Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker: All Counties

Alachua

THE BALLPARK

Location:512 SW 2nd Terrace
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: This site, known locally as the ballpark, was the center of recreational activities in Gainesville for more than 60 years. From 1883-1910 Gainesville's Oak Hall baseball team played here against teams from Florida and the Southeast. The Oak Halls played the first night baseball game in Alachua County here in 1909. The Central City Giants, an African-American team, also played baseball here. When the University of Florida (UF) opened its doors in the fall of 1906, there was no suitable location on campus for playing football. From 1906-10 UF played 15 football games here with a 14-0-1 record. Opponents included the Gainesville Athletic Association (UF's first opponent at the ballpark), Rollins College, Stetson College, Georgia A&M, Gainesville Guards, and the College of Charleston. In 1911, UF began playing games on campus at a location now known as Fleming Field. East Florida Seminary (1902-04) and Gainesville High School (1906-07) also played football here. After 1910, the ballpark was used for tent shows, community fairs, and by traveling circuses, including Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus and the King Brothers Circus, which put on the last performance held at the ballpark on November 17, 1946.
Sponsors: Porters Community Neighborhood Organization and the Florida Department of State

DOUGLASS HIGH SCHOOL

Location:18100 Southeast Douglass Street
County: Alachua
City: High Springs
Description: Residents of High Springs saw the need for a public school for African Americans in 1886. By 1902, black students moved into the Red Schoolhouse, a two-story wood frame building previously constructed as a school for whites. White students moved into a two-story brick building named the High Springs Grammar School. The Red Schoolhouse was used by black students until it was destroyed by fire in 1925. A new school for blacks, the Douglass High School, was built on this site in 1930 at a cost of $11,500, with funds from the Julius Rosenwald Foundation, and $1,000 raised locally by the African American community. The original Douglass School was a one-story stucco building with eight classrooms and a staff of five teachers. The school’s first senior class graduated in 1937. By 1951, the school had twelve teachers and an enrollment of 340 students. A separate school cafeteria building was constructed in 1955, and a three-classroom addition to the school was constructed in the 1960s. The school was subsequently renamed the Douglass Elementary School. Douglass was closed in 1970 in response to desegregation, and most of the school was torn down by the mid-1970s. Only the 1955 cafeteria building survives today.
Sponsors: Douglass Alumni, Douglass Historical Society

DANIEL SCOTT PLANTATION

Location:SR20 Near Grove Park
County: Alachua
City: Hawthorne
Description: Side One: In 1853, planters Daniel Scott and Daniel Finley of Fairfield, South Carolina, bought 2,664 acres of land here for $6,743, and in 1854 Scott was taxed on 1,400 acres and 30 enslaved people. In 1855, Scott and Finley purchased 54 people for $28,000 from George Leitner in South Carolina. Every person's name, except infants, was listed on the deed. In 1858, Scott bought out Finley, and by 1860 Scott and his children James (35), George (20), Maxey (8) and Emma (6) lived in the house that stood on this site. Enslaved carpenters built the two-story, center hall, timber-framed house with yellow pine. The studs were marked with incised Roman numerals and fastened with mortise and tenon joints. Enslaved masons built the chimney with bricks made on site. W. R. Craig (35), a master carpenter lived with Scott's son William (22), his wife Mary (21) on 125 acres east of the Scott property. In 1860, Daniel Scott owned 2,690 acres valued at $14,000, and 66 enslaved people with a value of $31,500. The 1860 Slave Schedule indicated that 61 people lived in 12 one-room cabins. That same year the plantation produced 26,000 pounds of Sea Island cotton, 1,700 bushels of peas, corn, and sweet potatoes and 10 tons of hay. Side Two: Scott's sons James and George died during the Civil War, but William (Company B, 2nd FL Infantry) survived despite being shot in the neck and back and captured at Gettysburg. Daniel Scott sold his land in 1866 to E.L. King and moved to Jefferson County with his grandchildren and neighbor, Mittie Harley, whom he married. They had two children, Harley Daniel and Eva. Scott repurchased the plantation in 1871, two years before he died. Martha Perry, the widow of Governor Madison Starke Perry, later bought it. Her daughter Sally sold the land in 1883 to William Holdridge and John Dent. They platted the property as Grove Park in 1884. Scott's daughter Emma and her husband Sam Waits purchased the property in 1917. Sam operated a sawmill for the W.B. Phifer Co., a turpentine and sawmill company. The Waits sold the property to the company in 1924. The H.H. Surrency family bought it in 1954 and lived here until 1974. They donated the house and one acre to Alachua County in 2004. The house and its circa 1900 kitchen addition stood here until 2008. The circa 1903 Waits house stands to the west of the Scott home site.
Sponsors: Alachua County Historical Commission

CITY OF ALACHUA

Location:15100 NW 142nd Terrace
County: Alachua
City: Alachua
Description: Upon completion to Gainesville of the Savannah, Florida and Western Railway in May 1884, citizens from the former county seat at Newnansville were among those who moved to the present site of Alachua which was near the railroad. The city is located in a productive farming area. The Bellamy Road, a national highway from St. Augustine to Pensacola authorized in 1824, originally passed near the northeast city boundary. The post office was established April 30, 1887. The city was incorporated April 12, 1905.
Sponsors: Sponsored by Alachua County Historical Commission In Cooperation With Department of State

CITY OF GAINESVILLE

Location:200 East University Avenue, between 1st St.NE & 3rd St.NE, Gainesville City Hall
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: Designated the County Seat in 1854, and incorporated as a City in 1869, Gainesville takes its name from General Edmund Gaines, captor of Aaron Burr and commander of U.S. Army troops in Florida during the Second Seminole War. The town was the fourth Alachua County Seat of government. The University of Florida and its educational predecessors have been located in Gainesville since the 1850's.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

CITY OF NEWBERRY HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:25370 W Newberry Road
County: Alachua
City: Newberry
Description: The discovery of hard rock phosphate in Alachua County in 1889 sparked the appearance of boom towns wherever large deposits of the mineral were found. Incorporated in 1894, Newberry thrived until 1914 when the onset of World War I forced the mines to close. The mines did not reopen after the war, causing the economy of the town to collapse and forcing many residents to leave. The buildings in Newberry's historic district reflect the boom town atmosphere of small mining communities founded in Florida at end of the 19th century. The district was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.
Sponsors: The Florida Department of State

DAVID YULEE and COTTON WOOD PLANTATION

Location:16994 SW 134th Ave
County: Alachua
City: Archer
Description: David Levy Yulee was born at St. Thomas, West Indies, in 1810. He attended school in Virginia from 1819 until 1827 when he went to Micanopy to work on one of the plantations of his father, Moses Elias Levy. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1836. His time was divided between the practice of law and agriculture. Yulee was elected to the Florida Constitutional Convention at St. Joseph in 1838. He was a delegate to Congress from the Territory of Florida from 1841-45 and spearheaded the drive for statehood. In 1845, he was chosen as the first U.S. Senator from Florida and was the first Jew, in the United States, to be elected to the U.S. Senate. Defeated for reelection in 1851, Yulee was again elected to the Senate in 1855. In the Senate he served as chairman of the committees on naval affairs and on post offices and post roads. Yulee served in the U.S. Senate until he resigned upon the secession of Florida in 1861. While serving as territorial delegate, Yulee obtained a railroad survey of Florida and was one of the first railroad promoters in the South. In 1853 he incorporated the Florida Railroad which, when completed in 1860, passed through Archer, connecting Fernandina and Cedar Key. Long an advocate of the Southern movement and secession, Yulee supported Florida's entry into the Confederacy. However, he chose not to pursue elective office and devoted time to his plantations and his railroad. He was at odds with Confederate authorities who wanted to use materials from his railroad for more vital lines. Cotton Wood Plantation, located about one mile northeast of this site, was the home of Yulee during the War Between the States. Upon the fall of the Confederacy, personal baggage of President Jefferson Davis and part of the Confederate treasury, reached Cotton Wood, under armed guard, on May 22, 1865. Following the war, Yulee was imprisoned at Ft. Pulaski, at Savannah, until Gen. U.S. Grant intervened for his release in March of 1866. Yulee sold his holdings in Florida and moved to Washington, D.C. in 1880. He died in 1886 and was buried at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. Originally known as David Levy, he had his name changed by an act of the Florida Legislature in 1845.
Sponsors: sponsored by the alachua county historical commission in cooperation with the florida department of state

