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Fort Matanzas St Augustine
Fort Matanzas played an important
role in St Augustine Florida History in
that it was built to protect the rear
entrance to the city located along the
Matanzas River. It was here at this
access point to the city that British
General, James Oglethorpe of Georgia set
up a blockade in the Matanzas Inlet and
proceeded to launch his 39 day attack in
1740. Oglethorpe was a smart navigator
and knew that by entering the city along
the Matanzas River he could avoid the
city’s main defense at the
Castillo de
San Marcos. After this terrible moment
in St Augustine Florida History, the
Spanish realized the need to protect
this region of St Augustine Fla and the
Matanzas Inlet, and construction began on
a new fort, just minutes away from the
other famous St Augustine Fort.
 Convicts and slaves from Cuba were used
to construct Fort Matanzas which was
situated on the banks of Rattlesnake
Island, a barrier island located in the
salt marsh along the Matanzas Inlet.
Made out of coquina rock, a common type
of shellstone in the region, Fort
Matanzas is 50 feet long and features a
30 foot tower to the side. Equipped with
five cannons, four six pound cannons and
one 18 pound cannon, troops were able to
test Fort Matanzas’s strength even
before its construction was completed.
In 1742 as construction was nearing
completion, Oglethorpe and his British
forces again entered the inlet, this
time with 12 ships. Cannons fired on the
small boats and all 12 warships left the
Matanzas Inlet without troops even
having to defend the fort on land. This
very short skirmish was the only time
that Fort Matanzas fired on an enemy.
Throughout the long St Augustine Florida
History, the Fort Matanzas sat regally
along the banks of the Matanzas Inlet.
It saw the 1763 events of the first
Treaty of Paris and the second Treaty of
Paris twenty years later, which returned control of Florida
to Spain; and it
deteriorated, along with the Spanish
Empire during the decades before the
United States took control of Florida.
After the United States took control of
Florida in 1819, Fort Matanzas sat in
ruin for almost one hundred years. In
1916, restoration work began and in 1924
Fort Matanzas was declared a National
Monument. In 1933 the park was
transferred from the military to the
National Park Service, and since then the
100 acres of salt marsh and barrier
islands along the Matanzas River, as
well as the majestic St Augustine Fort,
have remained preserved and conserved.
 Fort Matanzas is only accessible by
guided ferry
St Augustine Boat Tours.
Once you get to the island, visitors can
explore the fort, its visitor’s center
and enjoy the numerous hiking and
walking trails that meander throughout
the park.
St Augustine Fishing is also
allowed at Fort Matanzas, and you can
fish for mullet, redfish, flounder and a
variety of other types of predator marsh
fish. Do not pass up this opportunity to
enjoy this and the other great
St
Augustine Florida Attractions nearby to
our St Augustine FL Bed and Breakfasts.
Learn more about fun
Florida Getaways to
St Augustine Fla. This vibrant,
historical city is filled with unique
Things to Do in St Augustine Florida and
offers quite bit of romance and mystery.
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