Fernandina Beach | |
|---|---|
 Images from top, left to right: Beach, statue of a pirate (the mascot of Fernandina Beach High School),Nassau County Courthouse (Florida), shrimp statue (representing the annualShrimp Festival),United States Post Office, Custom House, and Courthouse (Fernandina, Florida, 1912),Fort Clinch, Old School House, Fort Clinch Pier | |
 Seal | |
| Nickname: Isle of 8 Flags | |
 Location inNassau County and the state ofFlorida | |
| Coordinates:30°38′10″N81°27′22″W / 30.63611°N 81.45611°W /30.63611; -81.45611[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Florida |
| County | Nassau |
| Government | |
| • Type | Commissioner-Manager |
| Area | |
• Total | 12.62 sq mi (32.68 km2) |
| • Land | 11.83 sq mi (30.64 km2) |
| • Water | 0.79 sq mi (2.04 km2) |
| Elevation | 23 ft (7.0 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 13,052 |
| • Density | 1,103.1/sq mi (425.92/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 32034-32035 |
| Area codes | 904, 324 |
| FIPS code | 12-22175[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2403607[1] |
| Website | www.fbfl.us. |
Fernandina Beach is a city in and thecounty seat ofNassau County,Florida,United States, in the state's northeastern corner. It is the northernmost city on Florida's Atlantic coast, situated onAmelia Island, and is one of the municipalities comprisingGreater Jacksonville (formally theJacksonville, FloridaMetropolitan Statistical Area).
The area was first inhabited by theTimucuan Indian people. Known as the "Isle of 8 Flags", Amelia Island has had the flags of the following nations flown over it:France,Spain,Great Britain, Spain (again), theRepublic of East Florida (1812), theRepublic of the Floridas (1817),Mexico, theConfederate States of America, and theUnited States.
The French, English, and Spanish all maintained a presence on Amelia Island at various times during the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, but the Spanish established Fernandina. The town of Fernandina, which was about a mile from the present city, was named in honor ofKing Ferdinand VII of Spain by the governor of the Spanish province ofEast Florida,Enrique White.[4] Fernandina has the distinction of being the last Spanish city platted in the Western Hemisphere, in 1811.[5]
According to the2020 census, the city population was 13,052, up from 11,487 at the 2010 census. It is theseat of Nassau County.[6] It is also the largest incorporated city in the county, sinceYulee is an unincorporated town.
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Prior to the arrival of Europeans on what is now Amelia Island, Native Americans occupied the site of theoriginal town of Fernandina.[7] Native American bands associated with the Timucuan mound-building culture had settled on the island about 1000 CE, calling it Napoyca. They remained on the island until the early 18th century, when European settlement began.
On January 1, 1811,Enrique White, governor of Spain'sEast Florida province, named the town of Fernandina, about a mile from the present city, in honor ofKing Ferdinand VII. On May 10 of that year,[8] Fernandina became the last town platted under theLaws of the Indies in the Western hemisphere. The town was intended as a bulwark against U.S. territorial expansion. In the following years, it was captured and recaptured by a succession of renegades and privateers.
At the beginning of thePatriot War, with the approval of PresidentJames Madison andGeorgia GovernorGeorge Mathews on March 13, 1812,[9] insurgents known as the "Patriots of Amelia Island" seized the island. After raising a Patriot flag, they replaced it with theUnited States flag. American gunboats under the command ofCommodore Hugh Campbell maintained control of the island. On May 15, 1812, the British brig.Sappho fired on Gunboat no. 168, which had fired on the loyalist merchant vesselFernando to prevent her leaving. Outgunned, the American gunboat withdrew, which enabled several vessels to escape from the port. President Madison eventually denounced the filibustering of George Mathews, however, on the grounds that Mathews had violated his instructions.[10]
Spanish pressure forced the American evacuation from the island in 1813. Spanish forces erectedFort San Carlos on the island in 1816. However, A Scottish soldier and adventurer namedGregor MacGregor with 55 musketeers seizedFort San Carlos in 1817, claiming the island on behalf of "the brethren of Mexico, Buenos Ayres, New Grenada and Venezuela",[11] and raised the Green Cross of Florida flag over the SpanishFort San Carlos.[12]MacGregor 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.[11]
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 congressmanJared Irwin. Hubbard and Irwin later joined forces with the French-born pirateLouis Aury, who laid claim to the island on behalf of the Republic of Mexico. U.S. Navy forces drove Aury from the island, and PresidentJames Monroe vowed to hold Amelia Island "in trust for Spain."
