<p>The tree is located 600 feet from Saint Augustine’s "Fountain of Youth" and was likely standing in 1513 when Juan Ponce de Leon arrived in the area. The 600-year-old age is debated among researchers. Spanish authorities, who were in control of the city most of the time required that nothing large be planted within 1,500 yards north of the masonry fort, Castillo de San Marcos, to avoid giving cover to an enemy who might approach the fort and the tree falls within that boundary. The core test could also be inaccurate due to the density of Oak trees and the inability&nbsp;for researchers to test all of the tree's rings.</p>

<p>The Old Senator lost a limb in August of 2018. A similar occurrence happened in August of 2017. In September it was deemed healthy by an arborist and doesn’t need to be cut down. As of September 2018, local residents are hoping to have the tree listed on the National Register of Historic Places.</p>

Historical marker at the base of the tree.

Palm tree growing in a crook of Old Senator. Credit: Cheryl H., TripAdvisor

A limb from Old Senator that fell in August of 2018. Credit: Sheldon Gardner, The Record

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St. Augustine's "Old Senator" is located in the parking lot of the Howard Johnson Inn off San Marco Avenue. This Southern Oak dates back to the era before Columbus as it was core tested by scientists who are confident that the tree is at least 600-years-old. As a result, this tree would have been standing when Ponce de Leon "discovered" the area while he searched for the chimerical Fountain of Youth. 

The Old Senator Tree

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This walking tour begins at the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park and concludes at Castillo de San Marcos, the only remaining seventeenth-century fortress in North America. Be sure to also consider the downtown St. Augustine walking tour which starts near Castillo de San Marcos and includes many of St. Augustine's most important landmarks and museums.

<p>As was the case in the American Southwest, the strategy of convincing Spanish military expeditions to leave one's own territory by telling fantastical stories about the areas inhabited by one's enemies was a nonviolent method used by many Native tribes to prevent conflict with Europeans. Of course, it is important to add a few details:&nbsp;Ponce de Leon probably was not ever told about a mythical&nbsp;fountain and there is no evidence to support the myth that he derailed his plans of conquest to search for the fountain.&nbsp;</p><p>Scholars suggest that he&nbsp;may not have landed near&nbsp;present-day Melbourne instead of&nbsp;St. Augustine-about 140 miles south of this complex. So while a visit to "Ponce de Leon's"&nbsp;archaeological&nbsp;park can offer a view into the history of native inhabitants and the settlement established by&nbsp;Pedro Menendez de Aviles, those wishing to retrace Ponce de Leon's trek would be searching in vain much like the mythical tales of their protagonist.&nbsp;<br></p><p>Visitors to the&nbsp;Fountain of Youth can see a number of exhibits related to the history and culture of Native inhabitants, including a recreated&nbsp;Timucua village. They can also see the firing of&nbsp;cannons and muskets&nbsp;meant to recreate the weaponry of early explorers. Of course, the most popular attraction is the opportunity to&nbsp;drink from the "Fountain of Youth."</p><p>While stories related to the&nbsp;fountain are a myth, the&nbsp;Timucua Indian Village of Seloy did exist at this location for thousands of years prior to the&nbsp;arrival of the Spanish. Ponce de Leon's arrival (whether in St. Augustine or elsewhere)&nbsp;established the basis of&nbsp;Spain's&nbsp;claim of possession of "La Florida," but just as Native inhabitants existed prior to the arrival of the English in Plymouth and Jamestown, the Timucua and other tribes had long claimed Florida as their own.&nbsp;</p><p>The myth of the&nbsp;Fountain of Youth gained popularity in America after 1819 due to the famous writings of Washington Irvin. In response to the popularity of this story, developers located a spring in the St. Augustine area and created this tourist attraction.&nbsp;The spring has been closed in by a stone building that also holds a memorial statue of Ponce de Leon. The park complex also includes the&nbsp;original site of a large Timucua Indian burial ground. Nearby, archaeologists&nbsp;have explored and discovered&nbsp;remains of the first fort and settlement of St. Augustine.</p><p>The park has been open to tourists for over a century-demonstrating the continued popularity of myth among visitors who enjoy the fantasy that its waters might restore their youth.&nbsp;<br></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>

