Original Town of Fernandina Historic Site, Spanish colonial site in Nassau County, Florida.
The Original Town of Fernandina Historic Site is a Spanish colonial settlement in Nassau County laid out according to the 1573 Law of the Indies town-planning rules. The grounds include areas for nature observation and outdoor recreation within state park boundaries.
The settlement was founded in 1811 as the last Spanish city in the Western Hemisphere during a period of colonial change. Its importance declined when David Levy Yulee built the first cross-state railroad in 1861.
The Plaza San Carlos served as the main gathering point in front of Spanish Fort San Carlos during colonial times. Today, visitors can sense how this space brought people together at the heart of the settlement.
Access to the site is through North 14th Street, with designated outdoor areas for exploration and recreation. Visitors should prepare for varying weather and seasonal conditions typical of Florida's coastal region.
Archaeological digs at the site reveal multiple layers of settlement from Native American times through French, Spanish, and British colonial periods. These buried layers tell the story of shifting control and occupation across several centuries.
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