DICKISON AND HIS MEN / JEFFERSON DAVIS' BAGGAGE

Location:S.R. 24. in Waldo on front of caboose in City Park
County: Alachua
City: Waldo
Description: Side 1: John Jackson Dickison (1816-1902), Florida's famous Civil War guerrilla leader, bivouacked at Camp Baker, south of here, during the closing weeks of the conflict. Dickison and his men became legendary figures. As Company H, Second Florida Cavalry, they engaged in skirmishes, raids, battles, scouting expeditions, and forced marches from the time of organization at Flotard's Pond, Marion County, in 1862, until the force was mustered out at Waldo on May 20, 1865. Side 2: On June 15, 1865, a detachment of Union soldiers under Captain O.E. Bryant seized personal baggage belonging to Confederate President Jefferson Davis and some of the Confederate government's records in a house near this site. The trunks and papers were hidden first at Senator David Levy Yulee's plantation, "Cottonwood" between Archer and Gainesville. The baggage was moved to Waldo and placed in care of the railroad agent.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in Cooperation with Seaboard Air Line Railroad Company

EAST FLORIDA SEMINARY

Location:200 East University Avenue, between 1st St.NE & 3rd St.NE, Gainesville City Hall
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: Founded as the Gainesville Academy before the Civil War and later renamed, the East Florida Seminary served Gainesville's need for higher education until the University of Florida was created bythe Florida Legislature in 1905. The Seminary school building, erected after an earlier structure burned in 1833, was converted to use as a fellowship hall by the First Methodist Church, at 419 N.E. 1st Avenue.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

FIRST GAINESVILLE SKIRMISH / BATTLE OF GAINESVILLE

Location:200 East University Avenue, between 1st St.NE & 3rd St.NE, Gainesville City Hall
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: Side 1: The first Civil War gunfire in Gainesville's streets came on February 15, 1864, when a raiding party of 50 men from the 40th Massachusetts Cavalry entered the City to attempt the capture of two trains. The raid was unproductive, for the Federal troops were met and repulsed by the Second Florida Cavalry at what is now Main Street at University Avenue. Five days later, the main Federal force was defeated at the battle of Olustee, 50 miles to the north. Side 2: A Civil War battle was fought in Gainesville on August 17, 1864, when about 300 occupying Federal Troops were attacked by Florida Cavalry under Captain J.J. Dickison, called "Florida's most conspicuous soldier." The Federals were driven from the City after a brisk fight and suffered severe casualties during hard pursuit, which ended in victory for the Confederate force.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

FORT CLARKE

Location:W. of city on S.R. 26, on grounds of Ft. Clark Chu
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: Near this site was located Fort Clarke, originally a U.S. Army post during the Seminole War, and afterwards a settlement. The name is preserved in nearby Fort Clarke Church. At this site crossed the early settlement and military road connecting the old county seats at Newnansville (near present-day Alachua) and Spring Grove with Micanopy. Fort Clarke was named for a U.S. Army officer.
Sponsors: Sponsored by Alachua County Historical Commission, Authorized by The Board of County Commissioners In Cooperation With Department of State

GAINESVILLE'S RAILROADS

Location:Corner NW 3rd Ave. & 6th St.
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: The coming of the Florida Railroad opened up the interior of Florida for both settlement and trading and helped establish Gainesville. On February 1, 1859 the Florida Railroad entered town and connected Fernandina Beach with Cedar Key by 1861. Built from the northeast along what is now Waldo Road, the rails crossed 13th Street at Archer Road, and continued southwest along Archer Road to Cedar Key. The 19th century Florida roads were sandy, swampy and nearly impassible, so early rail access to two ports dramatically increased Gainesville's prosperity. Railroads provided transportation for outgoing agricultural products and brought in the region's first tourists, creating a demand for hotels, restaurants and other services. As the demand for North Central Florida agriculture grew at the turn of the 20th century, more railroads crisscrossed the region. The last railroad passenger service in Gainesville ended in 1971. The Atlantic Coast Line (ACL) Railroad built a modern depot in 1948 rerouting its trains from Main Street downtown to tracks on Northwest 6th Street. The ACL depot is presently part of the downtown campus of Santa Fe Community College. Gainesville's first railroad, the Florida Railroad, was started in 1859. In 1881, the Florida Southern Railroad reached town from Palatka, Hawthorne and Rochelle, entering at South Main Street from Hawthorne Road and running the length of Main Street to 8th Aveenue. A route from Rochelle provided service to Ocala. Three years later, the Savannah, Florida & Western Railroad linked to these tracks, providing service through Alachua to Waycross, Georgia. The two lines merged in 1902, becoming the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, providing service from Tampa Bay to New York. ACL trains ran in the middle of Main Street stopping for passengers to use the city's hotels. In 1895, the Gainesville and Gulf Railroad built a line to Micanopy along NW 6th Street. By 1899, the rails reached south past Fairfield to Emathala and north to Sampson City. The Gainesville and Gulf was sold in 1906 and renamed the Tampa and Jacksonville or T&J. In 1900, the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL) was established and acquired the old Florida Railroad right-of-way through Gainesville. When the SAL bought the T&J in 1926, it was renamed the Jacksonville, Gainesville & Gulf. This line was abandoned in 1943.
Sponsors: ALACHUA COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION ANDD THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

HAWTHORNE, FLORIDA

Location:N. Johnston St. between 65th Ave and SE 66th Ave
County: Alachua
City: Hawthorne
Description: Side 1: In 1774, noted botanist William Bartram travelled across what is now the southeastern corner of Alachua County following an old Indian and trading trail. In Florida's territorial period, English-speaking settlers used the same route as a frontier road. By 1840, another road from the north crossed that trail near present day Hawthorne. In 1848, Morrison had begun to operate a mill there on what Bartram had described as a "rapid brook." A United States post office called Morrison's Mills was established at that site in 1853 in order to serve the increasing population of the area. Side 2: In 1879, the Peninsular Railroad was completed from Waldo to Ocala, bypassing Morrison's Mills. In that year, a new town grew up nearer the railroad. This village was at first called Jamestown, but in 1880, the name was changed to Hawthorne. Both names were in honor of James M. Hawthorne, a local landowner. In 1881, the Florida Southern Railway was completed from Palatka to Gainesville, crossing the Peninsular Railroad at Hawthorne. In the 1880's the community there was also known unofficially as Wait's Crossing in reference to another family living in the area. In 1883, a stone quarry near Hawthorne became the site of Florida's earliest phosphate mill. The mill was operated for two years by Dr. C. A. Simmons, who in 1879 had been the first person to recognize phosphate in Florida. However, the most important resources of the Hawthorne area have been its agricultural and forestry products such as sea island cotton and turpentine.
Sponsors: Sponsored by Alachua County Historical Commission In Cooperation With Department of State

