Tovar House/Gonzalez-Alvarez House

The infantryman Jose Tovar lived on this corner in 1763. The original site and size of his house remained unchanged during the British period, when John Johnson, a Scottish merchant, lived here. After the Spanish returned in 1784, Jose Coruna, a Canary Islander with his family, and Tomas Caraballo, and assistant surgeon, occupied the house. Geronimo Alvarez, who lived next door in the Gonzaliz-Alvarez House, purchased the property in 1791. It remained in his family until 1871. A later occupant was Civil War General Martin D. Hardin, USA. The Tovar House has been owned by the St. Augustine Historical Society since 1918 and has been nicknamed "The Oldest House," in America's "Oldest City," although reports show that neither of these names are actually true.

Reports have said the building is haunted by a shadowy male figure, strange lights have been seen, objects have moved by themselves and animals have been known to become agitated while in the building.