Plaza Ferdinand VII

Plaza Ferdinand VII is a National Historic landmark for being the site of the formal transfer of Florida from the rule of Spain to the United States. The true transfer site occurred just east of Plaza Ferdinand, closer to the Commanding Officer’s Compound that is located in present day Museum Plaza. On the morning of July 17, 1821, Andrew Jackson, newly commissioned governor of the Territory, met the Spanish governor, and after the transfer ceremony was completed, Jackson officially proclaimed the establishment of the Florida Territory. The present square is a remnant of the original city square laid out by the British in 1765, a large part of which was subdivided and sold as building lots in 1802.

Click here for more information.

African American Heritage Trail Site: In 1908 and 1909, two African-American men, Leander Shaw and David Alexander, were lynched in Plaza Ferdinand. Both men were forcedly removed from jail and hung from a light pole before going on trial.

Click here for more information.

On July 5, 1880, a fire burned much of the 300 block of South Palafox Street. As seen in this 1870 photo, many of the early buildings used wood-frame construction. The buildings you see today date to 1880-1889 and were constructed using brick in an attempt to prevent fires. One of the first buildings built after the fire was 313-315 S Palafox Street, in the Masonry Vernacular style featuring cast iron Corinthian columns and arched openings. The original businesses on this block included a barbershop, billiards hall, dry goods store, and a bank.