Jean Ribault was a French naval officer serving under Admiral Gaspard de Coligny who attempted to colonize in Florida near the mouth of the St. Johns River at Fort Caroline.
Fort Caroline State Park
With some 150 colonists, he landed on Florida soil and claimed the land for France. As a Huguenot Protestant, his belief in God was strong. In 1565 he founded the Fort Caroline settlement on the St. Johns River , even placing a monument there.
Fort Matanzas State Park. St. Aug.
The Spanish who had their own claims to Florida at St. Augustine eventually scattered his group and captured Ribault. The name Matanzas is Spanish for “slaughters” named after the1565 slaughter of Jean Ribault and his group. Being Huguenot, they were as Protestant heretics.
The fort at Matanzas is small but accommodating. You can get their free on a boat ride set forth by the Florida State Parks system. The trip is about an hour long but you can stay longer and there are tables for picnicking.
St. Augustine, Florida is a most beautiful place to see anytime and many times over during the Christmas season. Today’s tree is from the stunning Flagler College located at 74 King Street, St. Augustine, Fl 32084. The campus is named for railroad builder and financier, Henry M. Flagler who built a Spanish Renaissance type hotel in 1888. Today, that old hotel is a liberal arts institution named Flagler College.
The college has its roots from 1968 to the present with the current President being the former Mayor of Jacksonville, John A. Delaney. The campus is 19 acres and is situated in the downtown St. Augustine area.
The tree is located in the Rotunda, just outside of the famous campus dining hall and Lewis Auditorium.
See you tomorrow,
Sources: Flagler College, Ramey [Idea about a tree a day came from the editor of the Daily Record, Karen Mathis].
The name of the castle was unusual to me. I have ridden past it for years and years on my way to and from St. Augustine, Florida. It was named after Otttis (yes, three t’s), one of the two builders; the other being named Rusty Ickes.
On their website it is clear that it was built “In remembrance of Jesus Christ” and built for the purpose of”beauty and as a landscape-sculpture”. So the builder himself indicated that the castle was built as an art piece such as the Eiffel Tower or The Washington Monument in Washington, DC not as a business or residence. The tour guide today said it was in the design of an Irish Abbey (Christian Church) and going inside it sure appears so. There are 88 open windows and the structure is taller than 50 feet. At the top it has a castle look with stones affixed. On this day, we met one of the two builders of this structure, Randy.
Our trip began with a friend setting up the visit “by appointment”. When driving in we were met by a man about 6 feet with a flowing beard and brown hair with a hat and sunglasses. Who knew it would be Randy Ickes a man who once had a vision for a castle and enacted on the task to actually follow through and build it.
The castle is located about 3 miles North of St. Augustine, Florida on 3rd Street St. just outside of the Nation’s Oldest City, St. Augustine. Construction began May 1, 1984. The masonry was completed in full by Ottis Sadler and Rusty Ickes and by 1998 the exterior was complete. In the span of 3 years, (1988-1991) Lee Carpenter completed the interior portion with primarily “cypress wood and some southern-pine”. There are 8”elaborate stair cases, an alter, pulpit, series of pews, choir loft and Bishop’s chair” wrote one person describing it. In 1992 it was recognized by the American Institute of Architects.
Sources: Atlasobscura, CastleOttis, Personal visit and observation…
If you choose to go, contact randy @ castleotttis.com
