Fort Mose

begins reconstruction project

Groundbreaking ceremony at Fort Mose Historic State Park for the reconstruction of the 18th-century Black Catholic settlement. (Florida State Parks Foundation/X)

Local officials in St. Augustine, Florida, broke ground Friday on the reconstruction of Fort Mose, the nearly 300-year-old Catholic settlement that began the history of Black towns in what would become the mainland United States. - Black Catholic Messenger, January 20, 2024

The history of Fort Mose is fascinating. It is the site of the first legally sanctioned free African settlement for those fleeing slavery from the English colonies in the Carolinas.

Black Catholics from St. Augustine went out to found a self-sufficient community including a church. In 1738 the Spanish governor of Florida chartered the settlement, naming it Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose. The community came to be popularly referred to as Fort Mose.

Today, it is a Florida state park and a National Historic Landmark.

Between 1738 and 1763, while conflicts raged among European powers for control of the new world, Fort Mose became a sanctuary for Africans fleeing slavery from the English - and yet there were conditions for this freedom: they had to declare allegiance to the king of Spain, become members of the Catholic Church, and men had to be available to serve in the Spanish military.

Planning for the $3 million project began nearly 30 years ago, when the Fort Mose Historical society was formed to preserve the history of the fort and its importance to both Black and Florida history.

Though it’s unlikely a new church will be built as part of this year’s reconstruction, the grounds themselves are a testament to Black religious history and will serve as a reminder of Black resilience in a time of growing anti-Black sentiment in the European colonies’ writ large. - Black Catholic Messenger, January 20, 2024

“As we break ground on the reconstruction of Fort Mose, we are not merely rebuilding walls—we’re creating a tribute to the resilient and determined freedom seekers who made the first free Black settlement a possibility,” said Charles Ellis, president of the Fort Mose Historical Society.

The Florida State Parks Foundation unveiled a rendering of what the planned construction of a representation of Fort Mose will look like. Fort Mose State Park is in St. Augustine. (FLORIDA STATE PARKS FOUNDATION)

The project is expected to be completed by the end of this year. To learn more about the history and significance of Fort Mose, visit the Fort Mose Historical Society.