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Built between 1885 and 1887 by Henry M. Flagler, whose hotel and railroad enterprises greatly advanced the development of Florida's eastern coastal area, the Ponce de Leon Hotel was designed by the New York firm of Carrere and Hastings in the Spanish Renaissance style. It was the first major building in the United States constructed of poured concrete, made from cement, sand, and coquina shell. Its interior featured imported marble, carved oak, murals by Tojetti and George W. Maynard, and stained glass windows created by Louis Comfort Tiffany of New York. As the flagship of the Flagler hotel system, which soon extended along Florida's east coast, the hotel stood in the "Winter Newport" and hosted celebrities from around the world, including several U.S. Presidents. During World War II, it served as a Coast Guard Training Center, and in 1968 it was converted into Flagler College, an independent, coeducational, accredited liberal arts institution serving students from across the nation.
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St. Augustine, Florida · United States
