that date back quite that far.” “Casa Rodriguez” is, in fact, on the Historic register.
The current owner lived on the second floor for many years. She has since moved out of the building when she got a new home. “Before she owned it, it’s been many things over the years,” says Baker-Dennis. “We have photos showing it as a flag store at one point in time.”Originally, it was a residence. According to historical documents, Fernando Rodriguez commissioned a builder to actually build onto the existing structure around 1761. Rodriguez was a military general. “He built onto the existing structure and added the coquina rooms that you see downstairs,” she said.
According to Baker-Dennis, properties in the general area have sold for anywhere between $1 million to $3.5 million. But those weren’t on touristy St. George Street.
“I just think it’s a really unique opportunity for someone to be able to own property on St. George Street,” she said. “Rarely do they come available on the market so when they do, there’s usually a lot of interest just because it’s not your everyday purchase.” The auction takes place on Feb. 20 at 11 a.m. If you would like to take a look at the property, there are two more open houses scheduled on Thursday, Feb. 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Wednesday, Feb. 19 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.