Place

Artillery Complex

The Artillery Complex can be accessed from the courtyard. This audio description is from the courtyard entrance. The exhibits in this room focus on the preservation of the Castillo. Two wooden doors open inward to the room. Over the doors, there is a barred window with a wooden shutter that also opens inward. Barred windows flank the doorway. Two benches are against the left wall when entering. An entrance to the three more artillery rooms is on the left, or north, wall. This room is about 20 feet wide and 30 feet long, with an arched ceiling about 12 feet high. From standing at the entrance to this room, moving from left to right, the exhibits, in English and Spanish, include: George Brown. 1845 -1917. Text explains that, between 1885 and 1903 Brown gave tours to 1.8 million people. An illustration shows Brown sitting on the ledge of the stairs in the courtyard. He wears a cap with a short brim and braiding. His hair is dark and short. He has a narrow face with a large black mustache. He wears a dark blue jacket. Embroidered on the upper sleeve is a red star and a double â€œvâ€,. His light blue trousers have a dark blue stripe down the outer length of pant leg. He wears black boots. Preserving the Castillo 1924 to Present Exhibit. A black and white photo of a mechanical crane with a long metal arm, extended over the wall of the Castillo. A computer rendering showing a room in the Castillo in historic times, with a long table and about 10 chairs. Text explains that in 1884, Congress appropriated funds to the preservation of the Castillo. A black and white photo of a women. One puts money in a fee collection box. A color photo of a cannon firing on top of the Castillo. Fire is coming out of the barrel. Smoke billows from the back. Text explains that, today, the National Park Service continues to preserve a protect this unique place. Preserving the Past Exhibit. A vertical glass panel protects carvings and holes in ndthe wall behind the exhibit. An illustration shows a red horizontal bar, with several alternating red and yellow half circles lining the top and bottom. A color photo shows a man chipping at a wall with a chisel and hammer. A black and white photo shows a man, on a scaffold, touching a wall. The text explains that the walls of the Castillo are covered with plaster followed by a coat of whitewash. This makes it an ideal surface on which to draw and carve.

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits

During times of siege, this room could have been used as a meeting place for the Spanish governor and his officers.

Last updated: February 11, 2021