The Return to Spengler Island

 

FPAN staff kayaking out to Spengler 

It had been a hot minute (technical term for 7 years) since FPAN had been to Spengler Island (a small island located in the San Sebastian River in St. Augustine, Fl).   Hurricane Mathew prompted our last visit as a post-storm monitor (You can read about our January 2017 time HERE!)  Our most recent visit was prompted by a cleanup.  A BIG cleanup and a HMS trained volunteer.

Last month (April 2024), Matanzas Riverkeepers, in collaboration with San Sebastian neighbors and Flagler College's Natural Science Club,  hosted a Spengler Island Cleanup.  Over the last several years, illegal camping and dumping had really taken a toll on the island. According to the Riverkeepers, "litter was literally everywhere. Sleeping bags, mattresses, tents, tarps, plastic bottles, even a Halloween mask were strewn about."  

Paige Priester (neighbor and volunteer) and Silas Tanner  (Riverkeepers) discuss next steps

But one cleanup volunteer had taken FPAN's HMS Florida (Heritage Monitoring Scouts) Training and new that it wasn't all trash.  Paige Priester identified some historic bottles, bricks and ceramics amongst the garbage and alerted FPAN.  We then met her and Silas Tanner (outreach director for Matanzas Riverkeepers) and paddled out to Spengler.

Firepit consisting of bricks, coquina and broken glass

The items were no longer in situ, so had lost much of their informational value.  Historic bricks and coquina blocks were moved from their original location in order to create a firepit. But pictures from a 2010 St. Johns County survey and FPAN's 2017 monitoring photos showed that these firepit bricks and coquina stones most likely were removed from the original Whitney Mansion foundation site.

Whitney Mansion foundation located in 2010 excavation (Photo by St. Johns County)

John F. Whitney (grandson of Eli Whitney) built the large house in the 1870's.  It is then believed to have burned down in the 1920's.

Historical aerial view of the Whitney Mansion prior to its burning (Photo by: St. Johns County)

Most of the island's garbage (literally boat loads!) had already been removed, so the job of sifting the historic remains from the modern trash was made much easier for FPAN staff.

Sorting out some treasure from the trash

                                 

suspected chamber pot 

More trash sorting 

Spengler island is managed by St. John's County but is located inside St. Augustine's city limits.  We called St. Augustine's City Archaeologist who advised us to document everything well and then leave the historic materials where they were found (And you should do the same!)

Interested in becoming a HMS Florida Scout?  Check out the HMS Florida Training page for more information.  FPAN is in the process of revamping The HMS Florida materials to bring you a fully-online training option  (so you'll be able to get trained from the comfort of your couch!)  We hope to launch the new "HMS Florida Course Portal" later this summer.

If you want to get involved with our beta testing of the newly renovated program, sign up HERE.

Most likely not a treasure from the Whitney Mansion, but look how cute!

TEXT and PHOTOS (except where noted) by FPAN Staff: Robbie Boggs