Place

The British Room

The British Room is accessed from the courtyard or the Second Spanish Period room. This room shows how British soldiers remodeled the Castillo’s rooms during their occupation. This room is described based on entering from the courtyard.  A wooden door opens into the room. Above the door is a barred window with a wooden shutter that opens inward. Barred windows are on either side of the door.  The room is about 20 feet wide and 30 feet long. A flat, wooden beamed loft is at a 10 foot height, the 17-foot arched ceiling is visible above the wooden second floor as you stand just inside the doorway. Wooden stairs along the back wall lead up to a loft. On the right is an entrance to the Second Spanish Room.  Standing at the entrance to the room, moving from left to right, the exhibits, in English and Spanish, include:  Inside a Casemate Exhibit. A bronze tactile model shows a cross section of how this casemate would have looked during the British Period.  Sir Frederick Haldimand. 1718 – 1791. Text explains that a Swiss mercenary hired to fight for England became a colonel, and eventually, a knight. Haldimand was posted here from 1769 to 1770. In an illustration, he wears a black triangular hat with jaw length gray hair. He has thick black eyebrows, brown eyes, and a broad nose. He is wearing a red jacket with blue trim with a silver epaulet on the right shoulder. He wears a white vest with silver buttons and tan breeches. His white ruffled shirt has a black collar. Around his neck, he wears a flat, silver medallion, with an engraving of a coat of arms. Two inches of ruffled white lace shows at his wrists. A red sash is tied at his waist. He wears knee high black boots. He holds a silver sword with a gold tassel on the hilt.  The living area is roped off.  On the left, is a table with a checkers game and goblets. At the far right corner is a white wood bunk bed, with uniforms hanging on pegs. Nearby, there is a gray desk with a flip-down top, and a gray chair. Next to it, on a gray wooden stand, is a metal tub, with a rag hanging over the edge.  Close Quarters Exhibit. The text explains that multiple bunk beds occupied each room. Four soldiers would have slept on a bunk bed. Two on each bunk of the bed.  Great Britain Takes Control Exhibit. A photo shows re-enactors in this room, wearing red coat uniforms, with black triangular hats. An illustration shows a man in the same attire. A historic map of St. Augustine. A portrait of an older man, in a uniform with many badges and epaulets. The text explains that Great Britain takes over the Castillo in 1763. Within a few years, the Revolutionary War led the British to strengthen the fort’s defenses.

Quick Facts

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Wheelchair Accessible

This room shows you how the British remodeled eight of the casemates during their occupation of Florida from 1763 to 1784. Divided into East and West, Florida remained loyal to Great Britain during the American Revolution. During the war, St. Augustine's population nearly doubled as loyalists from Georgia and the Carolinas headed south for safety. Over 500 British soldiers were housed inside the Castillo. Many more were placed in the homes of local citizens.

Castillo de San Marcos National Monument

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Last updated: February 11, 2021