Pirate Club's Statue takes first step to stand watch in Fernandina Beach Waterfront Park

By Mike Lednovich/Editor

The Fernandina Beach Historic District Council (HDC) has approved a Certificate of Approval for placement of a carved wooden pirate statue at the city’s new waterfront park but limited the public art installation to a one-year display period.

The statue, created by local student Jett Paxton and painted by artist Julie Delfs, will be installed near the park’s children’s play area. Plans presented to the HDC for approval show the sculpture positioned between palm trees with its back toward the Amelia River to provide a scenic photo backdrop overlooking the marina.

Board member James Pozzetta incorporated that limitation into his motion.

“I move to approve case number HDC 2025-0018 … with the following stipulation, that it is a temporary installation,” Pozzetta said. “The HDC is approving the statue as appropriate and the location of its installation as appropriate. But it is not rendering any opinion on its structure or safety”

The Pirates Club's application represents a shift from an earlier proposal that would have Paxton's pirate statue replace the longtime “Peg Leg Pete” statue at the Railroad Depot. Peg Leg Pete, installed in 1986, has since been relocated to the Amelia Island Museum of History for preservation.

In a Jan. 7 letter to the HDC, representatives of the Fernandina Pirates Club wrote that with the fate of “Peg Leg Pete” still uncertain, they amended their request so the new pirate would “have a place of its own at the new waterfront park.”

Katie Newton

Downtown District Coordinator Katie Newton told the board the statue would sit on a circular concrete pad with a coquina-style finish, consistent with other monuments in the park.

“We’re going to be planning to put a pad similar to the other round pads that you see for the other art installations to give him a better home and a better sense of place,” Newton said.

The Pirates Club has requested a slightly raised, tapered pedestal to discourage climbing for photos with the statue.

Pozzetta said he had no objection to the statue or its location but raised concerns about the base.

“I do question the pedestal itself, the new pedestal,” he said.

He ultimately supported the tapered design as a deterrent.

“The tapered quality of what you’re proposing, I think, is appropriate for discouraging climbing,” Pozzetta said. “You’re not giving them anything really to put their foot on and get up on there.”

At the same time, he suggested considering landscaping around the pad to act as “a polite bouncer to the area” to discourage visitors from physically interacting with the statue.

HDC Chair Arlene Filkoff emphasized that the board’s review was limited.

“We are no longer looking at any engineering, any safety. None of that is in our purview tonight,” Filkoff said. “We’re just saying if we believe this is acceptable to be placed at the waterfront park in this general location”

The painted wood sculpture is described in the public art application as approximately seven feet tall and mounted on a 24-to-30-inch concrete pedestal, with an estimated life expectancy of 50 years. The base is designed as a tapered concrete form to discourage climbing, according to the staff report.

Because the proposal involves permanent public art on public property within the historic district, review by the Historic District Council was required under city code. Staff found the request consistent with the city’s Comprehensive Plan, Land Development Code, Downtown Design Guidelines and the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards but deferred to the board for its final decision.

The staff report also notes that following the HDC decision, ownership and maintenance agreements must be finalized before installation, and the matter then goes to the Fernandina Beach City Commission for final approval.

While the Pirates Club application categorized the project as a “permanent installation", the council’s approval limits the display at the waterfront park to one year.

The temporary approval provides flexibility for both the city and the Pirates Club.

“We’re willing to gift it to the city and make it a permanent installation if … it’s well received,” Pirates Club Vice President Joe Brown told the board. He added that the club is willing to address maintenance responsibilities in its bylaws or in coordination with the city.

According to the application materials, the city supports the proposed location and has been working on ownership and maintenance arrangements with the Pirates Club. The city’s Youth Advisory Committee is also holding a contest to name the statue and create a backstory for the character.

If ultimately installed, the pirate would become one of the first pieces of public art at the newly constructed waterfront park, which is scheduled to open this spring.