Stone Cutters Creek Park name becomes official for St. Augustine Fish Island site

The St. Augustine City Commission has officially designated Stone Cutters Creek Park as the name for city-owned land at 865 Fish Island Drive, following a public survey and committee review that affirmed the historical significance of the site. The decision, accepted on Monday, October 12, concluded a two-week public input process initiated at the request of Vice Mayor Barbara Blonder.

The name honors a tidal creek whose headwaters were located south of today's Pope Road and flowed north into the Matanzas River. Historical maps from 1777 to the early 1800s document the waterway, which ran directly adjacent to the current park property and served as the landing point where coquina stone quarried from the King's Quarry—now within Anastasia State Park—was loaded onto vessels bound for the Castillo de San Marcos construction site.

What's happening

Following the process outlined in Resolution 2016-15 for officially naming public parks and city facilities, the Communications Department launched a public input survey to determine the appropriate name for the Fish Island Drive property. The survey ran for approximately two weeks and drew 68 total responses: 65 submitted online, three via email, and none through US Mail.

A committee representing three city departments reviewed the survey results and recommended keeping the working name Stone Cutters Creek Park. The committee included Jessica Beach, Public Works Deputy Director and Chief Resilience Officer; Amy Skinner, Planning & Building Director; Melissa Wissel, Communications Director; and JB Miller, Land Management Coordinator.

The Fish Island Community Alliance has unofficially used the name Stone Cutters Creek Park since January 2024 to reference the land and distinguish it from Fish Island Preserve, which is located southwest across SR 312.

Historical records show that the creek's east bank served as the landing site for coquina quarried from the King's Quarry, the source of building material for the Castillo de San Marcos, the Spanish colonial fort that stands as one of St. Augustine's most significant historic landmarks. By the 1850s, the waterway had been renamed Quarry Creek, reflecting its industrial use during the colonial period.

How the naming connects to St. Augustine's colonial heritage

The Stone Cutters Creek name directly ties the new park to St. Augustine's Spanish colonial construction economy. The King's Quarry on Anastasia Island produced coquina, the sedimentary limestone composed of broken shells and coral that proved uniquely suited to fortification construction in coastal Florida. Unlike harder stone that would shatter under cannon fire, coquina's porous structure absorbed impacts, making it the material of choice for the Castillo de San Marcos, which was constructed between 1672 and 1695.

The creek landing system represented a critical link in the supply chain: quarried blocks were transported overland to the creek's east bank, loaded onto barges or small vessels, and ferried across the waterways to the construction site in the heart of St. Augustine. The landing's location adjacent to the current park property places the new public land squarely within the logistical infrastructure that supported one of North America's oldest and most enduring masonry fortifications.

Maps from the late 18th and early 19th centuries—including the Purcell 1777 map and the Wilson 1819 map referenced in the city's announcement—document the creek's course and its role in the area's geography before later development altered the landscape. The waterway's headwaters began south of what is now Pope Road, and it flowed north to empty into the Matanzas River, which forms the eastern boundary of Anastasia Island and connects to the Intracoastal Waterway.

By formalizing the Stone Cutters Creek name, the city embeds a layer of colonial-era industrial history into the public consciousness of a neighborhood that has seen significant development pressure in recent years. The name differentiates this property from the nearby Fish Island Preserve while anchoring its identity in the same historical narrative that draws millions of tourists to the Castillo de San Marcos annually.

What the naming process means for Fish Island residents

The formal naming of Stone Cutters Creek Park gives the Fish Island community a clearer geographic and civic reference point for a property that has been in public ownership but lacked an official designation. For residents along Fish Island Drive and the surrounding area, the name provides a way to direct visitors, coordinate community events, and advocate for park amenities and programming as the city develops the site.

The Fish Island Community Alliance's use of the Stone Cutters Creek Park name since January 2024 indicates that local stakeholders were already treating the property as a distinct public asset separate from the Fish Island Preserve across SR 312. The official naming ratifies that distinction and may streamline future planning discussions, grant applications, and capital improvement requests tied to the site.

