Grant's Villa
Dublin Core
Title
Grant's Villa
Alternative Title
North River Settlements
Guana River State Park
Guana River Wildlife Management Area/Guana River WMA
Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve
Contributor
Governor James Grant
Dr. David Yeats
Minorcans: Juan Andreu, Thomas Andreu, Jose Peso de Burgo, Juan Andreu II & Maria Mabrity de Burgo Andreu, Lorenzo Capella, Antonio Andreu, Juan Segui, Lazaro Ortega, Miguel Andreu, Jose Andreu, Ramon Sabate, Mariano Fontan, Antonio Caballero, Jose Hernandez Carmona
Non-Minorcans: James R. Hanham, Charles Seton, Phillip R. Yong
State of Florida
Friends of GTM
Date Modified
1768-1784
1900s
1930s-1970s
1984
1999
Type
This natural resource is part of the barrier island system on the east coast of Florida.
Is Replaced By
Grant's plantation was allowed to return to nature and replaced by first a state and then a national animal sanctuary.
Description
The area now known as Guana Tolomato Matanzas has been confirmed to have been originally settled at about 5000 BC based on archeaological evidence. Once Europeans arrived, they did give the land away as land grants, but the first recorded European habitation was Governor James Grant's indigo plantation at what is now the southern tip of the Guana Reserve.
In 1768, Governor James Grant built his plantation on land called Grant's Villa. He turned his plantation into a teaching farm for overseers who would fan out across the new colony, but Grant himself left Florida in May 1771 for health reasons, and despite the intention, he did not return to Florida. Grant remained heavily interested and invested in the future of East Florida as evidenced by the wealth of letters sent him by friends and employees during the remainder of the British Period.
The plantation ended in 1784 after Grant approved his agent to sell his slaves to South Carolina rice planters as the British were leaving East Florida. Grant's agent, Dr. David Yeats, then sold or leased the land to the Minorcan settlers who had come to St. Augustine during the British Period. There is evidence that some of these new settlers worked the land during the 2nd Spanish Period and well into the U.S. period (1821-). The most active, or long lasting landowners were primarily Minorcans with a few non-Minorcans once the Americans were established. The three most prominant names are: the Andreu families, the Yong family, and Ramon Sabate. In 1797, these settlers were listed on the Spanish census as being the "North River Settlements" even though most lived in St. Augustine and farmed the land. The Spanish were giving out their own land grants to try and keep settlers in the colony.
A noteworthy plan for the former Grant Villa's land was in the 1920s Florida Land Boom with planned developments for the Tolomato and North Rivers. It was reported that the Great Depression stopped the planned housing developments though.
Waterfowl hunting and pine harvesting became the primary use of the land from the 1930s to the early 1980s, including the construction of a dam between 1957-1962 on the Tolomato River. During WWII, near where the dam would be built in the next decade was a Coast Guard station to watch for German submarines.
In 1984, the state of Florida bought the land as a state park. In 1999, Guana was upgraded to the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, also known as the GTM Research Reserve. Guana Tolomato Matanzas is one of thirty National Estuarine Research Reserves that are intended to be locally maintianed while benefiting the nation. Science programs from the surrounding colleges and universities do coastline plant and animal research at the GTMNERR.
In 1768, Governor James Grant built his plantation on land called Grant's Villa. He turned his plantation into a teaching farm for overseers who would fan out across the new colony, but Grant himself left Florida in May 1771 for health reasons, and despite the intention, he did not return to Florida. Grant remained heavily interested and invested in the future of East Florida as evidenced by the wealth of letters sent him by friends and employees during the remainder of the British Period.
The plantation ended in 1784 after Grant approved his agent to sell his slaves to South Carolina rice planters as the British were leaving East Florida. Grant's agent, Dr. David Yeats, then sold or leased the land to the Minorcan settlers who had come to St. Augustine during the British Period. There is evidence that some of these new settlers worked the land during the 2nd Spanish Period and well into the U.S. period (1821-). The most active, or long lasting landowners were primarily Minorcans with a few non-Minorcans once the Americans were established. The three most prominant names are: the Andreu families, the Yong family, and Ramon Sabate. In 1797, these settlers were listed on the Spanish census as being the "North River Settlements" even though most lived in St. Augustine and farmed the land. The Spanish were giving out their own land grants to try and keep settlers in the colony.
A noteworthy plan for the former Grant Villa's land was in the 1920s Florida Land Boom with planned developments for the Tolomato and North Rivers. It was reported that the Great Depression stopped the planned housing developments though.
Waterfowl hunting and pine harvesting became the primary use of the land from the 1930s to the early 1980s, including the construction of a dam between 1957-1962 on the Tolomato River. During WWII, near where the dam would be built in the next decade was a Coast Guard station to watch for German submarines.
In 1984, the state of Florida bought the land as a state park. In 1999, Guana was upgraded to the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, also known as the GTM Research Reserve. Guana Tolomato Matanzas is one of thirty National Estuarine Research Reserves that are intended to be locally maintianed while benefiting the nation. Science programs from the surrounding colleges and universities do coastline plant and animal research at the GTMNERR.
