Train Depot preservation project awarded inaugural Keystone Award

Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter - News Analyst
May 31, 2016 11:16 a.m.

The month of May has been nationally and locally designated as Historic Preservation Month. It is a time for communities to reflect on their history and take pride in their efforts to preserve and celebrate historic structures both great and small. This year the Fernandina Beach community recognized several significant historic preservation projects via its biennial awards program. While all award recipients were formally acknowledged at the May 17, 2016 Regular Meeting of the Fernandina Beach City Commission, a second ceremony was held at the Amelia Island Museum of History on May 27 both to reinforce the importance of the awards and to made a special award: the Keystone Award.

Fernandina Main Street Program Director Jeff Kurtz emceed the abbreviated awards program, which also acknowledged other historic preservation successes over the past two years. While not all award recipients were able to attend, the audience acknowledged all recipients.

For the first time this year an award was given to a project with wide ranging impact which best represented collective historic preservation efforts by individuals, organizations and government. The inaugural Keystone Award was presented to the historic Centre Street train depot project.

The train depot restoration presented a variety of challenges to its champions. The City of Fernandina Beach owns the 1899 building, which serves as a welcome center for the Convention Visitors Bureau of the Amelia Island Tourist Development Council (TDC), the building’s tenant. The depot figures prominently in local history, and serves as the western anchor building for Centre Street Historic District.

The Amelia Island Fernandina Restoration Foundation, a non-profit organization, had long advocated for restoration of the building, which through misguided previous restoration efforts and neglected maintenance, had fallen into serious disrepair by the early 2000’s. Mortar had fallen out of the bricks on the west side of the building, allowing daylight to enter through the walls; the interior was water damaged from years of various leaks. The state of the building had reached the point that some even questioned whether it could be saved.

While saving the depot tugged at many heartstrings, the major problem lay with opening purse strings. No single entity could afford the price tag for a complete, quality restoration: about $300K for exterior work alone. After some negotiating over contract renewal for the TDC’s welcome center to continue in the depot, three groups stepped forward with pledges to underwrite the restoration. The Nassau County-funded Tourist Development Council and the City of Fernandina Beach each pledged $125K; the Restoration Foundation provided the final $50K.

Gil Langley, President and CEO of Amelia Island Tourism, agreed to serve as project coordinator, and work began in 2013. Langley engaged the architectural firm of Cotner and Associates and builder Clayton Buchanan, each of whom brought in much research and many craftsmen to complete the job, which took longer than planned due to the amount of painstaking work involved. In addition to contributing funds to the restoration project, the Restoration Foundation separately commissioned and funded a statue honoring Senator David Levy Yulee, widely credited for founding the current city of Fernandina Beach as part of building the first cross-peninsula Florida railroad.

The renovated train depot reopened its doors with an internal modernized welcome center to rave reviews on June 8, 2015.

The Florida Trust for Historic Preservation at its 2016 Annual Conference also acknowledged the importance of the depot restoration by awarding it Honorable Mention during its awards ceremony.

In accepting the Keystone Award on behalf of the depot project, architect John Cotner stressed the value of public private partnerships in bringing important projects to fruition. He cited his firm’s involvement with the 8 Flags Playscape (Pirate Playground) as another successful endeavor that followed a similar public private partnership. The expansion of the Fernandina Beach branch building of the Nassau County Library System is a third example.

Cotner suggested, “Public/private partnerships can produce an end product to generally achieve a higher level of quality at a price competitive with the typical public bid process. In the case of the railroad depot for instance, we were provided with the opportunity to select the most qualified craftsman and methods vs. the tendency to lean towards the most competitive in terms of price thus allowing the team to better protect and preserve this fine historic structure.”
Cotner credited the many craftsmen who worked on the depot building as well: Bob Jenkins, who did the interior wood trim and finishing; Trey Palmer of Coastal Current Electric, the project electrician; and mason Rick Hawkins who rebuilt the west wall of the depot brick by brick. David Cook donated heart pine. Bill Lord was the painter, and John Herring was responsible for milling and installing heart pine floors.

Nassau County District 1 Commissioner Danny Leeper received the award plaque, which will be mounted on the depot building. Leeper, who currently chairs the Tourist Development Council, grew up in Fernandina Beach and shared memories and thoughts about the importance of local historic preservation efforts. The Board of Nassau County Commissioners approved the expenditure of TDC funds on this project.

Additional Preservation Award recipients attended the program and were recognized.

Cotner and Associates were also awarded First Place for New Construction of the Amelia Tavern, which replaced O’Kane’s on Centre Street at 4^th Street. The new building incorporated design elements from the original structure that pre-dated O’Kane’s.   Architect Benjamin Morrison represented this project.

Jose and Lori Miranda (Miranda Architects) received First Place for Sensitive Addition for their recent addition to St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church. The architects and builders overcame many challenges in constructing this addition to an 1878 building, the oldest brick building in the city. In accepting the award, Jose Miranda thanked the church, its congregation and the church’s neighbors for their patience and forbearance during the construction period.

Robert and Loretta Erickson also received First Place for Craftsmanship in the restoration of their home at 30 S. 3^rd Street. Robert Erickson, who also serves on the city’s Historic District Council, explained his research into his house’s history that led to helpful old photos at the Amelia Island Museum of History.   He also received assistance from a lady who once lived in the house. He explained that the restoration was truly a labor of love, and that he and his wife have even gone so far as to recreate porch railing balusters to match the originals.

This was the fourth round of Historic Preservation Awards for the City of Fernandina Beach. They are awarded every two years following recommendations from a panel of judges. This year’s judges included: Jeff Kurtz, Fernandina Beach Main Street Program Director; local architect Eric Lawrence; and retired University of Florida Professor William Tilson.

Following the program, audience members opened the latest Museum exhibit featuring photos of local architectural elements taken by members of the Island Art Association Photography Group. Historic Details is a visual exploration of the architectural details and unique features that make Fernandina’s Historic District a special, historic place.

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.