Fernandina Beach, Florida
Encyclopedia
Fernandina Beach is a city in Nassau County
in the state of Florida
in the United States of America and on Amelia Island
. It is a part of Greater Jacksonville and is among Florida's northernmost cities. The area was first inhabited by the Timucuan Indian tribe. Known as the "Isle of 8 Flags", it has had the following flags flown over it since 1562: France
, Spain
, Great Britain
, Spain (again), the Patriots of Amelia Island
, the Green Cross of Florida
, Mexico
, the Confederate States of America
, and the United States
. It is the only municipality in the United States that has flown eight different national flags.
According to the 2010 census, the city population was 11,487. It is the county seat
of Nassau County
.
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 15.7 square miles (40.7 km²), all land. It is the northernmost city on the eastern coast of Florida.
of 2000, there were 10,549 people, 4,525 households, and 2,941 families residing in the city. The population density
was 984.4 people per square mile (379.9/km2). There were 5,588 housing units at an average density of 521.5 per square mile (201.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.54% White, 16.19% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races
, and 0.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.33% of the population.
There were 4,525 households out of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were married couples
living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.78.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.2% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,893, and the median income for a family was $54,806. Males had a median income of $36,179 versus $26,356 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $24,517. About 6.4% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.1% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.
Note: Atlantic Elementary (2nd and 3rd grades) was closed at the end of the 2008 school year. After the closing, 2nd grade was moved to Southside and 3rd grade to Emma Love.
William Bartram
visited Amelia Island in 1776 and noted the presence of several very large tumuli, or mounds, called "Ogeechee mounts" by the English.
The northern end of Amelia Island is the location of the original town of Fernandina historic site
, where Fort San Carlos stood by the Amelia River.
became the first (recorded) European visitor to Napoyca in 1562, which he named Isle de Mai.
drove the French from northeastern Florida, killing Ribault and approximately 350 other French colonists.
In 1573, Spanish Franciscans established the Santa Maria mission on the island, which was named Isla de Santa Maria. The mission was abandoned in 1680 after the inhabitants refused a Spanish order to relocate. British raids forced the relocation of the Santa Catalina de Guale
mission on Georgia's St. Catherines Island
, to the abandoned Santa Maria mission on the island in 1685. In 1702, this mission was again abandoned when South Carolina's colonial governor, James Moore
, led a joint British-Indian invasion of Florida.
, renamed the island "Amelia Island" in honor of Princess Amelia (1710–1786), King George II's daughter, although the island was still a Spanish possession. After establishing a small settlement on the northwestern edge of the island, Oglethorpe negotiated with Spanish colonial officials for a transfer of the island to British sovereignty. Colonial officials agreed to the transfer, but the King of Spain nullified the agreement.
The Treaty of Paris in 1763
ratified Britain's victory in the Seven Years' War
, ceding Florida to Britain in exchange for Havana
and nullifying all Spanish land grants in Florida. The Proclamation of 1763 established the St. Mary's River
as East Florida's northeastern boundary.
ended the Revolutionary War and returned Florida to Spain. British inhabitants of Florida had to leave the province within 18 months unless they swore allegiance to Spain. In 1811, surveyor George J. F. Clarke platted the town of Fernandina, named in honor of Spain's King Ferdinand VII.
and Georgia Governor George Mathews
in 1812-1813, insurgents known as the "Patriots of Amelia Island" seized the island. After raising a Patriot flag, they replaced it with the United States flag. American gunboats under the command of Commodore Hugh Campbell maintained control of the island. On 15 May 1812, the British brig Sappho
fired on Gunboat no. 168, which had fired on the loyalist merchant vessel Fernando to prevent her leaving. Outgunned, the American gunboat withdrew, which enabled several vessels to escape from the port.
in 1817, a colorful Scottish-born South American freedom fighter, 55 musketeers seized Fort San Carlos, claiming the island on behalf of "the brethren of Mexico, Buenos Ayres, New Grenada and Venezuela".
Mac Gregor claimed to be Brigadier General of the armies of the United Provinces of New Grenada and Venezuela (where he had successfully fought and led troops), and General-in-Chief of the armies for the two Floridas, commissioned by the Supreme Director of Mexico, South America.
vowed to hold Amelia Island "in trust for Spain."
, already abandoned by Federal workers who had been constructing the fort. General Robert E. Lee
visited Fort Clinch in November 1861 and again in January 1862, during a survey of coastal fortifications.
