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Dec 23, 2022 · Built by the Spanish in St. Augustine to defend Florida and the Atlantic trade route, Castillo de San Marcos National Monument preserves the oldest masonry fortification in the continental United States and interprets more than 450 years of cultural intersections.
The Castillo de San Marcos (Spanish for "St. Mark's Castle") is the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States; it is located on the western shore of Matanzas Bay in St. Augustine, Florida.
Jul 21, 2013 · The Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States, is a large Spanish stone fortress built to protect and defend Spain's claims in the New World. It is a National Monument, more than 327 years old, and is the oldest structure in St. Augustine.
Oct 22, 2023 · The Castillo de San Marcos is unique in North American architecture. As the only extant 17th century military construction in the country and the oldest masonry fortress in the United States it is a prime example of the "bastion system" of fortification, the culmination of hundreds of years of military defense engineering.
The Castillo de San Marcos is infamous for its ancient grey appearance. But what did the Spanish use to build it here in marshy Florida? They used coquina. Coquina is a unique stone that is native to Florida's northeast coast.
Apr 9, 2020 · Unique among National Parks, the Castillo de San Marcos embodies nearly 450 years of history and culture that can not be fully experienced in a single visit. A little planning ahead will help make the most of your time with us.
Castillo de San Marcos was built to protect Spanish interests in the New World from foreign adversaries like the British and pirates. Its star-shaped design, with diamond-shaped bastions at each corner, allowed defenders to have overlapping fields of fire to protect against any approaching enemy.
