Original Town of Fernandina Historic Site

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. 11 historic topographic surveys show this location, the earliest from 1919.

From the record

“The Original Town of Fernandina Historic Site, also known as "Old Town", is a historic site in Fernandina Beach, Florida, located on Amelia Island. It is roughly bounded by Towngate Street, Bosque Bello Cemetery, Nassau, Marine, and Ladies Streets.”
Wikipedia article Original Town of Fernandina Historic Site, CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of 15 National Register listings published here for Nassau County · listed in 1990 · category: Site.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

Address. Roughly bounded by Towngate St., City Cemetery, Nassau, Marine, and Ladies Sts., Fernandina Beach, 32034
When was it listed? January 1990
Category. site
Census division. Fernandina Beach
National Register reference number. 86003685 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

Then and now

1919 to 1994

The ground this property stands on, surveyed 75 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.

Topographic sheet covering Original Town of Fernandina Historic Site, surveyed 1994

Topographic sheet covering Original Town of Fernandina Historic Site, surveyed 1919

Fires near this property

24 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 24 fires within 5 miles of Original Town of Fernandina Historic Site between 1992 and 2019, burning about 38 acres in total. 13 started naturally. 1 was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause	Fires
Natural	13
Railroad operations and maintenance	2
Misuse of fire by a minor	2
Equipment and vehicle use	2
Recreation and ceremony	2
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	2
Arson/incendiarism	1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
5 August 2014	Natural	under an acre	Cumberland Island National Seashore	WELL HOUSE
2 August 1993	Natural	under an acre	Cumberland Island National Seashore	WOODSHED
31 July 1999	Natural	8.0 acres	Florida Forest Service	not named
29 July 2011	Natural	under an acre	Cumberland Island National Seashore	TORTOISE
25 July 1994	Natural	10 acres	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named
20 July 1992	Natural	under an acre	Florida Forest Service	not named
2 July 2016	Natural	under an acre	Cumberland Island National Seashore	NATURAL OUT #2
14 July 2004	Natural	under an acre	Cumberland Island National Seashore	THOMAS OAK

Every fire recorded in Nassau County

Mines and quarries near this property

1 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Original Town of Fernandina Historic Site: 1 occurrence. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Titanium-Heavy Minerals. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where	Site	Commodity	Status	Recorded
	Amelia Island Placer	Titanium-Heavy Minerals	Occurrence	Monazite, Zircon, Rutile, Ilmenite

