Fort Clinch

Named after General Duncan Lamont Clinch, a prominent figure of the Second Seminole War, construction of Fort Clinch began in 1847.


The fort was built at the mouth of the St. Mary's River to protect the natural deep-water port of Feranandina, which was the eastern link of Florida's only cross-state railroad. Never fully completed the fort still served as a military post during the Civil War, Spanish-American War and World War II.


Fort Clinch became on of the state's first parks in 1935. The Civilian conservation Corps began restoring the buildings at the fort in 1936. In 1937 the CCC began building roads and campgrounds. Today visitors can tour the fort and see how it may have looked in 1864 as it was being built by Army Engineers.


Within the 1,427 acre park are several natural communities. Maritime hammocks, with large Spanish moss-draped live oaks, are prevalent. Coastal grasslands meet the hammocks and stretch along the shore behind dunes on the Atlantic Ocean and Cumberland Sound.


I took so many photos of what life would have been like living the Fort so many years ago that I'll split up the post into three parts, so please come back tomorrow for more photos of Fort Clinch.