Historic Florida Seawall Renovated

A St. Augustine, Fla., seawall built between 1837 and 1846 has been renovated and will soon be open to the public.

The wall was damaged by Hurricane Floyd in 1999 and parts of it collapsed during Tropical Storm Gabrielle in 2001. Over the last 50 years, the wall’s coquina rock had steadily deteriorated.

The St. Augustine Record reports legislators secured a $4.7 million Federal Emergency Management Agency grant and the city contributed a $1.6 million match.

The seawall has long been a part of St. Augustine’s history; it replaced one the Spanish built in 1696 that was torn down in 1837.

The new wall was built 13 feet out into the Matanzas River and leaves the 1846 wall intact but protected.

A public ceremony will be held on Feb. 7.