Villa Zorayda
National Register of Historic Places

Villa Zorayda

St. Augustine, St. Johns County, Florida
Listed
September 22, 1993
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
93001002

About this property

Villa Zorayda (also known as the Zorayda Castle) is a house at 83 King Street in St. Augustine, Florida. Built in 1883 by the eccentric Boston millionaire Franklin W. Smith as his winter home, it was inspired by the 12th-century Moorish Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain. Smith named it "Villa Zorayda", after one of the princesses in Washington Irving's Tales of the Alhambra. The building and part of Franklin Smith's art and antique collection were sold to Abraham Mussallem, a rug and antiquities merchant originally from Syria, in 1913. On September 23, 1993, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The Villa Zorayda Museum is still owned by the Mussallem family and contains the original art and antique collection assembled by Franklin Smith and Abraham Mussallem.

Location

83 King St.
St. Augustine, St. Johns County, Florida
29.89116, -81.31464

Categories

ENTERTAINMENT/RECREATIONARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Villa Zorayda

This page lists Villa Zorayda. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Villa Zorayda report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Alcazar Hotel
Industrial
0.1 mi
Lopez, Xavier, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Lindsley House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Hotel Ponce De Leon
Industrial
0.1 mi
Stanbury Cottage
Industrial
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Siege of St. Augustine (Queen Anne's War)
1702Colonial
0.2 mi
Siege of Saint Augustine 1740 (Oglethorpe)
1740Colonial
0.2 mi
Battle of St. Augustine Harbor 1565
1565Colonial
0.2 mi
Oglethorpe's Siege of St. Augustine 1740
1740Colonial
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Villa Zorayda listed on the National Register?

Villa Zorayda was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 22, 1993.

What type of historic resource is Villa Zorayda?

Villa Zorayda is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Villa Zorayda?

The period of significance for Villa Zorayda is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1883.

Can I research the history near Villa Zorayda?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Villa Zorayda will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in St. Johns County

Historic places, battles, and census history across St. Johns County.

Explore St. JohnsCounty ›

More historic places in Florida

Browse all historic places in Florida.

View Floridahistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Florida history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Floridahistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Villa Zorayda will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report