Land trust sets up signs commemorating historic African American beach in Nassau County

One of the most important beaches in Florida now has interpretive signs to remind beachgoers of its historical significance for being one of the first beaches accessible to African Americans.

The North Florida Land Trust (NFLT) has posted interpretive signs in American Beach in Nassau County. The signs were installed this month on Burney Road at Little NaNa Dune.

The dune was acquired by the NFLT, which is a conservation organization that purchases land through nonprofit contributions in order to prevent building development on the properties. The NFLT in 2021 purchased about 1.55 acres of land in the dune area, which is one of the tallest coastal dune systems in Florida.

There were three interpretive signs installed in the Little NaNa Dune system, which is on Amelia Island just north of Duval County. The signs spell out the historic significance of American Beach, which was a coastal beach access area for African Americans.

“One (sign) tells the story of American Beach, founded in 1935 to give African Americans access to a beach during segregation,” an NFLT news release said. “A second panel explains the importance of saving this dune system and how it is essential for wildlife survival. The third panel features NFLT and its role in preserving Little NaNa Dune and the donors who helped make it possible.”

The 1.55 acres of dune purchased by the NFLT is adjacent to another 8.5-acre NaNa Dune system. That larger parcel is now part of the National Park Service’s Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, which was established in 2004.

In the past two decades, the area has been the focus of many history enthusiasts for its essential past that was nearly forgotten before several organizations began historical acknowledgement efforts. The original American Beach area was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. In 2014, the A.L. Lewis American Beach Museum was opened on Julia Street in American Beach.