HAWTHORNE, FLORIDA

Location:218th Street near Gainesville Hawthorn Trail
County: Alachua
City: Hawthorne
Description: Side 1: In 1774, noted botanist William Bartram travelled across what is now the southeastern corner of Alachua County following an old Indian and trading trail. In Florida's territorial period, English-speaking settlers used the same route as a frontier road. By 1840, another road from the north crossed that trail near present day Hawthorne. In 1848, Morrison had begun to operate a mill there on what Bartram had described as a "rapid brook." A United States post office called Morrison's Mills was established at that site in 1853 in order to serve the increasing population of the area. Side 2: In 1879, the Peninsular Railroad was completed from Waldo to Ocala, bypassing Morrison's Mills. In that year, a new town grew up nearer the railroad. This village was at first called Jamestown, but in 1880, the name was changed to Hawthorne. Both names were in honor of James M. Hawthorn, a local landowner. In 1881, the Florida Southern Railway was completed from Palatka to Gainesville, crossing the Peninsular Railroad at Hawthorne. In the 1880's the community there was also known unofficially as Wait's Crossing in reference to another family living in the area. In 1883, a stone quarry near Hawthorne became the site of Florida's earliest phosphate mill. The mill was operated for two years by Dr. C. A. Simmons, who in 1879 had been the first person to recognize phosphate in Florida. However, the most important resources of the Hawthorne area have been its agricultural and forestry products such as sea island cotton and turpentine.
Sponsors: Sponsored by Alachua County Historical Commission In Cooperation With Department of State

HIGH SPRINGS, FLORIDA

Location:110 Northwest 1st Avenue
County: Alachua
City: High Springs
Description: The northwest region of Alachua County was probably first settled on a permanent basis by English speaking people during the late 1830's. One of the earliest settlements `in the vicinity was a Crockett Springs, located about three miles east of present day High Springs. Settlers who were living there during the 1840's included Fernando Underwood and Marshal Blanton. No town developed in the area before the latter part of the nineteenth century. In 1884, the Savannah, Florida, and Western Railroad was extended from Live Oak to Gainesville. A post office and station were established here in that year under the name of Santaffey, which was a common spelling of the name of the nearby Santa Fe River. The town was also known unofficially as Orion before the name was changed in 1880 to High Springs. In the next few years, High Springs boomed as a result of the development of phosphate mining in the area. In 1892, the town was incorporated. During the next year, the Savannah, Florida, and Western Railroad completed its South Florida Division which connected High Springs with Port Tampa. By the beginning of the twentieth century, High Springs was known as an important railroad center. In later years, High Springs has been the focus for the surrounding agricultural region.
Sponsors: Sponsored by Alachua County Historical Commission In Cooperation With Department of State

HISTORIC HAILE HOMESTEAD AT KANAPAHA PLANTATION

Location:Intersection of SW Archer Rd. and SW 85th St.
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: One of the oldest houses in Alachua County, the Historic Haile Homestead was the home of Thomas Evans Haile, his wife Esther Serena Chesnut Haile and 14 of their children. The Hailes came here from Camden, South Carolina in 1854 to establish a 1,500-acre Sea Island Cotton plantation which they named Kanapaha. Enslaved black craftsmen completed the 6,200-square-foot manse in 1856. The 1860 census showed 66 slaves living here. The Hailes survived bankruptcy in 1868 and turned the property into a productive farm, growing a variety of fruits and vegetables including oranges. Serena Haile died in 1895; Thomas in 1896. The Homestead, which passed to son Evans, a prominent defense attorney, became the site of house parties attended by some of Gainesville’s most distinguished citizens. The Hailes had the unusual habit of writing on the walls; all together over 12,500 words with the oldest writing dating to the 1850’s. The Homestead was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. A restoration was completed in 1996. Still partly owned by descendants of Evans Haile, the Homestead is one of the few remaining homesteads built by Sea Island cotton planters in this part of Florida.
Sponsors: THE HISTORIC HAILE HOMESTEAD AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

HISTORY OF EVINSTON, FLORIDA / EVINSTON COMMUNITY STORE AND POST OFFICE

Location:18320 Southeast County Road 225
County: Alachua
City: Evinston
Description: The community of Evinston, Florida, situated on the Alachua-Marion County border, is part of the Spanish Arredondo Grant of 1817. A grant for this land was received from Arrendondo by N. Brush who later sold two sections to the Evins family of South Carolina. Captain W. D. Evins, of this family, had large land holdings here west of Orange Lake, and gave the right of way for the narrow gauge Florida Southern Railroad in 1882. The station was given the name Evinston and the depot was built in 1884. At that time the present country store and post office were established. The community once consisted of two other stores, a schoolhouse, 3 churches, a blacksmith shop, 2 packing houses and a grist mill. This area was known for orange groves until the 1890's freezes. Agricultural crops and cattle were and are still raised here. In 1956, the depot was moved and the railroad discontinued passenger service. Freight service continued until the tracks were removed in 1982. The community park was established in 1909 by J.L. Wolfenden, W.P. Shettleworth and F.B. Hester and continues to serve as a pleasure to the residents, many of whom are direct descendants of the original families. The Evinston community store, originally a warehouse, was built of heart pine in 1884 by W.P. Shettleworth. it was bought by Joseph Wolfenden, who first operated it as a store. The post office, established in 1882 was later moved into the building. The present store sits 100 feet south of its original location. It was moved in 1956 because of road paving. Located across from the railroad depot, it was a meeting place then as now. Numerous owners managed the store through the turn of the century. In 1909 H.D. Wood and Robert Evins bought the store. The later partnership of Wood and Swink, in 1934, is still indicated on the store front. Fred Wood became postmaster of Evinston in 1934 and served for 44 years, longer than any other postmaster in Florida. Still containing original post office boxes and equipment, this is one of the few remaining country store-post offices. In 1977, the country store was used as a set for the movie adaptation of Marjorie Rawlings' short story Gal Young'un.
Sponsors: sponsored by the alachua county historical commissionin cooperation with the department of state

HOGTOWN SETTLEMENT / FORT HOGTOWN

Location:West Side park on corner of 34th St. and 8th Ave.
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: Side 1: Near this site was located Hogtown, one of the earliest settlements in Alachua County. It was originally an Indian village which in 1824 had fourteen inhabitants. Hogtown settlement is also mentioned in documents of the early nineteenth century which discuss land grants issued by the Spanish crown during the Second Spanish Period in Florida's history (1783-1821). In the late 1820's Hogtown became a white settlement as American pioneers occupied Indian land from which the Seminoles had been removed by the terms of the Treaty of Moultrie Creek. In 1854, the town of Gainesville was founded on a site located a few miles east of Hogtown. Side 2: During the Second Seminole War (1835-42), a settler's fort was built at the Hogtown settlement near this site. Shortly before the onset of that war, men from the Hogtown settlement and from Spring Grove, a community located about four miles to the west, organized a volunteer company of mounted riflemen, the Spring Grove Guards. Spring Grove was at that time the seat of justice in Alachua county (1832-1839). For several months, members of the Guards periodically paraded and patrolled the countryside to protect the inhabitants against Indians. The fort at Hogtown was one of more than a dozen Second Seminole War forts located in or near present-day Alachua County.
Sponsors: sponsored by alachua county historical commission in cooperation with department of state

JOSIAH T. WALLS

Location:University Avenue, between NW 1st Street and NW 2nd St.
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: Born in 1842 to slave parents in Winchester, Va., little is known of Josiah T. Walls' early life. After a short term of Confederate service, he enlisted in the Third Regiment, U.S. Colored Troops in 1863. Transferred to Picolata on the St. Johns River in 1864, he married Helen Ferguson of Newnansville and in 1865 moved to Alachua County after he was mustered out. After passage of the U.S. Military Reconstruction Act of 1867, Walls entered into Florida politics; as a delegate to the 1868 State constitutional convention, followed by election as a State representative and later senator from Alachua County. The 1870 nominee of the Republican Party for Florida's only seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, Walls defeated Silas Niblack after a bitter contest, riddled with charges of fraud and intimidation. Josiah T. Walls thus became the State's first black congressman. Although unseated by the House near the end of his term, Walls was re-elected in 1872. In another contested election in 1874, Walls defeated J.J. Finley, a former Confederate General, but, in 1876, was again removed from office. Walls was elected to the Florida Senate that year. After 1879, Josiah Walls concentrated on his farming activities. He had first acquired land near Newnansville in 1868 but in 1870 had moved to Gainesville. In 1871 Walls bought for their home the western half of the block now bounded by University Avenue on the south and N.W. 2nd Street on the west. In 1873 he purchased a 1175 acre plantation on the west edge of Paynes Prairie. In that year he acquired the weekly newspaper, THE NEW ERA, and was admitted to the Florida Bar. Remaining active in local politics, Walls served at various times as mayor of Gainesville, a member of the Board of Public Instruction, and County Commissioner. A highly successful and prosperous farmer through the 1880's, he suffered financial ruin as a result of the severe freeze of the winter of 1894-95. Walls moved to Tallahassee to become the farm director at the school that is now Florida A. and M. University. He died in Tallahassee in 1905.
Sponsors: sponsored by the alachua county historical commissionin cooperation with the florida department of state

