Castiilo de San Marcos

Castiilo de San Marcos

"The Castillo de San Marcos is the oldest masonry fort in the continental U.S. After 9 wooden forts designed to protect St. Augustine were burned by invaders, the Spanish militia took on the monumental task of constructing a stone fort that would protect the city and its treasury from pirates, the British and other attackers. The Castillo is made from coquina, a locally sourced stone-like compound made of shell and limestone. The use of coquina as the building material for both the Castillo de San Marcos and the nearby Fort Matanzas created fortresses that were nearly indestructible. Construction of the Castillo began in 1672 and took 23 years to complete. This stronger fortress was never taken in battle. The Castillo played a pivotal role in protecting Spanish St. Augustine from the 1700s to the late 1800s. In 1924, the Castillo, or Fort Marion as it was known at the time, was declared a national monument by President Calvin Coolidge."

https://www.floridashistoriccoast.com/things-to-do/history/historic-forts/?gclid=CjwKCAjwjdOIBhA_EiwAHz8xm1F8le_pOs5dWO4VTabEYvv3NHy3WIFw7TZ8GAVs0BCaxRzbRV_BKBoCqgoQAvD_BwE

Fort was designed in a star shape using coquina rock. A sign that reads Castillo de San Marcos. Photo of a large column with a sphere top on the side of coquina fort.

Mags Mullican

National Park Service

National Park Service

08/06/2021

Mags Mullican

National Park Service

Building