Has Part
Guana Tolomato Matanzas was a state park at the end of the 20th century.
Guana Tolomato Matanzas is part of the National Estuarine Research Reserve program, which is part of NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) founded in 1972.
Guana Tolomato Matanzas is locally controlled by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Mediator
Accessible to the public for a nominal parking fee via credit card only. For more information, please visit the Friends' website: https://gtmnerr.org/.
Rights Holder
GTM Research Reserve Visitor Center
505 Guana River Road
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
Friends of GTM Research Reserve
505 Guana River Road
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
Friends of GTM Research Reserve
Relation
The western boundary of the GTMNERR is the Intercoastal Waterway.
Both Mickler's Landing and Palm Valley are the northern edge of the GTMNERR.
The GTMNERR is a few minutes north of the North Beach/Vilano Beach section of the barrier island primarily known as Ponte Vedra.
Source
The following books, articles, websites, and photographers were used to find the above photographs or illustrations:
Map 1 (1768): Browning, Vivian C., Sallie L. O’Hara, John T. Pilechi, and Vilano Beach Main Street. Images of America: Vilano and the North Beaches. Acadia Publishing, 2015.
Photograph 1 (1930s/1940s): Browning, Vivian C., Sallie L. O’Hara, John T. Pilechi, and Vilano Beach Main Street. Images of America: Vilano and the North Beaches. Acadia Publishing, 2015.
Photograph 2 (2025): Kozlowski, Beata. “North View Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve.” June 13, 2025.
Photograph 3 (2025): Kozlowski, Beata. “North East View Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve.” June 13, 2025.
Photograph 4 (2025): Kozlowski, Beata. “South View Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve.” June 13, 2025.
Photograph 5 (2025): Owens, Katherine. "Governor Grant Plantation Historic Marker." October 17, 2025.
The following books, articles, and/or websites were used to find information about this location:
Browning, Vivian C., Sallie L. O’Hara, John T. Pilechi, and Vilano Beach Main Street. Images of America: Vilano and the North Beaches. Acadia Publishing, 2015.
Florida Department of Environmental Protection. “National Estuarine Research Reserves – Guana – Tolomata – Matanzas.” https://floridadep.gov/rcp/nerr-gtm.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “Guana River – History.” 2025. https://myfwc.com/recreation/lead/guana-river/history/.
GTM. “About Us.” 2025. https://gtmnerr.org/.
Harvey, Karen. St. Augustine Enters the Twenty-First Century. Virginia Beach, VA: The Donning Company, 2010.
Robinson, Maurice J. Ponte Vedra Beach: A History. History Press, 2008.
Schafer, Daniel L. “Governor James Grant’s Villa: A British East Florida Indigo Plantation.” El Escribano 37 (2000).
Map 1 (1768): Browning, Vivian C., Sallie L. O’Hara, John T. Pilechi, and Vilano Beach Main Street. Images of America: Vilano and the North Beaches. Acadia Publishing, 2015.
Photograph 1 (1930s/1940s): Browning, Vivian C., Sallie L. O’Hara, John T. Pilechi, and Vilano Beach Main Street. Images of America: Vilano and the North Beaches. Acadia Publishing, 2015.
Photograph 2 (2025): Kozlowski, Beata. “North View Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve.” June 13, 2025.
Photograph 3 (2025): Kozlowski, Beata. “North East View Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve.” June 13, 2025.
Photograph 4 (2025): Kozlowski, Beata. “South View Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve.” June 13, 2025.
Photograph 5 (2025): Owens, Katherine. "Governor Grant Plantation Historic Marker." October 17, 2025.
The following books, articles, and/or websites were used to find information about this location:
Browning, Vivian C., Sallie L. O’Hara, John T. Pilechi, and Vilano Beach Main Street. Images of America: Vilano and the North Beaches. Acadia Publishing, 2015.
Florida Department of Environmental Protection. “National Estuarine Research Reserves – Guana – Tolomata – Matanzas.” https://floridadep.gov/rcp/nerr-gtm.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “Guana River – History.” 2025. https://myfwc.com/recreation/lead/guana-river/history/.
GTM. “About Us.” 2025. https://gtmnerr.org/.
Harvey, Karen. St. Augustine Enters the Twenty-First Century. Virginia Beach, VA: The Donning Company, 2010.
Robinson, Maurice J. Ponte Vedra Beach: A History. History Press, 2008.
Schafer, Daniel L. “Governor James Grant’s Villa: A British East Florida Indigo Plantation.” El Escribano 37 (2000).
Rights
Flagler College’s Rare Books, Floridiana & Institutional Repository are neither the original nor current copyright owner for the photographs. Please contact the publisher or source cited for each photograph to obtain a copy and/or permission to reproduce these items.
Is Referenced By
The following St. Augustine Fiction books feature this natural feature as a location:
Cracker Cop
Maria
Cracker Cop
Maria
Date Submitted
This record was last updated on October 20, 2025.
Collection
Citation
“Grant's Villa,” St. Augustine Fiction, accessed May 17, 2026, https://staugustinefiction.omeka.net/items/show/334.