Building upon the mythical tale of Spanish explorers and their chimerical search for the Fountain of Youth, this archaeological park tells the history of the first encounters between Native inhabitants and the new arrivals in what would become the St. Augustine. The park complex tells the story of how Native inhabitants may have convinced explorers to move beyond their own communities by telling tales of great wealth that might be found elsewhere-possibly including the tale of the Fountain of Youth that some have suggested kept ‎Ponce de León  searching in vain for its location after he arrived in Florida in 1513. The fifteen-acre complex also interprets the history of Spanish explorer Pedro Menendez de Aviles, who in 1565, established what would become St. Augustine-the oldest continuously-inhabited European Settlement in the United States.

Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park

<p>The two-story northern wing of the jail has a general population and maximum security area, a women’s section, and a lower level kitchen. The maximum security section held the worst prisoners and those condemned to die. During the jail’s history, eight men were hung from the jail’s gallows.</p>

<p>The overall conditions of the jail were very poor. Prisoners bathed infrequently and each cell had one bucket to use as a toilet. The prisoners had very poor diets and sometimes supplemented their food with animals they caught while working the fields. The southern wing of the jail consists of an office for the sheriff and living quarters for his family.</p>

The Old Jail in St. Augustine was built by Henry Flagler in 1891 and has been largely unchanged though it has undergone renovation. It was originally built to house up to 72 prisoners and operated for over 60 years, finally closing in 1953 and becoming a museum soon after. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1987. Visitors can take guided tours throughout the jail and learn about the prisoners and the practices that took place, as well as about the Sheriff and his family lived. A visit in enhanced by actors dressed up as deputies from the early days. The Old Jail is one of just a few prisons of its kind still standing. 

Old St. Johns County Jail

<div>On Sept. 8, 1565, under the command of King Philip II, General Pedro Menendez de Aviles came from Spain in hopes of establishing a colony, securing the land for Spain.<br><br></div><div>Father Francisco López de Mendoza Grajales celebrated the first Mass at a rustic altar made of wood. In the early 1600s, the Spanish settlers of St. Augustine established the first Shrine to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the United States. It was on this ground that the Spanish settlers would begin devotion to Our Lady of La Leche, Nuestra Señora de La Leche y Buen Parto, Mary nursing the infant Jesus. The devotion to our Lady of la Leche honors the divine motherhood of Mary. The Spanish designation is Nuestra Senora de la Leche y Buen Parto (Our Lady of the Milk and Happy Delivery). This devotion to Mary as a patroness of mothers and mothers-to-be was brought to Nombre de Dios from Spain in 1603.</div><div><br>The original chapel was destroyed by gunfire during the colonial days and later, by a hurricane. The present chapel now houses a replica of the original statue that was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War of March 13, 1936. It was also the scene of the Martyrdom of Father Rodriguez and a Franciscan Brother during the Indian Revolt of 1597, then dismantled and abandoned during the border raids from Georgia.&nbsp;The present building is the fourth building on the foundation. It was rebuilt by Bishop Verot in 1873 and blown down by a storm a year later, then re-erected by Bishop Curley in 1918.<br><br>Nearby is the Great Cross. Standing at 208 feet tall, it was erected in 1965 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the first parish mass.</div>

Located in St. Augustine, the Chapel of our Lady of La Leche is where the religious ceremony of taking possession of the land in the name of God (Nombre de Dios) and of the king of Spain took place and the first Holy Mass was celebrated. Pedro Menendez de Aviles landed in 1565 and laid the foundation of the first Spanish Colony in the new continent. The present building is the fourth building on the foundation. It was rebuilt by Bishop Verot in 1873 and blown down by a storm a year later, then re-erected by Bishop Curley in 1918.

The Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche at Mission Nombre de Dios

<p>The Old Spanish Trail (OST) was an early 20th-century highway project intended to provide a continuous road route from California to Florida, linking together the southwestern and southern states. The trail is one of the first interstate roads in the United States.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Planning and construction of the OST highway system began in 1915 and the highway was officially opened for travel more than a decade later in 1929. The OST highway follows what eventually became known as U.S. Highway 80 in the southwest and U.S. Highway 90 in the south.</p>

<p>The OST was originally developed as a touring route for automobiles through Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. The original route is now the location of several parts of current highways including US 80, US 90 and US 290. These roads were later replaced by the interstate system and a significant part of the Old Spanish Trail can now be travelled by taking I-8 and I-10.</p>

The zero milestone of the Old Spanish Trail is a spherical monument made of coquina shells located south of the St. Augustine Visitor Center. The milestone marks the end of the Old Spanish Trail auto highway that was completed in 1929 and linked San Diego, California and St. Augustine, Florida. This trail was one of the country’s original interstate routes and the highway’s name pays homage to the Spanish heritage and missions of the southwest and the south.

Old Spanish Trail Zero Milestone

<p>In 1884, due to the congestion of graves, and the subsequent attentiveness toward sanitation and general well-being of the people, the cemetery was closed for good. Unfortunately, there isn’t a complete record of every person buried here, however, it is believed that up to 430 people are buried in the cemetery. As with any public property, there has been back and forth of ownership between the state and the Presbyterians. Ultimately it was returned to Presbyterian Church in the 1940s and has remained in ownership of the Church since then.<br></p><p>It is commonly questioned on how and why the Huguenot Cemetery obtained its name when its mainly referred to as the Public Burying Ground or Grounds. As being an early interest point of tourism in the late 1800s, this was also to defuse the confusion over the Huguenots who preoccupied the Fort Caroline area before being slaughtered by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés in 1565 being buried here.<br>&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;As some insight into the relationship between the Spanish and the French in Florida, Under the fear of heresy branching out in Europe and in the new lands of America, King Phillip II sent Pedro Menéndez de Avilés to drive out the French to restore Florida. In response of Menéndez’s aggressive behavior, Jean Ribault and his men tried to launch an early attack on Menéndez and his men due to the construction of St. Augustine. Unfortunately for Ribault, this ended horribly due to a severe storm. His ships were crashed and stranded into current day Daytona Beach. As Menéndez learned of Ribault’s folly, He took his men and lead an all-out slaughter on Fort Caroline, soon renamed to San Mateo. It is reported that Menéndez let a small group of survivors leave back to France, on the condition they claimed they were Catholic.<br>&nbsp;<br>In contrast to the name confusion, recent studies have shed some evidence pointing that it is possible that members from the strong following of John Calvin, that the Presbyterian and the Huguenots from the Charleston, South Carolina have been buried here, which could possibly could mean the name was dedicated to those who were slain here.&nbsp;</p>

Located in St. John’s County across from the historic city gate lays the historic Huguenot Cemetery also known as The Public Burying Ground. In 1821, the cemetery was the first public cemetery established for the purpose of burying the non-Catholic victims of the Yellow fever. It was used again later to inter protestants and those practicing other non-Catholic religions, since the Tolomto Cemetery was strictly Catholics only. Prior to the Huguenot Cemetery being established, those of the non-Catholic faith were buried on Anastasia Island. During the last Spanish period, the last owner listed was Lorenzo Capella, who sold it to Presbyterian Reverend Thomas Alexander in 1832 under the condition that Protestants would continue to be buried here. 

