At the first Plantation Ladies Association luncheon (PLA) of the 2023-24 season, the group honored the Amelia Island Fernandina Restoration Foundation for its many accomplishments in protecting Fernandina’s historically significant properties over the past 50 years and presented a $1,250 donation toward its current Bosque Bello Cemetery project.
The Foundation was represented by Vice President Lorelei Jacobs, Senior Grants Administrator for Fernandina Beach, and board member Sal Cumella, Historic Preservation Senior Planner and recent recipient of a Master of Historic Preservation degree.
Cumella’s presentation included information about the Foundation’s current project, the restoration of Bosque Bello, the city’s municipal cemetery, in concert with the city of Fernandina Beach.
Bosque Bello (Spanish for “beautiful woods”) has been in existence since the late 18th century. It is located on 29 acres off North 14th Street, adjacent to Old Town. The first initiative will be an iron gate to preserve the small dirt roads leading to various areas of the cemetery. The Foundation recently announced receipt of a $50,000 matching grant from the State of Florida to compile a nomination of Bosque Bello Cemetery to the National Register of Historic Places.