LaCROSSE, FLORIDA

Location:Near junction of S.R. 121 & S.R. 235.
County: Alachua
City: LaCrosse
Description: The LaCrosse area was settled before the Civil War. Cotton was the chief crop. John Eli Futch was a cotton buyer who built a warehouse for cotton, a store to serve the growers, and his home near the store. This store became the first post office and Mrs. Futch named the town LaCrosse. The post office was established April 22, 1881, and the town incorporated December 17, 1897. Before the boll weevil ended the cotton era, LaCrosse had two cotton gins and grist mills. Naval stores was also a prominent industry until this activity ended in the 1940s. The town was a shipping point for potatoes for many years and had a large cooper's shed which built barrels for shipping the potatoes by rail from a depot here. It is still an important farming area, producing corn, vegetables, tobacco and livestock.
Sponsors: sponsored by alachua county historical commission in cooperation with department of state

MADISON STARKE PERRY

Location:C.R. 234, on grounds of Oak Ridge Cemetery
County: Alachua
City: Alachua City: Hague
Description: Madison Starke Perry, born in Lancaster County, S.C., moved to Alachua County, Florida and became a prosperous planter. His plantation was located about six miles east of Gainesville in the area of present-day Rochelle. Perry was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1849 and to the Florida Senate in 1850, where he gained a wide reputation as an orator. A Democrat, he was elected fourth Governor of Florida, serving from 1857 through 1861. While Perry was Governor, major developments occurred in Florida. The Florida Railroad from Fernandina to Cedar Key was completed. A long-standing border dispute with Georgia was settled. Expansion of slavery brought related unrest, and in response, Governor Perry called for a strong state militia and the upgrading of military resources. As the Presidential election of 1860 neared, Governor Perry warned that secession might be Florida's only option, should the Republican Party be victorious. On November 27, 1860, Governor Perry recommended that a convention by called to consider secession. The Florida Convention adopted the Ordinance of Secession on January 10, 1861. The Governor quickly ordered evacuation of all United States troops from Florida military installations, and their replacement by State militia troops. At the expiration of his term as Governor in October, 1861, Perry joined the Confederate army. He was soon elected Colonel of the newly organized Seventh Regiment of the Florida infantry. Illness forced his resignation in 1863. Returning to his plantation in Alachua County, he died in 1865. Perry is buried here at Oak Ridge Cemetery on land he set aside in 1854 for the community. Buried here with him are his wife, Martha Starke Perry; a daughter Sallie Perry; and a son, Madison Starke Perry, Jr., also a Confederate veteran.
Sponsors: sponsored by the alachua county historical commissionin cooperation with the department of state

MATHESON HOUSE

Location:528 S.W. First Street, Matheson House grounds
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: Side 1: The Matheson homestead dates from 1857, when Alexander Matheson brought his family from Camden, South Carolina to establish a home on the Sweetwater Branch at the eastern edge of the new town of Gainesville. The present one and a half story Matheson House is believed to incorporate much of the original one story home. Alexander moved his family back to South Carolina in the early years of the Civil War. After the war and settlement of a mortgage foreclosure, the property was acquired by his younger brother, James D. Matheson, who had served as an officer in the Seventh South Carolina Cavalry and surrendered at Appomatox. He moved into the home in 1867 with his new bride, Augusta Florida Steele, daughter of Judge Augustus Steele, founder of Cedar Key, and an influential Florida pioneer during the territorial and early statehood period. James, a prominent businessman and merchant, ran a successful dry goods store and engaged in other commercial enterprises. He was also a trustee of the East Florida Seminary and served on the Alachua County Commission from 1895 to 1899. Elected County Treasurer in 1909, he held that office until his death in 1911. Side 2: By 1907, James and Augusta had enlarged their home, adding the second floor bedrooms, the distinctive gambrel roof and gabled dormers, a first floor sitting room, and enclosing part of the back porch. Their son, Christopher, born in 1874, continued to live here after completing his education at the East Florida Seminary and the Citadel. He established a law practice in 1900, and served as mayor of Gainesville from 1910 to 1917 and in the Florida Legislature in 1917 and 1919. Ordained a Presbyterian minister in 1919, he left his law practice to serve the ministry in Oklahoma for the next 26 years. During this time the house was rented to various tenants. On his retirement in 1946, he returned home with his wife, Sarah Hamilton Matheson. She maintained her residence here after his death in 1952, and in 1989 donated the property to the Matheson Historical Center, Inc. The evolution of the Matheson House from a modest, mid-19th century farm house to its early 20th century appearance reflects the increasing prosperity of its owners in a growing community. It is preserved today as a reminder of their accomplishments and of those other early residents of Gainesville.
Sponsors: The Alachua County Historical Commission in Cooperation with the Florida Department of State

MELROSE

Location:On S.R. 26 between Quail & Trout Sts.
County: Alachua
City: Melrose
Description: Side 1: The region south of Santa Fe Lake was not settled until after the Seminole War in 1842, although it was on the Spanish mission trail from St. Augustine from about 1600 to 1763 and, during the English (1763-1784) and second Spanish (1784-1821) periods, on the overland route to Pensacola. Florida's first Federal highway, the 1826 Bellamy road, followed about the same path. Many of the early landowners came from South Carolina and Georgia. After the decade of Reconstruction following the Civil War, an influx of new families came to the region, many to engage in planting orange groves, a few of which had been started in the 1850's. Because the route of the Florida Railroad, completed in 1861 and reorganized after the War, passed west of the region, the Santa Fe Canal Company was chartered in March of 1877 to open a waterway from the railroad in Waldo through Lake Alto to Santa Fe Lake. In May of 1877 Alexander Goodson, Isaac Weston, and Meridth Granger, platted a 30-block town site south of the little bay on the southeast side of Santa Fe Lake. The old Bellamy Road was the main east-west axis, with Centre Street, straddling the Alachua, Putnam, and Clay county border, as the north-south axis. Side 2: The origin of the town name, Melrose, is shrouded in conflicting legends. The canal linking Waldo to Santa Fe Lake was completed in March of 1881. The stern-wheel steamer, F.S. Lewis, built in Waldo, made its maiden voyage in April 1881. Northern visitors, who came to improve their health and invest in orange groves, built winter cottages or stayed at the boarding houses or the several hotels that catered to the winter tourists. The town soon had a number of general stores, a sawmill, cotton gin, livery stables, several churches, and a high school. The Western Railroad reached Melrose from Green Cove Springs in 1890. The town was then a thriving waterfront resort, lake port, and a horticultural and agricultural center. Devastated by the freezes of 1894-95, the citrus groves never recovered. Melrose became a quiet lakeside retreat for seasonal and week-end residents, with a small permanent population. In 1901 Melrose was incorporated but gave up its charter in 1917. Many of the nineteenth century homes and buildings still survive. The Melrose Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
Sponsors: The Alachua County Historical Commission in Cooperation with the Florida Department of State

