Anastasia Island, across Matanzas Bay from St. Augustine, has many rich deposits of this native shellstone. Found just under a layer of sand on the island, coquina is formed under water of bits of shells, rocks and anything else hard enough to become a part of this unique material. Coquina is soft, and easily cut and shaped while still wet, but hardens as it dries to a tough, yet spongelike stone. It is a glowing golden color when freshly harvested, but changes to a mellow gray when exposed to air and elements.

No building material would have suited St Augustine's needs better. Houses built of coquina have withstood three hundred years of fires, hurricanes and plundering; the mighty Castillo, built entirely of coquina, has never been overwhelmed by an enemy attack. Coquina's versatility makes it the perfect choice for building almost anything, and it is seen all over St Augustine in walls, wells, headstones and fireplaces.

Coquina was at its best when used in combination with tabby, a 'concrete-like' material made from crushed shells, sand, lime and water. When mixed together, a substance mimicking the concrete we use today could be used to cement coquina blocks together, or to pour floors or walls. Many of the ancient places you will visit in St. Augustine have poured tabby floors. Coquina and tabby are a kind of trademark for St Augustine, and the combination is seen in almost all of St Augustine's delightful oldest buildings. Some very beautiful old walls made of coquina and tabby still stand throughout the city.

In order to protect remaining coquina, harvesting is closely regulated, and coquina is mostly used today in restoration of homes and buildings in St. Augustine.

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