PHOTO BY LILLY SCHEETZ
St. Peters Episcopal Church
FERNANDINA’S
Golden Age With stunning Victorian homes and majestic churches scattered throughout the Historic District, Fernandina Beach’s architectural treasures remind us of the island’s Golden Age.
BY DICKIE ANDERSON
I
n the late 1800s following after the Civil War, Amelia Island was a bustling center of commerce. Its deepwater port and the emerging development of railroads in Florida created great opportunities for the entrepreneurs attracted to the island. Many homes, businesses, and churches built during those years still stand today to remind us of those glory years. Why does Amelia Island have so many Victorian-era houses and churches in such good shape? The island shares an interesting history with Galveston, Texas and Mystic, Connecticut. Each has homes and buildings preserved in their original shape. Why were these communities frozen in time? There is a logical explanation. If a town or city suffers dramatic economic losses, all progress, growth, and change stop. Typically, towns evolve. Old buildings are torn down, and new ones are built. In the case of Galveston, Mystic, and Fernandina, everything stopped, and nothing changed hands or was altered. Galveston was a thriving port. When the port was moved because of hurricane threats, the town went to sleep. Mystic was a thriving port, where fleets of whaling ships were based. With the arrival of electricity and no need for whale oil to fill lamps, the port became quiet.
11 AMELIA ISLANDER MAGAZINE •
JUNE 2022
www.AmeliaIslander.com
