Perched high above the Amelia River, you’ll find the historic parade field once known as Plaza San Carlos, now recognized as Fernandina Plaza Historic State Park, or simply the Plaza. Although the original Spanish Fort San Carlos has given way to a residential neighborhood of charming Victorian houses, the spirit of the Plaza endures.

Located at a strategic spot, this area once served as a campsite for ancient inhabitants, possibly dating back as early as 2000-1000 BC. It later became the farthest northern military outpost of Spanish Florida in 1675 and housed a Franciscan village of indigenous people along with a Spanish lookout post to monitor the British presence across the river in Georgia. During the period from 1736 to 1742, the British stationed troops under James Oglethorpe in this area. Following subsequent political changes, the Plaza played a crucial role as a buffer zone between British Georgia and Spanish Florida until Florida returned to Spanish rule, leading British loyalists to depart from Fernandina Plaza.

The Plaza continued to witness changes and conflicts over the years. Following the Embargo Act of 1807, Fernandina became a hub for smuggling activities. Privateers and pirates contested control of the Plaza in a series of skirmishes. On March 17, 1812, a group of American Patriots seized the Spanish battery, only for their flag to be replaced by the official U.S. government flag just a day later. Spanish control was restored in May 1813, leading to the construction of Fort San Carlos in 1816, which, unfortunately, has now faded away over time, leaving its exact location shrouded in mystery.

After enduring numerous transformations and centuries of activity, the Plaza now stands in serene silence atop the tranquil bluff by the Amelia River, a timeless sanctuary preserved for the enjoyment of Florida and its visitors.