MICANOPY, FLORIDA

Location:x
County: Alachua
City: Micanopy
Description: A Timucua Indian village of the Potano tribe was located near here when the early Spanish Explorer Hernando De Soto led his expedition through the area in 1539. Botanist William Bartram visited Cuscawilla village nearby in 1774. The first permanent white settlement in what is now Alachua County, called Wanton, was started in 1821. Wanton Post Office was established in 1826; the name was changed to Micanopy in 1834. Fort Micanopy, also called Fort Defiance, stood near here during the Second Seminole War. Several skirmishes were fought nearby. The town was incorporated September 15, 1858.
Sponsors: Sponsored by Alachua County Historical Commission In Cooperation With Department of State

MOUNT PLEASANT UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Location:620 NW Second St.
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: Mount Pleasant Methodist Episcopal Church was founded on July 16, 1867, with the Reverend Isaac Davis serving as the first pastor. The Board of Trustees of the oldest black congregation in Gainesville purchased the lot on which the present church still stands for $160 from Charles W. Brush. He sold lots after the Civil War mainly to African American individuals and institutions in what is now the Pleasant Street Historic District. The founding trustees were Lojurn Davis, Alexander Hamilton, Ethan Daniels, Henry Roberts, William Anderson, Adam Dancy, Shadrach Abendnego, Robert McDuffie and Dr. McDowell. Mount Pleasant soon became a social and religious center for the neighborhood. The first Florida Annual Conference that brought together Methodist churches with black congregations was held at Mount Pleasant in 1874, while the Reverend Alexander DeBose was pastor. The original wood frame building was replaced in 1887 with a brick structure, which was destroyed by fire in 1903. The present church, built of red brick in the stately Romanesque revival style, was completed in 1906 and is noted for its beautiful stained glass windows. In 1968, the congregation was renamed the Mount Pleasant United Methodist Church.
Sponsors: THE MOUNT PLEASANT UNITED METHODIST CHURCH AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

MT. PLEASANT CEMETERY

Location:2837 NW 13th St. (MLK, Jr. Blvd.)
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: The Mt. Pleasant Cemetery was established c. 1883 by the Mt. Pleasant Methodist Episcopal Church as a final resting place for its members and other African Americans in the city of Gainesville. Founded in 1867, the church purchased the 5.38-acre property for $125 in 1886. Among the earliest graves are those of Helen H. Wall (1847-1883) and Jefferson Garrison (1871-1884). Some headstones are of marble or granite carved with symbolic designs, others are simple vaults of stuccoed brick or concrete. Early African American community members and their descendents are buried in individual and family plots here. Among them are civic and religious leaders, educators, physicians, dentists, craftsmen, servicemen, and business owners, some of whom began life as enslaved people. Buried here are the Reverend Alexander DeBose, pastor of the Mt. Pleasant church in the 1870s; Dr. R. B. Ayer and Dr. Julius Parker, the city’s first black physicians; Dr. E. H. DeBose, Sr., Gainesville’s first black dentist; and Lance Corporal Vernon T. Carter, Jr., Gainesville’s first Vietnam War casualty. The cemetery is still maintained by the Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church, located in Gainesville’s Pleasant Street Historic District.
Sponsors: THE MT. PLEASANT UNITED METHODIST CHURCH AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

NEWBERRY, FLORIDA

Location:25440 W Newberry Road
County: Alachua
City: Newberry
Description: Side 1: Only after about 1870 did phosphates become an important world industry. In Alachua County, phosphates were discovered late in the 1870's, but as in other regions of Florida, the major developments in phosphate mining and processing began about 1889. The western part of Alachua County contained the major local deposits of rock phosphates Mines began to spring up after 1890, and by 1893, the Savannah, Florida, and Western Railway, already active in the area, extended its tracks southward from High Springs through the phosphate producing territory. Side 2: As a result of the mining activity and the appearance of the railroad, a new settlement appeared. A post office was established on March 19, 1894, under the name of Newtown; on August 1, the name was changed to Newberry. Most probably the new name was intended to honor Newberry, South Carolina, as many people had moved to North Florida from that town in the nineteenth century. The town of Newberry was incorporated in 1895. Phosphates continued to be the area's most important industry until the events of World War I reduced the market for the mineral. The region was later noted for its watermelon production and for other agricultural crops.
Sponsors: Sponsored by Alachua County Historical Commission In Cooperation With Department of State

NEWNANSVILLE

Location:U.S. 441, across road from Newnansville Cemetery
County: Alachua
City: Alachua
Description: Two miles to the north, Newnansville was the seat of Alachua County and center of trade and plantation life in the antebellum period. Its chief products were corn, cotton, and, after the War Between the States, citrus. In 1856 the courthouse was moved to Gainesville. It further declined when the freeze of 1886 destroyed the citrus. Lack of railway connections caused commercial stagnation. Its population was eventually absorbed by neighboring Alachua.

NEWNANSVILLE TOWN SITE

Location:Northeast of Alachua on S.R. 235. between Hipp Way and NW 12st Terrace
County: Alachua
City: Alachua
Description: At the end of 1824, Alachua County was organized as a political unit of the new Territory of Florida. The Seminole inhabitants of the Alachua region had recently been ordered to a reservation, and land was available there for white settlers. Early in 1826, a post office was established in this area called "Dell's P.O." It derived its name from the Dell brothers, who had first visited the Alachua region during the "Patriot War" (1812-14) and had later returned to settle there. In 1828, the settlement near Dell's P.O. was officially made the Alachua County seat and named "Newnansville" in honor of a Patriot War hero, Daniel Newnan. Newnansville became the junction of several important trails through frontier Florida. This marker stands on the site of the Bellamy Road, a cross-Florida route authorized by Congress in 1824 as the first federal road in the new territory. During the Second Seminole War (1835-42), hundreds of displaced refugee settlers were sheltered at Newnansville and also at Ft. Gilleland, a nearby military post built in 1836. After the hostilities were concluded, Newnansville prospered as a commercial center for the expanding Middle Florida frontier. The chief products of the area were corn, cotton, and after the Civil War, citrus. Except for a few years between 1832 and 1839, Newnansville served as the Alachua County seat until 1854. In that year, the political center of the county was moved to the new railroad town of Gainesville. During the next three decades, Newnansville slowly declined in population and importance. The community was dealt a final blow in 1884 when the Savannah, Florida and Western Railroad bypassed it. A new town, Alachua, grew up near that railroad. As the years passed, the residents of Newnansville moved there or elsewhere. By the 1970's only a few traces remained of the former community. In 1974, the Newnansville Town Site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places as an historic district in recognition of the importance of that nineteenth century community.
Sponsors: sponsored by alachua county historical commission in cooperation with department of state

RAILROADING IN HIGH SPRINGS

Location:20 NW Railroad Ave., in front of High Springs
County: Alachua
City: High Springs
Description: This old passenger depot, built c. 1910, is all that remains of the vast railroad complex located southwest of downtown that made High Springs a bustling railroad center for nearly 50 years. In 1895 the Plant Railroad System chose the town as the site of its divisional headquarters. Rail yards, workshops, and a roundhouse serviced hundreds of steam engines and cars sent to High Springs to be cleaned and repaired. The importance of High Springs as a rail center declined as diesel engines replaced the old steam locomotives after World War II. Gradually, all of the railroad buildings disappeared, except the depot, which was moved to this site and renovated as a railroad museum in 1994.
Sponsors: Sponsored by the Florida Department of State