In 1847 construction ofFort Clinch began in nearby present-day Fernandina. The Third System fort was named after GeneralDuncan Lamont Clinch who fought in theWar of 1812 and theSeminole Wars. SenatorDavid Levy Yulee, founder of theFlorida Railroad, wanted the eastern terminus of his railroad line to end inAmelia Island. The Old Town Fernandina was too cut off by the marshes to be used as a terminal. Yulee wanted to end the railroad on the banks of the Amelia River one mile to the south. The leaders of Fernandina did not want a new community to grow and prosper to surpass their town. The leaders of Fernandina decided to move the town up to the railroad where the present-day Fernandina Beach stands. Yulee began construction of the railroad in 1855 and was completed in 1861.[13]
On January 8, 1861, two days before Florida's secession, Confederate sympathizers (the Third Regiment of Florida Volunteers) took control ofFort Clinch, already abandoned by the Federal workers who had been enlarging the structure. The Confederates erectedbatteries on the northern end of Amelia Island but lacked the resources to fortify Fort Clinch.Robert E. Lee, who was commanding coastal defenses in the Deep South, ordered cannons and troops withdrawn in early 1862.
Lee's orders to withdraw the cannons and troops were too late. Union forces, consisting of 28 gunboats commanded by CommodoreSamuel Dupont, occupied 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'sEmancipation Proclamation at Fernandina.[citation needed] Three weeks later they set sail up the St. Marys River to engage the Confederate forces. The Union used the fort as a base for its operations in the area for the remainder of the war.[13]
In 1891,Harmon Murray, who had been the leader of a criminal gang operating out ofGainesville, arrived in Fernandina, where his sister lived. Murray was soon committing burglaries and robberies in Fernandina and elsewhere on Amelia Island. Law officers chased a black suspect several times, who shot at them on one occasion. Murray taunted the police with a letter in early May, to the effect that he would not be taken alive, and would take the Nassau County sheriff and Fernandina police chief with him. Acting on a tip, on May 16 police surrounded the house Murray was staying in. Murray heard the officers getting into position, and shot and killed deputy sheriff Joseph W. Robinson. In the ensuing gun battle Murray wounded Fernandina Police Chief James Higgenbotham. Although grazed on the wrist and scalp, Murray was able to escape. Despite the intensive manhunt for him, Murray was able to slip off of Amelia Island to the mainland. The City of Fernandina offered a reward for the capture of Murray, "dead or alive".[14][15][16]
Fernandina Beach is located approximately 25 miles (40 km) northeast of downtownJacksonville.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.7 square miles (41 km2), all land. It is the northernmost city on the eastern coast of Florida.
Fernandina Beach has ahumid subtropical climate (Cfa) with long, hot, and rainy summers and short, mild winters.
