Where it all began

What’s the oldest European settlement in the USA?

Not Plymouth. Not Jamestown. Not Roanoke.

Nope, it’s St. Augustin on the North Florida coast. The Spanish settled it in the early 1500s as a way-station for its ships sailing up from South America via the gulf stream. It was an important stop for supplies, and a strategic lynchpin against pirate raiders.

A lot of the original town is built out  of this stuff:

Cocina is a very soft, lightweight agglomeration of sea-shells naturally held together with lime.

It was quarried on a nearby island across the channel, and used to make little things:

And big things:

This fort guarded the port against pirate raids, and was constructed in the 1700s after the original wooden fortifications were burnt down.

It looks out both to the Atlantic Ocean:

And over the town:

With cannons!

All in all, a most impressive construction. The Cocina rock reputedly “swallows cannonballs” — it is so light and porous that it simply absorbs the energy of the cannonball, taking it into the stone without shattering.

The inside of the fort is neat as a pin:

That lawn was originally used by the Conquistadors for frisbee tournaments.

The rest of the town is a charming mixture of Spanish Colonial and late American Tourist:

And thanks so much to Meg and Charles for showing us all around!