ROCHELLE VICINITY

Location:CR 234 and CR 2082 along the Hawthorne/Gainesville Trail
County: Alachua
City: Rochelle
Description: Side 1: Colonel Daniel Newnan led a troop of the Georgia militia on a raid into the area in September 1812 in an attempt to annex Florida to the United States in the War of 1812. The raiders engaged a force of Seminole Indians under the command of Seminole chief King Payne. Several soldiers and Indians were killed in the fierce battle, including King Payne. Ft. Crane, named for Lt. Colonel Ichabod Crane, Commander of the U.S. Army District of Northeast Florida, was built in January 1837 during the Second Seminole War. It was located just south of Rochelle and was commanded by Lt. John H. Winder, who later served in the Mexican War. By the 1840s settlers had moved into the area from South Carolina and Georgia. The Perry, Rochelle, Tillman and Zetrouer families were among the earliest arrivals. Early roads in the area were heavily travelled by settlers and the military. One important route linked St. Augustine with Newnansville, located about 16 miles northwest of this marker. Union troops passed near this site in August 1864 enroute to Gainesville, where they were defeated by Confederate cavalry led by Capt. J.J. Dickison. Side 2: The community of Rochelle, located about one mile south of this marker, was first called Perry Junction and grew up around the site of the plantation of Madison Starke Perry, Governor of Florida 1857-61. In 1854, Perry had donated land for Oak Ridge Cemetery, located between Rochelle and Micanopy. Perry and many pioneer families from the area are buried there. The town was renamed Gruelle in 1881 and changed to Rochelle in 1884 in honor of the parents of Gov. Perry's wife, Martha Perry. Rochelle became a hub of the Florida Southern Railway in 1882 and later lay on the main line of the Plant Railway System, being a daily stopover between Jacksonville and St. Petersburg. By 1888 twenty-four trains a day passed through the community of about 100 residents. Rochelle became a citrus center, but the Great Freeze of 1894-95 destroyed the citrus crop, causing many of the inhabitants to leave. Today only a few buildings remain as reminders of the once thriving settlement. One of these is the Rochelle School (Martha Perry Institute), constructed in 1885, which served the community until 1935. The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
Sponsors: THE ALACHUA COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

ROPER PARK/OLD CITY PARK

Location:No. of NE 4th Ave, W o fNE 2nd
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: Roper Park is the original site of the parade grounds (in front of this site) and barracks (behind this site) for the East Florida Seminary, a non-sectarian educational institute and a forerunner of the University of Florida. James H. Roper (1835-1883) moved to Gainesville in 1856 and founded the first school, the Gainesville Academy. The Gainesville Academy moved to this site in 1857. Roper, a member of the State Senate in 1865-66 and the Board of Education, engineered the relocation of the East Florida Seminary to Gainesville by donating his school’s building and site in 1866. He was the president for the first two years. The barracks for the East Florida Seminary were built on this site in 1886. The two-story frame building had a double veranda along the south side, and a two-story porch surrounded an open courtyard in its center. Out-of-town students lived in 45 rooms that contained two iron beds with moss mattresses and feather pillows, a study table, a washstand, and a stove. The City of Gainesville purchased the block in 1906. In 1907, Gainesville’s mayor bought the barracks and added them to the nearby White House Hotel.
Sponsors: THE CITY OF GAINESVILLE AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

SANTA FE DE TOLOCA

Location:Northern Alachua County C. R. 241 just after NW 294 Ave.
County: Alachua
City: Bland
Description: A Spanish Mission was established near here within sight of the Santa Fe River about A.D. 1606 by Franciscan missionaries. The river took its name from the mission, as did the modern town of Santa Fe. At one time, Santa Fe de Toloca was said to be the principal Timucuan Indian mission in a chain that stretched across the interior of la Florida from St. Augustine on the east coast. during the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries, la Florida was a battleground where England, France, and Spain fought for control of the New World. This was part of a greater struggle between Old and New World cultures that began with the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492. Archaeological investigations between 1986 and 1989, by the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida, have revealed traces of a Spanish-style church, a cemetery with Indian burial in Christian fashion, traces of Indian village life, and fragments of seventeenth century Spanish and Indian pottery. The Indians at Santa Fe provisioned the Castillo de San Marcos and the town of St. Augustine with their crops of corn, wheat, and probably peaches, which they carried in baskets strapped to their backs along the Old Spanish Trail. Produce and cattle were also boated down the Santa Fe and Suwannee Rivers to Cuba. Several generations of Timucuans were born and died at this site. Everyday life centered on tending their gardens and studying Roman Catholic doctrine. Their routines were broken by visitations by the Bishop of Cuba, the Indian Rebellion of 1656, epidemics of disease introduced by Europeans, and the influx of other Indian groups. The mission church and village were attacked and burned in 1702 by invading English soldiers and their Indian allies from the Carolinas. The destruction of Santa Fe de Toloca, and the other missions of la Florida, weakened Spain's control and led, ultimately to Florida becoming a United States' possession in 1821. Santa Fe de Toloca was located at an existing Indian village. This may have been the same village visited by Hernando de Soto's army in 1539; a village called Cholupaha. This area was called "Bland" by its first and only postmaster, J.L. Matthews, who named it for his son in 1903.
Sponsors: The Alachua County Historical Commission in Cooperation with the Florida Department of State

SPANISH CATTLE RANCHING

Location:E. University Ave near Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Garden
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: Present-day Gainesville was the center of a large Spanish cattle ranching industry, founded on the labor of native Timuqua Indians, during the 1600s. LaChua, largest of the ranches, was a Spanish corruption of an Indian word, and in turn was corrupted into "Alachua County." English raids destroyed the Indian civilization and Spanish ranches, although large wild herds of cattle were not uncommon during Seminole War years (1835-1842).
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

THE BAILEY HOUSE

Location:1121 NW 6th Street
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: This is one of the oldest houses in the city of Gainesville. It was constructed about 1850 by Major James B. Bailey, a prominent citizen of Alachua County. Bailey was a leading proponent of moving the county seat away from Newnansville to a new place, later known as Gainesville, part of which was to be located on his own plantation. The Bailey House was entered in the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. Although it has been slightly altered during its existence, Major Bailey's house survives as a good example of the Antebellum domestic architecture of this area.
Sponsors: sponsored by the bailey house in cooperation with department of state

THE LAW SCHOOL MOUND

Location:University of Florida Law School grounds, near the interestion of SW 25th St. and 2nd Ave
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: 100 yards west is an aboriginal burial mound built ca. A.D. 1000 by Alachua tradition peoples, ancestors of the Potano Indians who lived in Alachua County in the 16th and 17th centuries. Initially several individuals were buried in a central grave, and a small earthen mound was raised over them. Through time additional burials were laid on the mound's surface and covered with earth. The villagers who built the mound probably lived along the shore of Lake Alice. Well before the mound was built, people of the Deptford Culture, 500 B.C. to A.D. 100, camped on this same location. The remains of their campsite were covered by the mound. First dug in 1881 by a local Gainesville resident, the mound and earlier campsite were excavated by Florida State Museum archaeologists and students in 1976.
Sponsors: sponsored by the university of florida law center association in cooperation with the department of state

TURPENTINE INDUSTRY

Location:SR 24, No. Fairbanks
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: Side 1: The naval stores industry was important to maritime power worldwide. Pine tar and pitch were used to seal wooden ships and protect sails and rigging. When settlers came to America - in Florida (1565), in Virginia (1607) and in Massachusetts (1620) - they found vast pine forests with resinous tar and pitch, a scarce commodity for European competitors with wooden fleets. Settlers at first produced pine pitch and tar by distilling resin-soaked fat pine wood from dead tree logs, limbs and knots, covering them with soil and burning them to yield tar and charcoal. After fat pine wood became scarce, pitch was made by chopping deep cavities or boxes near the base of living trees to collect gum. Only crude gum was exported until simple distillation techniques separated volatile turpentine from the residual rosin poured hot into barrels for domestic use or export. During the next three hundred years, with little change, this forest product industry prospered, first in the Carolinas, then Georgia and Florida to become a major U.S. industry. Production of gum was greatly accelerated and tree life protected when the Herty clay cups, introduced in early 1900’s, replaced cut boxes. Side 2: From 1909 until 1923, Florida led the nation in pine gum production. In 1909, the peak year in the U.S.A. gum yielded 750,000 barrels of turpentine and 2.5 million barrels of rosin. The 1910 census listed 27,2ll men and 3l6 women, mostly blacks, working in the industry with 65 percent in Florida. Fairbanks, Florida was a turpentine still town with the Mize family operation processing ten 50-gallon barrels of crude gum at a time. This still required six crops of 10,000 faces (an area where streaks of bark are removed) and each crop covered 400 acres. As recently as 1951, 105 fire stills operated around Gainesville. The Mize family operated the Fairbanks still until 1950. Many of the buildings (the cooper’s shed, machine shop and worker homes) still stand. Ellis Mize (1882-1967) donated land with a lake bearing his name to the University of Florida’s forestry education program. In 1948, they deeded this private cemetery on that property to the Fairbanks Baptist Church. Because of his love for the pine tree industry, Mize had his granite tombstone carved to resemble a working face pine tree. This marker is dedicated to all who toiled to provide an income for families and communities and resinous products worldwide.
Sponsors: FLORIDA SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FORESTERS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA HISTORIC CAMPUS

