Sinking Sites: Fort Mose

Nestled on the northern border of St. Augustine are the remnants of Fort Mose. The Fort was first established in the mid-1700s as a northern defense point for the Spanish looking to keep the British from sniffing around the Florida coast. However, it quickly became a beacon of freedom for enslaved Africans that had been taken by the British across the Atlantic Ocean. Fort Mose was originally called Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose and the deal was that if an enslaved person could make it to the fort and convert to Catholicism then they could live in freedom there and the price of rent would be to protect the fort from invaders. It was a real win-win for both the Spanish and the people trying to escape slavery: the Spanish could stick it to the British (it was one of their favorite past times) and enslaved people could live in freedom once more. 

The remnants of the second Fort Mose lay out in the marsh.

Fortunately, archeologists do know a lot about this site, including the people that lived there. In 1759 the fort had 22 thatch-roofed huts that were homes to 37 men, 15 women, 7 boys, and 8 girls. They would regularly attend mass in a church and they had various jobs in the community (some farmed while others stood watch at the gates). We also know that several battles took place at the Fort as boundaries between the Spanish and British were often fought over. Because of those battles, there were actually two Fort Moses, as the community was rebuilt in 1752. They did not stand at the same time and the remains are in different places but nearby each other. Nowadays the original Fort has long been reclaimed by mother nature however, archeologists are not exactly sure where the first fort was and its layout, though they do have a good idea and are currently working on finding more. In the 1880s Henry Flagler (the namesake of Flagler College and Florida East Coast Railway tycoon) came through and dredged the area where Fort Mose was in order to build his new fancy Ponce de Leon Hotel, now the centerpiece building of Flagler College.

Of course, like all of the places mentioned in this series so far, Fort Mose is at risk. Climate change and coastal erosion are becoming more and more of an imminent danger to the Fort every day. The first Fort is completely underwater and has become inundated within the marsh. The second Fort does have parts that stand above water even at high tide, however, the southwest part has eroded and will continue to if not properly cared for. It is essentially facing the same problems as places previously mentioned in this series, like Shell Bluff Landing. Luckily, this particular site is currently under excavation by a wonderful team of archeologists! Dr. Lori Lee and her team (which I am proud to say contains some of my friends and fellow students at Flagler College) as well as the incredible archeologists from LAMP (St. Augustine Lighthouse Archeological Maritime Program) have been diligently working on excavating Fort Mose. 

Students working at Fort Mose during field school! Photo credit: Flagler College

Now, why should anyone care about this place if it is basically not there anymore? It is because Fort Mose is extremely culturally significant when it comes to the lives of free African peoples in the United States. Fort Mose was essentially the first-ever stop on the Underground Railroad, decades before the first mention of the Underground Railroad came to be (1831). It is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a UNESCO Slave Route Project site of Memory. Additionally, the remains of the fort can reveal how the community of Fort Mose lived which can then give historians more insight into the lives and cultures developed by enslaved and formerly enslaved peoples in the United States. Recultivating and making the stories of those who lived at Fort Mose known is important for all of us but most important for those whose stories have been silenced for centuries.

Words and images by Emily Hulet, FPAN Intern, unless otherwise noted.