Fort Picolata

[kam311]

So, just out of my own curiosity and perhaps for a future blog post, I've been researching the old fort/garrison at Picolata and the one across the river near Bayard (Fort San Francisco de Pupe, if I'm not mistaken).  I'm sure there are some sort of remnants in the river, but I was wondering if anyone was aware of any accessible remains on either side of the river....I realize it's probably private property now, but is anyone aware of any signs or remnants of either fort in this area?  Given the depth historical knowledge on MJ, I'm sure someone knows something...    Thanks!

[RMHoward]

Kam,
I have wondered about these two forts also.  I believe i read within the last few years about a major university (UF or FSU) doing some research around Picolata trying to find the exact location of the fort.  If memory serves me correct, i think they determined that any remains would be a good distance in the river now due to river erosion and the passage of time.  I dont think they found anything.  Because the building materials would have been mostly wooden, i think its safe to say, nothing is left.  I could be wrong, maybe if we knew the exact location and had access to it, we could dig and find something of significance.  I think we are alot closer to knowing the location of Fort Picolata, than we are of finding Fort Pupu across the river.  All i think we know, is that it is somewhere close to Bayard point, as you have said. I believe it would have been close to where the Belamy road crossed the St.Johns, which would have been somewhere around Bayard point, again. Good luck.
Rick

[Ron Mexico]

kam,

About 8 years ago, I was with some friends on our boat down near there and we pulled up on the West Shore of the SJ River and waded in to a point just south out Puerto Rico Cove (see Google maps) in the Bayard Conservation area and went into the woods because my buddy had been to some old earth works that were there.

http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&q=Picolata&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF8&hl=en&hq=&hnear=Picolata,+St+Johns,+Florida&ll=29.938945,-81.604482&spn=0.003482,0.006909&t=h&z=18

Sure enough they were there amongst the trees and such.  I didn't take pictures because I assumed I would go back and do so one day.  If you are near that area, check it out sometime.

[billy]

I saw a floor plan of the Fort somewhere, can't remember the source......

[acme54321]

http://www.unf.edu/floridahistoryonline/Plantations/plantations/Fort_Picolata.htm

The site seem the say that the fort was on the eastern banks, opposite of where Ron says the earthworks are.  No one has seemed to have identified the exact location of the fort, I wonder if they are looking on the correct side of the river.  From the drawing it looks like it was a substantial structure, sort of Matanzas size.  I wonder what happened to the coquina and other building materials, you would think there would at least be some rubble left.