These days, if you walk down King Street toward the Matanzas Bay, you will walk right by a small Wells Fargo office. In the window you may see photos of a time when St. Augustine was a much different place or if you go right now you will likely see a collection of 4 mannequins sitting at a bar counter. This counter was once a part of this building! That's right: this was not always a bank. This building once housed Woolworth's Lunch Counter, a place that sold burgers and sodas. The counter is not the only artifact that has returned to the building; the menus, signs, stools, and other artifacts were all originally a part of Woolworth's as well. 

     The 4 mannequins weren't in the original restaurant. They represent 4 teenagers who stood up for what their rights by sitting down at that exact counter and ordering some burgers and cokes. There had been sit-ins in the Woolworth's lunch counter before (March 16 and 17, 1960), but none of the student participants were held in jail for longer than a night. However, on June 23, 1963, sixteen participants sat at the Woolworth's counter and were arrested. All but four of these people were released. These four teenagers (all students at Murray High School) were required to spend 1 month in jail and 5 months in reform school.

 

Why? Click the images below to watch videos, listen to audio, and read newspaper articles to find out why these teens had to stay in jail.