St. Augustine in St. Johns County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Closing the Door / Protegiendo el acceso
Fort Matanzas National Monument
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, December 13, 2018
1. Closing the Door / Protegiendo el acceso Marker
Inscription.
Los españoles construyeron Fort Matanzas para proteger el acceso por el sur hacia San Agustín. Los navíos españoles que venían de Cuba usaron esta vía navegable para reabastecer la ciudad durante el asedio británico de 1740. Después del asedio, construyeron este puesto fortificado, que pronto demostraría su valor. En 1742, los cañonazos lanzados desde el Fort Matanzas hicieron retroceder a dos pequeñas embarcaciones británicas que se encontraban haciendo un reconocimiento del canal para los navíos más grandes.
Closing the Door (English)
The Spanish built Fort Matanzas to protect the southern approach to St. Augustine. Spanish ships from Cuba used this waterway to resupply the town during the 1740 British siege. After the siege, they built this fortified outpost. It soon proved its worth. In 1742, cannon fire from the fort drove back two British boats scouting the channel for larger warships.
Protegiendo el acceso (Spanish)
Los españoles construyeron Fort Matanzas para proteger el acceso por el sur hacia San Agustín. Los navíos españoles que venían de Cuba usaron esta vía navegable para reabastecer la ciudad durante el asedio británico de 1740. Después del asedio, construyeron este puesto fortificado, que pronto demostraría su valor. En 1742, los cañonazos lanzados desde el Fort Matanzas hicieron retroceder a dos pequeñas embarcaciones británicas que se encontraban haciendo un reconocimiento del canal para los navíos más grandes.
Erected 2018 by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Location. 29° 42.895′ N, 81° 14.083′ W. Marker is in St. Augustine, Florida, in St. Johns County. Marker can be reached from A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Byway (State Highway A1A) 4 miles south of State Highway 206, on the right when traveling south. Marker is located on the Fort Matanzas National Monument grounds, beside the walkway on the west side of the Visitor Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 8635 A1A South, Saint Augustine FL 32080, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Fort Matanzas is the only fortified Spanish watchtower in the continental United States.
Fort Matanzas es la única torre vigía fortificada que los españoles construyeron en los Estados Unidos continentales.
sectionhead>More about this marker. Marker is a large rectangular composite plaque, mounted horizontally on waist-high metal posts.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Fort Matanzas National Monument
Also see . . . 1. The British Threat. By 1740, it was no longer the French, but rather the British who were a threat to the Spanish Florida colony. Whoever controlled Florida controlled the rich shipping lanes coming from the Spanish Caribbean. The British had unsuccessfully laid siege to St. Augustine twice (1702 and 1740). Florida Governor Montiano knew the British would be back and would most likely attempt to come through the unguarded inlet at Matanzas. So, he immediately ordered a fort to be built to guard these southern approaches. (Submitted on December 19, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. Historic Fort Matanzas National Monument in 4k UHD Video. Fort Matanzas National Monument stands guard over the mouth of the Matanzas River on the Florida's northern Atlantic coast. (Submitted on December 19, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
3. Marker detail: Watchtower
The Spanish replaced a wooden watchtower with the existing masonry fort.
Los españoles reemplazaron la torre de madera con la actual orba de mampostería.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, December 13, 2018
4. Closing the Door Marker (wide view looking west across Matanzas River; related marker behind)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, January 14, 2010
5. Fort Matanzas (Sentry Box; looking south across Matanzas River Inlet)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, January 14, 2010
6. Fort Matanzas (north side)
Credits. This page was last revised on January 2, 2019. It was originally submitted on December 16, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 295 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on December 19, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
