Chapter 2: PROJECT METHODS The primary goal of the reconnaissance level survey is to identify areas of the City which are potentially eligible for preservation as either historic or conservation districts, and direct the need for additional more intensive survey work. In addition to identifying potentially historic neighborhoods, the survey is intended to identify development patterns, history of neighborhoods, and architectural and landscape elements which create a neighborhood s particular character, resulting in the development of Neighborhood Planning Areas. Landscape evaluation included documentation of both natural landscaping levels and identification of manicured, formal landscaping. Neighborhood Planning Areas are defined by clear geographic boundaries which delineate the neighborhood from the surrounding area, and there is not necessarily a historical imperative for the boundaries or unified developmental history. Based on the clear goals of the project coupled with the recent 2007 historic resources survey, it was determined by the City of Fernandina Beach that the preparation of Florida Master Site File (FMSF) forms would not be completed as part of the project. Janus Research s survey methodology consists of a series of stages that produce efficient and accurate survey results. The first stage consisted of gathering all information previously compiled on the area s development and historic resources. This background research oftentimes reveals historic resources that may not have been readily apparent due to their simple or unassuming appearance. This research was conducted through a variety of primary and secondary sources such as newspaper and magazine articles, period photographs, books, and historic maps. The National Register of Historic Places (National Register) nominations for the Downtown Historic District and the Old Town Historic District were extremely helpful as well. Surveys previously conducted within Fernandina Beach are also an important source of background information. Twenty-five prior field surveys have been conducted within the City limits (Table 1). These surveys were relied upon to gather history and determine previously identified historic resources. FMSF forms for all previously recorded resources in the historic district from these surveys were obtained from the Florida Division of Historical Resources. Since only portions of the City were covered in each previous survey, many of the historic resources in the survey area have not been previously recorded in the FMSF. Table 1: Previous Historic Resource Surveys in Fernandina Beach 539 786 962 1194 2705 An Archaeological Survey of Amelia Island, Florida 1952 Bullen, Ripley P., and John W. Griffith A Cultural Resources Survey of the Amelia Landings Construction Site, Fernandina Beach, Florida. 1982 Braley, Chad O. An Archaeological Survey and Assessment, Summer Beach Project, Amelia Island, Florida 1984 Griffin, John W. Historic Properties Survey of Historic Property Associates and Paul Fernandina Beach, Florida. 1985 Weaver A Cultural Resource Assessment of the Gum Street/8 th Street Turn Lane Project, Nassau County, Florida. 1991 Chance, Marsha A. Janus Research 6
2991 4875 6347 6377 7024 7620 7880 9491 10436 10878 10970 11208 12954 13404 Archaeological Survey of Old Town Fernandina, Florida 1991 Griffin, John W., and Robert H. Steinbach A Cultural Resource Assessment Survey for the Proposed Royal Amelia Golf Course (Phase I) Nassau County, Florida 1997 Ashley, Keith H., and Vicki L. Rolland Assessment Survey for the Eagle Bland, Myles, Brian Floyd, and Brent Estates Tract, Nassau County, Florida 2001 M. Handley An Intensive Resource Assessment Survey for the McArthur Estates Tract, Nassau County, Florida 2001 Technical Memorandum Cultural Resource Survey for the Egans Creek Salt Marsh Restoration Project, Nassau County, Florida 2002 Stokes, Anne V. Cultural Resource Assessment Survey of Proposed Fernandina Beach Cell Tower, Nassau County, Florida 2003 Carlson, Lisabeth Handley, Brent M., Gregory Hendryx, and Greg C. Smith Data Recovery at 8NA32, McArthur Estates, Nassau County, Florida 2002 Handley, Brent, and Greg Smith Identification and Evaluation of Historic Properties Within the One-Half Mile Area of Potential Effects of the Proposed 150-foot Abundant Life Christian Church Wireless Telecommunications Tower (Verizon Wireless 103506-2), Nassau County, Florida 2003 Parker, Brian T. An Archaeological and Historical Assessment for the Existing Fernandina Beach Cellular Tower, Nassau County, Florida 2004 Smith, Greg C. Cultural Resource Reconnaissance Survey and Section 106 Review: Proposed Fernandina Beach Airport Cellular Tower, Township 2 North, Range 28 East, Section 6 2004 Archaeological Consultants, Inc. A Phase 1 Cultural Resource Survey of the Heron Pointe Project Area, Nassau County, Florida 2005 Stokes, Anne V. Assessment Survey of the Summer Beach/Amelia Island Industrial Park Tract, Nassau County, Florida 2005 Assessment Survey of the Amelia Park Annex Nassau County, Florida 2006 the Ridgewood Project, Nassau County, Florida 2006 Stokes, Anne Handley, Brent M., and Christopher A. Schaefer Chance, Marsha A. and Stephen A. Ferrell Janus Research 7
13678 13735 13801 14420 14508 15965 the Fernandina Beach, Marina Project, Nassau County, Florida 2006 Burns, Jason, Travis Fulk, and Nick Linville the Block 2 of the City of Fernandina Burns, Jason, Travis Fulk, and Nick Beach, Nassau County, Florida 2006 Linville A Cultural Resource Assessment Survey for the Fernandina Beach Wal- Mart, Nassau County, Florida 1998 Bland, Myles C.P., and Greg C. Smith The Historic Properties Resurvey, City of Fernandina Beach, Nassau County, Florida 2007 Bland, Myles, and Sydney Johnston Historic Structure Documentation of the Florida Railroad from Fernandina Beach in Nassau County to Cedar Key in Levy County, Florida 2006 Linville, Nick, and Geoffrey Mohlman Fort San Carlos Demonstration FAM 2008, Nassau County (8NA10) Letter Report 2009 Miller, Sarah E. The next stage of the project involved conducting the historic resources reconnaissance survey. Tax roll information provided by the Nassau County Property Appraiser s website was used to compile a preliminary list of all