Community efforts safeguard history, culture, and nature
From the historic Oesterreicher-McCormick Cabin to the vibrant neighborhoods of Jacksonville, the story of Northeast Florida is one of resilience, community, and preservation. Through the dedicated efforts of local organizations, volunteers, and philanthropists, the region’s history, culture, and environment are being protected and celebrated for generations to come. Whether it’s relocating a 19th-century cabin, advocating for historic neighborhoods, or conserving natural landscapes, these collective efforts reflect a deep commitment to maintaining the unique identity and heritage of the area.
In 2015, work was about to begin on Twenty Mile – one of the newest neighborhoods in the burgeoning Nocatee master-planned community. But situated on the Twenty Mile land along the western banks of the Intracoastal Waterway was a small, white cabin.

Built in 1873, the Oesterreicher-McCormick Cabin was considered to be one of the area’s oldest examples of Florida Cracker architecture. And if Twenty Mile were to be completed, it would have to go.
Thanks to the McCormick Family, however, the historic cabin escaped demolition. Instead, the family donated it to the Beaches Museum, which spearheaded a capital campaign to raise $150,000 to relocate the cabin to the museum’s Jacksonville Beach campus and refurbish it.

“The cabin’s move and restoration were funded entirely with private dollars,” said Beaches Museum Executive Director Christine Hoffman, noting that donations ranged from $20 contributions to large donations that enabled the museum to start an endowment fund. “The community’s outpouring to save this building shows the importance of historic preservation to our donors.”
Today, visitors to the museum can tour the Oesterreicher-McCormick cabin and envision what life was like in 19th-century Florida.

“The building continues to be a part of our history,” Hoffman said, “with thousands of visitors getting a glimpse into pioneer life in Northeast Florida.”
Funding preservation
Philanthropy and volunteerism play an important role in preserving the history, heritage and environment of Northeast Florida. And nowhere is that more evident than in Jacksonville. The largest city geographically in the contiguous United States is comprised of a plethora of neighborhoods and communities, each with its own distinct history and identity.
Working to preserve these unique areas is the mission of several grassroots community organizations, particularly in the historic areas of Jacksonville. Riverside Avondale Preservation (RAP) has spent the last half-century preserving the identity and character of Jacksonville’s Riverside Avondale area, from its architecture to its walkability. RAP Executive Director Shannon Blankinship said the community’s historic fabric cannot be taken for granted.

“The reason that we retain that historic fabric over decades is because of the ongoing advocacy work and membership with [RAP],” she said.
RAP’s memberships, volunteer hours and monetary gifts allow it to continue its preservation efforts for the community. RAP’s membership also offers resources beyond its dues, however. Blankinship said the organization’s membership is where she looks for expertise on various topics, from infrastructure to transportation and members can provide invaluable, expert insight on issues important to the organization and, by extension, the community.
“I go to our membership, and I look to our membership for the people who understand these issues,” she said.
On the other side of downtown sits the neighborhood of Springfield, Jacksonville’s oldest neighborhood, and home to the Springfield Preservation and Revitalization (SPAR). This neighborhood, established in 1869, was the city’s first neighborhood outside of the downtown area. Today, there are roughly 1,800 “architecturally significant” contributing structures to the historic area and SPAR Executive Director Michael Haskins said preserving those structures and the historic district as a whole is one of the organization’s three pillars.
“We think the architecture of this neighborhood is one of the things that makes it really unique,” he said.
Like RAP, SPAR celebrated its 50th anniversary last year and Haskins credits local volunteers and donations to the organization’s success and exponential growth over the decades.
“Up until 10 years ago, SPAR was entirely volunteer-run,” he said. “It was an incredible effort and the people who did that work were tireless advocates for the neighborhood.”

Even today, SPAR has just two full-time staff members on its payroll, and its volunteers and donations continue to play a crucial role in the organization’s three pillars: preservation, revitalization and arts and cultural programming.
At the heart of SPAR are several committees that address various neighborhood issues – from events like the Jacksonville PorchFest or the Historic Springfield Tour of Homes and Gardens to more technical issues like design review, infrastructure or fund development. Community input is key to any decision, Haskins said, and these committees allow the community to get involved in a variety of different issues and causes. In a way, SPAR serves as an “information highway” to connect the community with the entities that have direct impacts on the residents and businesses that call Springfield home and Springfield boasts a very engaged, very informed community.
“We get information out to them and then they can give feedback that will create meaningful change,” he said.
These neighborhood organizations lay the groundwork that can ultimately lead to a vibrant community for residents and visitors to enjoy. David Paulk, president of the San Marco Preservation Society (SMPS), credits much of San Marco’s current success to the organization’s work in its near 50 years, from its walkability to its public art and spaces.

“One of the core things about San Marco that makes it the way it is and will continue to preserve the wonderful environment is organizations like San Marco Preservation Society, which are fully focused on just the quality of life, the public spaces and just the cultural fabric of the neighborhood.”

