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Fort Clinch

By Dawn Henthorn, About.com

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Welcome to Fort Clinch

Entrance to Fort Clinch© 2006 Dawn Henthorn, licensed to About.com, Inc.
Fort Clinch was one in a series of masonry forts constructed between 1816 and 1867 known as the Third System Fortifications. It was built at the mouth of the St. Mary's River to protect the natural deep-water port of Fernandina which was the eastern link of Florida's only cross-state railroad.

Although construction of Fort Clinch began in 1847, it was never fully completed. Nevertheless, the fort served as a military post during the Civil War, Spanish-American War, and World War II.

Purchased along with six other parks, Fort Clinch became one of the state's first parks in 1935 and the next year the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) began restoring the buildings.

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