Fernandina Beach, Florida is full of historic locations. When walking around the town, you can see that history is at your fingertips. Today, the town is a tourist area with beach access around every corner. The history of the area is very valuable to the locals and is apart of their everyday lives.

THE PALACE SALOON

The Palace Saloon is the oldest bar in the entire state of Florida. Opening in 1903 by Louis G. Hirth, the building was originally constructed as a haberdashery in the year 1878. Hirth replaced the shoes with booze and opened the Palace Saloon.

The Palace Saloon gained the name, “Ship Captain’s Bar” after the attention the saloon received from ship captains coming into port to have a good time after a long day at sea. It was said that the elegance of the establishment and the forty-fort mahogany bar was what steered them into the saloon. During this time there were over twenty saloons lining the streets of the harbor district.

The title of Oldest Saloon is something the Palace Saloon has truly earned. The local lure is that even during the Prohibition the saloon stayed open but not by the sale of liquor. During these times, the saloon sold ice cream, Texaco gas, cigars, and other luxuries. However, in 1999, the Palace was ablaze and almost came to an end but with the help of hard work the bar was restored and reopened to the public.

Today, the Palace Saloon is still open, welcoming late-night fun for all visitors.

AMELIA ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE

The state’s oldest lighthouse is located on Amelia Island, which is in the Fernandina area. It was built in 1838, the lighthouse is the only one that has survived from the Territorial Period without major rebuilds. This means that when the light first showed through the fog, the state of Florida did not exist yet. As time has progressed old wooden sailing ships have turned into modern freights, but the light keeps shining and guiding fishermen to the harbor of Fernandina Beach.

The Lighthouse can be toured on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month. Tours can be scheduled at Atlantic Recreation Center at 2500 Atlantic Avenue.

FLORIDA HOUSE INN

The Florida House Inn is the oldest surviving hotel in the state of Florida, opening in 1857. The Inn played an important role during the Spanish-American War when Freedom Fighter Jose Marti was overheard plotting strategies in the Inn, which helped lead to the end of the war.

The Inn had many different owners but a woman by the name of Anne Leddy was famous for running the inn. The proprietress would expand the business into a boarding house in 1901. At the time this was unheard of for not only a woman to own a property and business, but to run it outside of her husband’s interest. During this time Leddy hosted a number of the rich and famous including Ulysses S. Grant, Henry Ford, and many of the Carnegie and Rockefeller family members.

The property was purchased in 2010 by the Saltmarsh family, which continues to run the Inn which provides lodging, dining, and scenic events for guests.

OLD TOWN FERNANDINA

In 1696 the site that is now called “Old Town Fernandina” was the location of a Spanish mission and fort until the British occupied the island in the 18^th century. After the Revolution, Spain gained control of the area again and by 1811 established the “Town of Fernandina.” The town was named in honor of King Ferdinand VII of Spain. Fernandina would be the last town to be established by Spain in North America and was stopped by the U.S. territorial expansion.

Old town is home to the captain’s house, which borders the Fernandina Plaza and can be seen from the river channels when passing by in a boat. The house is also known as the “Pippi Longstocking” house because it was used as the location for where the movie was filmed in the 1980s.

CENTER STREET

Home to many historical places in Fernandina, Centre Street is a tourist haven in the small beach town. The courthouse, post office, and train depot can all be found on the eight-block-long street. Centre Street is Fernandina’s old-fashioned “Main Street”.  This street is home to many different restaurants as well. Throughout the years, different stores and restaurants have made a temporary home on the street, but are constantly changing

CONCLUSION

Florida is home to many historic locations. This small corner of Nassau County holds a lot of this history for locals and tourists alike to visit. These places offer knowledge about the past in away a classroom could never allow you to understand.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Florida’s Historic Places: Fernandina and Amelia Island, Florida Center for Instructional Technology, fcit.usf.edu/florida/lessons/fernandina/fernandina.htm#:~:text=Fernandina%20was%20hailed%20as%20%E2%80%9CThe,House%20in%20the%20United%20States. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.

Lawson, Wendy  B. “Fernandina’s Main Street Called Centre.” Amelia Island Living eMagazine Travel Guide, Dec. 2016, ameliaislandliving.com/fernandinabeach/2016/12/historic-district-holidays-2011-fernandina-beach-on-amelia-island/. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.

“Welcome to the Old Town Fernandina Website.” Welcome to the OLD TOWN FERNANDINA Website, 18 July 2021, oldtownfernandina.org/. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.

Starmark, Fort Lauderdale. “The Palace Saloon.” Amelia Island, 13 Sept. 2023, http://www.ameliaisland.com/partners/the-palace-saloon/. Accessed 22 Mar. 2024.

“Amelia Island Lighthouse.” Amelia Island Lighthouse | Fernandina Beach, FL – Official Website, http://www.fbfl.us/1097/Amelia-Island-Lighthouse#:~:text=Few%20structures%20in%20Florida%20boast,has%20survived%20without%20major%20rebuilding. Accessed 22 Mar. 2024.

“Florida Historic Place .” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/geo-flor/19.htm. Accessed 22 Mar. 2024.

History. Florida House Inn. (n.d.). https://www.floridahouse.com/history