As part of our 4 Your Neighborhood visit to Fernandina Beach, we’re highlighting some of the famous folks who call the area home.
Henrietta Dozier
Fernandina Beach was home to the first female architect in both Jacksonville and the state of Georgia: Henrietta Dozier, who was born there in 1872.
Dozier moved to Atlanta as a child and became interested in architecture.
She went on to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as one of three women in a class of 176 to graduate with an architecture degree.
Throughout her career, Dozier primarily designed churches, schools, apartments, houses and government buildings.
Some of her earliest jobs took place in Jacksonville after the Great Fire of 1901.
To overcome discrimination, Dozier often disguised her gender when accepting contracts by using fake names, like “Harry Dozier.”
Many of her works still are still standing today, including St. Philip’s Episcopal Church on North Pearl Street.
Solicito “Mike” Salvador
A leader and innovator in the Florida shrimping industry, Solicito “Mike” Salvador founded the Salvador Fish Company in 1906.
Born in Sicily in 1869, Salvador helped shape the shrimping industry by experimenting with preservatives and increasing catch sizes by using haul seines, a type of fishing net that is essentially a large wall of netting used to encircle and capture fish.
In the 1920s Salvador, who went by “Mike” because his Italian name was too hard for some locals to pronounce, leased waterfront land from the railroad for his dock and packing house. His retail seafood market was on Centre Street.
A “Great Floridian” plaque marks Salvador’s family home at 20 South 4th St. in Fernandina Beach.
Ken Williams
Fernandina Beach native Ken Williams helped shape the sound of R&B — one hit at a time.
Williams, the man behind “Everybody Plays the Fool,” made his start in Peck High School’s band and talent shows in Jacksonville.
This all came before launching a legendary songwriting career.
He wrote for the Four Tops, Donny Hathaway, Peaches & Herb — and even got sampled by Grammy Award-winning artist Alicia Keys.
In 2004, Williams was given the key to the city. He died three years ago.
He will be remembered as a hometown talent who put the city of Fernandina on the musical map.