Huguenot Cemetery

<p> Tolomato Cemetery located in St Augustine, which is the oldest European city founded in Florida. The site was part of an early Franciscan and Indian mission during the early 18th century. The Indians initially came to Saint Augustine after attacks from British soldiers and hostile tribes destroyed their missions (tolomatocemetery.com). This site is located in one of the most iconic cities relevant to Florida’s history. It also included the burials of many people who played iconic roles in the early developments of Florida. Many of those people were: British, Indians, Spanish, Haitian, and American.</p><p>Menorcans, who are the ancestors of many Saint Augustinians were brought to Florida by British colonist Dr. Turnbull. Their main purpose was to work on indigo plantations in New Smyrna Beach, being poorly treated after years, they rebelled and came to St Augustine, accompanied by their priest Father Camps (tolomatocemetery.com). With many deceased from rebelling against the plantation authorities, Father Pedro Camps was able to get permission from British Governor Patrick Tonyn to bury the dead members of his parish at the Tolomato Cemetery. This was the start of using Tolomato only as a cemetery. (Tolomatocemetery.com). Father Camps was buried in the cemetery in 1790. </p><p>Many people from different backgrounds were buried at the cemetery, one of the most iconic people buried there was Priest Félix Varela (The Varela Chapel: A Cuban Monument in St. Augustine). Father Varela spent most of his life away from Cuba but still played a key role in Cuba’s development at the Havana college and seminary of San Carlos. He was a well-respected priest and holds one of the most famous mausoleums in Tolomato. Days before his death one of his former students found him badly ill and on the verge of dying, His former student went through great lengths to try to raise money From Cuba and New York to help, but it was unfortunately too late. He passed away in 1853. As a celebration of his legacy, they build the chapel in the back of the cemetery. The chapel was sketched by one of the members of the Cuban group, even the interior of the chapel was Cuban inspired by ordering all the furniture in the neoclassical chapel was from Cuba, it is often visited by Cubans and Scholars (Flagerpublichistory.omeka.net).</p><p>Tolomato is not only important to Florida’s history because of the famous important that lived there, but because of the diversity that lies all around the cemetery. Many soldiers from both sides of the Civil War were buried there, many minorities and people who were tormented for their beliefs lie there too. Despite all the differences those people had, many of them ended up not far from each other underground. Tolomato was the place where everyone, in the end, came together.</p>

<p>Tolomato Cemetery located in St Augustine, which is the oldest European city founded in Florida. The site was part of an early Franciscan and Indian mission during the early 18th century. The Indians initially came to Saint Augustine after attacks from British soldiers and hostile tribes destroyed their missions (tolomatocemetery.com). This site is located in one of the most iconic cities relevant to Florida’s history. It also included the burials of many people who played iconic roles in the early developments of Florida. Many of those people were: British, Indians, Spanish, Haitian, and American.</p>

Tolomato Cemetery

<p>This school was operated by&nbsp;Juan Genolply, the first teacher in the area. The building's longevity reflects its construction from durable&nbsp;red cedar and cypress, as well as the care its builders took to create&nbsp;wooden pegs and handmade nails. This schoolhouse was part of an area once known as the&nbsp;“Minorcan Quarter” near the Old City Gate; an area populated by Minorcan immigrants.</p><p>Following his marriage, teacher Juan Genolpy created a&nbsp;second story in the building&nbsp;to separate his personal life with his public role as the area's only teacher.&nbsp;The couple's&nbsp;kitchen was separated from the main building,               because of the threat of fire, as well as to&nbsp;spare the house from excess               heat during the area's long summers.&nbsp;The classroom was shared by both girls and boys, which would become unusual in later decades when boys and girls were often separated from each other.&nbsp;The drinking water was drawn from a well, and a privy was dug away from the main building.</p><p>Tours include a walk through the&nbsp;schoolhouse and the opportunity to see&nbsp;related artifacts and copies of books from the time period. The tour also includes the opportunity to see the garden behind the schoolhouse and home,&nbsp;a rebuilt outhouse, and an old well. Today, children can receive make-believe diplomas and see mechanized figures dressed in 18th century attire.&nbsp;</p><p>Most visitors notice and ask questions about an&nbsp;enormous chain that wraps around the				schoolhouse and is tied to an anchor. The anchor and chain were added back				in 1937, when a hurricane threatened St. Augustine and an attempt was made to				secure the schoolhouse so the historic gem of a building would not be				lost.&nbsp;</p>

