Fernandina Beach releases final report on city historic resources

Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter – News Analyst
November 13, 2018

1884 Bird’s Eye View map of Fernandina, Florida

The City of Fernandina Beach recently released the results of a recent survey of the city’s historic resources.  Preliminary results were presented in late summer, but the full release follows a successful review by the Florida Department of Historic Resources.

In 2018, Brockington and Associates, Inc., conducted a historic resources survey of the City of Fernandina Beach, Florida, for the Planning and Zoning Department and the Florida Division of Historical Resources (DHR). The City of Fernandina Beach was awarded a Small Matching Grant by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Historical Resources to expand and update its existing historic resources survey. The objective of this survey was to update the City of Fernandina Beach’s inventory of historic architectural resources within the Downtown Historic District and Old Town Historic District. This update documents the changes that have occurred since previous surveys.

The survey found:

“No alterations to the boundaries of the historic districts are recommended. There is no substantial loss of district integrity within specific areas, and there are no areas just outside the boundaries that warrant inclusion by way of NRHP nomination. However, there are three resources outside of the Downtown District boundary that were revisited and require further research to make a NRHP determination. The Peck Center complex (Resources NA00132 and NA01221) was determined not eligible by the DHR in 1982, and we recommend it for further research and re-evaluation. Macedonia A.M.E. Church (NA00521) was previously recommended eligible for listing on the NRHP. We do not recommend it eligible based on architecture alone but recommend it for further research and evaluation. The Cook & Cook Seafood fish house (with both Resource numbers NA01184 and NA01230) was previously recommended eligible for listing on the NRHP. We do not recommend it eligible based on architecture alone but recommend it for further research and evaluation.”

Brockington’s 2017-2018 survey effort focused on all historic resources within the two historic districts (Downtown and Old Town) and included several properties located adjacent to the districts that are 50 years or older. The evaluated resources included buildings, structures, objects, districts, and landscapes that have architectural or historical significance. The resulting survey files will assist the City and DHR with their ongoing commitment to preservation planning, promotion of economic incentives for rehabilitation, heritage tourism development, education, and local compliance with state and federal preservation and environmental laws.

During the historic architectural survey within the city limits of Fernandina Beach, Brockington completed updated Florida Master Site File (FMSF) forms for 430 previously identified historical resources and recorded 15 newly identified historical resources. An additional 77 previously identified historical resources were confirmed as non-extant. Of the 445 evaluated historic resources, they recommended one individually National Register of Historic Places (NRHP)-eligible resource and 256 resources as contributing to the NRHP-listed Downtown District.

The survey project included the revisit of 507 previously recorded historic resources and the additional survey of 15 newly recorded historic resources. Of the 507, there were 77 previously recorded historic resources that were confirmed demolished or otherwise non-extant. The remaining 430 previously recorded resources received updated FMSF forms, were photographed, mapped with GIS survey software, and were assessed for NRHP eligibility. In most cases the NRHP assessment involved determining whether the historic resources are contributing elements of the Fernandina Beach districts. Of the 430 extant historic resources, 271 are currently listed as contributing to a NRHP historic district or individually listed. Of those 271 Brockington recommended that 22 of the historical resources are no longer contributing to a NRHP district due to loss of historic integrity (Table 5.1). There are seven more historical resources that were originally excluded from the list of contributing resources that the study authors recommend possess the historic integrity to be qualify as contributing elements of the historic district (Table 5.3). Individual historic resources retaining architectural integrity are important elements to the overall integrity of a historic district.

The project was designed to survey the Downtown and Old Town historic districts, updating the existing survey data. Both districts were included in the City’s 1985 historical resources survey. The Downtown Historic District was surveyed again in 2007, but the Old Town District was excluded and no GIS data was collected. Brockington expected to visit all historical resources within the two historic district boundaries and some of the adjacent properties as time allowed.

Areas shaded brown are locally protected historic properties. The area bounded in red represents the Community Redevelopment Area, which contains both historic properties and non-historic properties.

Contributing resources in historic districts may change over time through various alterations such as replacement building materials, additions, and porch enclosures. For example, inappropriate alterations can result in a loss of historic integrity, even to the point where a resource can no longer convey its period of significance or reflect its original craftsmanship and architectural style. To this end, a resource may no longer be a contributing element of the historic district. In other cases, owners of historical resources reverse previous alterations, which had damaged or obscured materials and lessened integrity. For instance, porches may be opened or synthetic siding removed to reveal original weatherboard. Such sympathetic rehabilitation efforts may restore a building’s ability to reflect its original period of construction. Sometimes contributing resources may be lost altogether due to out- right demolition or demolition by neglect. Examples of both lost and gained contributing historic resources were found during the survey.

The City of Fernandina Beach has a well-established link to past historic preservation efforts beginning in the early 1970s, Brockington concluded, writing:  “The City’s steps to preserve its built environment has benefited the tourism economy, and at the same time maintained a local sense of heritage identity. As population pressure rises and the new development that follows continues, it becomes more important than ever to protect the historic resources that make Fernandina Beach unique.

“Newly constructed infill and different businesses moving into historic buildings are not necessarily detrimental to the historic districts. In fact, it is the economic and social advancements that help prove the value of the community’s historic fabric. It is the community’s continued responsibility to act as informed stewards of the historic resources that make up the two districts.”

After completing the survey, Brockington and Associates, Inc., recommended that the future of Fernandina Beach’s general historic preservation efforts include:

  • Invest in preservation training from groups like the Florida Main Street program for City staff dedicated to preservation work;
  • Provide guidance to Fernandina Beach citizens on federal and local historic preservation tax incentives for sensitive rehabilitation of historic resources;
  • Meet with community organizations such as the Historical Society on the uses of historic preservation in community planning;
  • Deliver written and oral presentations to 
professionals and lay organizations on historic preservation efforts conducted by the City;
  • Promote rehabilitation of historic properties, which is a labor intensive (rather than materials intensive) activity that creates well-paying jobs;
  • Promote heritage tourism to the City of Fernandina Beach through programs such as the National Register’s Online Travel Itinerary, which creates self-guided tours to historic places listed on the NRHP based on text and photographs supplied by the City.

This project was conducted in cooperation with the Florida Master Site File (FMSF), the State of Florida’s official inventory of historical cultural resources, and is part of Florida’s historic preservation program. One purpose of this statewide program is to identify all cultural resources in the state and to highlight those that are eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and for local designation. The federal government has recommended this process of documentation through the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended. The FMSF inventory provides the DHR with information that enables it to review the effect of projects with federal components on resources eligible for the NRHP. Federal projects require environmental and cultural review permits to proceed, which in turn requires review by the DHR. In addition, some federal grants for cultural resources and certain federal tax incentives for rehabilitation of historic buildings require a determination of NRHP status. The information developed through the Fernandina Beach Historic Resources Survey Update gives the DHR a basis for making these determinations.

Note:  Information in this article was heavily excerpted from the Brockington Report, which may be seen in its entirety on the city’s website, along with Downtown and Old Town Historic Guidelines and the Historic Preservation Element of the City’s Comprehensive Plan.