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St. Francis Barracks
The Florida National Guard traces its heritage back to 1565, the year the Spanish founders of St. Augustine organized their first company of citizen-soldiers. Florida’s militia has defended local communities for over 450 years.
Located on Marine Street, the St. Francis Barracks were constructed of coquina between 1724 and 1755 by Franciscan friars. The barracks were converted for military use when Florida was possessed by the British in 1763. n 1821, Florida would be claimed by the United States and the US Army took control of the barracks until deactivation in 1900 when it was leased to Florida State Troops, the forerunner of the present-day National Guard, in 1907. In 1921, an act of Congress formally gave the barracks to the State of Florida to operate as the State Arsenal. The structure was rebuilt in 1922 using the original coquina walls.
Today, the St. Francis Barracks headquarters the Florida Army National Guard and the Florida Air National Guard, headed by an Army or Air Force officer as The Adjunct General and their associated staff. Schedule a visit to the small museum onsite to learn about the military history of Florida.
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