Florida, Saint Johns County, Switzerland
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St. Johns County
On July 21, 1821 Major General Andrew Jackson, Florida's first Territorial Governor, established St. Johns County, with St. Augustine as the county seat. It contained all Florida east of the Suwanee River, approximately 39,400 square miles with over 1,100 miles of coastline. Since 1821, more than 2/3 of Florida's present 67 counties have been carved from St. Johns' original boundaries, reducing it to but 600 square miles of land area.
New Switzerland Plantation
Francis Phillip Fatio, Sr. (1724 - 1811) a Swiss native, brought his family, slaves and personal possessions here shortly after Spain ceded Florida to Great Britain in 1763. After obtaining a crown grant of 10,000 acres in this area, Fatio imported materials from England and built a country estate where he lived the life of a frontier baron. The plantation buildings were destroyed during the East Florida Patriot revolt in 1812.
(Notable Places) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.
St. Johns CountyOn July 21, 1821 Major General Andrew Jackson, Florida's first Territorial Governor, established St. Johns County, with St. Augustine as the county seat. It contained all Florida east of the Suwanee River, approximately 39,400 square miles with over 1,100 miles of coastline. Since 1821, more than 2/3 of Florida's present 67 counties have been carved from St. Johns' original boundaries, reducing it to but 600 square miles of land area.
New Switzerland Plantation
Francis Phillip Fatio, Sr. (1724 - 1811) a Swiss native, brought his family, slaves and personal possessions here shortly after Spain ceded Florida to Great Britain in 1763. After obtaining a crown grant of 10,000 acres in this area, Fatio imported materials from England and built a country estate where he lived the life of a frontier baron. The plantation buildings were destroyed during the East Florida Patriot revolt in 1812.
(Notable Places) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.
