1. The Fernandez Grant marker is located on North 4th between Broome and Calhoun next to St. Michael's Catholic Church. This marker tells of the plantation of Don Domingo Fernandez, sold by his heirs to the Florida Railroad Company so that the town of Fernandina could be moved from Old Town to its present site. 2. The marker at the Phelan-Verot House at 116 N. 4th Street tells the story of the Sisters of St. Joseph, the nuns who lived in the house while their convent was being built in the 1870s and early 1880s. This was also where the nuns treated the many victims of the yellow fever epidemic of 1877. 3. The David Levy Yulee homesite is designated by a marker near the corner of Alachua and North 3rd. Yulee was a U.S. Senator and founder of Florida's first cross-state railroad. He persuaded the whole town to move to develop "new" Fernandina. 4. Located in the small park by the docks at Fernandina Harbour Marina is a marker identifying Amelia Island as on the Bartram Trail. The famed naturalist, William Bartram, visited here in 1774. 5. The marker of Florida's first cross-state railroad is appropriately situated in front of the Depot on Centre Street at the docks. Built from 1855 to 1861, the railroad ran from Fernandina to Cedar Key. 6. Also at the Depot is a marker describing the Revolutionary War battle that occurred on the southern end of Amelia Island. Colonel Samuel Elbert, of Georgia, led an invasion against the British here in May 1777.
is home to two of Amelia's 17 historic markers. _______________________________ 7. In front of the Florida House Inn at 22 S. 3rd Street is a marker commemorating the visit of Cuban Patriot Jose Marti in 1893. 8. The Lesesne House on Centre Street between 4th and 5th is one of the oldest homes in Fernandina, and is individually listed on the National Register. Built circa 1860, the house became the property of Judge John Friend in 1868. The descendants of the Friend family still occupy the home. 9. The First Presbyterian Church marker is found at 19 North 6th Street. Completed in 1859 on land donated by Yulee, the church is among the oldest in Florida. 10. The St. Peter's Episcopal Church marker is seen at the corner of Centre and 8th Streets. This handsome Gothic Revival structure completed in 1884 was designed by R. S. Schuyler from New York.
Centre and 8th, is worth viewing inside. __________________________ 11. At Atlantic Avenue and 10th streets lies the marker for the New Zion Baptist Church, founded in 1870. The building was destroyed by fire in early 1907 and rebuilt later that year. 12. The Fairbanks Home marker is located on South 7th near Cedar in front of the distinctive Italianate residence that has been converted into an inn. It, too, was designed by R.S. Schuyler and built in 1885 for Major George Fairbanks - editor, historian and pioneer in Florida's citrus industry. Drive east on Centre Street / Atlantic Avenue to 14th Street. Turn left and go about 0.75 miles. 13. The McClure's Hill marker designates the site of the Battle of Amelia on September 13, 1817, when the Northern adventurers, Ruggles Hubbard and Jared Irwin, routed the Spaniards who shelled old Fernandina (Old Town) from this hill. To follow Amelia's history back to its beginning, continue out North 14th Street past Bosque Bello Cemetery, turn left on White Street to enter Old Town, and go four blocks. 14. The marker beside Estrada Street designates Plaza San Carlos. The great flat field overlooking the Amelia River is probably the most historic spot on the island. This land was a campsite for Native Americans from 2000-1000 B.C. It was as the heart of the old Spanish border town of Fernandina, a hangout for pirates and smugglers. And it became the parade grounds for the Spanish Fort San Carlos. 15. The marker at the edge of the river bluff designates the site of Fort San Carlos, completed by the Spanish in 1816. As Spanish authority weakened, this Fort knew many commanders and many flags. Constructed of wood and earthworks, the Fort has disappeared through erosion and the ravages of time. The south end of Amelia Island holds the last two markers on this tour. Take 14th Street south to Amelia Island Parkway, next to the airport. Turn left and go about a mile to the traffic light at A1A / First Coast Highway. Turn right and go less than a mile to the caution light by Harris Teeter. Turn left - you are still on A1A/First Coast Highway.
______________________________________________ 16. Located on the right side of the road next to the Waterwheel Art Gallery at 5047 First Coast Highway is a historical marker in a small cemetery commemorating the life of John Daniel Vaughan, an American soldier who fought in the Revolutionary War and in the War of 1812. Continue south on A1A until you reach Lewis Street. Turn left and proceed towards American Beach. 17. The marker on the right side of the road two blocks from the beach tells the story of American Beach, the dream of A. L. Lewis, one of the founders of the Afro-American Life Insurance Company. Lewis helped the Afro acquire this land in the 1930s so blacks could have access to the beach. For much of the 1940s and 50s, American Beach was the only beach open to blacks in all of Nassau and Duval counties. In its heyday, American Beach attracted visitors from all over the south.
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