In addition to its neighborhood advocacy, SMPS hosts several community events throughout the year. Wine Down in the Parks is one of its primary fundraising events every year and Paulk said the volunteers, sponsors and local business support for that event is invaluable. That, in turn, has an immediate effect on the other work the organization is able to do for the community.

“It’s a labor of love from everyone, but it allows us to then focus on some of the more core issues of development in the neighborhood and protecting the historic properties that we do on the side,” Paulk said. “It’s all funded by these events and the volunteer efforts of our members.”
Culture
Cultural institutions, from theaters to historical societies, also rely heavily on local volunteers to continue their missions, whether it’s advocating for the arts or cataloging the community’s past.
At one time, Florida Theatre President Numa Saisselin noted, there were 13 theaters situated along Downtown Jacksonville’s Northbank. Today, only the Florida Theatre survives. While the nearly 100-year-old building is owned by the city, it is maintained and run by the Florida Theatre nonprofit, which is also entrusted with bringing traveling performers to the Bold City. Volunteers, from the board of directors to the ushers who direct guests to their seats, have an immediate impact on the continued success of this historic theatre.

“[Ushers] probably save us tens of thousands of dollars a year, if we had to pay them, and that’s tens of thousands of dollars a year that we’re able to put into programming or put into the building,” said Saisselin.
That substantial saved expense is much appreciated by an organization that has to pay upfront for the performers that come to the theatre.
“The good news is our batting average is good and 75 to 80% of the time we make money on the show, but that also means 20 to 25% of the time we lose money on the show – and that’s a very good year,” Saisselin said.

Additionally, there are instances where the nonprofit will bring a performer to the theatre knowing it won’t sell enough tickets to turn a profit, but it considers the show important enough for the citizenry to see to take that loss.
The volunteer efforts of the theatre’s ushers and board of directors, and the monies collected through fundraising efforts, allow the theatre to continue in its mission.
“We fundraise about 15% of our budget every year,” Saisselin said. “And 15% doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’s 100% of our ability to be the special Florida Theatre that people think of.”

Historical societies, meanwhile, serve as both the stewards of a community’s history and the bridge between the past, present and future. Jacksonville History Center CEO Dr. Alan Bliss said the collaboration with other neighborhood organizations provides an opportunity to strengthen the ties residents have with the place they call home.
“As [neighborhoods] become more settled in their own identities and as people in those neighborhoods become more invested in those neighborhoods, that connection on the neighborhood level strengthens the overall city across its entire geography,” Bliss said.

A historical society’s work is also not relegated to the distant past or the large-scale history of an area. Rather, it works to preserve various facets of a community’s identity and relies on volunteers to collect those stories. What began as a collection of roughly 70 oral histories from local St. Augustine surfers led to the St. Augustine Surf Culture and History Museum.
“Everything in that museum, the community donated or paid for,” said St. Augustine Historical Society Executive Director Magen Wilson. “It’s become a real community space.”
In addition to the surf culture and history museum, the historical society maintains four colonial structures – two of which are national historic landmarks – and oversees a research library with one of the largest collections of South Colonial Spanish documents in the country.
While these historical societies are dedicated to their communities, they also rely heavily on local support, whether it’s through fundraising efforts, attending special programming, volunteer hours or donations of all kinds to continue their mission of preservation and education.
Environment

“You can’t get anymore local than land,” North Florida Land Trust President and CEO Dr. Allison DeFoor stated.
For 25 years, the North Florida Land Trust has worked to conserve and protect North Florida’s natural landscape and ecosystems, serving seven counties: Duval, Clay, St. Johns, Putnam, Baker, Flagler and Nassau. To that end, more than 41,000 acres of land – including pine forests, cypress swamps, beaches and coastal salt marshes – have been conserved by this local organization.

While its focus is on the environment, NFLT relies on people to donate their time, money or land to further its mission of conservation. DeFoor said the organization has spent the last quarter century gaining the trust of the donor community in the area, which has played a crucial role in NFLT’s success. Additionally, the NFLT offers various tiers of annual membership that give the community the opportunity to support the organization while receiving special access to certain membership perks, including members-only events throughout the year.


“Any size donation is extremely helpful,” said NFLT Director of Philanthropic Services Lee Anderson Louy. “There’s a lot of fees and processes we go through before we even get to purchase property …and then you have the costs of the actual property, which is usually pretty significant.”
In Ponte Vedra, the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTM Research Reserve) is one of 30 such reserves across the country that provides a sanctuary for a wide range of the region’s native flora and fauna. There are several ways for the community to get involved and support the reserve’s efforts, from its annual membership to donations to on-the-ground volunteering or even participating in its Adopt-a-Nest or the GTM Research Reserve Sea Turtle Patrol Program. The Adopt-a-Nest program continues 25 years of research on leatherback, loggerhead and Atlantic green sea turtles, while the patrol “educate many people each year through direct contact on the beach and through lecture presentations.”