Spanish American War Fort in Arlington

[Tacachale]

The fort is being transferred to the National Parks Service.

Once all but forgotten, 19th century fort on St. Johns River given to National Park Service

By Steve Patterson

Posted Dec 14, 2018 at 6:59 PM
Updated Dec 15, 2018 at 8:25 AM
     
More than a century after the last soldier left, the defense of Jacksonville's Spanish-American War fort ended Friday with the once-forgotten fort back in the hands of the federal government that once sold it.

The North Florida Land Trust donated the gun emplacement overlooking the St. Johns River to the National Park Service, which had feared the property would be lost to development before the trust bought it.

"We thought that it was going to be destroyed, wiped off the map forever," said Chris Hughes, superintendent of the agency's Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve.

People who shared that worry celebrated together at a rain-soaked handover of the land on St. Johns Bluff in Arlington.
"This is a big day. It's an opportunity for us to give back to the public what the public originally had," said Jim McCarthy, president of the land trust, which collected donations from children, philanthropists and City Hall to raise the $400,000 needed to acquire the site.

https://www.jacksonville.com/news/20181214/once-all-but-forgotten-19th-century-fort-on-st-johns-river-given-to-national-park-service

[acme54321]

Good news!

[CityLife]

I don't think the NFLT gets enough love for what they do locally. They have been killing it.

[sandyshoes]

Surely there's some protest group in the wings, organizing as we speak - after all, we can't just let history run amok like this.