Cubo Line
Following Carolina Governor James Moore’s raid on St. Augustine, the city developed one of the most formidable defense systems in the colonial world. This system included forts, settlements and defensive lines. One of these lines, the Cubo Line was constructed between 1704 and 1705. The half mile long fortification contained three equidistant redoubts, small fortified platforms, connected by log fencing that ran from the Castillo de San Marcos to the San Sebastian River along what is today Orange Street. The three crescent shaped redoubts, Santa Domingo, Medio and Cubo, were the locations of the cannons and infantry defenses.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, there were several major remodelings. In 1808, the Cubo Line was straightened, the height was increased and a moat was added. This is archaeologically represented by an alignment of palm logs kept in place by abase log, and cedar stakes and pins.
The Cubo Line was used until the 1840s, the end of the Seminole Wars. After that, the moat was used as a town dumping ground. In, (insert date), the city reconstructed a model of the line and redoubt near the Castillo, but there are no visible physical remains of the original line.
Researched, written, and narrated by University of West Florida Public History Student Kelcie Lloyd
