Peg Leg Pete's Future Remains Undecided

Peg Leg Pete at the Amelia Island Museum

Just how long Peg Leg Pete stands watch at the Amelia Island Museum remains to be seen.

More than four decades after becoming one of Fernandina Beach’s most recognizable waterfront landmarks, Peg Leg Pete is stationed safely at the museum as city officials debate whether to restore the aging wooden pirate or replace him with a newer carving.

The statue was quietly moved from the Visitors' Center on October 7 after city engineers warned of severe deterioration. As Downtown District Manager Lisa Finkelstein explained, a September evaluation determined “that either a fence needed to be erected, or the removal of the statue needed to happen. It was just too deteriorated… to have it in that regard.”

The museum agreed to temporarily house him “on the covered porch on the south side.”

Last Tuesday’s city commission workshop marked the most detailed public discussion to date about Pete’s future, presenting the statue’s full history, cost estimates for restoration, and the option to install the new pirate statue carved in 2023.

Restoring Peg Leg Pete is possible, but costly and uncertain. Finkelstein said updated quotes show a likely range “somewhere in the $23,000 to $35,000 range.” She emphasized that “there is no guarantee that they will indeed be able to restore it” and “none of them would warranty that work” because the statue is badly rotted.

Commissioners acknowledged the emotional connection residents have with the original carving but questioned putting large sums of unbudgeted dollars into a statue with no long-term guarantee.

Mayor James Antun suggested that “some kind of fundraiser similar to what we did for conservation land… would be a productive way to accommodate this.”

In 2023, local woodcarver Jet Paxson completed a new pirate statue for the Fernandina Pirates Club. Finkelstein said the club’s proposal is to “install the new statue now” while Pete undergoes either preservation or full restoration at the museum.

The club also offered to maintain the new statue permanently. Finkelstein told commissioners the club “would agree to maintain the statue… via written agreement and a bylaw change.”

Commissioner Genece Minshew supported that direction, saying, “I think that getting the Pirate Club and the community more involved and engaged in the restoration and or replacement is a really great idea.”

Commissioner Joyce Tuten added that placing Peg Leg Pete at the museum “is probably a good idea even with restoration,” because “he’s at risk of rotting in the not-too-distant future.”

Fernandina Pirates Club President Joe Brown urged the city to act.

Pirates Club President Joe Brown

“It would be probably at least a year before he goes back up,” he said of Peg Leg Pete. “But we have another pirate already made, we’re willing to donate to the city. We’re willing to maintain [him].”

Brown told commissioners the club supports preserving the original if possible but wants something on display quickly. He said that after restoration, Pete could return to the waterfront “across the street from where he came originally,” while the new statue could remain at the welcome center, or vice versa.

“Fernandina is big enough for both pirates,” Brown said.

Residents who spoke emphasized what Peg Leg Pete represents.

Marianne Phillips walked through the original 1978 fundraising effort, the community naming contest (“His name was going to be Peg Leg Pete”), and the statue’s decades as a downtown fixture.

“I don't want Peg Leg Pete destroyed. I think out of respect for Mr. Landon, Mr. Irving, and Mr. Brown, that Peg Leg needs to be restored.”

Phillips also recounted how a former Pirate Club member’s ashes were discovered inside the statue during a 2019 repair.

No decision was made Tuesday. Commissioners leaned toward accepting the Pirates Club’s donated statue as an interim display while exploring whether Peg Leg Pete can be restored, preserved, or permanently exhibited at the museum.

Vice Mayor Darron Ayscue summarized his position candidly - restoring Pete and returning him to his former location “doesn’t seem like it’s that much… easy, peasy to me,” though he stressed he wanted to hear all viewpoints.

With restoration estimates in hand and the new statue ready for installation, the next step will be determining Pete’s long-term home and whether community fundraising will help bridge the cost.

Until then, Peg Leg Pete will keep watch at the Amelia Island Museum of History until those decisions are made.