The Ximenez-Fatio House on Aviles Street is one of the most authentically preserved historic buildings in St. Augustine - a coquina stone merchant's home built in 1798 that spent most of the 19th century as the city's most fashionable boarding house, operated by a remarkable succession of businesswomen during an era when female commercial ownership was exceptionally rare. The house was built by Andres Ximenez, a Spanish merchant, during the Second Spanish Period. After Florida became an American territory in 1821, St. Augustine transformed into an early tourist destination - a place where wealthy Northerners escaped winter and where doctors sent patients with respiratory ailments to benefit from the mild climate. The Ximenez house became a boarding house to serve this new visitor economy, hosting individuals, families, sea captains, soldiers, politicians, and adventurers in an establishment that was considered the finest in the city. What makes the Ximenez-Fatio House remarkable in historical context is that it was owned and operated by a succession of women across its decades as a boarding house - Margaret Cook, Sarah Petty Anderson, and finally Louisa Fatio, whose name became permanently attached to the property. Fatio purchased it in 1855 and operated it with distinction until her death. The house became known as Miss Fatio's and achieved a reputation that extended well beyond St. Augustine. In an era when women rarely owned businesses, these proprietresses built and mai