Expedition Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller
Expedition Date: 2013 & November 27, 2017
Construction began in 1672 by the Spanish making it both the oldest masonry fort and the only 17th century fort in existence in the USA. Walls were built with local shellrock, coral fragments called coquina. The garrison has been occupied by Spanish, British, the Confederancy & the US at various times over the past centuries. Cannons are fired daily for tourists. The fort overlooks the Mantanzas River & St. Augustine Inlet. In 1822 a cannon fell through the gun deck and disappeared. Investigating, soldiers found a room with bones and skeletons shackled to the walls.
Haunted claims include apparitions dressed in Spanish uniform beside cannons, sounds of boots marching on wood, an apparition carrying a lantern, sound of shackles clanging, guns firing, moans & screams.
We toured the fort & rooms including the prison/jail just off the guards room. Most rooms had curved ceilings. Dave crawled through a small cavity leading to the ammo room. Walls were thick and cannon proof. There were 70 cannons on the second floor roof. The largest cannon had a range of 3.5 miles. The east side of the fort was originally a moat, filled in to add more cannon. We took photos & EVP’s in several rooms but obtained no paranormal evidence.
