The Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to appoint Preston Zepp as the official city historian. Zepp was recommended to the city by the Palm Coast Historical Society and its recently-appointed leadership board.
As city historian, Zepp will be tasked with documenting and recording the currently developing story of Palm Coast, so that it may be available for reference generations from now. He’ll become a valuable resource for the city to consider the history both before and after Palm Coast was incorporated in 1999, so that these insights may guide decision-making and culture in the years to come.
The Palm Coast Historical Society and Palm Coast City Council following Zepp’s appointment. ⓒ Palm Coast Historical Society
A particular focus of Preston Zepp’s historical work has been the Kings Road Historic District. Built in the mid-1700s, Kings Road was once a key route for transporting agricultural equipment and construction materials. The road was partially in the area that Palm Coast exists in now.
“Through the Kings Road Historic District, I’ve already been telling the story of what would become Palm Coast,” Zepp said in a prepared release. “This appointment gives me the opportunity to expand that work and help share parts of our area’s past that many residents may not realize are connected to the city we know today.”
There wasn’t much reason for the City Council to resist Zepp’s nomination on Tuesday, but he still had several advocates in his corner. Palm Coast Historical Society President Peter Johnson spoke in Zepp’s favor, as did two members of the Flagler County Historical Society: President Ed Siarkowicz and member James Fiske.
“We are thrilled that Preston Zepp has been appointed as Palm Coast’s Official Historian,” Johnson said. “His dedication to uncovering and preserving the stories of our region makes him the perfect choice to help ensure our community’s history is shared, celebrated, and remembered for generations to come.”
