American Beach was co-founded in 1935 by Florida's first black millionaire, Abraham Lincoln Lewis, and his Afro-American Life Insurance Company.

[5] A. L. Lewis was one of the original founders of the Afro-American Life Insurance Company in 1901; with little education he became a world traveler, investor, philanthropist, and the first African-American millionaire in the state of Florida.

[8] Over time American Beach became known as "The Negro Ocean Playground" a place for "Recreation and Relaxation without Humiliation".

[6] American Beach played host to numerous celebrities during this period, including folklorist Zora Neale Hurston, singer Billie Daniels, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, Billy Eckstein, Hank Aaron, Joe Louis, actor Ossie Davis, and Sherman Hemsley.

In 2003, Amelia Island Plantation bought Nana Dune and donated it to the National Park Service.

It is roughly bounded by Gregg, Lewis, Leonard, Main, and James Streets, and Ocean Boulevard, encompasses approximately 40 acres (16 ha), and contains 67 buildings and one structure.