structures built in 1961 and earlier. This information was marked on aerial maps of the City. These maps were used as references during the fieldwork portion of the project. The team then conducted a reconnaissance investigation or windshield survey in October 2010. One architectural historian and one technical assistant conducted the historic resources reconnaissance survey in order to ensure that significant pre-1962 historic neighborhoods within the survey area were identified and properly mapped. The focus of the survey was on evaluating the significance of neighborhoods, rather than individually significant structures. Concentrations of historic resources within the study area were noted in terms of their potential for designation as historic districts or conservation districts, and a list of the characteristics and features of each identified neighborhood was developed. Notes regarding current structural condition, historic physical integrity, additions, and contributing features were taken to assist in assessing the resources for potential significance as a district. Special care was taken to note other distinguishing characteristics of the neighborhoods, such as historic street layout, sidewalk paving, street lighting, historic vegetation or landscaping, and outbuildings. As previously noted, landscaping documentation included both the natural vegetation and manicured or formally designed landscapes. Field notes also indicated whether a neighborhood appeared particularly threatened by teardowns and new development. Representative photos of all potentially significant neighborhoods identified in the field were taken with a high-resolution digital camera. A log was kept to record each resource s physical location and the compass direction of each photograph. At this stage of the project, determining boundaries of potentially significant neighborhoods was of major importance. Boundaries of Neighborhood Planning Areas as well as potential historic Janus Research 8
districts and conservation districts within the planning areas were plotted on aerial maps. Boundaries were based on the historic neighborhood boundaries, unique neighborhood characteristics, or clear geographical barriers including waterways and streets. Neighborhood Planning Area boundaries were generally based on clear geographical barriers that delineate a neighborhood. The boundaries do not correspond to the boundaries of historically platted subdivisions. Potential conservation district and historic district boundaries were then refined within the broader Neighborhood Planning Area boundaries. As discussed in the October 28, 2010 meeting between Marshall McCrary and Adrienne Dessy of the City of Fernandina Beach, and Emily Sheckels Ahouse and Julia Skowronski of Janus Research, there are various ways boundaries can be developed for conservation districts. If multiple potential boundaries for conservation districts were apparent during the reconnaissance survey, each was noted on aerial photographs. A total of six Neighborhood Planning Areas were identified during the survey. Within these Neighborhood Planning Areas, three were identified with potential for designation as conservation districts. The reconnaissance survey did not find the potential for additional historic districts due to the lack of cohesive historic development and concentrations of historic resources, and alterations to many of the extant historic structures throughout the identified neighborhoods. During the next stage, information collected from the reconnaissance survey was brought back to Janus Research s main office in Tampa and the field notes were compiled. A list of the character defining features within each Neighborhood Planning Area was developed. This list included, but was not limited to, the following features: land use, height/stories, setbacks, density, building materials, garage entrances, porch enclosures, fences and walls, scale, floor area ratio, lot coverage, street patterns and widths, accessory structures, architectural style, spatial relationships, sidewalks and landscaping (both natural and artificial), massing, roof line and pitch, lot size and width, elevation features, parking and driveways, doors and windows, building orientation, and trees and shrubbery. The integrity of each neighborhood was determined from site observations, field data, and photographic documentation. Once Neighborhood Planning Areas were identified, additional information about their histories, various dates of construction, and any significant associations were obtained through a review of archival records and historic background materials such as newspaper articles and information and historic aerial photographs. Research was conducted at the Amelia Island Museum of History Jaccard Research Library and the Nassau County Public Library. Local informants knowledgeable about the area s history and development were also contacted. The final stage of the survey methodology involved the determination of the architectural and historical significance of the identified neighborhoods by evaluating them at the local, state, and national level. The City of Fernandina Beach s Land Development Code was provided to Janus Research. It contains provisions regarding historic preservation, which include design guidelines for the existing historic districts, standards for development, regulations for the Historic District Council, and procedures for obtaining a Certificate of Appropriateness. However, Adrienne Dessy, City Planner II for the City of Fernandina Beach, confirmed that the City currently has no Janus Research 9
specific local criteria for designation of new historic sites or districts. Therefore, areas of significance as outlined by the National Register's criteria were utilized during the evaluation process. The context for evaluating significance was established based on the research and survey conducted by Janus Research. Potential conservation district boundaries were refined based on the findings of the historic research. The resulting data is presented in the report in tables and text relating to the Neighborhood Planning Areas. This information assisted in the formulation of recommendations. Janus Research 10