Constructed in 1740, this is the oldest surviving wooden school building in the United States. The schoolmaster and his wife lived upstairs, above the small classroom, which was open to both boys and girls. The school is available for daily tours for all age groups.

The Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse

<p><span>The museum was originally
in Key West as the “Pirate Soul Museum,” but was relocated to St. Augustine in
2012.</span></p>

<p>In the 16th and 17th
centuries, England and Spain had a rivalry and attacked each other's shipping
and settlements. At that time, St. Augustine was a Spanish colony. The area was
first explored in the early 16th century by Ponce De Leon and the city was
established by Pedro Menendez de Aviles in 1565. It became an important stop on
the trade route used by travelers sailing the Gulf Stream along the East Coast,
which made it a target for English privateers and pirates.</p>

<p>Founded by famed
entrepreneur Pat Croce, the Pirate Museum is the largest and most authentic
collection of pirate artifacts in the world. Croce has collected pirate
artifacts his whole life and funded the 2011 expedition that successfully found
the wreck of a ship sailed by Sir Francis Drake.</p>

<p>The museum hours 48
individual exhibit areas and over 800 artifacts. Among its exhibits are
Blackbeard's original blunderbuss, pieces of gold retrieved from his warship
the Queen Anne's Revenge, one of only three remaining authentic Jolly Roger
flags in the world, and Thomas Tew's original treasure chest, the only known
authentic pirate treasure chest in the world.</p>

<p>Exhibits include pirate
weapons, treasure, information on each buccaneer’s life, and writing and art
depicting these feared fortune-hunters. In 2015 the Red Sea Pirates Invade St.
Augustine was added as a permanent exhibit. </p>

<p>There are also audio-animatronics
that were built by Disney within the museum.</p>

Located in St. Augustine, Florida, the Pirate Museum is the largest and most authentic collection of pirate artifacts in the world. It is located across the street from the historic Castillo de San Marcos. Former Philadelphia 76ers owner, Pat Croce, started the original "Pirate Soul Museum" in Key West. In 2012 it was renamed and relocated to St. Augustine.

St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum

<p>St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine is dedicated to the first Greek colony that came to America in 1768. The first Greek immigrants to arrive in the United States came to Florida after an attempt to settle New Smyrna, a small colony south of St. Augustine, approximately&nbsp;600 Corsica, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, and Minorcan settlers fled and found refuge in St. Augustine. In 1777, the Spanish governor Vicente Manuel de Zespedes gave the abandoned Avero House to Father Pedro Camps and refugees as a place for them to gather and worship&nbsp;for approximately seven years.</p>

<p>The Greek Orthodox Diocese of North America purchased the building in 1966 and restored the house to its 1730s appearance after the local Greek community learned of the home’s availability on the market in 1965. Work was completed in 1982 making the present site the only Greek National Shrine in the United States. The gold reliquary was gifted to the Shrine by Archbishop Lakovos from the Three Hierarchs Church in Brooklyn, NY. The reliquary contained bone fragments from 18 saints and was certified by the Vatican. The saints represented include 3 apostles and those of St. Nicholas of Myra who served as the basis for the legends of Santa Claus. A plaque in New Smyrna says more than 1,400 refugees "pledged up to 10 years of labor for passage." As time passed, many had died and the remaining moved to St. Augustine.</p>

<p>The shrine is covered with Byzantine style frescoes highlighted with 22 Karat gold, depicting many apostles and saints of the Christian church. The shrine is also an institution of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The exhibits in the museum display the life of the early Greek settlers and the development of the Greek Orthodox Church in America. The exhibit also contains various artifacts, photographs and historical documents of the Greek Orthodox settlers.</p>

