Fort Matanzas National Monument
PANICd#: 2124
Fort Matanzas was built by the Spanish in 1742 to guard Matanzas Inlet, the southern mouth of the Matanzas River, which could be used as a rear entrance to the city of St. Augustine.
8635 A1A S
St. Augustine , FL 32080
Phone: (904) 471-0116
Open to the public: Yes
https://www.nps.gov/foma/index.htm
Lat: 29.716370
Lon: -81.234050
Database Summary:
Demographic Rank: 0
History: 1
Stories: 1
Claims: 2
Evidence: 0
Resources: 1
Retrievals: 5468
Vistor Rating: 0.0
Votes: 0
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History
History information is some background and history about the location. This is meant to be a basic summary. Below the history records you will find sources in which you can click on to find out more information. There may be multiple history records per location.
Fort Matanzas was built by the Spanish in 1742 to guard Matanzas Inlet, the southern mouth of the Matanzas River, which could be used as a rear entrance to the city of St. Augustine. Such an approach avoided St. Augustine's primary defense system, centered at Castillo de San Marcos. In 1740, Gov. James Oglethorpe of Georgia used the inlet to blockade St. Augustine and launch a thirty-nine-day siege. St. Augustine endured the siege, but the episode convinced the Spanish that protecting the inlet was necessary to the security of the town. Under Gov. Manuel de Montiano's orders, construction of the fort began that year and was completed in 1742. Engineer Pedro Ruiz de Olano, who had worked on additions to the Castillo de San Marcos, designed the fortified observation tower. Convicts, slaves, and troops from Cuba were used as labor to erect the structure, which was sited on present-day Rattlesnake Island and had a commanding position over Matanzas Inlet.
Added by: sdonley on 01/03/2025
DB#:606
Source(s):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Matanzas_Nation...
Stories
Stories are just that. Stories and personal accounts that have been reported about the location. This section could also contain research notes as well.
This historic fort is believed to be haunted and is one of the most well-known sites in St. Augustine. It has been said that the location is haunted by several soldier apparitions dressed in Spanish and French uniforms. After all, "Matanzas" is Spanish for "slaughter," as it was named for the 245 Huguenots who were killed here in 1565. Suspicious footsteps have also been reported here.
Added by: sdonley on 11/29/2019 DB#: 1545
Source(s):
https://www.floridahauntedhouses.com/real-haunt/fo...
Paranormal Claims
Here are the paranormal claims for this location. These have been found through Internet research, reports from members, or reports from personal interviews. To add a claim, please contact PANICd.com, and we will review and add your information.
| Claim # | Added | Added By | Claim |
| 3368 | 01/03/2025 | sdonley | Several apparitions of soldiers dressed in Spanish and French uniforms have been seen. |
| 3369 | 01/03/2025 | sdonley | Suspicious footsteps have also been reported. |
Additional Resources
This is a collection of Internet resources for this location. This section will house links to other websites that contain information related to history, claims, investigations, or even the location's website.
| Fort Matanzas National Monument - Wikipedia
Added: 01/03/2025 By: sdonley |
Information about the location. |
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