A journey through eBay uncovers a glimpse of Fernandina’s historic past

By Susan Hardee Steger

January 31, 2022

One afternoon, one of my Davis cousins sent me a notice of an eBay postcard for sale that pictured a woman in a dugout canoe paddling on the St Marys River. Our Davis/Mizell families had sawmills at Kings Ferry and Orange Bluff, so the St. Marys River holds a special place in our family history. However, another eBay offer caught my attention; a scrapbook given to Charles Gordon Carroll Jr. by his mother Elizabeth Swann Carroll, daughter of a notable Fernandina resident Samuel Ashe Swann (1832-1909). The scrapbook contained pictures of Carroll Jr. visiting his Grandfather Swann in Fernandina from 1904 to 1914.

The eBay seller told me he was a dealer from Greenwich, Connecticut, who was selling items held in the estate of Charles Gordon Carroll III. The seller said he had a big box that, along with the scrapbook, contained photos taken on the movie set of “Cool Hand Luke,” an award-winning 1967 movie starring Paul Newman. After a Google search, I discovered Charles Gordon Carroll III, the movie’s producer, was Samuel Swann’s great-grandson.  I bid, held my breath, and won!

The photographs are of good quality, taken in Fernandina from 1903 – 1914, while others were taken in Greenwich, Connecticut, and Baltimore, Maryland.  The scrapbook is now in the hands of the Amelia Island Museum of History.

The home of Samuel Ashe Swann

Swann’s magnificent home stood on the southwest corner of Centre and South Sixth Streets, where Pepper’s stands today. The Swann House I remember was in disrepair and the wood weathered gray. I believe Mr. Lockwood, a local pharmacist in my day, once lived in the house.

Robert Sands Schuyler, a skillful architect, made his mark on some important historic structures in Fernandina, such as St Peter’s Episcopal Church and, the  Fairbanks and Tabby Homes. Schuyler also made his mark on the Swann House, although according to information in the Amelia Island Museum of History, only to enhance an existing structure.

Sadly, the cost in the 1960s to restore the Swann House was beyond the financial reach of most residents in small-town Fernandina, and someone deemed it necessary to tear it down.

Some of you will recognize the Swann name. There is a Swann Building at the northwest corner of North 4th and Center. If you are a member of St Peter’s Episcopal Church, you probably know the name as one of the church’s founding members. Title searches completed in the city, county, and state will often trackback to documents with Samuel Swann’s signature.

Background information on Samuel Ashe Swann

Samuel Swann was one of Fernandina’s leading local citizens. At age 23, Swann came to Fernandina in 1855 from Wilmington, North Carolina, to serve as an accountant for Joseph Finnegan & Company. Finnegan was a sub-contractor for the building of  David Yulee’s railroad. Swann later became assistant secretary and treasurer of the Yulee Railroad.

Swann was an industrious young man. In the newly released book by Frank Ofeldt entitled, “Fort Clinch – Fernandina and the Civil War,” shortly after Swann’s arrival to Fernandina, he purchased a brickyard on the St Marys River and provided “savanah gray bricks” to build a portion of Fort Clinch.

According to Helen R. Sharp’s article in the Florida Historical Quarterly, entitled, “Samuel A. Swann and the Development of Florida, 1855-1900,” Swann and his family left Fernandina for Gainesville, Florida when Union troops arrived in Fernandina. “For a short time after moving there, Swann was treasurer, bookkeeper,  and superintendent of the Florida Railroad. His physical condition forced him to resign, as his duties proved too arduous.”   Swann was a Confederate.   As a result of the Federal Navy blockade, Swann became a blockade runner for the Confederate government in Gainesville.  On a trip to Cuba in 1863, he brokered   . . ” for private individuals in addition to the sample supplies which were required by the Confederate government.”   A list of some articles acquired for individuals included gold pens, violin strings, a pair of shoes, and a toupee {$12.50)  for Dr. W.H. Stringfellow.

In 1867 after the Civil War, Swann moved back to Fernandina.  With the Florida Railroad in financial difficulty, Swann became an agent for the bondholders and negotiated a way to salvage some of their investments. Eventually, the Florida Land and Immigration Company was formed with land acquired from the Florida Railroad.  For this new company, again, Swann was designated agent and began brokering land transactions throughout Florida. He continued to serve as a land broker for various individuals and private companies.

Swann “contributed generously of his time and money, to all worthwhile projects for Fernandina,” according to Sharp.  His final resting place is in St Peter’s Cemetery next to the church he founded and supported throughout his life. When his daughter, Elizabeth Swann Corrall died in 1955, she was laid to rest in her father’s family plot.

Author’s Note:  The Charles Gordon Carroll Jr scrapbook is now in the hands of our wonderful Amelia Island Museum of History. There are more photographs of Fernandina to explore.  Soon you will be able to see the scrapbook online from the museum’s website.   This scrapbook joins another scrapbook given to the museum by Samuel Swann’s daughter Elizabeth Swann Carroll.