A part of the park system since 1935, Fort Clinch is one of the most well-preserved 19th century forts in the country. Although no battles were fought here, it was garrisoned during both the Civil and Spanish-American wars.

Construction of Fort Clinch began in 1847, and today it is considered one of the best preserved 19th century forts in the nation. Sited on the Northern tip of Amelia Island, this fort provided protection for the deep-water port of Fernandina.

In January 1861, as Florida prepared to secede from the Union, Florida militia seized Fort Clinch from its lone Federal fort keeper and two laborers. While under Confederate control, additional cannons from Fort Marion in St. Augustine were sent to Fort Clinch and the fort served as a safe haven for blockade runners.

In late 1861, General Robert E. Lee, then commanding the Department of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, personally inspected Confederate defenses on Amelia Island, and in February 1862 authorized their evacuation because of the Union's superior naval forces.

The withdrawal had not been completed when, in March 1862, a large Union invasion flotilla approached Amelia Island and forced a hasty evacuation of Fort Clinch by the remaining Confederate troops.

Union forces occupied the fort from that point until the end of the Civil War, and at least 14 different Union regiments were stationed there during the war.

During the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps began preserving and rebuilding many of the structures of the abandoned fort. Daily tours with period reenactors depicting garrison life bring the fort to life for visitors.

Fort Clinch was declared surplus government property and sold to local Fernandina developers in 1926. In 1935, the property was purchased by the State of Florida.

Visitor center exhibits tell the fort's history, and Fort Clinch park staff and volunteers in Civil War uniforms provide living history programming on a daily basis. Larger reenactments occur on the first full weekend of each month during the First Weekend Union Garrisons, and also during Confederate Garrison events.

www.floridastateparks.org/fortclinch

Information Provided by the Florida Department of State.