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Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Replica 1738 fort in St. Augustine honors first free Black settlement
'Viva Mose!' shouted the crowd of dignitaries, state park rangers and community members gathered at Fort Mose Historic State Park near St. Augustine on a sunny Friday in early May. The chant — translated as 'Long live Fort Mose!' — celebrated the ribbon cutting of a newly constructed replica of a 1738 fort that holds a special place in America's Black history. In 1738, the Spanish governor of Florida chartered the settlement of Fort Mose as a refuge for those fleeing slavery from English colonies in the Carolinas. Over several decades, an estimated 100 Africans made the first legally sanctioned free Black community in the pre-Constitution United States their home and safe haven from British rule. 'The reconstruction stands as a tribute to the courageous men and women who founded Fort Mose in 1738, ensuring their legacy lives on,' said Charles Ellis, the president of the Fort Mose Historical Society. 'By bringing this fort back to life, we enhance our ability to tell the story through on-site events, group tours, lectures and virtual seminars. Because of this, no longer will our fourth and fifth-grade students ask, 'Where is the fort?'' The reconstruction was made possible due to extensive research of the site that began in the 1970s and 1980s with efforts spearheaded by Dr. Kathleen Deagan, a University of Florida professor of archaeology, anthropology and history, and Dr. Jane Landers, a professor of history at Vanderbilt University. Financial support for the project came from public and private sources, including the Florida State Parks, St. Johns County, Florida Power and Light, Wells Fargo, the Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation, the Florida State Parks Foundation and more, who all fundraised a total of $3.2 million to turn this dream into reality. 'The reconstruction of the Fort Mose has been a labor of love, dedication and unwavering commitment which began in 2012,' Ellis said. 'When we broke ground on the reconstruction of Fort Mose, we didn't just build walls. We created a tribute to the resiliency and determination of freedom seekers who made the first legally sanctioned free Black settlement in North America possible.' In addition to exploring an indoor museum with a timeline of Fort Mose and St. Augustine history, visitors can now walk through a full-scale replica of the 39-foot-tall lookout tower that helped residents of the fort monitor for enemy attacks. Reenactors will help illuminate history and help visitors imagine what life was like in the 1730s during special events and tours complete with drills, pageantry and cannon firing. Construction on the replica fort began in January 2024, 30 years after the site was designated as a national historic landmark. Chuck Hatcher, director of the Florida State Parks, said collaboration is what made this project come to fruition. 'Archaeologists, CSOs, volunteers, park staff, division staff, artists and public officials have all worked together to make this project come to fruition,' he said. 'I would like to think if the people who were the original members of Fort Mose were here, they would be proud of what we've done and the representation of what they had.' While there is no blueprint for how to build a replica 1738 fort, the design was put together with the goal of being as authentic as possible while staying mindful of Florida's climate. The palisade walls and structural support beams that hold up the fort are made to look like wood but are constructed of concrete. Now, state park officials and volunteers who helped this project come together are celebrating the story of courage, resilience and freedom that the fort helps tell. 'Nearly 300 years after Fort Mose stood as a beacon to freedom seekers, it will stand again and be a testament to the power of freedom, bravery and the human spirit,' said Kathleen Brennan, president of the Florida State Parks Foundation. 'May this fort last 300 years and beyond to honor those who made their living here and to inspire visitors from all over the world, who will come here to experience what can only be found here at Fort Mose.' Find me @PConnPie on Instagram or send me an email: pconnolly@ Stay up to date with our latest travel, arts and events coverage by subscribing to our newsletters at If you go: Admission to park grounds is free. To enter the visitor center there is a $2 fee per adult. Children under 6 are admitted for free. Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m., 365 days a year. Located at 15 Fort Mose Trail in St. Augustine; 904-823-2232;
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
America's First Site of Freedom ready to welcome visitors to St. Augustine's newest historic fort
A dream more than 30 years in the making, and carrying nearly three centuries of Floridian, American and African American history, is now a reality. A ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday morning at America's 'First Site of Freedom' — Fort Mose Historic State Park in St. Augustine — officially completed the park's 1738 Fort Mose reconstruction project. The full-scale, life-sized fort structure welcomed its first visitors Friday afternoon as part of the annual St. Augustine History Festival. Fort Mose, on the northern end of St. Augustine, was originally established by the Spanish as the first legally sanctioned free Black community in what would become the United States. Historians estimate that approximately 100 formerly enslaved men, women, and children made their homes there after fleeing the British Carolinas. Fort Mose was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1994. 'Fort Mose is so much more than the walls, the roo,f and the landscaping we see here today,' said Fort Mose Historical Society President Charles Ellis, who performed the ceremonial ribbon cutting. 'These things are all wonderful, and the finished fort has surpassed everything we dreamed it could be when we embarked on this project 30 years ago. But what matters today is the tribute and testament to the people who risked their lives to come here in the 1700s. Having this new fort in place means their stories will be told forever. The reconstructed fort stands more than 39 feet tall and is surrounded by a historically accurate moat and landscaping. The final cost for the project was $3.2 million and was funded from public and private sources. During Friday morning's ceremony, visitors were greeted by an array of 1700s-era Spanish flags lining new walkways that led to the fort structure. Banners and signage reading 'Viva Mose,' a common refrain among Fort Mose's inhabitants, surrounded the park grounds. After the program, several members of the Fort Mose Historical Society, in full militia attire, performed a ceremonial muster and cannon firing. Guests then participated in a ribbon-cutting photo opportunity and enjoyed a ranger-led tour of the new fort.