Located in historic St. Augustine, St. Photios National Greek Orthodox Shrine preserves the history of the first Greek community to arrive in what eventually became Florida. The shrine is housed the historic Avero House which was built in the 1760s by the De Avero family who were influential members of the St. Augustine community during the First Spanish Period. The site is known locally as the "Minorcan Chapel" as it is believed that members of the Minorcan Colony used the site for worship during the British occupation of St. Augustine. The Avero House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine

<h2>Architecture and Construction<br></h2>As the “Culture Trip” website states, the Castillo de San Marcos was “built from an indigenous and semi-rare stone composed of the shells of dead shellfish (called coquina)…Unlike other stones, coquina has a compressible nature, absorbing the blasts of projectile cannons rather than deflecting” (“A Brief History of Castillo De San Marcos, Florida”).<br><br><span>The distinctive bastion-style construction is an example of engineers adapting to the changing technologies of New World warfare. The&nbsp;star shaped design of the Castillo creates angled walls throughout the fort in order to reduce the likelihood of an enemy cannon being able to hit any of the walls with a straight shot.&nbsp;<br></span><br><h2>The Beginnings Of The Castillo</h2><div>The origins of this national monument trace back to the period just after Christopher Columbus’ last journey to the New World. The Spanish conquerors settled a huge and wealthy empire in the name of Spain that extends from the Caribbean to Central America, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela. The products obtained from these lands (e.g., sugar, cocoa, tobacco, pearls, exotic lumbers, metals, and dyes) gave them a great value and were loaded aboard galleons, “treasure fleets”, that sailed back to Spain, making it the Renaissance’s most powerful nation.<br><br></div><div>As a result of Juan Ponce de Leon’s voyages from 1513 to 1521, the conquerors knew that the best return-path to the Caribbean was along the Gulf Stream, traveling across the shores of Florida. It was really important for them to protect the peninsula so the enemies could not use it as a haven to attack the Spanish galleons.<br><br></div><div>Even though Spain claimed Florida in 1513, the French established a fortress at the mouth of the St. Johns River in 1564. Acknowledging this as a threat to the galleons and as an act of defiance toward Spanish claims, the King Phillip II sent an expedition, under the leadership of Admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, to assassinate the French and settle in Florida. On September 1565, Menéndez’ fleet arrived to the mouth of the St. Johns River but were unsuccessful in their mission against the French, so they decided to navigate to a southern harbor and established St. Augustine as their base. A French fleet navigated south almost instantly to attack them but the bad weather wrecked their ships. Menéndez knew that the French fort would be slightly protected. The Spaniards traveled north, seized the fort, and killed most of its residents. The survivors of the French fleet suffered the same fate after the Spaniards captured them near the south of St. Augustine. This event from 1565 gave the place the name of “Matanzas”.</div><div><br></div><span>England became Spain’s new rival for Florida’s possession. Two events
caused Spain to build the Castillo de San Marcos, the British pirates’ plunder
in St. Augustine in 1668 and the Foundation of a new English colony in
Charleston in 1670. Its construction began on October 2nd, 1672, and
ended in 1695. The castle replace the nine wooden forts that had protected the
city of St. Augustine since its foundation and its location on the west shore
allowed the cannons guard the harbor’s entrance and the northern access to the
city’s ground.&nbsp;<br></span><br><h2>First English Siege (1702)</h2>The fort saw only two significant attacks, both by British colonial leaders in the early 1700s.&nbsp;In 1702, during the War of the Spanish Succession, the English invaded
the town and besieged the castle for 50 days without success. They decided to
burn the town before moving out but the fort remained intact, becoming a symbol
that links the old and the new St. Augustine. New lines of defense were set in
the north and the west.&nbsp;<span><br><br></span><h2>Second English Siege (1740)</h2><span>Matanzas was not fortified when General James Oglethorpe and the British
