Celebrating 459 Years in St. Augustine! The city was founded on September 8, 1565 by Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles for Spain. From history.com: Even before Jamestown or the Plymouth Colony, the oldest permanent European settlement in what is now the United States was founded in September 1565 by a Spanish soldier named Pedro Menéndez de Avilés in St. Augustine, Florida. Menéndez picked the colony’s name because he originally spotted the site on August 28, the feast day of St. Augustine. 📸: davidlong3653 — Castillo de San Marcos fort, built from 1672-1695 by the Spanish to defend the city. #staugustinelighthouse #oldestcity #staugustine #florida #foundersday #castillodesanmarcos #fort