St Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine holds many secrets. I went in search of seeing the Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest masonry fort in the continental US, but I found so much more. I opened a door into our nation’s myriad past, painful reminders, and lessons humanity’s resilient nature in the face of change.
The Spanish sailed here in 1575 under Ponce de Leon, making it the oldest settlement in America, preceding Jamestown and Plymouth.
The Spanish built Castillo de San Marcos in 1672 — other forts preceded it. Yet, this one was made strong by nature — using a unique building material — coquina. The walls are made of this fire-resistant material, and it made the fort impenetrable to enemy attacks from the sea(Castillo de San Marcos website). Coquina, meaning “tiny shell,” is a limestone made of broken sea shells and quartz granules and was used for over 400 years as a building stone in Florida.
Another interesting historical fact about St. Augustine is its role in African American history. According to David Nolan, the primary historian…
