A sketch of the city gates in St. Augustine and a view of the San Marco Hotel in the background. The city gates were completed as part of a fortification wall which surrounded the nation's oldest city. Dating back to 1808, the old city gates were made of coquina, the same building material used on the fort. The city gates still mark the entrance into downtown Saint Augustine, marking the beginning of st. George Street where there a hundreds of shops, accommodations and restaurants are located.