castillo de san marcos

Today after morning school and lunch, the Counting Stars and Alkemi families went to visit the Castillo de San Marcos.  This old fort is the dominant feature of the St. Augustine waterfront.  Construction began in 1672 when Florida was part of the Spanish Empire.  It was transferred to British control in 1763 as a condition of the Treaty of Paris and was renamed Fort St. Mark.  Twenty years later, Florida was returned to the Spanish, who held the territory until 1819 when it was ceded to the United States.  The fort was again renamed, this time as Fort Marion.  For a time, it was used as a military prison to hold members of various Native American tribes, including the Seminole leader, Osceola, and members of Geronimo's band of Chiricahua Apaches. Designated a National Monument in 1924, the fort was removed from military service and transferred to the National Park Service in 1933, and renamed Castillo de San Marcos in 1942.   

We attended a Ranger Talk about the fort and the unique properties of the the locally-quarried coquina rock with which it was constructed.  Before beginning his presentation, the ranger brought a 14-pound cannonball around for everyone to hold.  We were all impressed with its weight!  The ranger spoke quite animatedly for about 20 minutes and we all learned a great deal about the fort, its history and functions, and of course, the coquina.

Following the talk, we explored the grounds and different rooms of the fort, finishing with a climb to the top to view the city and harbor below.  

The view of the Castillo de San Marcos from Counting Stars.