Nassau County, Florida
Nassau County is a county located in the state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 57,663. The U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimate for the county was 69,835. Its county seat is Fernandina Beach, Florida....
in the state of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in the United States of America and on Amelia Island
Amelia Island
Amelia Island is one of the southernmost of the Sea Islands, a chain of barrier islands that stretches along the east coast of the United States from South Carolina to Florida. It is long and approximately 4 miles wide at its widest point. Amelia Island is situated off the coast in Nassau County,...
. It is a part of Greater Jacksonville and is among Florida's northernmost cities. The area was first inhabited by the Timucuan Indian tribe. Known as the "Isle of 8 Flags", it has had the following flags flown over it since 1562: France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, Spain (again), the Patriots of Amelia Island
Amelia Island Affair
The Amelia Island Affair was an episode in the history of colonial Florida.The Embargo Act and the abolition of the American slave trade made Amelia Island, on the coast of Spanish Florida, a resort for smugglers with sometimes as many as 300 square-rigged vessels in its harbor...
, the Green Cross of Florida
Gregor MacGregor
Gregor MacGregor was a Scottish soldier, adventurer, land speculator, and colonizer who fought in the South American struggle for independence. Upon his return to England in 1820, he claimed to be cacique of Poyais...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the only municipality in the United States that has flown eight different national flags.
According to the 2010 census, the city population was 11,487. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Nassau County
Nassau County, Florida
Nassau County is a county located in the state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 57,663. The U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimate for the county was 69,835. Its county seat is Fernandina Beach, Florida....
.
Geography
Fernandina Beach is located at 30.4010°N 81.2742°W, approximately 25 miles northeast of downtown Jacksonville, FloridaJacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 15.7 square miles (40.7 km²), all land. It is the northernmost city on the eastern coast of Florida.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 10,549 people, 4,525 households, and 2,941 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 984.4 people per square mile (379.9/km2). There were 5,588 housing units at an average density of 521.5 per square mile (201.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.54% White, 16.19% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.33% of the population.
There were 4,525 households out of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.78.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.2% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,893, and the median income for a family was $54,806. Males had a median income of $36,179 versus $26,356 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $24,517. About 6.4% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.1% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The schools of Fernandina Beach are part of the Nassau County School district. They include:- Southside Elementary School (PreK-2)
- Emma Love Hardee Elementary School (3-5)
- Fernandina Beach Middle School (6-8)
- Fernandina Beach High School (9-12)
Note: Atlantic Elementary (2nd and 3rd grades) was closed at the end of the 2008 school year. After the closing, 2nd grade was moved to Southside and 3rd grade to Emma Love.
The Isle of 8 Flags
Circa 1000, native American bands associated with the Timucuan mound-building culture settled on the island, which they called Napoyca. They remained on Napoyca until the early 18th century.William Bartram
William Bartram
William Bartram was an American naturalist. The son of Ann and John Bartram, William Bartram and his twin sister Elizabeth were born in Kingsessing, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia. As a boy, he accompanied his father on many of his travels, to the Catskill Mountains, the New Jersey Pine Barrens,...
visited Amelia Island in 1776 and noted the presence of several very large tumuli, or mounds, called "Ogeechee mounts" by the English.
The northern end of Amelia Island is the location of the original town of Fernandina historic site
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, which is located on Amelia Island. It is roughly bounded by Towngate Street, Bosque Bello Cemetery, Nassau, Marine, and Ladies Streets. On January 29, 1990, it was added to the...
, where Fort San Carlos stood by the Amelia River.
French flag
French Huguenot explorer Jean RibaultJean Ribault
Jean Ribault was a French naval officer, navigator, and a colonizer of what would become the southeastern United States. He was a major figure in the French attempts to colonize Florida...
became the first (recorded) European visitor to Napoyca in 1562, which he named Isle de Mai.
Spanish flag
In 1565, Spanish forces led by Pedro Menéndez de AvilésPedro Menéndez de Avilés
Pedro Menéndez de Avilés was a Spanish admiral and explorer, best remembered for founding St. Augustine, Florida in 1565. This was the first successful Spanish foothold in La Florida and remained the most significant city in the region for several hundred years. St...
drove the French from northeastern Florida, killing Ribault and approximately 350 other French colonists.
