Our Community
St. Johns County
After one visit you’ll see why so many St. Johns County residents are proud to say they live “on the Island,” where residential options vary from oceanfront, beachside and intracoastal views to tranquil island neighborhoods. St. Johns County, in lovely Northeastern Florida, is a haven for beach, water, and warm weather enthusiasts, with much of the area located along the Atlantic Ocean and inland waterways. Its history dates back to 1821, and today the county has become one of the highest-income counties in the United States.
Source: St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce
History of St. Johns County
St. Johns County’s history begins in 1821, when Colonel Robert Butler received Spanish East Florida from Captain General Colonel Jose Coppinger. Butler represented Major General Andrew Jackson, Governor of the Provinces of the Floridas, exercising the powers of the Captain General and the Intendents of the Island of Cuba and the Governors of the said provinces, respectively, who ordained that all of that country lying east of the river Suwaney (sic) should be designated as the County of St. Johns.
St. Johns was established along with Escambia County on July 21, 1821, just eleven days after Butler received Florida for the United States, and only five days from the time St. Augustine was incorporated. The name St. Johns was created from the Spanish Mission (1590) San Juan del Puerto/St. John’s of the Harbor. The apostrophe was dropped in 1932 by the Department of the Interior because the apostrophe showed ownership.
It was a huge county, encompassing more than 39,000 square miles, 475 miles long by 165 miles wide. Further, except for Maine, St. Johns County was larger than all eleven states of the Union at that time. Much of the county was uninhabited. St. Augustine was the oldest European permanent settlement, and there were Native Americans in the county as well.
Source: Wikipedia
