Florida Real Estate News

One of the things that is fantastic about living on Florida’s First Coast – in communities like Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, Daytona Beach, Ponce Inlet and St. Augustine – is the history of the area and how much has been done to preserve it over the years. The challenge, of course, is that while there are plenty of efforts to preserve the history of the First Coast, there are other situations in which it’s not a top priority:

(source)The City Council of Jacksonville, Florida, may be about to destroy our nation’s FIRST settlement seeking religious freedom, and the site of the First Thanksgiving, between these French Huguenot settlers and the local Timucuan Indians? The Jacksonville (Florida) Port Authority wants to do exactly this in order to create a terminal for Carnival cruiseships, and Jacksonville’s City Fathers just may approve their request to alter our publicly-approved Comprehensive Plan in order to do it. The situation looks grim for both American history and democracy.

Mayport Village, a part of Jacksonville, Florida, is the nation’s oldest settlement founded in search of religious freedom (1562) – older than St. Augustine, and half a century older than Plymouth or Jamestown. The Village is under immediate threat of being bulldozed into oblivion by Florida’s notorious growth machine.

Now, everyone who is looking to travel out of Jacksonville is going to look at things one way while those who are passionate about historic preservation are going to look at it in a different way altogether. Those who are committed to historic preservation are – as the excerpted article states – involved in an effort to take action; is it something you want to act on?

When you take the time to explore Florida’s First Coast communities, you’re likely to find that there’s a lot more to explore than merely the beach – there’s also a rich history throughout the area that has been preserved over time.

At the northeastern tip of Florida is the only place in the United States that has served under eight flags.

That alone would give Fernandina Beach a special panache, but the city offers much more than an interesting history.

It is, first of all, the only city on Amelia Island, one of Florida’s great resort areas. Thirteen miles of Atlantic beach lie minutes from downtown. A variety of hotels, motels, bed-and-breakfast inns and rental homes on the island beckon to vacationers, as do its seven golf courses.

It is the site of historic American Beach, one of the few beaches on the East Coast open to African-Americans during segregation, and of Fort Clinch, a well-preserved pre-Civil War fortress that guarded the mouth of the St. Marys River.

Just like St. Augustine, Amelia Island offers those who are exploring Florida’s First Coast communities a chance to see what life was like in the past – and to create a history of their own that they will be glad to have experienced.

Historic preservation is something that is extremely important to Florida’s cultural heritage. Because of this, many real estate developers in places like Jacksonville’s Riverside District focus on creating properties that seem to fit in.

Now that doesn’t mean that Florida homes are no more developed that those that you’d find preserved at the Kinglsey Plantation, near Jacksonville:

(source)The Kingsley Plantation, administered by the National Park Service, is located on Fort George Island and includes the plantation house, a kitchen house, a barn, and the ruins of 25 of the original slave cabins. The history of the island spans more than 1000 years beginning with the Timucuan Indians. The structures at the site, however, date to the plantation era of the island.

It’s just to say that it’s vital to keep the rich, cultural history of an area in tact – even while focusing on creating living spaces that are modern, stylish and have all the features that today’s homebuyers are looking for (pre-wired for entertainment and security, high end materials, open floor plans, etc.).

In other words, historic preservation isn’t only about maintaining properties, art and culture alive so that more people can learn from them and benefit; historic preservation is about building on the history of a place.

When you live in St. Augustine, Florida, you’ll have access to a wide variety of activities. There’s plenty of time to take your boat out and to explore or just relax. Nearby you’ll find natural preserves, great places to fish, activities for the kids, shopping and dining.

But when you make your home in St. Augustine – whether in a St. Augustine townhouse, condo or private residence – you’ll want to be sure to take time to take in the history of the area.

One way of doing that is to take the family on an historical tour of St. Augustine and the colonial area of the city.

The Colonial History Package offered by the the city gives St. Augustine residents and visitors a chance to take in three experiences:

• a tour of the Colonial Spanish Quarter;
• a tour of the Government House Museum where visitors can see St. Augustine artifacts; and,
• a chance to see a film about what life in St. Augustine once was like.

Though it’s easy to appreciate all that living in St. Augustine offers, you’ll appreciate it even more when you see how much times have changed.

Jacksonville, Florida  The latest oceanfront residential project by Cranewoods Development, The Cottages at Ponce Inlet, took more work than usual to create. For the past three years, the town of Ponce Inlet has been working to control future development in this conservative and sophisticated area south of Daytona Beach. 
 
There has been significant pressure on the Council to control real estate development in the area.  The town council was only approving projects that would be sympathetic to historical preservation and sympathetic to the town’s vision. (more…)

Many people spend copious amounts of time, money, and energy on home beautification projects but settle for standard concrete walks and driveways of asphalt, concrete, or even gravel. Such conventional drives and walks are unlikely to detract from a home’s appearance but they add very little to the overall aesthetics. Using period pavers for drives and walks will turn them into elements of the landscape rather than just utilitarian necessities.

  While stamped concrete can enhance the look of a walk or drive, the modular installation of pavers offers several advantages. They are less likely to crack because of ground changes, and when this does happen individual piece can be easily replaced, or in some cases simply flipped over. The pattern and layout of pavers can also be easily altered to fit better with landscaping additions and changes.

  Pavers are available in a wide variety of shapes and colors, and most can be arranged into different patterns to reflect historical or regional standards. Many different materials have been used to pave roads, walks, and drives through the years, but brick and stone are by far the most durable and popular. Stone pavers can be divided into two general categories—cobblestones and flagstones.

  Traditional cobblestones are created from smooth stones, usually granite or basalt, found in riverbeds. They are worked into rounded square or rectangular blocks of a relatively uniform size before being used for paving. Cobblestone roads are still found in many European cities, making them the perfect choice for homes with an “old world” motif.

  Flagstones are made from sedimentary rocks such as shale or limestone that can easily be split into flat slabs. Flagstones tend to be rather heavy, and therefore were historically used primarily in regions where appropriate types of rock were found. The shape of flagstones is not usually altered, which makes them more difficult to install and pattern than other types of pavers.

  Brick was a popular paving material for roads in early 20th Century America, and in recent years some cities have begun restoring or reconstructing brick roadways. While brick drives are bumpier than asphalt, they never develop potholes and usually last 50 years or more before requiring serious maintenance. Brick is a perfect choice for homes featuring early American architecture. 
 
 Pavers to match most historical styles can be purchased from landscaping stores and paving companies. For homeowners who want true authenticity, a number of companies deal in brick and stone reclaimed from historic streets and buildings. Using such reclaimed materials allows a homeowner to preserve and recycle historic building materials, and, if the source of the material is known, provides and anecdote that adds to the home’s allure.

  Using period pavers for drives and walks can help to reinforce the architectural and design themes of any home. If the homeowner is willing to do a bit of research, they can also reproduce styles from particular regions or historical eras. Even if the choice of period pavers isn’t part of a grand design concept, they can enhance the overall appearance and value of any piece of property

Historical Society receives an impressive array of the city’s annual Preservation Awards.

Individuals and groups throughout the city are also recognized for contributions to historic preservation.