Built 1936 Opened 1936 Added to NRHP 31 December 2008 | NRHP Reference # 08001245 Function Museum | |
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Location 8635 A1A S., St. Augustine, Florida MPS Florida's New Deal Resources MPS Architectural style National Park Service rustic Architecture firm Architects of the National Park Service Similar Fort Matanzas National, Matanzas Inlet, Anastasia Island, Lightner Museum, Anastasia State Park | ||
The Fort Matanzas National Monument Headquarters and Visitor Center, located at 8635 A1A about 15 miles (24 km) south of St. Augustine, Florida, was built in 1936. Located on an island, Anastasia Island, itself, it services the Fort Matanzas National Monument, a five-minute boat ride away. It was designed by the National Park Service's Eastern Div. of Plans & Design in what is called National Park Service Rustic architectural style, and includes a museum. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The listing included two contributing buildings and one contributing site on 17.3 acres (7.0 ha).
The main building is a two-story building with an arched walk-through breezeway that serves as the visitor center and that also includes a ranger residence. The walls of its first floor are made of coquina block masonry, and the second floor is wood framed with wood siding. It has a hipped roof.
The one-story second building, 50 feet (15 m) to the north, is also hip-roofed and has coquina walls. It is a utility building that also now serves as a ranger office.
Visitors wait at the center to take a five-minute boat ride to the historic Fort Matanzas, which is located across Matanzas Inlet on Rattlesnake Island.
The buildings and the surrounding landscaping was designed by architects of the Eastern Division Branch of Plans and Design of the National Park Service.
Additional designed features include flagstone walkways and sidewalks, an exterior staircase, a retaining wall, parking areas and roads and curbs.