What Is Fort Matanzas National Monument?
This is one of the oldest masonry forts in the USA, built from a uniquely Floridian stone called coquina!
What Makes It Historical?
After Spanish soldiers massacred shipwrecked French sailors here in 1565, the river and inlet here took on the name Matanzas, meaning “slaughters!” Fast forward just under 200 years, and Spanish dominance faced a new challenge: the British! That meant the time had come for them to ship sink for their lives!
The Spanish set to building a fort here at Matanzas Inlet, drilling deep support holes into the marsh to give their structure any stability. From 1740 until 1742, they built up Fort Matanzas from shell-stone called coquina, fending off one British attack in July of 1741 before construction was complete, and again in September of 1742 with the fully installed cannon!
From 1742 until 1763, six soldiers at a time would rotate through Fort Matanzas in 30-day cycles. During that time, they would patrol the coast, run rescues for shipwrecks, and of course, fire at suspicious ships and soldiers! After Spain gave up Florida to the British in 1763, the fort fell into disuse, but the strong coquina has kept it up as a monument to this colonial period!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Volunteer at Fort Matanzas National Monument!
- Donate to Fort Matanzas National Monument!
- Be a responsible visitor! Remember the old adages: Pack out what you pack in! Take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints!
How Do I Get There?
8635 A1A South
Saint Augustine, FL 32080
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit the Park?
The visitor center is open daily from 9:00 AM until 5:30 PM, while ferries only run Wednesday through Sunday from 9:30 AM until 3:30 PM!
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