In 1573, Spanish Franciscans established the Santa Maria mission on the island, which was named Isla de Santa Maria. The mission was abandoned in 1680 after the inhabitants refused a Spanish order to relocate. British raids forced the relocation of the Santa Catalina de Guale
Santa Catalina de Guale
Santa Catalina de Guale was a Spanish Franciscan mission and town in Spanish Florida. Part of Spain's effort to convert the Native Americans to Catholicism, Santa Catalina served as the provincial headquarters of the Guale mission province. It also served various non-religious functions, such as...
mission on Georgia's St. Catherines Island
St. Catherines Island
St. Catherines Island, also known as Santa Catalina, is one of the Sea Islands or Golden Isles on the coast of the U.S. state of Georgia, 50 miles south of Savannah in Liberty County. The island is ten miles long and from one to three miles wide, located between St. Catherine's Sound and Sapelo...
, to the abandoned Santa Maria mission on the island in 1685. In 1702, this mission was again abandoned when South Carolina's colonial governor, James Moore
James Moore (South Carolina politician)
James Moore was the British governor of colonial South Carolina between 1700 and 1703. He is remembered for leading several invasions of Spanish Florida, including attacks in 1704 and 1706 which wiped out most of the Spanish missions in Florida....
, led a joint British-Indian invasion of Florida.
British flag
Georgia's founder and colonial governor, James OglethorpeJames Oglethorpe
James Edward Oglethorpe was a British general, member of Parliament, philanthropist, and founder of the colony of Georgia...
, renamed the island "Amelia Island" in honor of Princess Amelia (1710–1786), King George II's daughter, although the island was still a Spanish possession. After establishing a small settlement on the northwestern edge of the island, Oglethorpe negotiated with Spanish colonial officials for a transfer of the island to British sovereignty. Colonial officials agreed to the transfer, but the King of Spain nullified the agreement.
The Treaty of Paris in 1763
Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. It ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War...
ratified Britain's victory in the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
, ceding Florida to Britain in exchange for Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
and nullifying all Spanish land grants in Florida. The Proclamation of 1763 established the St. Mary's River
St. Marys River (Florida/Georgia)
The St. Marys River is a river in the southeastern United States. It is named after the Irish Saint Mary. From near its source in the Okefenokee Swamp, to its mouth at the Atlantic Ocean, it forms a portion of the border between the U.S. states of Georgia and Florida...
as East Florida's northeastern boundary.
Spanish flag
In 1783, the Second Treaty of ParisTreaty of Paris (1783)
The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, ended the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain on the one hand and the United States of America and its allies on the other. The other combatant nations, France, Spain and the Dutch Republic had separate agreements; for details of...
ended the Revolutionary War and returned Florida to Spain. British inhabitants of Florida had to leave the province within 18 months unless they swore allegiance to Spain. In 1811, surveyor George J. F. Clarke platted the town of Fernandina, named in honor of Spain's King Ferdinand VII.
North American Patriots flag
With the approval of President James MadisonJames Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
and Georgia Governor George Mathews
George Mathews
George Mathews may refer to:*George Mathews , Governor of Georgia*George Mathews Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court*George A...
in 1812-1813, insurgents known as the "Patriots of Amelia Island" seized the island. After raising a Patriot flag, they replaced it with the United States flag. American gunboats under the command of Commodore Hugh Campbell maintained control of the island. On 15 May 1812, the British brig Sappho
HMS Sappho (1806)
HMS Sappho was a Cruizer class brig-sloop built by Jabez Bailey at Ipswich and launched in 1806. She defeated a Danish brig, the Admiral Yawl in a single-ship action during the Gunboat War,The vessel's name varies by account. Variants include: Admiral Juhl, Admiral Jawl, Admiral Juul, and Admiral...
fired on Gunboat no. 168, which had fired on the loyalist merchant vessel Fernando to prevent her leaving. Outgunned, the American gunboat withdrew, which enabled several vessels to escape from the port.
Spanish flag
Spanish pressure forced the American evacuation in 1813. Spanish forces erected Fort San Carlos on the island in 1816.Latin American Patriots' Green Cross of Florida flag
Led by Gregor MacGregorGregor MacGregor
Gregor MacGregor was a Scottish soldier, adventurer, land speculator, and colonizer who fought in the South American struggle for independence. Upon his return to England in 1820, he claimed to be cacique of Poyais...
in 1817, a colorful Scottish-born South American freedom fighter, 55 musketeers seized Fort San Carlos, claiming the island on behalf of "the brethren of Mexico, Buenos Ayres, New Grenada and Venezuela".
Mac Gregor claimed to be Brigadier General of the armies of the United Provinces of New Grenada and Venezuela (where he had successfully fought and led troops), and General-in-Chief of the armies for the two Floridas, commissioned by the Supreme Director of Mexico, South America.
