Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas: Cultural Landscape Report, Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas National Monuments

WLA Studio

Historical Summary This Cultural Landscape Report (CLR) encompasses two historic properties – the 20-acre Castillo de San Marcos and the approximately 25-acre historic area of Fort Matanzas – both located in St. Johns County in northern Florida. Castillo de San Marcos is in St. Augustine, and Fort Matanzas is located approximately fourteen miles to the south near Matanzas Inlet. Spain built Castillo de San Marcos between 1672 and 1695 to defend St. Augustine, their main colonial outpost in southeastern North America, and to protect the important sea routes from the New World to Spain. After completing Castillo de San Marcos in 1695, the Spanish made numerous additions and modifications to both the main structure and its outlying landscape. Many of the landscape features representative of the Castillo de San Marcos colonial period were completed by 1756. The Spanish constructed Fort Matanzas between 1740 and 1742. Fort Matanzas served as an outer defense of St. Augustine. From this outpost, Spanish soldiers could watch for enemy ships attempting to enter Matanzas River, a 23-mile long estuary that led north to the city. In 1763, Castillo de San Marcos, Fort Matanzas, and the other Spanish possessions in and around St. Augustine transferred to British control according to the terms of the Treaty of Paris ending the Seven Years’ War. Following the conclusion of the American Revolution, Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas returned to Spanish rule and remained as such until the ratification of the Adams-Onis Treaty in 1821. At that time, Spain ceded Florida to the United States. Both Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas were placed under the administration of the U.S. War Department. In 1935, both properties were fully transferred to the National Park Service. National Register Information Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas were both listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NR) upon passage of the National Historic Preservation Act in 1966. Additional documentation was accepted by the NR for the Castillo in 1977 and again in 1996. The period of significance for the Castillo is from 1672 to 1924 for: Criterion A: Military History; Criterion B: Osceola; and Criterion C: Military Engineering. The property retains sufficient integrity for all seven aspects: Location, Design, Setting, Materials, Workmanship, Feeling, and Association. Fort Matanzas similarly received additional NR documentation in 1976 and 2008, with periods of significance of 1500-1899 and 1936-1937, respectively, and for Criterion A: Military and Social History, and Criterion C: Architecture. As with the Castillo, Fort Matanzas retains sufficient integrity for all seven NR aspects. Summary of Findings The 2016 Foundation Document for Castillo de San Marcos states, “through a careful analysis of its enabling legislation,” that the “National Monument preserves the oldest masonry fortification in the continental United States and interprets more than 450 years of cultural intersections.” The Fort Matanzas Foundation Document similarly states that the “National Monument preserves the fortified watchtower, completed in 1742, which defended the southern approach to the Spanish military settlement of St. Augustine, and protects approximately 300 acres of Florida coastal environment.” This CLR recommends rehabilitation as the primary treatment for Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas, which is consistent with both the park’s Foundation Documents and General Management Plans. Rehabilitation protects the significant historic features that contribute to the integrity of the property while allowing for necessary improvements. The goal of treatment is to improve the interpretation of Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas by preserving and/or rehabilitating the character-defining features that were present during the historic period of significance. Another goal is to improve the ability of the landscape to withstand the pressures associated

Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas: Cultural Landscape Report, Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas National Monuments

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