Secretary Detzner Announces National Register Designation of Jacksonville Beach American Red Cross Station

Tallahassee –

Secretary of State Ken Detzner announced today that the American Red Cross Volunteer Life Saving Corps Station on Jacksonville Beach in Duval County was recently listed in the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places.

"I am pleased to announce the listing of this beautiful station in the National Register of Historic Places," said Secretary of State Ken Detzner. "This American Red Cross Volunteer Lifesaving Corps building has served as an important beach landmark on this site since 1947."

The American Red Cross Volunteer Lifesaving Corps Station on Jacksonville Beach in 1948 and 2013.

This two-story example of Art Moderne architecture prominently sits at the end of Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville Beach, and has served the American Red Cross program in promoting beach safety for the area since 1947. Designed by prominent local architect Jefferson Davis Powell, the building features a five-story watch tower, known as ‘the Peg’, which has served as a vital point for communication and observance along Jacksonville Beach. This facility provided headquarters for training the Corps in drowning prevention and first aid, but also served as the de facto clinic for the community. This insured that tourists and support staff alike at Jacksonville Beach could receive the medical support needed without a major hospital nearby. As more municipalities assumed control of lifeguard duties for their local beaches, this station, run by the American Red Cross is the last of its kind in the country.

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About The National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is a list maintained by the National Park Service which includes historical or archaeological properties (buildings, structures, sites, objects, and districts) that are considered worthy of preservation because of their local, statewide and/or national significance.  Nominations for properties in Florida are submitted to the National Park Service through the Division of Historical Resources, Florida Department of State.  Florida has over 1,600 listings in the National Register, including 275 historical districts and 170 archaeological sites. To learn more visit flheritage.com/preservation/nr.

About the Bureau of Historic Preservation

The Bureau of Historic Preservation conducts historic preservation and folklife programs aimed at identifying, evaluating, preserving and interpreting the historic and cultural resources of the state. The Bureau manages a grants-in-aid program to help preserve and maintain Florida’s historic buildings and archaeological sites, and coordinates the State Historic Markers program and the Florida Main Street Program.  Under federal and state laws, the Bureau oversees the National Register of Historic Places program for Florida, maintains an inventory of the state's historical resources in the Florida Master Site File, assists applicants in federal tax benefit and local government ad valorem tax relief programs for historic buildings, and reviews the impact that development projects may have on significant historic resources. The Florida Folklife program identifies and promotes the state's traditional cultures, and coordinates folklife apprenticeship and award programs. For more information visit flheritage.com/preservation.