St. Augustine in St. Johns County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Fish Island Plantation
Photographed By Tim Fillmon, July 18, 2023
1. Fish Island Plantation Marker
Inscription.
Fish Island Plantation. . Fish Island is named for Jesse Fish, of British descent, who arrived in St. Augustine in 1736. Fish was a slave-owner and purchased enslaved Africans to work his groves and other properties, eventually owning at least 133 people. By the mid-1700s, the area was part of his large commercial orange plantation on Anastasia Island called El Vergel (orchard/garden). Fruit from 3,000 trees, noted for sweetness and thin skins, was shipped as far as London. On Fish Island, he built a home of native coquina stone, establishing outbuildings, canals, wells, a boat basin, and a wharf. These are now archaeological features, along with pottery and oyster shell debris left by Native Americans in prehistoric times. Fish was buried here in 1790, and likely others as well. Late 1800s visitors described mansion ruins, pathways, fields, furrows, and aged orange trees. This archaeologically and historically significant island links Florida’s orange history, plantation life, and trans-Atlantic slave trade in early St. Augustine. Supported by the Friends of Fish Island, it was purchased by the State in 2019 and is managed by the City of St. Augustine. The Fish Island Site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. , A Florida Heritage Site
Fish Island is named for Jesse Fish, of British descent, who arrived in St. Augustine in 1736. Fish was a slave-owner and purchased enslaved Africans to work his groves and other properties, eventually owning at least 133 people. By the mid-1700s, the area was part of his large commercial orange plantation on Anastasia Island called El Vergel (orchard/garden). Fruit from 3,000 trees, noted for sweetness and thin skins, was shipped as far as London. On Fish Island, he built a home of native coquina stone, establishing outbuildings, canals, wells, a boat basin, and a wharf. These are now archaeological features, along with pottery and oyster shell debris left by Native Americans in prehistoric times. Fish was buried here in 1790, and likely others as well. Late 1800s visitors described mansion ruins, pathways, fields, furrows, and aged orange trees. This archaeologically and historically significant island links Florida’s orange history, plantation life, and trans-Atlantic slave trade in early St. Augustine. Supported by the Friends of Fish Island, it was purchased by the State in 2019 and is managed by the City of St. Augustine. The Fish Island Site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
A Florida Heritage Site
Erected 2022 by The City of St. Augustine and the Florida Department
Location. 29° 51.857′ N, 81° 17.911′ W. Marker is in St. Augustine, Florida, in St. Johns County. Marker is on Plantation Island Drive South just south of Florida Route 312, on the right when traveling south. Marker is located in the parking area for Fish Island Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1429 Plantation Island Drive South, Saint Augustine FL 32080, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Also see . . . Fish Island Preserve. (Submitted on July 30, 2023, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.)
Photographed By Tim Fillmon, July 18, 2023
2. Fish Island Plantation Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on July 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 30, 2023, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 150 times since then and 70 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on July 30, 2023, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.
