The Fort Mose reconstruction project brings to life a 1700s-era fort at the historic state park in St. Augustine, Florida.
The stories and history of Fort Mose, an important settlement that provided safe haven for escaped slaves in the mid-18th century, are returning to life thanks to a reconstruction project at the historic state park in St. Augustine, Florida.
Officially known as Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose, Fort Mose was the first legally sanctioned free Black community within the current U.S. boundaries.
Originally established in 1738 and reestablished in 1752 by the Spanish governors of Florida, Fort Mose was a free Black military and residential community that protected the northern approach to Spanish St. Augustine. Its inhabitants consisted primarily of runaway Black slaves from the British colonies of South Carolina and Georgia, who escaped to freedom in Spanish Florida.
By 1763, when St. Augustine was no longer under Spanish rule, settlers gradually abandoned the site. In 1812, the fort was destroyed in an ambush and lost to history until 1986, when the site was rediscovered in an archeological dig. The land was acquired by the state of Florida in 1989 and added to the National Register of Historic Places five years later. The 40-acre Fort Mose Historic State Park offers an existing museum, visitor center and other amenities.
Comprehensive Services
The recreated fort stands at more than 39 feet tall and is surrounded by a historically accurate moat and landscaping. We have been a partner on this life-sized recreation since 2022.
A joint effort between the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Fort Mose Historical Society and the Florida State Parks Foundation, we provided site-civil design, structural engineering, architectural design, landscape architectural services and electrical designs. We also performed environmental surveys, a topographical survey, permitting services through multiple agencies and construction phase services including construction oversight.
