Eagle Harbor, Fleming Island Plantation, Pace Island
A highly disciplined and spiritual woman, Margaret Seton Fleming had a working knowledge of trade, business and politics, as well as domestic subjects. In 1837, she moved to Hibernia Plantation with her new husband, Lewis Fleming, whose father George had received Fleming Island as a 1790 land grant from the king of Spain. In the years to come, she would twice witness the destruction of the plantation and twice bring it back from ashes.
Her dream from the time she arrived at Hibernia as a 24-year-old bride was to have a “proper chapel” on the grounds. Construction on the church in the Carpenter Gothic style was begun in 1875 and completed in 1878. Sadly, Margaret died only months before its completion and its first service was her funeral.
Today, Fleming Island is again being rebuilt with many new communities that retain the family-oriented character of the early settlements. It is one of the fastest growing areas in the county.
Perhaps the biggest lure of Fleming Island is its sheer beauty. Hundred-year-old oak and magnolia trees have been carefully preserved and the many waterways have been kept clean and clear.
The developers in the area have taken a clue from the generations who came before and have nestled their homes into the trees, along the rivers and creeks, and next to preserved wetlands. Even the names of many communities, Hibernia Plantation,Margaret’s Walk and Fleming Island Plantation, honor those who originally settled the area.