ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — The St. Johns County Jail represents a key piece of the nation’s civil rights history, making it a landmark to many. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 16 rabbis, and even the cousin of Eleanor Roosevelt were all once held at the jail for fighting against segregation in St. Augustine.
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“President Lyndon Johnson was told, ‘If you wanna keep an eye on the leaders on the Civil Rights Movement, just look at the St. Johns County Jail, ‘cus that’s where they all are,’” St. Augustine civil rights historian David Nolan told Action News Jax. “So, it became an incredibly important civil rights landmark.”
Now, the St. Johns County Cultural Resource Review Board is reviewing the possibility of demolishing the historic jail annex. David Nolan, a historian with the St. Augustine civil rights group ACCORD Freedom Trail said, he feels the move is at the very least questionable.
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Nolan especially questioned the timing of it, with the topic coming up just over a week into Black History Month and with the Florida Museum of Black History anticipated to take shape in West Augustine as well in the coming years.
“Having gotten [the museum,] to then propose to tear down one of your most important black history landmarks is just unthinkable to me,” said Nolan. Nolan added that he hopes the county decides to scrap the plans, instead finding some new use for the old jail annex building.
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“Any decent architect could redesign that, send that back to the drawing boards, and come out with something that would not only save that building but highlight it,” Nolan argued.
St. Johns County Administrator Joy Andrews released the following statement on Monday night:
“St. Johns County understands the significant cultural resource of the detention center annex as it relates to the local and national civil rights movement. I commend our staff for recognizing the importance of this upon receiving the application. They are following our Cultural Resources Review Process and Land Development Code. We will carefully weigh preservation options alongside the SJSO’s operational needs. We are committed to proceeding thoughtfully, guided by a forthcoming consultant’s analysis, CRRB recommendations, and continued robust community dialogue.”
The county was originally supposed to discuss the proposed demolition on Feb. 10. However, according to a news release, it was removed from the Cultural Resource Review Board agenda to “allow for more time” for the board to review it.
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