Fort Clinch, Fernandina Beach

Construction on Fort Clinch began in 1847. It was a masonry fort constructed at the mouth of the St. Mary's River to protect the coastal port of Fernandina. The fort was never totally completed, neither did it see any action during the Civil War. With the advent of the rifled barrel cannon, forts constructed of stone and brick were no longer sturdy enough to withstand an assault. In 1935 Fort Clinch became one of Florida's first state parks.