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Castillo de San Marcos

Fortifications and Military Architecture

The Castillo de San Marcos stands on the waterfront of St. Augustine, Florida, built by Spain between 1672 and 1695 to defend its oldest permanent settlement in North America. It is constructed of coquina, a soft local limestone formed from compressed shell fragments, whose porous structure absorbed cannon fire by compressing rather than shattering, giving the fort unusual resilience under bombardment. Laid out with four diamond-shaped bastions in the star-fort style typical of the period, it is the oldest masonry fortification surviving in the continental United States, and it changed hands between Spain, Britain and the United States over its history without ever falling to a direct assault.

Facts
Building Type
Masonry fort 1
Location
St. Augustine, Florida 1
Completed Year
1695 1
Classification
Standing Status
Standing 1
Building Type
Building Type (category)
Fort / Fortress 1
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Source Castillo de San Marcos, Wikipedia
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Source Castillo de San Marcos, WikipediaLead paragraph of the cited Wikipedia article
Quote, Lead paragraph of the cited Wikipedia article
The Castillo de San Marcos (Spanish for “St. Mark’s Castle”) is the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States; it is located on the western shore of Matanzas Bay in St. Augustine, Florida.
Sources
1. Castillo de San Marcos, Wikipedia
  • Lead
    the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States
  • Lead, location
    located on the western shore of Matanzas Bay in St. Augustine, Florida
  • History, Construction
    The construction of the core of the current fortress was completed in 1695
  • Lead section
    The Castillo de San Marcos (Spanish for "St. Mark's Castle") is the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States; it is located on the western shore of Matanzas Bay in St. Augustine, Florida.
  • Uses Element: Masonry, Wikipedia lead
    Mark’s Castle”) is the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States; it is located on the western shore of Matanzas Bay in St.
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