Plaza Ferdinand VII

	Plaza Ferdinand VII
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	U.S. National Historic Landmark
	The plaza, with the Chipley monument in the center
Location	Pensacola, Florida, USA
Coordinates	30°24′27″N87°12′50″W / 30.40750°N 87.21389°W
Area	2 acres (0.81 ha)
NRHP reference No.	66000264
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966
Designated NHL	October 9, 1960

Last updated June 02, 2024

The Plaza Ferdinand VII is an outdoor garden and park in the Historic Pensacola Village area of downtown Pensacola, Florida. It is located on Palafox Street between Government and Zaragoza Streets. It was named after Ferdinand VII of Spain, the King of Spain between 1813 and 1833. A National Historic Landmark, it is the site of the formal transfer of Florida to United States jurisdiction in 1821.

Background

Plaza Ferdinand VII is bounded on the north by Government Street, the east by Jefferson Street, the south by Zarragossa Street, and the west by Palafox Street. About 2 acres (0.81 ha) in size, it is a grassy area, dotted with trees, and criss-crossed by paved walkways. It has three principal features: a fountain near the northern end, an obelisk at the center, and a memorial to Andrew Jackson near the southern end. The central obelisk is a memorial to railroad baron and mayor of Pensacola William Dudley Chipley.

The plaza forms part of a street plan laid out in 1765, when Pensacola was the capital of the British colony of West Florida. Originally the central park of that plan was somewhat larger, but significant portions were subdivided and sold off in 1802, when West Florida was again a Spanish colony.^[4]

Historical significance

Under the Adams–Onís Treaty, negotiated in 1819, Spain agreed to cede Florida to the United States. Spain did not formally ratify the treaty until 1821. In March of that year, Andrew Jackson was appointed its first territorial governor, and was given the task of overseeing the transfer of the territories of East and West Florida from Spanish authorities. A formal ceremony was held in St. Augustine on July 10, in which the chief United States representative was Jackson's deputy, Robert Butler. Jackson attended the ceremony held on this plaza on July 21, in which the Spanish flag was lowered and the American flag raised. He then made a speech to the townspeople, informing them that the land was now the Florida Territory, and that Pensacola would be its capital.^[4] The bust of Jackson now stands at the spot where he was formally inaugurated as territorial governor. The bust was donated in 1935 by the Pensacola Historic Preservation Society.

The plaza was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960.^[3]^[5] As such, it was automatically included in the National Register of Historic Places when that program began in 1966.

In 1989, the plaza was listed in A Guide to Florida's Historic Architecture, published by the University of Florida Press.^[6]

Archaeologists, in 2002, discovered evidence of British structures previously not known to have existed in that area.^{[ citation needed ]}

New Year's celebration

Plaza Ferdinand was the site of the Pelican Drop.^[7]

Notable buildings near the plaza

Saenger Theatre
Quayside Art Gallery, 17 E. Zarragossa, located in an 1873 firehouse^[8]
Federalist House, 11 E. Zaragoza Street.

Gallery

A bust of Andrew Jackson at the Plaza Ferdinand VII, where Jackson was sworn in as governor.
A view of the park's corners
Another view with the Pensacola Museum of History in the background

Related Research Articles

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The Clara Barkley Dorr House is an historic home in Pensacola, Florida. Built in 1871, it is located at 311 South Adams Street. On July 24, 1974, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places for its classical revival architecture.

The St. Michael's Creole Benevolent Association Hall is a historic site in Pensacola, Florida. It is located at 416 East Government Street. On May 3, 1974, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

The Thiesen Building, built in 1901, is a historic site in Pensacola, Florida. It is located at 40 South Palafox Street. On December 13, 1979, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

The U.S. Customs House and Post Office, also known as the Escambia County Courthouse, is a historic site in Pensacola, Florida. Built in 1887, it is located at 223 Palafox Place. On July 22, 1997, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

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The Winston E. Arnow Federal Building is a national historic site located at 100 N. Palafox St., Pensacola, Florida in Escambia County. Originally built as a courthouse and post office, the building was constructed in 1938 and 1939 and is an example of the Simplified Classical style frequently used for federal buildings in late 1930s and early 1940s. In 2004 it was named for district judge Winston E. Arnow.

The Palafox Historic District comprises 129 properties in Pensacola, Florida. The district includes 100 contributing buildings, 28 non-contributing buildings, and 1 non-contributing site. The National Register district, listed under the category Commerce/Trade, runs along Palafox Street and is bounded roughly on the north by Chase Street, on the south by Main Street, and extends to Spring Street on the west. The Palafox Historic District joins 38 other National Register of Historic Places listings in Escambia County, Florida.

References

↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
↑ "National Register of Historical Places - Florida (FL), Escambia County". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. September 22, 2007.
1 2 "Plaza Ferdinand VII". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on May 2, 2009. Retrieved September 10, 2009.
1 2 "NHL nomination for Plaza Ferdinand VII". National Park Service. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
↑ Blanche Higgins Schroer (1977). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Plaza Ferdinand VII" (pdf). National Park Service.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link) and Accompanying five photos, from 1968 and 1975 (32 KB)
↑ A Guide to Florida's Historic Architecture. Gainesville: University of Florida Press. 1989. p. 7. ISBN 0-8130-0941-3.
↑ Scheurich, Hal (December 31, 2010). "Pensy Pelican readies for New Year drop". Fox10 TV. WALA-TV. Archived from the original on April 5, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
↑ "Home | Quayside Art Gallery | Pensacola, Florida". Home | Quayside Art Gallery | Pensacola, Florida. Retrieved May 9, 2018.

External links

Media related to Plaza Ferdinand VII at Wikimedia Commons
Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. FL-207, " Plaza Ferdinand VII, Palafox, Government, Jefferson, & Zaragoza Streets, Pensacola, Escambia County, FL ", 5 photos, 4 data pages, supplemental material

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[nris-1] "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.

[nrhp-2] "National Register of Historical Places - Florida (FL), Escambia County". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. September 22, 2007.

[nhlsum-3] 1 2 "Plaza Ferdinand VII". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on May 2, 2009. Retrieved September 10, 2009.

[nhlnom-4] 1 2 "NHL nomination for Plaza Ferdinand VII". National Park Service. Retrieved January 19, 2018.

[nrhpinv2-5] Blanche Higgins Schroer (1977). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Plaza Ferdinand VII" (pdf). National Park Service.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link) and Accompanying five photos, from 1968 and 1975 (32 KB)

[FHA_1989-6] A Guide to Florida's Historic Architecture. Gainesville: University of Florida Press. 1989. p. 7. ISBN 0-8130-0941-3.

[fox10-7] Scheurich, Hal (December 31, 2010). "Pensy Pelican readies for New Year drop". Fox10 TV. WALA-TV. Archived from the original on April 5, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2011.

[8] "Home | Quayside Art Gallery | Pensacola, Florida". Home | Quayside Art Gallery | Pensacola, Florida. Retrieved May 9, 2018.

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