Overview

• A ribbon-cutting ceremony in early May marked the public opening of the reconstructed Fort Mose at its state park near St. Augustine.
• Established in 1738 under Spanish rule as a haven for enslaved people escaping British colonies, Fort Mose became the first legally sanctioned free Black settlement in pre-Constitution America.
• Visitors can explore a full-scale 39-foot lookout tower and an indoor museum that chronicles the fort’s role in colonial and African American history.
• Archaeologists, historians and volunteers collaborated throughout the project, drawing on research by Dr. Kathleen Deagan and Dr. Jane Landers to ensure historical accuracy.
• The $3.2 million project, funded by entities such as Florida State Parks Foundation, Wells Fargo and the Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation, began construction in January 2024 with concrete palisades crafted to resemble the original wooden walls.