Castillo de San Marcos

St. Augustine, Florida

March 31, 2022

Construction of the Castillo de San Marco began in 1672; however, it did not reach its final completion phase until 1756. This is the phase we see it in now as a cocina structure rather than its original wooden form. The Castillo was built to serve as a fortress for the town when they were in need of protection. The fort could hold the entirety of the town and a dry moat was built around it to protect the livestock and keep them out of sight from enemies. The Castillo was owned by the U.S. Army for a period of time before being taken over by the National Parks Service in 1916. It was one of the first places to get federal restoration money during the late 1800s and it became a national monument in the 1920s.

https://www.nps.gov/casa/index.htm

Exterior Photo 1:

Exterior Photo 2:

Artifact Photo 1:

All around the outside of the fort are large cracks that run up the side of the fortress. These cracks are due to age and water damage. The U.S. Army tried to repair some of these cracks when they owned the Castillo. The holes along the side of the crack are believed to be leftover scaffolding holes from the U.S. army's repairs to the fort. When the national park service took over they filled the moat with water to attract tourists; this caused the cracks to become much worse. Fortunately, the National Park Service has since recognized the mistakes they made with the property and is working hard to correct their mistakes.

Artifact Photo 2:

Located on the backside of the Castillo was once a second entrance/ exit point. This door has long since been filled in; however, you can still find what was once a door by locating a keystone. A keystone, as pictured in the photo above, is a stone that has been cut into a triangular/ wedge shape above a doorway. This keystone is the final piece placed during construction and locks all the stones into position, allowing the arch or vault to bear weight.

In Conversation Photo 1:

One of the most recognizable features of a castle is the turrets, or a small tower at the corner of a building or wall, typically a castle. The purpose of turrets is to provide defense for the property by providing a defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall. As their military use faded, turrets were also used for decorative purposes. The Castillo is no different, it is equipt with 4 turrets for defense. However, the Castillo has an added layer of defense called a bastion. Bastions are projecting parts of a fortification built at an angle to the line of a wall, so as to allow defensive fire in several directions and there are no blindspots.

https://historiceuropeancastles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/GLAMIS-CASTLE-1024x481.jpg

In Conversation Photo 2:

Literature in Conversation:

Creative Component:

I have created a simplistic postcard that captures the beauty and key architectural elements of the Castillo. On the back (second photo) I have included a brief message that I would write on the back of this postcard if I were to send it to someone.