DEL.ICIO.USUniversal Press Syndicate
Published on: 04/27/08
Fernandina Beach, Fla. — At the northeastern tip of Florida is the only place in the United States that has served under eight flags.
That alone would give Fernandina Beach a special panache, but the city offers much more than an interesting history.
 Amelia Island Plantation |
| Amelia Island Plantation on Amelia Island, Fla. |
 Jay Clarke / Special |
| Bailey House is among dozens of lovely Victorian homes within a few blocks of historic downtown Fernandina Beach. |
It is, first of all, the only city on Amelia Island, one of Florida's great resort areas. Thirteen miles of Atlantic beach lie minutes from downtown. A variety of hotels, motels, bed-and-breakfast inns and rental homes on the island beckon to vacationers, as do its seven golf courses.
It is the site of historic American Beach, one of the few beaches on the East Coast open to African-Americans during segregation, and of Fort Clinch, a well-preserved pre-Civil War fortress that guarded the mouth of the St. Marys River.
Best known of the island's hostelries is Amelia Island Plantation, a mega-resort complex 10 miles south of Fernandina with inn and villa accommodations, 72 holes of golf, 23 tennis courts, several restaurants and miles of beaches. Nearby is another prestigious property, the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island, and closer to town are additional hotels and motels, B&Bs and vacation homes, some right on the beach.
But the hub of the island is Fernandina Beach's historic downtown district. Moss-laden oaks line Centre Street, a twisting main street bordered by brick sidewalks and shops and restaurants in Victorian-era buildings.
Dozens of lovely Victorian homes, some now elegant B&Bs, line nearby blocks. Viewed perhaps most appropriately from a horse-and-carriage tour are such iconic homes as Hoyt House, Bailey House, Fairbanks House and Williams House.
A landmark building on Centre Street is the Palace Saloon, among Florida's oldest continuously operating drinking establishments. Today it looks much as it did in the late 1800s and early 1900s. You can belly up to the elegant 40-foot bar designed by Adolphus Busch, founder of the Anheuser-Busch beer empire. Its floors are inlaid mosaic, its ceiling embossed tin and its walls decorated with six large murals depicting scenes from Shakespeare and Dickens.
Just off Centre Street stands another venerable building, the Florida House Inn, the state's oldest surviving hotel. Built in 1857, Florida House has played host to such guests as President Ulysses S. Grant, Cuban martyr Jose Marti, automaker Henry Ford and actress Mary Pickford, as well as members of the Rockefeller and Carnegie families.
What made Fernandina Beach such a thriving city was its location at the confluence of the St. Marys and Amelia rivers, both deep enough that early pirates could easily sail into them and find hiding places. This also made it a favorite spot for smugglers and slave traders.
Later, its mild climate brought hundreds of vacationers from up north, and its rich seabeds created a shrimping fleet that still brings in much of Florida's shrimp harvest.
Its strategic location made Fernandina Beach a much-contested spot for many countries, which is why it served under eight flags. The first was the French flag, flown when explorer Jean Ribault landed on the island in 1562. The Spanish flag was raised in 1565 when forces led by Pedro Menenez de Aviles drove out the French, killing 350 colonists.
Then came the British, when James Oglethorpe took over the island in 1763 and named it Amelia. But in 1783 Spain again controlled Florida, and during its reign the Patriot Flag of the Republic of Florida appeared briefly when a group attempted unsuccessfully to transfer the island to the United States.
In 1817, a Scotsman with 55 troops seized the island from the Spanish, and they raised their own flag, the Green Cross of Florida. Following that, a pirate named Luis Aury sailed into the harbor, raised the Republic of Mexico's flag and declared himself the island's ruler.
In 1821, the United States took over the territory, losing it only for a year during the Civil War, when the Confederates raised the eighth flag to fly over the island.
Today, Fernandina Beach rests happily under the Stars and Stripes, playing host to tourists instead of pirates, sun-seekers instead of smugglers.
It's not a bad exchange.
IF YOU GO
Getting there
Driving: Amelia Island is about 355 miles from Atlanta, about a five-hour drive.
Flying: Jacksonville International Airport is about a 30-minute drive from the island; expect to pay $190 round trip from Atlanta to Jacksonville.
Information
Amelia Island Tourist Development Council: 1-800-226-3542, www.ameliaisland.org or www.islandchamber.com.
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