Las Puertas de La Tierra (The Land Gates)

Dublin Core

Creator

The Spanish

Title

Las Puertas de La Tierra (The Land Gates)

Alternative Title

Old City Gates
City Gates

Contributor

Manuel de Hita

Date Created

1739

Date Modified

1808
1827
1879
c.1960-1966

Type

This gate was part of the defensive walls surrounding the city of St. Augustine.

Description

This gate's history is directly related to the Cubo Line Defense which was a log stockade dating back to the very beginning of the 18th century.

First built in 1739, its purpose was to help protect the City of St. Augustine from invaders by land. In 1808, two coquina towers were added by Manuel de Hita, which are all that remains today. There had been a drawbridge that could be raised during attacks built in 1827, but was soon damaged. Repairs to the drawbridge occurred in 1879. However, at some point in the 20th century the moat was filled and leveled.

The City Gates are one of the sites in St. Augustine to be added to the Historic American Buildings Survey published March 1, 1941. In c.1960-1966, the National Park Service spent $1 million on restoration of the Castillo and the City Gates in preparation for the 400th anniversary of St. Augustine's founding.

Mediator

The old city gates are open to the public in a public space that does not require an admission fee.

Rights Holder

St. George Street,
St. Augustine, FL 32084

GPS coordinates: 29° 53.871′ N, 81° 18.814′ W

Relation

The Old City Gates are located at the north end of St. George Street on Orange Street.

Source

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

Photograph 1 (c.1858): Fairbanks, George R. The History and Antiquities of the City of St. Augustine, Florida Founded A.D. 1565: Comprising Some of the Most Interesting Portions of the Early History of Florida. 1st ed. New York: Charles B. Norton, Agent for Libraries, 1858.

Photographs 2 (1904) & 3 (post-1908): Rogero, Beth, and the St. Augustine Historical Society. St. Augustine in the Gilded Age. Acadia Publishing, 2008.

Photograph 4 (2023): Augusty, Jean-Marc. "Picture of Old City Gates." March 5, 2023.

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

Harvey, Karen. St. Augustine and St. Johns County: A Pictorial History. Virginia Beach, VA: The Donning Company, 1980.

Ruppenstein, Andrew, editor. "This Gate Opened in 1739." With contributions by Cosmos Mariner. HMdb.org: The Historical Marker Database. March 18, 2019. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=127892.

San Agustin Antiguo: The Restoration of Old St. Augustine, 1960-66. St. Augustine Historical, Restoration and Preservation Commission and St. Augustine Restoration, [1967].

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.

Date Submitted

This record was last updated on June 3, 2025.

Citation

The Spanish, “Las Puertas de La Tierra (The Land Gates),” St. Augustine Fiction, accessed February 17, 2026, https://staugustinefiction.omeka.net/items/show/360.

Geolocation