soldiers from Fort Federica attacked in 1740. The Matanzas’ entrance was
blocked and the castle, once again, besieged. The Spanish defenders did not
vacillate during the 38 days in which they were besieged by the British. The
invasion demonstrated Matanzas’ strategic value and the need to reinforce it,
thus the Fort Matanzas was finished in 1742.<br></span><br><h2>British Occupation</h2><span>As a result of the Seven Years’ War, Spain ceded all of Florida to
Britain in exchange for Cuba in 1763. The British dominated both fortresses
until the end of the American Revolution.&nbsp;<br><br></span>Although acquisition of Florida was desired by British military leaders in what would become the American South, British acquisition of Florida occurred only as the result of diplomatic negotiation following the French and Indian War-a conflict where the bulk of the fighting occurred far from St. Augustine. The same is true of the United State's later acquisition of Florida-although slaveholders in Georgia staged several filibustering expeditions into Spanish-controlled Florida, the territory was acquired as a result of negotiation rather than direct conquest.<br><br><h2>United States' and Confederate States' Periods</h2><span>With the Treaty of Paris of 1783, Spain reclaimed Florida and governed
it until 1821, when it was ceded to the United States due to international
conflicts. The castle’s name was changed to Fort Marion in 1825 and, then, was
used as an Indian prison during the Second Seminole War from 1835 to 1842. Native leaders such as Osceola were imprisoned here during that conflict-the longest official war in American history. Although revered by many Americans at the time for his leadership and efforts to negotiate a peaceful settlement, the nature of the Seminole Wars were such that US troops were willing to take extreme actions against Native leaders. As a result, Osceola was captured under a flag of truce and placed in a cell in the old Castillo along with many other Native leaders.&nbsp;<br><br></span><span>In 1861, shortly after Florida voted for secession, Confederate troops took&nbsp;possession of Fort Marion from its lone inhabitant-an army sergeant assigned to take care of the fort. Recognizing its limited value, Confederate leaders moved the fort's cannon to other forts along the Florida coast. In 1862, the Union Navy occupied the area without a major fight and established batteries near the fort that thwarted Southern smugglers from utilizing the rivers and ports of St. Augustine. <br><br>In 1898, the fort was last used as a prison for deserters and mutineers during the Spanish-American War.<br><br></span><h2>Restoration</h2>Following the war, the fort continued to deteriorate until preservationists and the federal government&nbsp;worked to restore what remained of the historic&nbsp;fort.&nbsp;“In
1924, President Calvin Coolidge designated the fort as a National Monument, and
in 1933 the National Park Service took jurisdiction of it from the War
Department. The Park Service continued to maintain the fort as a National Monument”
(Carlisle126). As a way to recognize its Spanish heritage, the government
reestablished the original name of Castillo de San Marcos in 1942.<br><span><br><div>On October 15, 1966, the National Register of Historic Places added the fort to its list. The American Society of Civil Engineers officially recognized it as a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1975. It is also included in the Florida Black Heritage Trail documentation. <br><br>The fort is currently managed by the Florida State Park Service. According to their website, it is open to the public providing them the opportunity to explore its interiors, learn more about the site’s history, and witness gun firings and live reenactments (“Castillo De San Marcos National Monument”).</div></span><br>

The Castillo de San Marcos is the oldest masonry fortification and the only remaining seventeenth-century fortress in North America. For many years, it was the northernmost fort of the Spanish Empire in the New World. It protected St. Augustine against pirate raids and the British who, at that time, were Spain’s greatest enemies. The castle was East Florida’s main defense along with others that spanned from the north of the St. Marys River, to the St. Johns River in the west, and to the Fort Matanzas in the south.

St. Augustine History Walking Tour- Fountain of Youth to Castillo de San Marcos

The Old Senator Tree

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information