"Pristine beach" or derelict waterfront?

Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm

Reporter  -  News Analyst

December 7, 2015 11:00 a.m.

During Public Comment at the Fernandina Beach City Commission meeting on the resolution to modify the Ocean Highway and Port Authority (OHPA) Charter this past Tuesday, Chip Ross presented a slide dating to 1986 that appeared to show in an aerial photo that there was a "pristine beach" along the waterfront in the area currently occupied by the Port of Fernandina.  Following the meeting, an alert Fernandina Observer reader sent me portions of a photo montage from the same time period that seem to suggest that rather than a beach, that portion of the river front was home to several warehouse-type buildings.

Amelia riverfront at the foot of Dade Street

Amelia riverfront with Merrow House in background.  Today the Merrow House is home to the port operator.

Since I did not live here at the time, I invite our readers who were to comment.

Editor's Note: Since posting the previous photo, we have received the above photo (circa 1900)  from Rob Hicks.  According to Hicks, "The Merrow House is beyond the large ship assumed to be attached to the dock. This same photograph is framed and hangs in the archival research room at the museum." Thank you Rob for a great addition to our harbor photos.  

Another reader has provided the photos below from the Florida Photographic Archives, part of the Florida Memory Project.  They date to 1900-1915.  Note in the second photo that at one time the railroad tracks ran out onto the wharves.  In the back right area of that photo you can see stacks from the phosphate storage area.  The phosphate facility, located roughly where WestRock is today, was destroyed in a fire in the early 1900s.

In doing a bit more research into the phosphate fire, Suanne found the following photo, also from the Florida Photo Archives, www.floridamemory.com:

And the photo below, from the same source, lists as a date 192-:

Fernandina phosphate plant, sometime from the 1920's (Florida Photo Archives)

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.