The public survey process—though modest in response volume with 68 total participants—followed the transparency framework established in Resolution 2016-15, which requires city departments to gather community input before naming parks and facilities. The multi-department committee structure ensured that planning, public works, land management, and communications perspectives were all represented in the recommendation that went to the City Commission.

For a neighborhood that sits at the junction of historic St. Augustine and the growing suburban edge of St. Johns County, the park name offers a tangible reminder of the area's layered past. Fish Island Drive itself is part of a corridor that has seen increased residential interest as buyers seek access to Anastasia Island's beaches and the St. Augustine school district, while contending with the flood risks and environmental constraints that shape development along the Intracoastal and tidal creeks.

How parks and public land shape growth in St. Augustine

Public parks in St. Augustine and the broader St. Johns County area serve multiple functions as the region absorbs new residents: they provide recreational amenities that support quality of life and home values, preserve environmentally sensitive lands that might otherwise face development pressure, and—in cases like Stone Cutters Creek Park—anchor community identity in rapidly changing neighborhoods.

St. Johns County is among Florida's fastest-growing counties, driven in large part by top-rated schools and a combination of coastal access and proximity to Jacksonville employment centers. The city of St. Augustine, while constrained by its historic core and surrounding wetlands, has seen steady infill and redevelopment pressure, particularly along corridors like Anastasia Boulevard (SR A1A) and on previously underdeveloped parcels near the Intracoastal Waterway.

Designating city-owned land as a named public park can effectively take that parcel out of the speculative development cycle and signal to surrounding property owners and prospective buyers that the area will retain open space and public access. The Stone Cutters Creek Park property at 865 Fish Island Drive is adjacent to tidal waters and wetlands that would likely face permitting challenges under state and federal regulations if proposed for intensive development, but formal park designation adds a layer of public commitment and community engagement that informal preservation does not.

The distinction between Stone Cutters Creek Park and Fish Island Preserve is also significant for land-use planning. Preserves in Florida typically emphasize conservation and passive recreation—trails, boardwalks, wildlife observation—while parks can accommodate a broader range of uses including playgrounds, pavilions, athletic fields, and programmed events, depending on site conditions and funding. The official naming of Stone Cutters Creek Park sets the stage for public discussions about what amenities and improvements residents want to see as the city develops a management and programming plan.

What happens next

With the City Commission's acceptance of the Stone Cutters Creek Park name on October 12, the designation is now official and will appear in city records, signage, maps, and communications. The specific timeline for physical improvements to the site—such as trails, parking, signage, or waterfront access—was not detailed in the city's announcement, but the formal naming typically precedes or accompanies capital planning and design work.

Residents interested in the park's future development can monitor St. Augustine City Commission agendas and Public Works Department project updates for any capital improvement proposals, grant applications, or public workshops related to the site. The Public Works Department, led by Deputy Director Jessica Beach, who also serves as Chief Resilience Officer, will likely coordinate site improvements in the context of broader resilience and floodplain management priorities, given the property's proximity to tidal waters.

The Fish Island Community Alliance, which has been using the Stone Cutters Creek Park name since January 2024, is positioned to serve as a community voice in future planning discussions. Residents who want to weigh in on park programming, amenities, or access improvements can engage through the alliance or by contacting the city's Planning and Building Department and Public Works Department directly.

The official naming of Stone Cutters Creek Park adds another chapter to St. Augustine's ongoing work to balance growth, historic preservation, and environmental stewardship in one of the nation's oldest continuously occupied settlements. As Fish Island and the surrounding Anastasia Island neighborhoods continue to attract new residents and visitors, the park's name will serve as a daily reminder of the quarrymen and mariners who moved stone across these same creeks more than three centuries ago.

For media inquiries, residents can contact Melissa Wissel, Communications Director, at 904-293-3307.