Every working recorded in Nassau County

Storms near this property

56 since 1995

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Fernandina Beach, the town this property stands in, in 56 storm reports between 1995 and 2025: 25 thunderstorm wind, 10 hail, 8 heavy rain, 3 rip current. The reports record 3 deaths and 2 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
May 2002	Rip Current	Fernandina Beach	1 killed	Tourist, caught in Rip Current drowned approximately 200 yards off the beach.
July 2004	Rip Current	Fernandina Beach	1 killed	no account filed
August 1998	Rip Current	Fernandina Beach	1 killed	no account filed
May 2001	Lightning	Fernandina Beach	2 hurt	Walking on Amelia Island Beach.
October 1996	Flash Flood	Fernandina Beach	$250,000	no account filed
November 1995	Thunderstorm Wind	Fernandina Beach	$20,000	A roof on a beachfront home in the 700 block of South Fletcher Avenue was lifted off and blown onto the beach. Large limbs and power lines were blown down throughout the county.
July 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Fernandina Beach	$15,000	Light poles snapped. One boat damaged.
June 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Fernandina Beach	$3,500	Large trees and power lines were blown down at South Fletcher and Sadler Rd.
April 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Fernandina Beach	$2,500	Large trees were uprooted.
July 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Fernandina Beach	$2,000	Large limbs and road signs were blown down. The spotter estimated wind gusts to 55 mph. The cost of damage was unknown but estimated for the event to be included in Storm Data.
April 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Fernandina Beach	$1,500	Large trees were blown down.
April 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Fernandina Beach	$500	A power line was blown down across Buccaneer Trail near McArthur Estates. The time of damage was based on radar. The cost of damage was unknown but it was estimated for inclusion of the event in Storm Data.
July 2018	Thunderstorm Wind	Fernandina Beach	$500	Power lines were blown down at the intersection of South 14th Street and Hickory Street. The time of damage was based on radar. The cost of damage was unknown, but it was estimated for the event to be included in Storm Data.
July 2018	Thunderstorm Wind	Fernandina Beach	$500	Power lines were blown down at the intersection south Fletcher Avenue and Jasmine St in Fernandina Beach. The time of damage was based on radar. The cost of damage was unknown, but it was estimated for inclusion of the event in Storm Data.
September 2001	Tornado (F0)	Fernandina Beach	$500	Weak F0. Waterspout moved on shore. Damaged the tops of a few trees.
June 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Fernandina Beach	$100	A tree was blown down near Olive Street. The time of damage was based on radar. The cost of damage was unknown, but it was estimated for inclusion of the event in Storm Data.
August 2025	Heavy Rain	Fernandina Beach	-	A mesonet station FW5640 Fernandina Beach measured 4.39 inches of rain. Rain began around 1030 AM.
September 2025	Flood	Fernandina Beach	-	Fernandina Beach Police Department reported road closures along South Fletcher Ave between Atlantic Ave to Sadler Road and road closures on South 3rd Street between Elm Street and Gum Street.
September 2025	Heavy Rain	Fernandina Beach	-	Mesonet station FW5640 Fernandina Beach 2.5 inches of rain in one hour.
September 2025	Heavy Rain	Fernandina Beach	-	A personal weather station KFLFERNA8 measured 3.11 inches of rain in about an hour.
September 2024	Heavy Rain	Fernandina Beach	-	A personal weather station Island Time - KFLFERNA100 measured 4.06 inches of rain. \| Rain began around 545 AM. About 3 inches \| fell between 545 AM and 745 AM.
September 2024	Heavy Rain	Fernandina Beach	-	A mesonet station FW5640 Fernandina Beach measured \| 5.63 inches of rain. About 2 inches fell \| between 630 and 730 am.
September 2024	Tornado (EF0)	Fernandina Beach	-	A waterspout moved onshore as a landspout on Amelia Island. There was some debris lofted near oceanfront homes, likely from the roofs, as the landspout moved inland. The location is approximated.
July 2023	Flood	Fernandina Beach	-	Street flooding was reported at the intersection of Front Street and Centre Street in Fernandina Beach.
July 2022	Heavy Rain	Fernandina Beach	-	A public site in Fernandina Beach received 2.28 inches of rainfall in 1 hour.
May 2020	Hail	Fernandina Beach	-	Penny size hail occurred in Fernandina Beach.
June 2019	Thunderstorm Wind	Fernandina Beach	-	Power lines were blown down near the intersection of Gum Street and South 9th Street. The time of damage was based on radar.
June 2017	Thunderstorm Wind	Fernandina Beach	-	Two trees were blown down in Fernandina Beach. One was blown down across a power line. The other was blown down across a road. The time of the events was based on radar.
September 2017	Tornado (EF0)	Fernandina Beach	-	This weak tornado touched down on the northern end of Amelia Island and tracked west across open marsh areas. Damage was limited to trees and shrubs and damage was not reported. The path width was estimated at 100 yards as the circulation tracked generally over open marsh land then dissipated over rural marsh land. There was a clear tornado debris signature on radar.
August 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Fernandina Beach	-	Wires were blown down in Fernandina Beach. The time of damage was estimated.
August 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Fernandina Beach	-	A tree and power line were blown down on Beech Street. The time of damage was based on radar.
May 2012	Hail	Fernandina Beach	-	Penny size hail was reported for 5 minutes with thunderstorm wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph (estimated).
September 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Fernandina Beach	-	Trees were blown down along Tarpon Street. The time of damage was based on radar imagery.
September 2011	Heavy Rain	Fernandina Beach	-	The park ranger at Fort Clinch state park reported standing water of 1 foot on the roads. Fire trucks had difficulty maneuvering the roads to respond to lightning damage calls. NWS radar estimated 8 to 10 inches across Fernandina.
June 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Fernandina Beach	-	Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across Amelia Island including Amelia City and Fernandina Beach.
December 2009	Heavy Rain	Fernandina Beach	-	A volunteer measured a 24 hour rainfall total of 2.40 inches.
October 2005	Funnel Cloud	Fernandina Beach	-	Fernandina Beach Fire Chief and several Police Officers spotted funnel near State Road A1A and Sadler Road (Five Points). FD Chief was one half mile from funnel when spotted and followed it to the municipal marina in downtown Fernandina Beach. Funnel moved over the Amelia River with NO spray on the river. As it moved over the marshes toward Camden County, Georgia it dissipated.
June 1995	Thunderstorm Wind	Fernandina Beach	-	Winds measured at 63 mph were reported at Fernandina Harbor Marina.
May 1995	Thunderstorm Wind	Fernandina Beach	-	Wind gust of 71 mph reported at Fernandina Harbor Marina.
May 2006	Hail	Fernandina Beach	-	no account filed
July 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Fernandina Beach	-	no account filed
June 2006	Hail	Fernandina Beach	-	no account filed
June 2006	Hail	Fernandina Beach	-	no account filed
June 2006	Hail	Fernandina Beach	-	no account filed
June 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Fernandina Beach	-	no account filed
March 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Fernandina Beach	-	no account filed
March 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Fernandina Beach	-	no account filed
March 2005	Hail	Fernandina Beach	-	no account filed
October 2005	Funnel Cloud	Fernandina Beach	-	no account filed
June 2004	Hail	Fernandina Beach	-	no account filed
June 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Fernandina Beach	-	no account filed
June 2004	Hail	Fernandina Beach	-	no account filed
July 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Fernandina Beach	-	no account filed
October 2002	Hail	Fernandina Beach	-	no account filed
May 1996	Thunderstorm Wind	Fernandina Beach	-	no account filed
August 1996	Waterspout	Fernandina Beach	-	no account filed

Every storm recorded in Nassau County

Maps showing this location

11 surveys

United States Geological Survey topographic sheets whose coverage includes this point. Matched by taking the middle of the area the National Park Service maps for this listing, then testing that coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet.

1919 USGS Fernandina quadrangle1:62500 - 4 printings
1944 USGS Fernandina quadrangle1:62500
1948 USGS Jacksonville quadrangle1:250000
1957 USGS Jacksonville quadrangle1:250000 - 3 printings
1958 USGS Fernandina Beach quadrangle1:24000 - 2 printings
1959 USGS Jacksonville quadrangle1:250000
1960 USGS Jacksonville quadrangle1:250000
1981 USGS Fernandina Beach quadrangle1:24000 - 4 printings
1981 USGS Fernandina Beach quadrangle1:100000 - 3 printings
1988 USGS Jacksonville quadrangle1:250000
1994 USGS Fernandina Beach quadrangle1:24000

Listed places nearby

6 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Property	Distance	Listed
Fort Clinch	1.1 miles	1972
Amelia Island Lighthouse	1.3 miles	2003
Fernandina Beach Historic District (Boundary Increase)	1.3 miles	1987
John Denham Palmer House	1.3 miles	1986
Fernandina Beach Historic District	1.4 miles	1973
Merrick-Simmons House	1.4 miles	1983

Sources for this property

National Archives record	The nomination case file for reference 86003685 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia article	Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Nassau County	All 15 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.