Coquina Quarry at Anastasia State Park

Dublin Core

Creator

The Spanish

Title

Coquina Quarry at Anastasia State Park

Alternative Title

Spanish Coquina Quarries
Anastasia Island Quarry

Date Created

1671

Type

This historic site was once an active coquina quarry.

Description

Coquina has a long history in St. Augustine that started at the quarries. Coquina is malleable when wet, meaning, during the quarrying process the stones were shaped, then dried for approximately a year. Quarries like this one in Anastasia State Park were excavated by Native Americans and worked on by convicts, slaves, and captives of varying backgrounds.

1671 marks the year that coquina mining began by the Spanish. Structures still seen today like Fort Matanzas and the Castillo de San Marcos are made from coquina. The stones were transported across the Matanzas Bay or other bodies of water via canoes.

In 1949, Anastasia Island State Park was formed which included the coquina quarry. On February 23, 1972 this quarry was added to the National Register of Historic Places which is associated with the National Park Service. Today, the impact of coquina quarries can be seen in walks downtown St. Augustine when looking at the older buildings around town.

Has Part

Florida State Parks

Mediator

Anastasia State Park can be visited from 8am to sundown 365 days of the year. The fees range from $2-$8 to enter the park; all camping inquiries should be made by telephone at 904-461-2033. Further information can be found on the Florida State Parks' Anastasia State Park website.

Rights Holder

Anastasia State Park
300 Anastasia Park Road
St. Augustine, FL 32080
Anastasia State Park

Source

The following books, articles, websites, and photographers were used to find the above photographs or illustrations:

Photograph 1 (1870s): Graham, Thomas. Mr. Flagler’s St. Augustine. Gainesville, FL: University of Florida Press, 2014.

Photograph 2 (2023): Augusty, Jean-Marc. "Picture of Anastasia Island Quarry." February 25, 2023.

Photograph 3 (2023): Augusty, Jean-Marc. "Picture of Coquina at Anastasia Island Quarry." February 25, 2023.

The following books, articles, and/or websites were used to find information about this location:

“Anastasia State Park.” Florida State Parks: The Real Florida. 2024. https://www.floridastateparks.org/Anastasia.

Cross, Brandon D. “Spanish Mining of the Quarry: Anastasia State Park.” Edited by Bernard Fisher. HMdb.org: The Historical Marker Database. September 5, 2024. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=153682.

Mariner, Cosmos. “Coquina – Foundation of St. Augustine: Anastasia State Park.” Edited by Andrew Ruppenstein. HMdb.org: The Historical Marker Database. September 5, 2024. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=127408.

“Spanish Coquina Quarries at Anastasia.” Florida State Parks: The Real Florida. 2024. https://www.floridastateparks.org/Anastasia/spanish-coquina-quarries-anastasia.

Rights

Flagler College’s Rare Books, Floridiana & Institutional Repository are neither the original nor current copyright owner for the photographs. Please contact the publisher or source cited for each photograph to obtain a copy and/or permission to reproduce these items.

Is Referenced By

The following St. Augustine Fiction book features this historic site as a location:

The Florida Snow Party

Date Submitted

This record was last updated on September 26, 2024.

Citation

The Spanish, “Coquina Quarry at Anastasia State Park,” St. Augustine Fiction, accessed June 12, 2025, https://staugustinefiction.omeka.net/items/show/303.

Geolocation