The Fernandina Beach Historic District is a

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...

located in

Fernandina Beach Fernandina may refer to: *Fernandina Beach, Florida **Original Town of Fernandina Historic Site *Fernandina Island, Galapagos Islands *Fernandina (fruit), a citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

Amelia Island Amelia Island is a part of the Sea Islands chain that stretches along the East Coast of the United States from South Carolina to Florida; it is the southernmost of the Sea Islands, and the northernmost of the barrier islands on Florida's Atlantic ...

. The Fernandina Beach Historic District was included on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

on July 20, 1973 and encompasses approximately 1,500 acres (610 ha), bounded by North 9th Street, Broome, Ash, South 5th Street, Date, and South 8th Street. On April 20, 1987, the National Register listing was expanded to include an additional 970 acres (3.9 km²), bounded by Sixth, Broome, North 3rd, & Escambia Streets; Seventh & Date Streets, and Ash. Approximately 300 buildings are included in this district.

David Levy Yulee David Levy Yulee (born David Levy; June 12, 1810 – October 10, 1886) was an American politician and attorney. Born on the island of St. Thomas, then under British control, he was of Sephardic Jewish ancestry: His father was a Sephardi from Mo ...

, one of the first United States senators from Florida, established the first cross-state railroad running from Fernandina Beach to

Cedar Key Cedar Key is a city in Levy County, Florida, United States. The population was 702 at the 2010 census. The Cedar Keys are a cluster of islands near the mainland. Most of the developed area of the city has been on Way Key since the end of the 19th ...

, which opened on March 1, 1861. When Yulee established the railroad, he platted "new" Fernandina, shifting the town of Fernandina to its present location. Prior to this, Fernandina was located further north in what is now known as Old Town, or the

Original Town of Fernandina Historic Site The Original Town of Fernandina Historic Site, also known as "Old Town", is a historic site in Fernandina Beach, Florida, located on Amelia Island. It is roughly bounded by Towngate Street, Bosque Bello Cemetery, Nassau, Marine, and Ladies Street ...

, also on the National Register of Historic Places. The railroad development, in addition to the bustling maritime industry along the Amelia River waterfront, caused "new" Fernandina to boom. Buildings in the Fernandina Beach Historic District reflect this late 19th and early 20th century development. Significant buildings within the Historic District include the Nassau County Courthouse, the Post Office, the Train Depot, Public School No. 1, St. Peter's Episcopal Church, the First Presbyterian Church, St. Michael's Catholic Church and Academy, the Waas House, the Fairbanks House, the Tabby House, and the Bailey House. Residential architecture is most commonly frame vernacular style, often with Queen Anne influences. Robert Schuyler, a well-known architect in northeast Florida, designed St. Peter's and Public School No. 1. The Post Office is credited to

James Knox Taylor James Knox Taylor (October 11, 1857 – August 27, 1929) was Supervising Architect of the United States Department of the Treasury from 1897 to 1912. His name is listed '' ex officio'' as supervising architect of hundreds of federal buildings ...

, Supervising Architect of the United States Department of Treasury from 1897 to 1912. The City of Fernandina Beach recognized the importance of the Historic District in telling the story of Fernandina's heritage, and in 1975 passed a historic preservation ordinance protecting this district by establishing local boundaries. The ordinance also created design guidelines for rehabilitation and construction projects on the historic buildings, and in addition created the City's Historic District Council, who reviews the projects. In 1985 and again in 2007, the City had the Historic District professionally surveyed to inventory the historic buildings. The ordinance and City land development regulations have been updated periodically to reflect contemporary historic preservation practices and to include updated information based on the surveys. The

John Denham Palmer House The John Denham Palmer House (now also known as the Oxley-Heard Funeral Home) is a historic house in Fernandina Beach, Florida. It is located at 1305 Atlantic Avenue. On July 3, 1986, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Pla ...

, Amelia Island Lighthouse, and Peck High School have also all been individually included in the local historic district boundaries. The Historic District is home to shops, restaurants, bed and breakfasts, and residences. The

Amelia Island Museum of History The Amelia Island Museum of History is located at 233 South Third Street, Fernandina Beach, Florida. It houses exhibits focusing on the history of Nassau County, Florida and is situated inside the old Nassau county jail. The building was added ...

is directly adjacent to the District, and

Fort Clinch Fort Clinch is a 19th-century masonry Coastal defence and fortification, coastal fortification, built as part of the Seacoast Defense (US)#Third system, Third System of seacoast defense conceived by the United States. It is located on a peninsula n ...

and the beach are within a short distance east. Each year in May, the

Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival The Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival is an annual festival held in Fernandina Beach, Florida. The first festival, which was originally referred to as the Shrimp Boat Festival, was held in 1964. The festival is normally held over the first weeke ...

takes place in the Historic District, attracting thousands of visitors.

Gallery

File:Hoyt House.jpg, alt=, Hoyt House - May 2022 File:Centre Street Businesses 2.jpg, alt=, Centre Street Businesses - May 2019 File:Fairbanks House - Fernandina Beach.jpg, alt=, Fairbanks House - May 2019 File:Historic Nassau County Courthouse.jpg, alt=, Historic Nassau County Courthouse - May 2019 File:Lesesne House.jpg, alt=, Lesesne House - May 2019 File:Merrick-Simmons House - Fernandina Beach.jpg, alt=,

- May 2019 File:St. Peter's Episcopal Church - Fernandina Beach, FL.jpg, alt=, St. Peter's Episcopal Church - May 2019 File:Tabby House - Fernandina Beach.jpg, alt=, Tabby House - May 2019 File:Train Depot.jpg, alt=, Historic Fernandina Beach Train Depot File:US Post Office.jpg, alt=, Post Office - May 2019 File:Bailey House - Fernandina Beach.jpg, alt=, Bailey House - May 2019

References

External links

Map of the district

City of Fernandina Beach

Amelia Island Museum of History
{{Commons category Fernandina Beach, Florida Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Florida Vernacular architecture in Florida National Register of Historic Places in Nassau County, Florida

See also

Gallery

References

External links