FERNANDINA FACES
J.P. McClellan BY DICKIE ANDERSON PHOTO BY STEVE LEIMBERG, UNSEENIMAGES.COM
J
.P. McClellan knows Amelia Island and its building community like nobody else. He served as president of the Nassau Chapter of the Northeast Florida Builders Association from 2003 to 2008 and he has been involved in many of the major residential developments built on Amelia Island. McClellan has a talent for being on the front edge of things that are new and innovative. On Amelia Island these days, that means Crane Island, a private island with luxury homes along the Intracoastal Waterway. In his role as Senior Project Manager, McClellan works closely with the developers, architects, arborist, and trade partners to ensure that the vision of Crane Island is maintained. McClellan has seen lots of changes, or “chapters” in his life, as he likes to call them. He first came to the island in 1980 as a Master Carpenter for the Lane Company, building homes on Amelia Island Plantation. Later, his unique talents and love of history led him to work on the historic preservation of many of the homes and businesses throughout the Historic District in Fernandina Beach. Since he always seems to be involved in what is new and exciting on the island, McClellan was recruited by the developers of Amelia Park to bring their vision of a livable new style of community to Northeast Florida. When the concept was first introduced, the idea of creating a TND (traditional neighborhood development) on Amelia Island met with some resistance, but it soon caught on. Amelia Park is now one of the most sought-after housing options on the island. McClellan grew up in Ohio and he credits his apprenticeship with an Amish Master Craftsman with giving him his philosophy of building. During the apprenticeship, he learned to build a house from the ground up. No subcontractors allowed! He still prefers hands-on involvement in his projects rather than front office responsibility. 49 AMELIA ISLANDER MAGAZINE •
Some of the many other chapters of McClellan’s life include teaching, owning a business, and mentoring. While earning a Bachelor of Science degree at Ohio University, he somehow found time to teach wilderness survival skills and team building at the Outward Bound School in Asheville, North Carolina. At the same time, he owned his own construction company and served as a youth minister at his local church. McClellan smiles as he remembers his most unusual building challenge. When the production company for the movie “The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking” arrived on Amelia Island, they needed a set builder. He and his crew were able to respond to the production company’s demanding schedule and provide sets so that the filming could stay on schedule. The movie, which is based on the Pippi Longstocking book series by Astrid Lindgren, was filmed on locations around the island, including Old Town. An iconic house used in the film remains on the big square facing the river and is known as the Pippi Longstocking House. Other chapters of his life include a seven-year sabbatical traveling the world and studying yoga, living in the south of France and studying Zen with the venerable Thich Nhat Hanh, developing and branding a Yoga-based Transformational Team Building program, and building communities for personal development. From his experiences, he has created and inspired independent yoga studios around the country. The next chapter? “The next chapter is already writing itself,” says McClellan, “and includes quite a few exciting developments.” JULY 2022
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