Hours: Mon - Sat: 10 am - 4 pm / Sun: 1 pm - 4 pm
Phone : 904.261.7378
OUR ARCHIVES
The Amelia Island Museum of History is home to a collection of more than 11,000 artifacts, photographs, books, and archival materials documenting the rich heritage of our region.
RESEARCH LIBRARY HOURS AND CONTACT INFORMATION
Tuesday & Thursday, 10 am – 4 pm, or by appointment
Contact Archivist Ronda Outler at ronda@ameliamuseum.org
ORAL HISTORY PROJECTS
By capturing the actual voices of local residents who experienced history first hand, we are preserving history in a special way for generations to come.
VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT
The Veterans History Project of the Amelia Island Museum of History (AIMH) is a local partnership effort with the national Veterans History Project (VHP) at the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress. The project was authorized by an act of Congress in December of 2000.
The VHP of the American Folklife Center collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war. Hundreds of local partners are collecting oral histories in every state and territory of the United States. AIMH oral histories for this project will be archived at the AIMH, as well as at the VHP archive at the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress.
HERITAGE KEEPERS PROJECT
The Heritage Keepers Project is focused on collecting local oral histories – the history of Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, and Nassau County.
Through this project we aim to tell a more complete story of Nassau County’s special places, significant events, and the many people who have contributed to life in our communities. These oral histories give a literal “voice” to the diversity of experience that comprises our heritage and history. Heritage Keepers recordings will become part of the historical record and will inform and enlighten researchers and residents for generations to come.
Our collection focuses mainly on subjects such as:
- African American life and influence: to gain a better record of stories which have been largely overlooked
- Fernandina’s Industrial History: to understand the impact on island economy, cultural and natural ecology
- Evolution of Tourism Development: to understand forces behind population migration to the coasts
- Fernandina’s women entrepreneurs and community leaders, and local history from the female perspective
For further research through our recorded stories use the Check Out Our Stories Button to launch our online archives.
Please reach out if you would like to be interviewed or volunteer in service of our Oral History Projects. Volunteers may help with interviewing and/or transcribing. Please contact Isabelle Bournigault at isabelle@ameliamuseum.org or 904.261.7378 x102
OTHER RESOURCES
THE HISTORY OF
THE FERNANDINA WATERFRONT
Few cities the size of Fernandina have its deep history, cultural and economic diversity. This digital presentation uses historical maps, images, and documents to illustrate the complex history of Fernandina’s Historic Waterfront. Generations of Indigenous peoples, French, Spanish, English, and Americans have transformed the waterfront. These changes are the foundation of modern Fernandina, Amelia Island, and the Region. We hope this presentation will connect you to the past, present and future challenges facing all of us.
The study area for the project is Fernandina’s historic waterfront from Oldtown, the original Spanish settlement to Rayonier Advanced Materials plant in the south and inland to the Courthouse at Centre and 5th Streets. When this link is opened scroll up or down to go through the presentation. You can also use the menu bar at the top of the screen to jump to different sections. The project is optimized for a computer or tablet not cellphones.
THE HISTORY OF THE FERNANDINA WATERFRONT is a production of the Amelia Island Museum of History and the University of Florida Center for Landscape Conservation Planning.
https://arcg.is/1zWiyP0
FERNANDINA’S OLD TOWN SPANISH PLAN:
REVISITING DESIGN GUIDELINES
The City of Fernandina Beach, University of Florida Historic Preservation Program, and the Amelia Island Museum of History are partnering to complete a three-phase analysis and update to the Old Town Preservation and Development Guidelines. The project is scheduled to be completed by June 2021. In addition to technical recommendations to the City, the project team will produce an illustrated history of Old Town that focuses on the legacy of the Spanish Grid and the importance of its preservation.
For more information, please visit the City’s website on the project located here: http://www.fbfl.us/OT2021