#17, Lousia Fatio's House

 February 21, 2024

In "Margaret's Story", the third book of Eugenia Price's Florida trilogy, Margaret Fleming has a dear friend named Louisa Fatio.  She's also her husband's cousin.  At one time Louisa lived across the St John's River from Hibernia, which was home to Lewis and Margaret and their family.  Louisa's plantation, known as  Switzerland, was burned by Seminole Indians so she and her sister Sophia fled to St Augustine.  Eventually they opened a boarding house.  

Near the south end of the historical St Augustine, on Aviles Street, is that boarding house, beautifully preserved as a museum.  Louisa ran this as a genteel boarding house for those who were in need of Florida's restorative climate during the winter months, from about 1855-1875.  

When I arrived in the late afternoon I was told that they weren't giving anymore tours that day.  They did, however, have an audio tour that could be done at my own pace.  I was the only one there so I was able to take my time and just turn up the volume on the little narration device so that I didn't have to hold it to my ear.  

 

Each of the many rooms was set up with original or period furnishings.  Below, the dining table with its large punkahs over the table.  An enslaved child would likely have kept them moving throughout the meal to keep the flies away.

Above, the guest parlor, and below, one of the guest rooms

It is likely that Eugenia Price fictionalized a bit as there are some discrepancies between her story and the information provided at the museum.  Here it is indicated that Louisa raised her nieces and nephew.  Whoever it was that made up her family, they would have lived in the family parlor, above.  Below, their beautiful square grand piano.

The guestrooms were on both the first and second floor.  Then, up a long flight of stairs was an attic room that was for enslaved and free servants.  I somehow didn't take many pictures of guest rooms, and none of the upstairs.  However, it was a long, simple room, piled with leftover furniture and so on, with a few mats to roll out for sleeping.  When guests brought their servants and slaves, they would likely have shared this room.

Out back was a separate kitchen.  Separated to protect the main house from the possibility of fire, as well as to keep from heating it up in the warmer months.

A lush garden filled in the back of the lot, providing fresh produce for the family as well as for the boarder's meals.  A fig tree provides a shady spot to sit on a warm afternoon.

All the laundry was done outdoors in a big pot over a fire, but the separate "wash house" out back was for ironing, mending and other like chores.

Louisa Fatio lived from 1797 - 1875.  She is buried in the family graveyard back at the plantation, Switzerland, but lives on as one of the many who graced this beautiful home, as well as in "Margaret's Story".