Location:Near corner of University & 13th
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: The University of Florida Campus Historic District and two individual campus buildings were listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1989 and 1990 in recognition of their architectural and cultural significance and the coherence of the campus plan. The buildings were designed by architects William A. Edwards from 1905 to 1924 and Rudolph Weaver from 1925 to 1939 in the Collegiate Gothic style. The landscape plan was developed in 1926 by Olmsted Brothers, the firm that designed New York's Central Park. The historic campus reflects the university's rich heritage and the significant place it holds in Florida's educational history.
Sponsors: The Florida Department of State

WALDO

Location:S.W. 5th Blvd.(east bound SR24) at S.W. 2nd Way in
County: Alachua
City: Waldo
Description: The first permanent English-speaking settlers came to the northeast portion of Alachua County in the 1820's. In 1837, during the Second Seminole War, an army post, Fort Harlee, was established on the Santa Fe River about three miles north of this spot. Abandoned as a military installation in 1838, the settlement at Fort Harlee served as a postal center for the surrounding community until 1858. In that year a post office was established at a town being founded at the point where the Florida Railroad (then under construction) would cross the Bellamy Road. This new town was named Waldo in honor of Dr. Benjamin Waldo. The name was probably selected by David Levy Yulee, president of the Florida Railroad. By February 1, 1859, the Florida Railroad was completed through Waldo to Gainesville. The Peninsular Railroad, planned as early as 1859 to run from Waldo to Tampa, was completed to Ocala in 1881. Both roads were part of the Florida Transit Railway. Waldo had become an important rail junction and continued to be until the shops and headquarters were moved beginning in 1929. Another transportation link was established in 1879 when the Santa Fe Canal Company completed construction of two canals from Waldo to Melrose via Lake Alto and Lake Santa Fe. In the late 19th century the steamboat "F.S. Lewis" and later the "Alert" carried passengers and freight. Commercial use of the canals declined around 1920, but they continue to be used by pleasure craft. Waldo citizens met in 1876 and organized a municipal government. The town was incorporated August 1, 1907. Many settlers and tourists came to Waldo in the 1880's, reflecting the growth of the citrus industry in North Florida. The freezes of 1886 and 1894-95 ruined the citrus groves in the Waldo area, but the region has remained an agriculturally productive one.
Sponsors: Sponsored by Alachua County Historical Commission In Cooperation With Department of State

WILLIAM BARTRAM (1739-1823)

Location:N.E.Cholokka Blvd. County Road 25-A at N.E. Semin
County: Alachua
City: Micanopy
Description: The great quaker naturalist of Philadelphia made a long journey through the southeastern states in the 1770's collecting botanical specimens. In May, 1774, he visited the Seminole Chief, Cowkeeper, at the Indian village of Cuscowilla located near this spot. His book, "TRAVELS...", provided the earliest reliable account of North Florida landscape, flora, fauna and Indian life and his vivid images of local scenes inspired Coleridge, Wordsworth and Emerson.

KANAPAHA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Location:6221 Southwest 75th Terrace
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: In 1857, a group of Sea Island cotton planters from South Carolina who steeled near here called an organizational meeting to establish Kanapaha Presbyterian Church. The Reverend William J. McCormick (1821-1883) was recruited from South Carolina to be its first pastor. The first sanctuary was erected in 1859 on land donated by Moses Ramsey on the old military road now known as S.W. 63rd Boulevard. In April 1859, McCormick conducted the first servives and the church was formally organized. During the Civil War, Kanapaha Church fell into disrepair. A new sanctuary designed in the Gothic Revival Style was built in 1886 near the train depot in South Arrendondo, later called Kanapaha. Beginning in 1961, services were held in a building closer to Gainesville but the congregation returned to the church here in 1970, after restoration was completed. Kanapaha Presbyterian Church is one of the oldest churches in Alachua County, and still retains the original pews, kerosene chandelier, stained glass windows, and bell. The churches original Steeple, badly damaged by hurricanes in the 1940s, was restored in 2001.
Sponsors: Sponsored by the Kanapaha Presbyterian Church and the Florida Department of State

EARLETON, FLORIDA

Location:NE 77th Ln and SR 200 A
County: Alachua
City: Earleton
Description: Side 1: Earleton is named for General Elias B. Earle (1821-1893) who received government land grants in Florida for his service in the U.S./Mexican War (1846-48). Born into a prominent South Carolina family, Gen. Earle fought in the Palmetto Regiment, enlisted as a private, and at war's end received the honorary commission of General from the Governor of South Carolina. He moved to the western shore of Lake Santa Fe with his wife and four children between 1856 and 1860. When the Civil War began, Gen. Earle owned a 2000-acre cotton plantation north of here and had 50 slaves, making him one of the largest slave holders in Alachua County. A colonel of the Seventh Florida Regiment, Earle joined Capt. J.J. Dickison's Company H for the 1864 Battle of Gainesville, leading an infantry of ninety men down what is now E. University Ave. After the war, Earle became a director for the canal company connecting Lake Santa Fe to Lake Alto and president of the Green Cove Springs to Melrose Railroad. His son-in-law, German botanist Baron Hans von Luttichau (1845-1926) created the "Collins-Belvedere Azalea Gardens" in Earleton, introducing Formosa azaleas to Florida. Earle is buried in the family plot at Eliam Cemetery in Melrose. Side 2: St. John's Episcopal Church and Cemetery were established at this site in the late 1870s by English settlers. Completed in 1880, the church was one of the first carpenter gothic chapels in Florida. It was at the time known as the mission at Balmoral and the Lake Santa Fe Mission. When Trinity Episcopal Church (still standing) was completed in Melrose in 1886, this smaller church was sold for $15 and torn down. The cemetery was established in 1878 and held between 60-70 graves at the turn of the 20th Century. Little is known about who is buried there because the records were lost when the Diocesan headquarters burned during the Jacksonville fire of 1901. The only legible headstone belongs to Emma Lucy Hilton, who was born in England in 1827, and died in Earleton in 1884. On the banks of Lake Santa Fe (east of here) sat the Balmoral Hotel, which catered to northern tourists who came by train to Waldo and then by steamboat through the Lake Alto canal. Balmoral was an impressive two-story, U-shaped structure and a popular resort through the 1880s, until the 1894-95 freezes ruined the local economy. The hotel was turned into a private residence and eventually burned. No trace is left.
Sponsors: Historic Melrose, Inc. and the Florida Department of State