| Climate data for Fernandina Beach, Florida, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1892–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 89 (32) | 91 (33) | 95 (35) | 94 (34) | 101 (38) | 104 (40) | 103 (39) | 102 (39) | 102 (39) | 96 (36) | 93 (34) | 85 (29) | 104 (40) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 77.6 (25.3) | 79.8 (26.6) | 83.6 (28.7) | 87.7 (30.9) | 91.9 (33.3) | 94.7 (34.8) | 96.0 (35.6) | 95.4 (35.2) | 91.8 (33.2) | 87.3 (30.7) | 82.7 (28.2) | 79.2 (26.2) | 97.1 (36.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 63.3 (17.4) | 66.6 (19.2) | 72.2 (22.3) | 77.4 (25.2) | 83.9 (28.8) | 88.3 (31.3) | 90.7 (32.6) | 89.5 (31.9) | 86.0 (30.0) | 80.1 (26.7) | 72.4 (22.4) | 66.3 (19.1) | 78.1 (25.6) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 54.9 (12.7) | 57.6 (14.2) | 63.2 (17.3) | 68.6 (20.3) | 75.8 (24.3) | 80.7 (27.1) | 82.8 (28.2) | 82.2 (27.9) | 79.6 (26.4) | 72.7 (22.6) | 64.3 (17.9) | 57.8 (14.3) | 70.0 (21.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 45.4 (7.4) | 48.6 (9.2) | 54.1 (12.3) | 59.8 (15.4) | 67.7 (19.8) | 73.1 (22.8) | 74.9 (23.8) | 74.9 (23.8) | 73.2 (22.9) | 65.3 (18.5) | 56.1 (13.4) | 49.4 (9.7) | 61.9 (16.6) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 30.1 (−1.1) | 32.9 (0.5) | 37.7 (3.2) | 45.9 (7.7) | 56.2 (13.4) | 66.1 (18.9) | 69.4 (20.8) | 70.1 (21.2) | 64.8 (18.2) | 49.0 (9.4) | 38.8 (3.8) | 34.4 (1.3) | 28.3 (−2.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 4 (−16) | 17 (−8) | 22 (−6) | 35 (2) | 40 (4) | 47 (8) | 53 (12) | 61 (16) | 49 (9) | 33 (1) | 24 (−4) | 12 (−11) | 4 (−16) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.20 (81) | 3.13 (80) | 3.27 (83) | 3.03 (77) | 2.68 (68) | 6.12 (155) | 4.96 (126) | 6.39 (162) | 7.19 (183) | 4.97 (126) | 1.87 (47) | 3.12 (79) | 49.93 (1,268) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 9.3 | 8.5 | 8.4 | 6.8 | 6.7 | 12.6 | 12.6 | 12.9 | 12.7 | 7.6 | 7.1 | 8.9 | 114.1 |
| Source: NOAA[17][18] | |||||||||||||
In 2020, the total value of products produced in Fernandina Beach, Florida was $87.9 million.[19]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 1,390 | — | |
| 1870 | 1,722 | 23.9% | |
| 1880 | 2,562 | 48.8% | |
| 1890 | 2,803 | 9.4% | |
| 1900 | 3,245 | 15.8% | |
| 1910 | 3,482 | 7.3% | |
| 1920 | 3,147 | −9.6% | |
| 1930 | 3,023 | −3.9% | |
| 1940 | 3,492 | 15.5% | |
| 1950 | 4,420 | 26.6% | |
| 1960 | 7,276 | 64.6% | |
| 1970 | 6,955 | −4.4% | |
| 1980 | 7,224 | 3.9% | |
| 1990 | 8,765 | 21.3% | |
| 2000 | 10,549 | 20.4% | |
| 2010 | 11,487 | 8.9% | |
| 2020 | 13,052 | 13.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[20] | |||
| Race | Pop 2010[21] | Pop 2020[22] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 9,216 | 10,633 | 80.23% | 81.47% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 1,320 | 1,001 | 11.49% | 7.67% |
| Native American orAlaska Native (NH) | 38 | 17 | 0.33% | 0.13% |
| Asian (NH) | 131 | 114 | 1.14% | 0.87% |
| Pacific Islander orNative Hawaiian (NH) | 9 | 21 | 0.08% | 0.16% |
| Some other race (NH) | 16 | 38 | 0.14% | 0.29% |
| Two or more races/Multiracial (NH) | 147 | 407 | 1.28% | 3.12% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 610 | 821 | 5.31% | 6.29% |
| Total | 11,487 | 13,052 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 13,052 people, 5,869 households, and 3,544 families residing in the city.[23]
Of the population in 2020, 4.0% were under 5 years old, 10.8% were under 18 years old, and 33.5% were 65 years or older. 49.8% of the population were female. There were a reported 1,576 veterans living in the city. 8.8% of the population were foreign born persons. 9.4% of those under the age of 65 years old lived with a disability and 15.1% of that same population did not have health insurance. There were 2.12 persons per household.[24]