Mexican rebel flag
Spanish soldiers forced MacGregor's withdrawal, but their attempt to regain complete control was foiled by American irregulars organized by Ruggles Hubbard and former Pennsylvania congressman Jared Irwin. Hubbard and Irwin later joined forces with the French-born pirate Luis Aury, who laid claim to the island on behalf of the Republic of Mexico. U.S. Navy forces drove Aury from the island, and President James MonroeJames Monroe
James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation...
vowed to hold Amelia Island "in trust for Spain."
Confederate flag
On January 8, 1861, two days before Florida's secession, Confederate sympathizers (the Third Regiment of Florida Volunteers) took control of Fort ClinchFort Clinch
Fort Clinch is a 19th century brick fortress located on a peninsula near the northernmost point of Amelia Island, along the Amelia River. The fort lies to the northeast of Fernandina Beach at the entrance to the Cumberland Sound and lies within Fort Clinch State Park.-History:The site of Fort...
, already abandoned by Federal workers who had been constructing the fort. General Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
visited Fort Clinch in November 1861 and again in January 1862, during a survey of coastal fortifications.
United States flag
Union forces, consisting of 28 gunboats commanded by Commodore Samuel Dupont, restored Federal control of the island on March 3, 1862 and raised the American Flag. In January 1863, the first all-black regiment of former slaves recruited to fight for the Union was read Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation at Fernandina. Three weeks later they set sail up St. Mary's River to engage Confederate forces.Notable residents
- Raymond A. BrownRaymond A. BrownRaymond A. Brown was an American criminal defense lawyer who represented a wide variety of high-profile clients, ranging from politicians to accused spies, including New Jersey state senator Angelo Errichetti , boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter and "Dr...
(1915–2009), attorney whose clients included Black Liberation ArmyBlack Liberation ArmyThe Black Liberation Army was an underground, black nationalist-Marxist militant organization that operated in the United States from 1970 to 1981...
member Assata ShakurAssata ShakurAssata Olugbala Shakur is an African-American activist and escaped convict who was a member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army...
, boxer Rubin "Hurricane" CarterRubin CarterRubin "Hurricane" Carter fought professionally as a middleweight boxer from 1961 to 1966. In 1966, he was arrested for a triple homicide in the Lafayette Bar and Grill in Paterson, New Jersey...
and "Dr. X" physician Mario JascalevichMario JascalevichThe "Dr. X" killings were a series of suspicious deaths, by curare poisoning, in 1966 at a Bergen County, New Jersey hospital. A newspaper investigation during the mid-1960s led to the indictment of an Argentina-born physician, Mario Enrique Jascalevich , in 1976...
.
Attractions
Amelia Island was chosen as the mystical land for the 1988 film The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking. The site that stood in for Villa Villekulla, Pippi’s home, is now Posada San Carlos, a pink-painted bed and breakfast inn.Historic places
- Fairbanks HouseFairbanks House (Fernandina Beach, Florida)The Fairbanks House is a historic site in Fernandina Beach, Florida. It is located at 227 South 7th Street. On June 4, 1973, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.-Gallery:...
- Historic Nassau County CourthouseNassau County Courthouse (Florida)The Nassau County Courthouse, also known as the Old Nassau County Courthouse and the Historic Nassau County Courthouse, is an historic two-story red brick courthouse building located at 416 Centre Street in Fernandina Beach, Nassau County, Florida...
- United States Post Office, Custom House, and Courthouse (Fernandina, Florida, 1912)United States Post Office, Custom House, and Courthouse (Fernandina, Florida, 1912)The United States Post Office, Custom House, and Courthouse is an historic building of the United States government in Fernandina Beach, Florida. It was constructed in the locally popular Renaissance Revival architecture style, and was completed in 1912 under the supervision of James Knox Taylor,...
- Fort Clinch State ParkFort Clinch State ParkThe Fort Clinch State Park is a Florida State Park, located on a peninsula near the northernmost point of Amelia Island, along the Amelia River. Its include the 19th century Fort Clinch, sand dunes, plains, maritime hammock and estuarine tidal marsh...
- See National Register of Historic Places listings in Nassau County, FloridaNational Register of Historic Places listings in Nassau County, FloridaThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Nassau County, Florida.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Nassau County, Florida, United States...
External links
- City of Fernandina Beach
- Fernandina Beach News-Leader, full text with full page images, freely available in the Florida Digital Newspaper Library
- Fernandina Express, 1880s historic newspaper freely available with full text with full page images in the Florida Digital Newspaper Library
- http://www.floridastateparks.org/fortclinch/default.cfm, the State's official web site for Fort Clinch