JaxParks

Fort Caroline National Memorial, administered by the National Park Service, memorializes the French presence in Florida. In 1564 France established a settlement near the mouth of the St. Johns River named La Caroline ("land of Charles"), in honor of King Charles IX. This settlement, a village and fort, was intended to provide refuge for Huguenots (French Protestants). The original site of Fort de la Caroline has never been determined and is believed to have been located near the present day Memorial. The National Park Sevice constructed an outdoor exhibit of the original fort in 1964.