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Read About it All !!! Want to read our old issues? You'll learn a great deal about the Historic District and some of the people involved in the preservation of it. Here is information about the politics and events of the HD, and you can really form a picture of the inside knowledge of the HD today. It's simple to get access to these issues.... just sign-in with your first name and your email address ! Be sure to include that you "want the archives" info in the message ..... You'll get months and months worth of past Newsletters! Fernandina ‘Historic District’ News
April, 2007 For and about Fernandina Beach’s Historic District Publisher/Editor Chuck Hall
Downtown Yard Sale Was a Big Success!!!!
Well, our "Big Downtown Yard Sale" was a big success for all those that participated. Although I was restricted to my own yard sale all day Saturday, I have heard that the traffic was really good at all the other sites as well. We had about 25 sites participating, and there were people coming in from as far away as Valdosta, GA.???
Our hope is that we can turn this into an annual tradition. It’s a win-win for businesses and residents in the Historic District, and a great way to recycle all that stuff we have!
Thanks to all that participated!
Historic Home Loss is a Tragedy
Many of us have been watching the interesting progress of the remodeling of the historic house at the corner of N. 6th St. and Broome St. If you have not seen this job, it’s really worth the time to study it.
The ‘Meddaugh House’ as it is referred to on the Historic Survey, was built originally in 1872, and is located at the North end of the "Silk Stocking District" where some of the island’s most beautiful homes were built in the Victorian era. The home sold about a year ago, and the owner made plans to build a basement and garage under the existing structure! This, of course, required lifting up the house, and moving it to the rear of the lot, digging out the hole, building the basement and garage, and returning the house to the original site. As if all this wasn’t enough, the house was completely gutted, in preparation for the new drywall throughout. For us preservationists, we took solace in the fact that the original structure exterior and framing would remain intact.
Well, this past month proved a great tragedy for us all. The house, according to City officials, had developed an irreparable slant during the moving. In addition, the interior framing, when exposed for the drywall, showed signs of severe damage and poor original construction techniques.
The entire house was demolished and rebuilt with new materials.
Now, another historic home is lost. I can tell you that at the rate of 1 or 2 houses per year lost to fire, development, destruction, or any reasons, we will have lost the Historic District within a generation! Even if the structures are rebuilt to ‘look like’ the originals, we will end up with a theme park, rather than the real thing.
I only write this as a note of sadness, not as a point of shame, and to plead with all our citizens to be vigilant in saving these old landmarks. Let’s preserve our Historic District as the original, not a theme park!
Fernandina Film Festival?
At the recent Merchants Meet and Greet Party, Tony McAdoo asked a puzzling question: has anyone looked into creating an annual film festival for Fernandina?
What a great idea! In fact, if YOU think that you’d like to learn more about this idea, there will be a meeting of interested parties:
Place: Hampton Inn & Suites Second Floor Cafe Area
19 South 2nd Street
Date: Tuesday April 24, 2007 Time: 7 PM til 8 PM (continued on other side)
Those to Be Invited: All Individuals/Groups interested in Helping
Develop Film Festival
Purpose: Steering Committee Meeting for Designing and Planning
Amelia Island Film Festival Fall 2008
Tony’s Telephone Number for information and more details: 261. 0676
See you there!
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