Fort Matanzas National Monument | |
 View of fort's western and southernfaçades | |
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 Interactive map of Fort Matanzas National Monument | |
| Location | St. Johns County, Florida, US |
|---|---|
| Nearest city | St. Augustine, Florida |
| Coordinates | 29°42′55″N81°14′21″W / 29.71528°N 81.23917°W /29.71528; -81.23917 |
| Area | 227.76 acres (0.91 km²) |
| Built | 1740-42 |
| Visitation | 1,002,444 (2005) |
| Website | Fort Matanzas National Monument |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000098[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NMON | October 15, 1924 |
Fort Matanzas National Monument (Spanish:Fuerte Matanzas) is the site where the Spanish built a fort. It was designated aUnited States national monument on October 15, 1924.[2] The monument consists of a 1740 Spanish fort called Fort Matanzas, and about 100 acres (0.4 km2) ofsalt marsh andbarrier islands along theMatanzas River on the northernAtlantic coast ofFlorida. It is operated by theNational Park Service in conjunction with theCastillo de San Marcos National Monument in the city ofSt. Augustine.
Fort Matanzas was built by the Spanish in 1742 to guardMatanzas Inlet, the southern mouth of theMatanzas River, which could be used as a rear entrance to the city of St. Augustine. Such an approach avoided St. Augustine's primary defense system, centered at Castillo de San Marcos. In 1740, Gov.James Oglethorpe ofGeorgia used the inlet to blockade St. Augustine[3] and launch a thirty-nine-day siege. St. Augustine endured the siege, but the episode convinced the Spanish that protecting the inlet was necessary to the security of the town.[4] Under Gov.Manuel de Montiano's orders, construction of the fort began that year and was completed in 1742.[5] Engineer Pedro Ruiz de Olano, who had worked on additions to the Castillo de San Marcos,[6] designed the fortified observation tower.[7] Convicts, slaves, and troops fromCuba were used as labor to erect the structure, which was sited on present-day Rattlesnake Island[8] and had a commanding position over Matanzas Inlet.[9]
The fort, known to the Spanish asTorre de Matanzas (Matanzas Tower),[10][11] is a masonry structure made ofcoquina,[12] a common shellstone building material in the area.[13] The marshy terrain was stabilized by a foundation of pine pilings[7][14] to accommodate a building 50 feet (15 m) long on each side with a 30-foot (9.1 m) high tower. The standard garrison of the fort was one officer in charge, four infantrymen, and two gunners,[15] though more troops could be stationed if necessary. All soldiers at Fort Matanzas served on rotation from their regular duty in St. Augustine. Five cannon were placed at the fort—four six-pounders and one eighteen-pounder.[16] All guns could reach the inlet,[7] which at the time was less than half a mile away.
In 1742, as the fort was nearing completion, the British under Oglethorpe approached the inlet with twelve ships.[17] Cannon fire drove off the scouting boats, and the warships left without engaging the fort.[18] This brief encounter was the only time Fort Matanzas fired on an enemy. Spain lost control of Florida with the1763 Treaty of Paris, and regained control with the1783 Treaty of Paris. With theSpanish Empire falling apart, Spain spent little effort maintaining the fort after this time. When theUnited States took control of Florida in 1821,[19] the fort had deteriorated to the point where soldiers could not live inside.[20] The United States never used the fort and it became aruin.
Fort Matanzas was named for the inlet, which acquired its name afterthe executions, ormatanzas (Spanish: slaughters),[21] on its north shore, ofJean Ribault and his band ofHuguenot Frenchmen, the last of theFort Caroline colonists,[22] by the Spanish in 1565.[23][24]
In 1916, theU.S Department of War began a major restoration of the badly deteriorated fort. By 1924, three vertical fissures in the wall were repaired and the structure was stabilized;[25] in the same year, National Monument status was proclaimed. Fort Matanzas was transferred from the War Department to the National Park Service on August 10, 1933. As a historic area under the Park Service, the National Monument was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.
Fort Matanzas NM Headquarters and Visitor Center | |
 Visitor center | |
| Location | 8635 A1A S., St. Augustine, Florida |
|---|---|
| Built | 1936 |
| Architect | NPS Eastern Div. of Plans & Design |
| Architectural style | NPS Rustic |
| MPS | Florida's New Deal Resources MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 08001245[1] |
| Added to NRHP | December 31, 2008 |
The Fort Matanzas National Monument Headquarters and Visitor Center, located at 8635A1A about 15 miles (24 km) south ofSt. Augustine, Florida, was built in 1936. Located onAnastasia Island, it services the Fort Matanzas National Monument, a five-minute boat ride away. It was designed by the National Park Service'sEastern Div. of Plans & Design in what is calledNational Park Service Rustic architectural style, and includes a museum. It was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 2008. The listing included twocontributing buildings and onecontributing site on 17.3 acres (7.0 ha).[1][26]
The main building is a two-story building with an arched walk-through breezeway that serves as the visitor center and includes a ranger residence as well. The walls of its first floor are made ofcoquina block masonry, and the second floor is wood framed with wood siding. It has ahipped roof.[26]
The one-story second building, 50 feet (15 m) to the north, is also hip-roofed and has coquina walls. It is a utility building that now serves as a ranger office.[26]
Visitors wait at the center to take a five-minute boat ride to the historicFort Matanzas, which is located acrossMatanzas Inlet on Rattlesnake Island.[26]
The buildings and the surrounding landscaping was designed byarchitects of the Eastern Division Branch of Plans and Design of the National Park Service.[26]
Additional designed features include flagstone walkways and sidewalks, an exterior staircase, a retaining wall, parking areas and roads and curbs.[26]
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