Fort Matanzas National Monument Facts for Kids

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Fort Matanzas National Monument
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Monument

View of fort's western and southern façades
Location in Florida Show map of Florida Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	St. Johns County, Florida, US
Nearest city	St. Augustine, Florida
Area	227.76 acres (0.91 km²)
Built	1740-42
Visitation	1,002,444 (2005)
Website	Fort Matanzas National Monument
NRHP reference No.	66000098
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966
Designated NMON	October 15, 1924

Fort Matanzas National Monument (which means Fuerte Matanzas in Spanish) is a special place in Florida. It's where the Spanish built a fort long ago. This area became a United States National Monument on October 15, 1924.

The monument includes the old Spanish fort, built in 1740, and about 100 acres of land. This land has salt marshes and barrier islands along the Matanzas River. It's located on the northern Atlantic coast of Florida. The National Park Service takes care of Fort Matanzas. They also manage the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument in St. Augustine.

History of Fort Matanzas
Restoring the Fort
Visiting Fort Matanzas
Gallery
See also

History of Fort Matanzas

Fort Matanzas was built by the Spanish in 1742. Its main job was to protect Matanzas Inlet. This inlet was the southern entrance to the Matanzas River. It was a secret way to get to the city of St. Augustine from the back. This route helped enemies avoid the main defenses of St. Augustine, which were at Castillo de San Marcos.

Why the Fort Was Built

In 1740, Governor James Oglethorpe from Georgia used this inlet. He blocked St. Augustine and attacked the city for 39 days. St. Augustine survived the attack. But this event showed the Spanish that they needed to protect the inlet. It was very important for the city's safety.

So, Governor Manuel de Montiano ordered a new fort to be built. Construction started in 1740 and finished in 1742. An engineer named Pedro Ruiz de Olano designed the fort. He had also worked on the Castillo de San Marcos.

Building the Fort

Workers included convicts, slaves, and soldiers from Cuba. They built the fort on what is now Rattlesnake Island. This spot gave them a great view of Matanzas Inlet.

The fort was called Torre de Matanzas (Matanzas Tower) by the Spanish. It was made of coquina. This is a strong building material made from shells, common in that area. The ground was marshy, so they used pine logs to make a strong base. The fort was about 50 feet (15 meters) long on each side. It had a tower that was 30 feet (9 meters) high.

Life at the Fort

Usually, a small group of soldiers lived at the fort. This included one officer, four infantrymen (foot soldiers), and two gunners. More troops could be sent if needed. All soldiers served at Fort Matanzas for a short time. Then they went back to their regular duties in St. Augustine.

The fort had five cannons. Four were six-pounders, and one was an eighteen-pounder. All these guns could reach the inlet. At that time, the inlet was less than half a mile away.

The Fort's Only Battle

In 1742, the fort was almost finished. The British, led by Oglethorpe, came to the inlet with twelve ships. The fort's cannons fired at their scouting boats. The British warships then left without fighting the fort. This short event was the only time Fort Matanzas ever fired at an enemy.

Changes in Control

Spain lost control of Florida in 1763 after a treaty. They got control back in 1783 with another treaty. But the Spanish Empire was getting weaker. So, Spain did not spend much effort keeping the fort in good shape after this time.

When the United States took over Florida in 1821, the fort was falling apart. Soldiers could not even live inside it. The United States never used the fort, and it became a ruin.

Where the Name Comes From

Fort Matanzas got its name from the inlet. The inlet was named after a sad event in 1565. The Spanish killed many Frenchmen, called Huguenots, on its north shore. These Frenchmen were the last of the Fort Caroline colonists. The Spanish word for these killings is matanzas, which means "slaughters."

Restoring the Fort

In 1916, the United States Department of War started a big project. They wanted to fix the fort, which was in very bad condition. By 1924, they had repaired three large cracks in the wall. The whole structure was made stable again. In that same year, it was declared a National Monument.

Fort Matanzas was moved from the War Department to the National Park Service on August 10, 1933. Because it is a historic site managed by the Park Service, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.

Visiting Fort Matanzas


Fort Matanzas NM Headquarters and Visitor Center
U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Visitor center
Location	8635 A1A S., St. Augustine, Florida
Built	1936
Architect	NPS Eastern Div. of Plans & Design
Architectural style	NPS Rustic
MPS	Florida's New Deal Resources MPS
NRHP reference No.	08001245
Added to NRHP	December 31, 2008

The Fort Matanzas National Monument Headquarters and Visitor Center is located at 8635 A1A. This is about 15 miles (24 km) south of St. Augustine, Florida. It was built in 1936.

The visitor center is on Anastasia Island. It helps people who want to visit Fort Matanzas. The fort itself is a five-minute boat ride away. The National Park Service's Eastern Division of Plans & Design created the visitor center. It was built in a style called National Park Service Rustic. The center also has a museum. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.

The main building has two stories. It has an arched walkway that serves as the visitor center. It also includes a home for a park ranger. The first floor walls are made of coquina blocks. The second floor is made of wood.

Another smaller building is about 50 feet (15 meters) north. It also has coquina walls. This building is now used as a ranger office.

Visitors wait at the center to take a short boat ride to the historic Fort Matanzas. The fort is located across Matanzas Inlet on Rattlesnake Island. The buildings and the surrounding area were designed by architects from the National Park Service.