In 2020, 81.0% of the housing units were owner-occupied. The median value of those owner-occupied housing units was $356,600. The median gross rent was $1,041. The median household income was $80,260 with a per capita income of $50,051. 10.2% of the population lived below thepoverty threshold.[24]
In 2020, 97.9% of households had a computer and 96.5% had a broadband internet subscription. 95.5% of the population 25 years and older were high school graduates or higher and 45.5% of that same population had a bachelor's degree or higher.[24]
As of the2010 United States census, there were 11,487 people, 4,789 households, and 3017 families residing in the city.[25]
As of 2016, the largest self-reported ancestries/ethnicities in Fernandina Beach, Florida (excluding Hispanic/Latino groups) were:[26]
| Largest ancestries (2016) | Percent |
|---|---|
English | 14.7% |
American | 14.5% |
German | 12.6% |
Irish | 10.2% |
Italian | 5.2% |
French | 3.3% |
Polish | 3.0% |
Scottish | 2.1% |
Scots-Irish (Ulster/Northern Ireland) | 2.1% |
Dutch | 1.4% |
Welsh | 1.3% |
Norwegian | 1.2% |
Russian | 0.6% |
French Canadian / | 0.5% |
Swedish | 0.5% |
Hungarian | 0.5% |
Nassau County Fire Rescue operates Station 20 on the south end of Amelia Island,[27] as well as Station 70 Oneil.[28]
TheFernandina Beach Municipal Airport is a general aviation airfield approximately three miles south of the city that servesAmelia Island.
The public schools of Fernandina Beach are part of theNassau County School District. They include:
Private schools:
Note:Atlantic Elementary (2nd and 3rd grades) was closed at the end of the 2008 school year. After the closing, 2nd grade was moved toSouthside and 3rd grade toEmma Love. Also, the private Catholic school,St. Michael's Academy, is in downtown Fernandina Beach. All three Fernandina Beach public schools are "A" rated by the State of Florida. The nickname ofFernandina Beach High School's athletic teams is the "Pirates".[29] Amelia Island Montessori School is near American Beach and is accredited by the Florida Council of Independent Schools and is an associate member school with the American Montessori Society.
Nassau County Public Library operates the Fernandina Beach Branch which is located at 25 N. 4th Street. This is the main branch in the library system with a variety of services. The library also is a passport acceptance facility. This location underwent major renovations beginning in 2014 through early 2015, but is still currently located in the historic downtown area.[30]
The 1988 fantasy filmThe New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking was filmed in Fernandina Beach and at soundstages in Jacksonville.[35] The house that stood in for Villa Villekulla, Pippi's home, is known locally as Captain Bell's House and is on Estrada Street in the Old Town area directly across from the Fernandina Plaza (parade ground for the Spanish fort) and overlooking the Amelia River.[36]
TheIsle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival occurs annually over the first weekend in May. Events and activities of the festival include vendors with seafood, arts, crafts, collectibles and antiques, live music, the Miss Shrimp Festival pageant, a fireworks display and a parade.[37]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)There is only one known statue of a Jewish Confederate leader. It depicts David Levy Yulee, an industrialist, plantation owner and Confederate senator from Florida, and it shows him sitting on a bench.
Municipalities and communities ofNassau County, Florida,United States | ||
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| Topics |  Map of North Florida | |
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| Counties | ||
| Major cities | ||
| Cities and towns 50k–100k | ||
| Cities and towns 10k–40k | ||
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