Coquina in These Walls
Posted by: 
Markerman62
N 29° 53.554 W 081° 18.774
17R E 469788 N 3306922
One of several markers about the Government House.
Waymark Code: WMK6YJ
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 02/21/2014
Views: 11
Special to the architecture of Government House and St. Augustine's defenses, churches, and residences is coquina, a rare native shell stone formed over a long period of geological time and quarried since 1671 on nearby Anastasia Island. The existence of 18th entry coquina walls in Government House influenced the federal government's 1934 decision to restore the historic building and preserve its Spanish heritage.
Image captions:
Lower left-Exisiting coquina walls were revealed during the 1936 restoration and reconstruction of the building.
Background-A coquina quarry was opened on Anastasia Island to build the Castillo de San Marcos (1672-1695) and the Spanish governor's house (1689-1713). Large coquina slabs were cut by hand, ferried across Matanzas River and hewn onto building blocks.
Marker Number: 0
Date: None
County: St Johns
Marker Type: Plaque
Sponsored or placed by: University of Florida Historic St. Augustine, Inc.
Website: [Web Link]
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