Fred Hoyt: Beyond the B & B
By Ariel Patterson

Fernandina history is full of big names. David Yulee, Samuel Swann, Arthur Williams. But more importantly, its history is full of big commitments. Each name is tied to an element of island history, but each also represents the far-reaching impact that a concerned citizen can have on local history. Frederick Willis Hoyt is one of those names.

Thinking back to the Fernandina of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it's easy to picture what Centre Street may have looked like. Many of us have seen old photos of the stores and businesses that used to occupy the buildings we still pass on our strolls through town. Office buildings, banks, a general store, churches. What most of us don't realize, however, is that Hoyt can be linked to each of those places.

Fred Hoyt's Grocer and Ship Chandlery was built in 1879.
A third story was added in 1901.
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Like so many of Fernandina's historic leaders, Hoyt was committed to his community and its growth. Amelia Island has a certain depth to its history - a result of the combined efforts of generations past and present. Hoyt's dedication to Fernandina was clear through his myriad civil leadership roles. He served as the president of the City Council of Fernandina and was a member of the Nassau County Board of Commissioners. He held office with The Red Cross, Florida Tuberculosis Association, Florida Bankers' Association, the Florida Historical Society, and organized the American Trust Company of Jacksonville.

While his civic commitments were more than enough to occupy his time, Hoyt also made a name for himself as a business owner. What is now the Pineapple Patch, a store at the northeast corner of Centre and Second Streets, was once the location of Fred Hoyt's Grocer and Ship Chandler. This store had been created by Hoyt's father, Charles L. Hoyt, in 1870 and supplied much of the merchandise to Fernandina's growing community. The store carried a "full and varied stock of groceries, ship-chandlery, grain, furniture, and building materials." Another link to Hoyt lies in the building that currently houses one of the island's favorite sweet spots - Fantastic Fudge. That building once housed the Fernandina Development Company, one of the two companies Hoyt purchased from Samuel Swann for $94,000 in 1901 and consolidated into the Fernandina Dock of Realty Company.

Hoyt may have been known for his general store, but he held several other positions during his life on the island. His first work in Fernandina came simultaneously as a schoolteacher and an editor of the weekly Fernandina Journal. He also worked for a year as the city editor of the weekly Florida Sun, and when that became a daily the next year, he was given the title of General Manager. A few years later he helped organize and served as the President of the First National Bank in Fernandina. At its origination in 1887, the First National Bank had $15,000 of capital. By 1902, the capital had increased to $100,000. His banking work also extended into Jacksonville, where, beginning in 1903, he was involved in the creation of the Atlantic National Bank and served as its vice president until his death. As if all of this were not enough, Hoyt and his wife Kate were prominent members of the First Presbyterian Church on Amelia Island. Hoyt served as a Deacon for the church and today the couple's commitment to First Presbyterian is honored by a memorial stained glass window in the southeast corner of the sanctuary.

The Hoyt House at 8th and Centre is now one of Amelia Island's
finest  bed & breakfast inns.
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The most notable marker of Hoyt's presence in Fernandina is of course, the Hoyt House - the elegant historical home now serving as one of Amelia Island's favorite bed and breakfasts. The home, built in 1905, was based on the style of the Rockefeller cottage on Jekyll Island. Credited as the most skilled builder in the area, John R. Mann proved his prowess with his work on Hoyt's home. In the National Register of Historic Places, the home is described as "noteworthy for its octagonal two-story bay, cross gable, balcony, hip-roof, hip-dormers and bracketed eaves."

But Mann was not the only contributor to the home's style. Hoyt, a native of New Hampshire who arrived in Fernandina in 1879, added his input via the double entry door - intended to keep the "icy" Fernandina air at bay. His family also added a personal touch to the home. His three sons, Charles Arny, Fred Willis Jr., and Ralph Wadleigh, enjoyed a large attic playroom, including a stage, piano and puppet theatre.

Today, the Hoyt House remains the strongest reminder of Fred Hoyt's life and influence in the Fernandina Beach community, but his impact reaches far beyond those property lines. Making his community's growth and well-being a personal charge, Hoyt contributed to Amelia Island's already impressive history of personal connection and commitment .