Villa Zorayda

Villa Zorayda, also known as Zorayda Castle, is a historic residence located at 83 King Street in St. Augustine, Florida. Constructed in 1883, the building was designed by eccentric Boston millionaire Franklin W. Smith as his personal winter home. The structure is architecturally significant as the first residence built in the Moorish Revival style within the state of Florida. Its design was directly inspired by the twelfth-century Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain, and it derives its name from a princess featured in Washington Irving's Tales of the Alhambra. Notably, the villa holds the distinction of being the first poured concrete building in St. Augustine, utilizing a unique mixture of crushed coquina shells as aggregate, a construction method later adopted by developer Henry Flagler for major regional projects.

The property possesses a rich history involving prominent figures and unique ownership transitions. After serving as Smith's home, the building and part of his extensive art collection were sold in 1913 to Abraham Mussallem, a Syrian rug and antiquities merchant. Today, the villa remains under the ownership of the Mussallem family and operates as the Villa Zorayda Museum. It houses the original art and antique collections assembled by both Smith and Mussallem, preserving the eclectic vision of its creators. Recognized for its architectural innovation and historical value, the site was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on September 23, 1993. Often cited as an early example of fantasy architecture in Florida, the castle stands as a enduring monument to the Gilded Age creativity that shaped St. Augustine's development.