A northern Floridian island complete with an adorable downtown, a lighthouse, a fort and even a fantastic cemetery.Â
Amelia Island, Florida, is one of the many Sea Islands that span South Carolina to Florida’s Atlantic coast. Both the Spanish and the British held onto the island in the colonial period. The island would part of the United States with the rest of Florida in 1821.
I stopped at the island along the way from Savannah to St. Augustine.
Jana Irving Fort Clinch sits at the northern end of Amelia Island, overlooking the Cumberland Sound. Today, the fort is part of Amelia Island State Park.
Jana Irving Fort Clinch is a Third System fort. It’s a series of coastal forts built in the early 19th century. It wasn’t started until 1847 and was not finished by the start of the Civil War.
Jana Irving A marshy moat. Not sure if it was originally full of water or just a low spot in front of the walls.
Jana Irving The fort is a very strange Third System Fort. Typically, there aren’t any dirt berms on the inside. Casemates would line the outer walls, but this one just has bastions for the cannons.
Jana Irving It looks like a combo of earlier forts and later ones out west. It even had buildings in the parade ground.
Jana Irving At least they had a fireplace for the winter.
Jana Irving Lock up.
Jana Irving Unusual ceiling.
Jana Irving The officers had slightly fancier digs.
Jana Irving The interior would normally have a completely brick wall, but this one has an earthen wall faced with brick.
Jana Irving The passages through the earthen walls are trippy.
Jana Irving The earthen wall doesn’t even completely reach the outer wall.
Jana Irving The bastions were the only interior areas for cannons.
Jana Irving This is the oddest Third System Fort.
Jana Irving Cannons pointed out to sea.
Jana Irving A large kitchen complete with bread oven.
Jana Irving This is as close as I could get to the Amelia Island Lighthouse. The grounds are only open when the lighthouse is.
Jana Irving The site of the original Spanish town, Fernandina, organized in 1811.
Jana Irving There’s really nothing left from the Spanish period, but I did find this cool looking house overlooking the original location of the town’s fort, Fort San Carlos.
Jana Irving The coolest thing I found in Fernandina is the Bosque Bello Cemetery.
Jana Irving It was established in 1798.
Jana Irving It wouldn’t be a good cemetery in the south without some Live oaks and Spanish moss.
Jana Irving Tomb of a Revolutionary War soldier.
Jana Irving The main town today is Fernandina Beach, just a bit south of the original town of Fernandina.
Jana Irving A very castle-like church.
Jana Irving The Historic Courthouse.
Jana Irving The Lesesne House, built in 1860, is one of the oldest in Fernandina Beach.
Amelia Island was a great, slightly out of the way, stop between Savannah and St. Augustine. There are also a ton of beaches and other outdoor activities around the area.
Check out my next update where I will be exploring the cemeteries of Savannah!
or
Check out other places I’ve wandered!
