Old City Gates
Dublin Core
Creator
Contributor
Manuel de Hita
Title
Old City Gates
Alternative Title
Las Puertas de La Tierra (The Land Gates)
Date Created
1739
Date Modified
1808
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 what remains today. There had been a drawbridge that could be raised during attacks built in 1827, but were soon damaged. Repairs to the drawbridge occurred in 1879. However, at some point in the 20th century the moat was filled and leveled.
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 what remains today. There had been a drawbridge that could be raised during attacks built in 1827, but were soon damaged. Repairs to the drawbridge occurred in 1879. However, at some point in the 20th century the moat was filled and leveled.
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
St. Augustine, FL 32084
GPS coordinates: 29° 53.871′ N, 81° 18.814′ W
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. Charleston, SC: 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. 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.
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. Charleston, SC: 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. 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.
Rights
Flagler College Special Collections is 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 books feature this historic site as a location:
The Bones of the Holy
The Case of the Deadly Diary
The Devil's Own Dear Son
An East Coast Romance
Elsie in the South
A Fair Maid of Florida
First Discoveries
Florida Roundabout
"Frank Merriwell's Life Struggle"
A Golden Sorrow
Grandmother in Cellophane
I'll Be Home for Peacemas
Love Insurance
The Minorcan Quarter
The Minorcan Yoke
The Moving Picture Girls Under the Palms
One Happy Winter
The Other Side of Free
Pablo's Search
Papa and the Gingerbread Man
Posie
The Relic
Ringwood the Rover, A Tale of Florida
A Slice of Moon
Sugar Cage
The Sword of Justice
There Were Two Pirates
Three Vassar Girls at Home
The Triplets Go South
Two Florida Boys and the Red-Haired Pirate
When the Land Was Young
White Moccasins
The Bones of the Holy
The Case of the Deadly Diary
The Devil's Own Dear Son
An East Coast Romance
Elsie in the South
A Fair Maid of Florida
First Discoveries
Florida Roundabout
"Frank Merriwell's Life Struggle"
A Golden Sorrow
Grandmother in Cellophane
I'll Be Home for Peacemas
Love Insurance
The Minorcan Quarter
The Minorcan Yoke
The Moving Picture Girls Under the Palms
One Happy Winter
The Other Side of Free
Pablo's Search
Papa and the Gingerbread Man
Posie
The Relic
Ringwood the Rover, A Tale of Florida
A Slice of Moon
Sugar Cage
The Sword of Justice
There Were Two Pirates
Three Vassar Girls at Home
The Triplets Go South
Two Florida Boys and the Red-Haired Pirate
When the Land Was Young
White Moccasins
Date Submitted
This record was last updated on March 28, 2023.
Citation
The Spanish, “Old City Gates,” St. Augustine Fiction, accessed May 15, 2024, https://staugustinefiction.omeka.net/items/show/360.