Erected by Old Arlington, Inc., this marker is located a short distance from the c.1850 Sammis House. The house was the residence of John S. Sammis, a prominent Unionist who, in 1862, was forced to flee Jacksonville until February 1864 when Union forces occupied the city for the fourth and final time. In 1863, Sammis was appointed a member of the Direct Tax Commission for Florida and took up his post in Fernandina. The Commission was created to implement the Direct Tax Law for the assessment and taxing of all real properties in areas under Federal control and, in some instances, the sale of abandoned property owned by Florida rebels for nonpayment of taxes. In April 1864, Sammis was one of the Florida delegates to the Republican Convention in Baltimore which renominated Abraham Lincoln for President.

The house is privately owned and is not open for tours.

Information Provided by the Florida Department of Historical Resources.