Plaza Ferdinand VII
| Plaza Ferdinand VII | |
|---|---|
| Type | Historic site |
| Size | 1.6 acres |
| Facilities | benches, fountain, decorative cannons |
| Operated by | Parks & Recreation Department Historic Pensacola Village |
| Opened | 1815 |
| Location | Palafox, between Government and Zaragosa |
The Plaza Ferdinand VII is an outdoor garden and park in the historic district of Pensacola, Florida. It is located on Palafox Street between Government and Zaragosa Streets. It was named after King Ferdinand VII of Spain.
Historical significance
The cession of Florida to the United States from Spain occurred at the Plaza on July 17, 1821. General Andrew Jackson made a public speech to townspeople, informing them that the land was now the Florida Territory, and that Pensacola would be its capital. General Jackson was later sworn in as first Territorial Governor in the plaza. A bust of Jackson now stands at the spot where he was inaugurated.
The Plaza was listed for consideration on the National Register of Historic Places in 1960, achieving the status of Historic Place in 1966. Archaeologists, in 2002, discovered evidence of British structures previously not known to have existed in that area.
