A small plot of land in Arlington with local military history that goes back nearly 120 years is slated for preservation through a joint effort of the city and the North Florida Land Trust.
A public hearing was held Tuesday before City Council on Ordinance 2016-435.
The bill seeks to appropriate $162,500 from the Jacksonville Recreational & Environmental Land Acquisition Capital Projects Fund as a contribution to the land trust to purchase the site of the Spanish-American War artillery battery fort on St. Johns Bluff.
The capital projects fund was created in 1991 to provide a source for acquisition of park land, conservation land and development of recreational facilities. It is funded with revenue from sales of surplus land and rental of public facilities for private use.
The Spanish-American War lasted just eight months, from April 25, 1898, when Congress declared war on Spain, to Dec. 10, when the Treaty of Paris was signed.
When the war broke out, Jacksonville was believed to be a prime target for Spanish attack because guns, ammunition and other supplies were being smuggled from Jacksonville to Cuba to aid the island’s conflict with Spain.
Construction of the artillery emplacement wasn’t finished until after the war ended and its two 8-inch guns, capable of hurling 300-pound shells 4 miles to Sisters Creek, were never fired, even in practice.
The treaty gave the U.S. peace, plus temporary control of Cuba and ownership of Guam, the Philippine Islands and Puerto Rico.
Jacksonville got an artillery fortification on high ground along the St. Johns River.
Over the years, the property has changed hands several times, including in 1925 for $54,000 as part of a 117-acre purchase that led 20 years later to the area being developed as St. Johns Bluff Estates.
The trust plans to purchase the 3-acre parcel from David Radcliffe, who bought it for $101,000 in a September 2013 tax deed sale.
He put the parcel — large enough for two homesites — on the market for $500,000 in hopes of finding a buyer to build on the land, after demolishing the reinforced concrete artillery battery.
The land trust got involved when discussions between Radcliffe and the National Park Service broke down about the possibility of the federal government purchasing the parcel, which is near the Fort Caroline National Monument, and preserving it as a historic site.
Radcliffe has agreed to sell the parcel for $400,000, said Jim McCarthy, executive director of the trust.
“It’s a valuable piece of property for those who care about Jacksonville’s military history,” he said.
The trust received $100,000 from the Delores Barr Weaver Fund and so far has raised $79,000 from private donors, with more fundraising to come.
McCarthy said there are donors waiting in the wings to make their commitments to put the project over the top if the city approves its financial participation.
Assuming all goes as planned, the trust will apply for federal and state grants to improve the property, including cleaning it up and installing a security fence and gate.
The park service has agreed to accept the property and manage it as part of the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, McCarthy said.
He described the proposal as “unique,” since it’s the only historic U.S. military installation still standing in North Florida.
It’s also the first time since the trust was established in 1999 that land would be purchased by the trust for its historic value.
“Up until now, we’ve only done preservation of open spaces and environmentally sensitive land,” McCarthy said.
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