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St. Augustine in St. Johns County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
 

Crumbling Coquina / Piedra frágil

Fort Matanzas National Monument

 
 
Crumbling Coquina / Piedra frágil Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, December 13, 2018
1. Crumbling Coquina / Piedra frágil Marker
Inscription.  

Crumbling Coquina
Fort Matanzas was built using coquina, a local limestone. This porous limestone is made from millions of seashells pressed together for thousands of years. The Spanish coated the fort walls with plaster made from oyster shells to help waterproof the structure.

You can help us preserve the fort for generations to come: touch this sample of coquina instead of the historic walls.

Español
Piedra frágil
Fort Matanzas se construyó con coquina, una piedra caliza local. Esta piedra caliza porosa se forma a partir de millones de conchas de mar comprimidas durante miles de años. Los españoles cubrieron los muros de la fortificación con enlucido hecho de conchas de ostras para impermeabilizar la estructura.

Usted puede ayudarnos a preservar el fuerte para las futuras generaciones: toque esta muestra de coquina en lugar de tocar las murallas históricas.
 
Erected 2018 by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists:
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ArchitectureColonial EraForts and CastlesHispanic Americans.
 
Location. 29° 42.896′ 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.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Closing the Door / Protegiendo el acceso (here, next to this marker); Fort Matanzas National Monument (a few steps from this marker); Massacre by Menendez (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Old World Showdown / Reyes y fe (about 600 feet away); Southeast Intracoastal Waterway Park (approx. 0.3 miles away); Guarding Matanzas Inlet (approx. 0.3 miles away); Massacre of the French
Crumbling Coquina Marker (<i>wide view; Fort Matanzas Visitor Center is to the left</i>) image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, December 13, 2018
2. Crumbling Coquina Marker (wide view; Fort Matanzas Visitor Center is to the left)
(approx. 0.4 miles away); Early Settlers on This Land (approx. 3.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in St. Augustine.
 
More about this marker. Marker is a large composite plaque, mounted horizontally on waist-high metal posts.
 
Regarding Crumbling Coquina / Piedra frágil. After the fort was built, wealthy citizens, began to use coquina for their homes. Some of these, like the Oldest House, can still be seen today. The St. Francis Barracks and the Cathedral in downtown St. Augustine are also made of coquina. One of the last large buildings to be built of coquina is the St. Augustine Visitor Information Center, built in the early 1940s. The Fort Matanzas Visitor Center is also coquina. 250 years of building, used up most of the quality stone. However, coquina boulders can still be seen on the beach at Washington Oaks State Park a few miles south of Fort Matanzas National Monument.
 
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Fort Matanzas National Monument
 
Also see . . .  Coquina - The Rock that Saved St Augustine. NPS Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, Florida
Fort Matanzas South Wall (<i>showing deteriorating coquina blocks</i>) image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, January 14, 2010
3. Fort Matanzas South Wall (showing deteriorating coquina blocks)
website entry (Submitted on September 26, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.) 
 
Fort Matanzas Sentry Box (<i>showing coquina block construction</i>) image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, January 14, 2010
4. Fort Matanzas Sentry Box (showing coquina block construction)
Fort Matanzas Interior (<i>showing coquina block construction</i>) image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, January 14, 2010
5. Fort Matanzas Interior (showing coquina block construction)
Fort Matanzas Visitor Center (<i>north end; near marker; also constructed with coquina blocks</i>) image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, December 13, 2018
6. Fort Matanzas Visitor Center (north end; near marker; also constructed with coquina blocks)
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on December 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 16, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 319 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on December 19, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 29, 2024