Historic Public Market

The Historic Public Market in St. Augustine's Plaza de la Constitución is a storied landmark with a multifaceted history. Originally constructed over a centrally located sulfur spring, the market building evolved from sheltering the town's water pump to serving as a commercial market. While often called the Old Slave Market, its exact use during the 19th century remains somewhat ambiguous. Although primarily a beef market, auctioneers also used it for selling estates, likely including enslaved people.

The market's notoriety grew in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when it became a focal point for heritage tourism. Photographs and postcards often depicted the market as a quaint relic of the past, sometimes featuring African American men to add a sense of authenticity. Despite local resistance to the "slave market" characterization, the site undeniably played a role in the city's dark history of slavery. In 1887, following a fire that destroyed the wooden framework, the market was reconstructed, further cementing its place in St. Augustine's architectural and cultural landscape.

In the 1960s, the Historic Public Market became a significant site in the Civil Rights Movement. On May 28, 1964, during a march led by Andrew Young and Hosea Williams in support of the Civil Rights Act, the market witnessed a violent attack by a white mob, illustrating the fierce resistance to desegregation. This event, occurring under the watchful eyes of law enforcement, who failed to intervene, highlighted the deep-seated racial tensions in the city. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s presence in St. Augustine during this period underscores the market's historical importance as a symbol of oppression and the fight for civil rights.