Lost In A Seawall Of Romance

For nearly two centuries, lovers have strolled hand in hand atop St. Augustine's historic seawall. It's the perfect pathway to romance, especially when the walk occurs at dusk when the stars begin to sparkle and the rising moon reflects on the dark waters that happily splash against the wall's ancient coquina stones. Extending from St. Francis Barracks, site of a mission established by the Franciscans in 1577, northward along Avenida Menendez to the Castillo de San Marcos, the seawall provides a solid barrier between Matanzas Bay and the low-lying historic center of old St. Augustine.

Although various Spanish versions of the wall stretch back into antiquity, much of the current seawall was constructed between 1833 and 1844 as an engineering project for recent graduates of the United States Military Academy. Despite its no-nonsense military construction, the four young lieutenants who designed the wall did so with romance in mind.

At that time, young men and women went on dates accompanied by a chaperone, usually an elderly lady whose primary role was to quickly and thoroughly extinguish any spark of romance that might occur on her watch. In the name of love, the frustrated officers designed a seawall that was only wide enough to accommodate two people walking side by side: the two young people, with the annoying chaperone trailing behind. Unfortunately, after the wall was completed, the officers of the town quickly found they had sadly underestimated the tenacity of chaperones. The strolling couples atop the seawall were composed of a young lady and a chaperone – with the young man left to shuffle along behind!

A Fort That Fought A Different Sort Of Battle

Although now happy and serene, Florida’s Historic Coast was once a place of persistent territory grabs, cannon fire and mighty warships on the hunt. As a result, the landscape remains dotted with several weathered, mysterious forts – many now preserved as parks or attractions.

One such fort was Fort Mose (pronounced Moh-say). But this fort didn’t fight the usual Spain-versus-France-versus-England sort of fight. Fort Mose fought for freedom, acting as one of the northernmost gateways of the Underground Railroad for slaves who fled south, rather than north.

Established in 1738 by the Spanish Colonial Governor, Fort Mose was originally titled Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mosé. It offered freedom to ex-slaves, but with a slight caveat – freedom was exchanged for allegiance to Spain and a stint in the military. Compared to previous conditions, at least it was a job that paid, in a beautiful land, with the promise of freedom. In other words, it was better than slavery. As a result, word of Fort Mose spread rapidly throughout the British Colonies. Its influence as a citadel of freedom remained strong for decades, and today, many historians consider it America’s Birthplace of Freedom.

Archeologists uncovered artifacts from the fort in 1986 and were able to pinpoint the former structure’s exact location. Shortly thereafter, the state protected the area and created Fort Mose Historic State Park. Set in a wildlife preserve in a verdant Florida marsh, it’s now one more chapter in our long running story and one more slice of evidence that our history is not the same old story.

It’s Not The Same Old College Campus

The beautiful campus of Flagler College was originally built as the Hotel Ponce de León, a resort retreat for the famous and well-to-do in the 1800s.

This 1888 landmark has a vast and varied past well worthy of attention as we prepare to light 125 candles atop its big birthday cake. That’s right – a celebration of historic proportions is in the works for this unparalled work of architectural beauty. As a result you’ll get to walk its hallowed halls – following in the footsteps of such accomplished Americans as Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison, Mark Twain, Babe Ruth, Theodore Roosevelt and the very man who constructed this castle, Henry M. Flagler.

As the home of Flagler College since 1968, the hotel plays a contemporary educational role today, but it’s also been a vital gateway of American history. From 1942 to 1945, this home-away-from-home for America’s elite was transformed into the first American station of the Coast Guard. For those three years, Hotel Ponce de León operated as a training facility for thousands of Guard enlistees, and today it’s considered by many to be the birthplace of the military division responsible for defending our country’s vital shorelines.

So, let’s pull this all together. It’s a hotel-Coast Guard base-college. And just about every square inch of this massive structure is rich in opulent detail – right down to the interior woodwork, gorgeous gables, Tiffany glass and kingly courtyards. Oh, and did we mention it’s haunted? No? Good. Because it’s not. Who’d believe that anyway?