The Oldest City in the U.S.
Historic St. Augustine, Florida
was founded 42 years before
Jamestown and 55 years
before the Pilgrims landed at
Plymouth Rock.
Fort Matanzas
This historic Spanish fort
guarded the southern
approach to St. Augustine and
is hundreds of years old.
St. Augustine, Florida
ExploreSouthernHistory.com - St. Augustine, Florida
Exploring America's Oldest City
The beautiful city of St. Augustine, Florida is
the oldest continually occupied settlement in
the continental United States. Rich in historic
sites and magnificent Spanish architecture, it
is one of the premier heritage destinations in
the country.

St. Augustine was founded by Spanish
soldiers and explorers in 1565, more than 40
years before English settlers set foot at
Jamestown, Virginia. By the time the Pilgrims
landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620, the old
Florida city had been in existence for more
than half a century.

It is believed that Juan Ponce de Leon came
to this stretch of Florida's Atlantic Coast
during the early 1500s while searching for
the fabled Fountain of Youth. The Spanish
returned in 1565, when Pedro Menendez de
Aviles built a fort on the grounds of today's
Fountain of Youth Park.

Despite constant attacks by pirates and the
English, the settlement slowly grew and
prospered. The notorious English "privateer"
Sir Francis Drake burned St. Augustine to the
ground, but the tenacious Spanish settlers
rebuilt.

In 1672 they began construction of the
massive Castillo de San Marcos, a huge
masonry fort that stands to this day. The
Castillo (or Castle) is the oldest stone fort in
the continental United States and never fell in
battle, despite repeated attacks and a 52 day
siege in 1702.

The Spanish also built historic Fort Matanzas
south of the city and established the first free
African American settlement in America at
Fort Mose just north of town. The entire old
city was surrounded by walls, some of which
have been reconstructed.

There is an incredible amount of history to
explore in St. Augustine. The entire Spanish
district of the old city has been reconstructed
and visitors are welcome to explore a wide
array of historic sites, structures, museums
and landmarks. The list of "oldest" structures
and sites is amazing. St. Augustine is home
to the nation's oldest house, oldest masonry
fort, oldest public plaza, oldest schoolhouse,
oldest house, oldest Christian site, oldest
drugstore and more.

The nearly 450 year old city is also rich in
legends and folklore and is considered by
some to be one of the most haunted places
in the United States. Ghost tours and
legends are popular with many visitors.

In addition, St. Augustine is the gateway to
miles of beaches along Florida's Atlantic
Coast as well as a wide variety of
eco-tourism and outdoor activity possibilities.

To begin your exploration of "America's
Oldest City," please follow the links on the
right side of this page.
Castillo de San Marcos
The magnificent Spanish architecture of the oldest
masonry fort in the continental United States can be
seen in St. Augustine, Florida.
Copyright 2008 by Dale Cox
All rights reserved.
To learn more about
beautiful and historic St. Augustine,
please follow these links:
St. Augustine Lighthouse
Visitors can climb to the top of
the St. Augustine Lighthouse.
It is also one of the city's best
known "haunted" locations.
St. Augustine Ghost Tours
Exploring legends of the
supernatural is growing
industry in St. Augustine. The
city is famed for its ghosts.
City Gates of St. Augustine
St. Augustine was originally a
walled city, surrounded by
defenses built to keep out
English, pirate and finally
American attackers.
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