Fort Matanzas was built by the Spanish in 1742 to protect the southern approach to St. Augustine. In this panoramic view, we see the sentry box (garita) at the southern corner of the fort and the cannons pointing toward the Matanzas River Inlet. The sentry box was rebuilt of coquina stone in 1929 after having fallen into disrepair in the 1800s. Today, sturdy stairs lead visitors to the gundeck. When Matanzas was a functioning fort, soldiers entered via a wooden ladder, which could be pulled up in case of attack.Galleries:Fort Matanzas, St. JohnsKeywords:FOMA, Fort Matanzas, NPS, St. Augustine, Torre de Matanzas, cannons, coquina, fort, garita, gundeck, panorama, sentry box, sentry box, stairsPhoto Location: Fort Matanzas, St. Augustine, FLPhotographer: Dr. Roy WinkelmanDate of Photo: 12/17/2013Device Make: CanonDevice Model: Canon EOS 5D Mark IIExposure Time: 0.02F Number: 22Original Dimensions: 28398×5391Picture Orientation: LandscapeGPS Coordinates: 29°42′55″N 81°14′21″WPicture Number: 25521
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