Honoring the Amelia Island Fernandina Restoration Foundation

Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter – News Analyst
June 2, 2016 3:32 p.m.

The train platform reconstruction at the historic train depot on Fernandina Beach’s Centre Street will be dedicated on June 12, 2016 “to those local historians, preservation activists, and their supporters who in 1972 established the Amelia Island Fernandina Restoration Foundation to preserve and protect the community’s architectural and archaeological heritage.”

Who were these people? How did the organization come to be? What did they accomplish? Read on for a brief history …

Loss of the Keystone Hotel

Concerted historic preservation efforts in Fernandina Beach trace their beginnings to the summer of 1970 and the city’s loss of the iconic Keystone Hotel. This Mediterranean revival hotel, built in 1912, had occupied a prominent place in the city’s landscape on the northwest corner of 8^th Street and Atlantic Avenue, one of the busiest intersections in the city. A three-story building, it was constructed of hollow terra cotta tile and covered in white stucco.

The Keystone was famous for its excellent food and events that attracted not just local celebrities but national celebrities as well: movie producer Samuel Goldwyn, comedian Joe E. Brown and other famous visitors numbered among its guests. In addition the Keystone served as headquarters for farm teams of the Washington Senators and the Minnesota Twins. But by the 1960’s, this dignified old hotel had seen its best days. The hotel, which contained 31 rooms—only one of the guest rooms could claim a private bath—had become obsolete. Some called it dysfunctional because the kitchen was located in the basement, requiring that food be transported to the dining area via dumb waiter.

Business declined, and the Keystone closed its doors in 1966. Local residents, although sad about the hotel’s closing, continued to express hope that the building could be repurposed, perhaps into a new city hall or even a convalescent home. But after 4 years on the market and no interest from buyers at the sale price of $83,000, owners decided to tear down the building.

Over a six-month period, local builder Joseph “Smiley “ Lee demolished the building with care, salvaging what he could to be repurposed if possible. A newspaper account of the time quoted Lee as saying, “I tore it down by hand. No cranes or anything. I would have bought it, but I didn’t have 83 cents, much less $83,000.” Lee was paid $4,300 for the job.

The loss of the Keystone was the final straw for many Fernandina residents, who had already begun to fear that their quaint Victorian seaport, so rich in history and character, would be consigned to history books and photo archives as moves to modernize the city intensified.

Historic preservation activists organize

Those who would preserve Fernandina’s rich architectural heritage spent the next year strategizing. Their efforts culminated in August 1972, when a group of community and business leaders joined together with other local citizens to form the Amelia Island Fernandina Restoration Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) corporation, “to encourage, solicit, receive and administer gifts and bequests of funds for scientific, educational and charitable purposes, all for the advancement of the restoration of the Amelia Island, Fernandina area of Florida.”

During the Restoration Foundation’s first annual meeting held on October 6, 1973 in the basement of Memorial Methodist Church, a slate of officers was elected for the 1973-74 term: Suzanne Davis Hardee, President; Albert Maxwell, Vice President; Helen Litrico, Secretary; and Bob White, Treasurer. They took over the reins from the individuals who had served as officers until the first election: Aubrey Williams, President; Roscoe Moore, Vice President; Bob White, Secretary; Robert Whitaker, Treasurer. Arthur I. “Buddy” Jacobs continued to serve as Executive Secretary.

Restoration Foundation accomplishments over the years

Over the years, the Restoration Foundation and its supporters were instrumental in many activities relating to historic preservation including:

• The creation of the nationally recognized 55-block Historic District;
• The establishment of the city’s Historic District Council;
• Saving the historic Nassau County Courthouse more than once;
• Saving the St. Michael’s School Building from demolition in the late 1960’s;
• Supporting the renovation of the former Nassau County Jail, today’s Amelia Island Museum of History;
• Lobbying for grants to restore Peck High School;
• Securing grants to revitalize Centre Street;
• Publicizing Fernandina Beach restoration efforts with a guidebook and starting house tours in the Historic District;
• Adding the crane fountain in front of the historic courthouse;
• Saving the Phelan-Verot House (Nuns’ House) on N. 4^th Street;
• Replacing lamps at the entrance to the Historic Post Office;
• Cosponsoring the Fernandina Beach Historic Preservation Awards;
• Restoring the historic train depot and the Duryee fountain;
• Commissioning the David Levy Yulee statue at the Train Depot.

Centre Street revitalization in 1978

On April 29, 1978, the Fernandina Beach community celebrated the dedication of the revitalized Centre Street. This dedication followed six years of local effort to save the historic downtown from deterioration and abandonment. Financial support had come from a $1.3M grant from the Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. Seed money for the project had come from a $34,750 planning grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1974.

In the program for the dedication ceremony appeared this testament to the people “who refused to watch a city die” taken from the April 26, 1978 edition of the Fernandina Beach News Leader:

Those credited with bringing about the Centre Street accomplishment included:

The Restoration Foundation today

The recent addition of the train platform to the Centre Street depot campus is the latest example of the Restoration Foundation at work.  While the construction was truly a public private partnership, with financial assistance from both the City of Fernandina Beach and the Tourist Development Council, the Restoration Foundation financed half of the project.  The Foundation also financed the Yulee statue, refurbished the Duryee fountain in front of the depot and contributed to the restoration of the depot itself.  The work of the Restoration Foundation, begun in 1972, continues today under the leadership of President Adam Kaufman, Secretary Chuck Hall and Treasurer Susan Mowery.

According to Richard Moe, former president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, “There may have been a time when preservation was about saving an old building here and there, but those days are gone. Preservation is in the business of saving communities and the values they embody.”

Thank you, Amelia Island Fernandina Restoration Foundation.

Editor’s Note: Suanne Z. Thamm is a native of Chautauqua County, NY, who moved to Fernandina Beach from Alexandria,VA, in 1994. As a long time city resident and city watcher, she provides interesting insight into the many issues that impact our city. We are grateful for Suanne’s many contributions to the Fernandina Observer.