One of my favorite places to “stay at home vacation” is St Augustine Florida. It has that Old timey feel with the a mixture of Spanish, but also French and English architectural styles. In my mind I immediately think haunted and to be sure that’s another talking point for another day. I enjoy St. Augustine not only for keeping it’s original structures, but you can smell the ocean off the Bridge of Lions, but what is enthralling is the fortifications of Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas which has never lost a battle in over 300 years.
The historic city of St. Augustine, Florida, is centered around two impressive fortifications: Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas. Given that St. Augustine is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the United States, these famous buildings serve as monuments to the hardships and victories of early colonial America. The rich histories and distinctive qualities of Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas will be discussed in this article, along with their significant contributions to the formation of the country’s history.
Built between 1672 and 1695, the Castillo de San Marcos is the pinnacle of Spanish military architecture in the New World. The purpose of this massive stronghold was to protect Spanish Florida’s capital city, St. Augustine, from possible attacks and threats. The resilience of the fort was greatly enhanced by the decision to use coquina, a locally quarried sedimentary rock made primarily of crushed shells, as the main building material. The incredible material coquina reduced damage and absorbed cannonballs, transforming the Castillo into a formidable defensive fortress. The fort was a major player in the rivalries and conflicts that defined colonial America throughout its history. It was the target of several sieges and was taken over by the Spanish, British, and American forces, among other European powers. When Spain gave Florida to the United States in 1821, it was the last time it changed hands. In the 19th century, the fort was renamed Fort Marion in honor of Francis Marion, a Revolutionary War hero, but it subsequently went back to its original name.
It crazy how you can walk across it’s grassy knolls, scream and shout playfully, even have picnics while poking around where soldiers stood day and night following orders awaiting possible death. You can even see bullet holes in the walls as you walk around in the sunlight it almost seems off-putting and macabre.
However, as dark as it is, with respect it’s comforting to walk where many others have and understand the weight they carried, the fear, the anger, and duty. You can still see the ricochet of bullets in the walls and some claim to have seen apparitions.
What are your thoughts? Do you think it’s residual energy with all that fear and anger? Or is it a dead place filled with old memories and we of the living stamp upon it with our feet blindly to stare upon it digesting information? Do you find it respectful?
As always, the world turns and we must Keep On Brewin.