Fort Clinch
Encyclopedia
Fort Clinch is a 19th century brick fortress located on a peninsula near the northernmost point of Amelia Island
, along the Amelia River. The fort lies to the northeast of Fernandina Beach
at the entrance to the Cumberland Sound and lies within Fort Clinch State Park
.
. The actual compound is pentagonal in shape, with both inner and outer walls, and consists of almost five million bricks. There are corner bastion
s and embrasure
s in the outer walls and several structures in the interior courtyards, including a 2-story barracks. The fort was named in honor of General Duncan Lamont Clinch
after his death in 1849. General Clinch was an important figure in the First and Second Seminole Wars
who also fought in the War of 1812
.
The fort was seized by Confederate forces in early 1861 and provided a safe haven for Confederate blockade runners during the first year of the Civil War
. However, its recapture by Federal troops in early 1862 gave the Union control of the adjacent Georgia and Florida coasts and it served as the base of Union operations in the area throughout the Civil War. The fort was placed on caretaker status in 1869 and remained so until 1898 when it was occupied during the Spanish-American War
, but abandoned afterwards.
The Civilian Conservation Corps
(CCC) began restoration during the 1930s, and in 1935, the State of Florida bought 256 acres (1 km²) that included the then-abandoned fort and the surrounding area. Fort Clinch State Park
including the fort, opened to the public in 1938. The fort itself was closed to the public during World War II and used as a communications and security post, but re-opened after the war ended. The fort was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1972.
State Park personnel reenact military life at the fort, which is open from 8:00am till sundown, year-round.
Amelia Island
Amelia Island is one of the southernmost of the Sea Islands, a chain of barrier islands that stretches along the east coast of the United States from South Carolina to Florida. It is long and approximately 4 miles wide at its widest point. Amelia Island is situated off the coast in Nassau County,...
, along the Amelia River. The fort lies to the northeast of Fernandina Beach
Fernandina Beach, Florida
Fernandina Beach is a city in Nassau County in the state of Florida in the United States of America and on Amelia Island. It is a part of Greater Jacksonville and is among Florida's northernmost cities. The area was first inhabited by the Timucuan Indian tribe...
at the entrance to the Cumberland Sound and lies within Fort Clinch State Park
Fort Clinch State Park
The Fort Clinch State Park is a Florida State Park, located on a peninsula near the northernmost point of Amelia Island, along the Amelia River. Its include the 19th century Fort Clinch, sand dunes, plains, maritime hammock and estuarine tidal marsh...
.
History
The site of Fort Clinch has been occupied by various military troops since 1736. Construction of a fort, later named Fort Clinch, was begun in 1847 after the end of the Second Seminole WarSecond Seminole War
The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between various groups of Native Americans collectively known as Seminoles and the United States, part of a series of conflicts called the Seminole Wars...
. The actual compound is pentagonal in shape, with both inner and outer walls, and consists of almost five million bricks. There are corner bastion
Bastion
A bastion, or a bulwark, is a structure projecting outward from the main enclosure of a fortification, situated in both corners of a straight wall , facilitating active defence against assaulting troops...
s and embrasure
Embrasure
In military architecture, an embrasure is the opening in a crenellation or battlement between the two raised solid portions or merlons, sometimes called a crenel or crenelle...
s in the outer walls and several structures in the interior courtyards, including a 2-story barracks. The fort was named in honor of General Duncan Lamont Clinch
Duncan Lamont Clinch
Duncan Lamont Clinch was an American army officer and served as a commander during the First and Second Seminole Wars. He also served in the United States House of Representatives, representing Georgia....
after his death in 1849. General Clinch was an important figure in the First and Second Seminole Wars
Seminole Wars
The Seminole Wars, also known as the Florida Wars, were three conflicts in Florida between the Seminole — the collective name given to the amalgamation of various groups of native Americans and Black people who settled in Florida in the early 18th century — and the United States Army...
who also fought in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
.
The fort was seized by Confederate forces in early 1861 and provided a safe haven for Confederate blockade runners during the first year of the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. However, its recapture by Federal troops in early 1862 gave the Union control of the adjacent Georgia and Florida coasts and it served as the base of Union operations in the area throughout the Civil War. The fort was placed on caretaker status in 1869 and remained so until 1898 when it was occupied during the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, but abandoned afterwards.
The Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
(CCC) began restoration during the 1930s, and in 1935, the State of Florida bought 256 acres (1 km²) that included the then-abandoned fort and the surrounding area. Fort Clinch State Park
Fort Clinch State Park
The Fort Clinch State Park is a Florida State Park, located on a peninsula near the northernmost point of Amelia Island, along the Amelia River. Its include the 19th century Fort Clinch, sand dunes, plains, maritime hammock and estuarine tidal marsh...
including the fort, opened to the public in 1938. The fort itself was closed to the public during World War II and used as a communications and security post, but re-opened after the war ended. The fort was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1972.
State Park personnel reenact military life at the fort, which is open from 8:00am till sundown, year-round.
External links
- Nassau County listings at National Register of Historic Places
- Nassau County listings at Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs
- Florida Historic Places - Fort Clinch at The National Park Service - Links to the Past
- Exploring Florida - Fort Clinch Photo Gallery at The Florida Center for Instructional Technology