8 Dr. R.B. Hayling Place

Note: This is a private residence. If you plan to visit this site to view the historical marker, be respectful.

Early History

When this street was originally developed in the 1950s as a part of the Rollins subdivision, it was called Scott Street. Its residents included business owners, service workers, educators, and medical professionals.

Dr. Hayling Comes to St. Augustine

Dr. Hayling moved here in 1960 with his wife, Athea. He took over the dental office at 79 Bridge Street in St. Augustine's Lincolnville Historic District.

The St. Augustine Civil Rights Movement

With Dr. Hayling's leadership, St. Augustine's growing youth movement became stronger and more organized.

The intensity of the local movement and the summons by local activists led to a collaboration with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1963 & 1964. This period is often referred to as the St. Augustine Movement, though activists here had been demonstrating against segregation for at least a decade.

The events of the St. Augustine Movement are recognized as being pivotal to the passing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

The Scott Street Eleven

There were 11 houses on Scott Street during the 1960s, each household committed to the Civil Rights Movement.

Because of Dr. Hayling's activity in the movement, this house at 8 R. B. Hayling Place was targeted by local White supremacist groups. Mrs. Hayling (who was pregnant at the time) narrowly survived a shooting while his young daughters slept in February 1964; this is but one example of the racist attacks that targeted local activists.

Scott Street's residents banded together to protect Dr. Hayling and their neighborhood. At any given time — night or day — one of the residents would be awake and monitoring the neighborhood. They also had a "phone tree" that kept everyone informed — and more importantly, safe.

To explore the Scott Street Eleven, scroll down to the "Related Topics" page.

Scott Street Re-Named for Dr. Hayling

In 2003, Scott Street was renamed to Dr. R. B. Hayling Place in honor of Dr. Hayling's leadership and bravery during the St. Augustine Movement. He was welcomed back during the dedication ceremony as the guest of honor.

The ACCORD Freedom Marker at 8 Dr. R. B. Hayling Place was erected in July 2007.

To learn more about Dr. Robert B. Hayling, scroll down to the "Related People" section.

Resources

Tap the blue underlined text to view the following resources.

Online Resources

8 R. B. Hayling Place marker text from the Historical Marker Database.

Library of Congress interview of Mrs. Barbara Henry Vickers, member of the Scott Street 11.

Library of Congress interview of Dr. Robert B. Hayling.

Further Reading

St. Augustine, Florida, 1963-1964: Mass Protest and Racial Violence, edited by David Garrow, 1989.