Yes, They Moved Fernandina Beach - Here’s Why | Notes from Amelia Island, Florida

In this episode of the Gallivanter Podcast, we examine one of the most unusual decisions in Florida town planning.

Fernandina Beach did not simply expand over time. It relocated.

Before Centre Street became the commercial spine visitors recognize today, the original town stood farther north in what is now Old Town Fernandina.

Established during the Spanish period, the settlement faced the Amelia River, built for harbor control, trade, and defense. Its layout reflected maritime priorities, not tourism or rail commerce.

By the early nineteenth century, shifting channels, marsh constraints, and the growing importance of rail access forced a choice. Adapt the original site at great cost, or move.

Fernandina chose to move.

In this episode, we walk through the logic behind that decision, how the new grid was laid out, why Centre Street became central, and how Old Town transitioned into a quiet residential layer of history that still exists today.

Understanding this relocation explains why downtown Fernandina feels deliberate, why Old Town feels separate, and how railroads reshaped Amelia Island’s trajectory.

This is Episode Two of our four-part Amelia Island series.