SERENOLA PLANTATION

Location:Squirrel Park
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: Side 1: In 1857, David Rogerson Williams II (1822-1907) of Darlington Co., SC, purchased 1,000 acres, including this site bordering Payne’s Prairie, and developed them as a plantation known as “Serenola.” The 1860 census shows 120 slaves lived in 24 houses on the plantation, where cotton, sugar cane, and corn were grown. By 1870, the plantation’s land and tenements were owned by Capt. Garth W. James (1845-1883), a Union veteran of the 54th Regiment Massachusetts Colored Infantry, and William R. Robeson (1845-1922), an attorney from Boston, MA. In 1875, Robeson began selling some of his Serenola land. Among the grantees in 1880 was industrialist Andrew Carnegie. More remarkable were the 250 acres that Robeson sold from 1875 through 1885 to five black families, most of whom had once served as slaves of Williams, the original owner of the plantation. The freedmen and their families included: Harrison Lynch (1835-1916), with his wife Hannah and their four children; Mack Williams (1825-1898), with his wife Sally and their four children; minister Washington West (1853-1942), with his wife Nelly and their two children; Jerry Gregg (1845-1920), with his wife Jane and their five children; and Bina Gregg, a widow (1805-1896). Side 2: At that time, farming was the mainstay of Alachua County. Between 1872 and 1892, the location of the former plantation near the Payne’s Prairie waterways gave the farmers easy access to ship produce north by steamboat. By 1891, the Gainesville, Rocky Point & Micanopy Railroad ran through the property, providing further access to markets. Serenola had a lasting impact on Alachua County’s economy until the 1950s, when farming declined as the farmers passed away. The last of the former Serenola slaves who farmed the land died in 1942. The main house and the slave quarters no longer exist, but the surroundings remain much as they appeared in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. A dirt road once known as Rocky Point Road, with its canopy of oak trees, still runs through what was the plantation. It became a public highway in 1889, and is now S.W. 17th Terrace. During the early 1900s, West family members established Minnie Hill Baptist Church, located on the old road. After Washington West retired as pastor of Serenola Baptist Church, which he helped found in 1885, he attended the Minnie Hill Church until his death. That church was renamed Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in 1992
Sponsors: The Serenola Community Cemetery, Inc. and the Florida Department of State

MICANOPY

Location:NE. Cholokka Blvd. at N.E. Peach Ave. in front of gazebo.
County: Alachua
City: Micanopy
Description: Side 1: Founded after Spain relinquished Florida to the United States in 1821, Micanopy became the first distinct American town founded in the new US territory. Originally an Indian trading post, Micanopy was built under the auspices of the Florida Association of New York. A leading member of this company, Moses E. Levy, along with Edward Wanton, a former Anglo-Spanish Indian trader, played important roles here. In 1822, a select group of settlers and skilled craftsmen departed New York harbor and set sail for Florida. After disembarking on the banks of the St. Johns River (at the site of present-day Palatka), and with the added labor of 15 slaves, these men forged a 45-mile road with eight bridges to Micanopy--a vital new pathway into the interior. These first settlers arrived on February 12, 1823, and were in close contact with both Seminole and Miccosukee Indians, as well as the black descendants of runaway slaves who resided among them. This initial period was one of relative peace. Micanopy means "head chief," a title awarded to the leader of the Alachua Seminoles. For a time, this frontier hamlet was also known informally as "Wantons." Side 2: The onset of the Second Seminole War in December 1835 caused great devastation. Nearby sugar plantations and homesteads were burned and entire families sought the safety of Micanopy, which had been barricaded with log pickets and renamed Fort Defiance by the military. During the summer of 1836, the Battle of Micanopy and the Battle of Welika Pond took place here. On August 24, with most soldiers sick or wounded, the US Army evacuated the fort and town and all buildings were intentionally burned. Afterward, Fort Micanopy was erected in 1837. The town was rebuilt after the Seminole War, with few of the original inhabitants returning. Cotton replaced sugar cane as a staple crop and cattle production assumed new importance. Following the Civil War and with the advent of the railroad, the Micanopy area became known as the "leading orange and vegetable growing section of Florida." After a freeze in 1894-95, orange cultivation was curtailed, but farmers continued to flourish by growing winter vegetables for northern markets. By the 1920s, truck farming was largely displaced by the lumber and turpentine industries. Many of the town’s larger surviving homes reflect the previous era of agricultural prosperity.
Sponsors: The Micanopy Historical Society and the Florida Department of State

SHADY GROVE PRIMITIVE BAPTIST CHURCH AND PORTER'S QUARTERS

Location:804 Southwest 5th Street
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: Shady Grove Primitive Baptist Church is a landmark in Porters Quarters, one of Gainesville's oldest and most historic African-American neighborhoods. Dr. Watson Porter, a Canadian physican, established Porters Addition to Gainesville in 1884 and sold lots exclusively to African Americans, many of whom worked in the nearby railroad yards and industrial sites. The Shady Grove congregation was organized in 1894, under the leadership of the Reverend Mose Edwards and Reverend Cobb. Deacons serving were Brothers Mickins, Sweat, Festen, and Clay. Amelia Carter and Penny Brightman served as the first Deconesses. In 1900 the Deacons of the church, Thomas T. Sweat and Jackson Stanley, purchased the corner lot from Dr. Watson Porter and his wife for $30 as a site for the congregation's origianl wood frame church, which was shaded by large oak trees. In the mid-1930s, the wood church was replaced by the present masonry building, constructed of coquina blocks purchased in St. Augestine. During the Civil Rights era, the local NAACP committee met at the Shady Grove Primitive Baptist Church to plan for the integration of Gainesville's public schools. The Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005
Sponsors: Shady Grove Primitive Baptist Church Board of Deacons and the Florida Department of State

THE HOME OF A. QUINN JONES, SR., EDUCATOR

Location:1013 N.W. 7th Avenu
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: A. Quinn Jones, Sr. (1893-1997), teacher, educational leader, and prominent African-American advocate, lived here from 1925 to 1997. The home, built ca. 1920, is a one-story frame bungalow set on brick piers. Jones' career, spanning the segregation era, was marked by his determination to provide quality education to all African-American children. Jones served as teacher and principal at two of Alachua County's most important African-American schools, Union Academy (1921-1923) and Lincoln High School (1923-1957). He taught English, Latin, math, and science, and held fundraisers to ensure materials and salaries to his students and staff. In 1924-25, Jones extended Lincoln's grades to the 12th so that students could earn a full high school diploma. The Florida Department of Education noted Jones' leadership and in 1926, Lincoln High School became Florida's second accredited African-American High School. In 1956, Lincoln High School moved to the southeast area of Gainesville and the original building became an elementary school bearing Jones' name. The A. Quinn Jones Center stands as a memorial to his extraordinary contributions to the African-American community, the people of Alachua County, and the State of Florida.
Sponsors: The City of Gainesville and the Florida Department of State

MICANOPY HISTORIC CEMETERY

Location:West Smith Avenue
County: Alachua
City: Micanopy
Description: The Micanopy Historic Cemetery was founded by Dr. H. Lucious Montgomery Sr., a physician in the Township of Micanopy during the 1800's. Dr. Montgomery and his wife, Lucinda Jane Montgomery, the owners of the cemetery land, deeded lot No. 30 to the Cemetery Trustees in 1897 for one dollar. The Township was given the cemetery in 1905 and the Micanopy Cemetery Association was established that year. Thomas McCredie, J.D. Watkins and E.C. Chitty were the first board members. Lot No. 29 was deeded to the Trustee Board and Micanopy Cemetery Association in 1911. It cost $300. Members of the Trustee Board were O.L. Feaster, J.B. Simonton, J.D. Merry, W.D. Merry, W.D. Bobbitt, W.C. Barnett. B.O. Franklin and H.L. Montgomery Sr. Thje cemetery has had over 2,000 butials in it's 181-year history. it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The first recorded burial dated from 1826 and the cemetery is still picturesque and a wonderful example of American history preserved.
Sponsors: The Town of Micanopy and The Florida Department of State

GAINESVILLE SERVICEMEN'S CENTER

Location:516 Northeast 2nd Avenue
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: The City of Gainesville purchased the Servicemen’s Center lot on December. 7th 1942. The Federal Works Agency constructed a $37,000 building with a ballroom, stage, dressing rooms, second floor reading room, three showers, three telephone booths for long distance calls, a coat check room, a 20-foot-long snack bar, and a kitchen with a ten-burner stove. The FWA provided sofas and easy chairs, a baby grand piano, a fiddle, trombone, radio, juke box, and a victrola. The city paid for kitchen equipment, flowered drapes, the mantle mirror, ping pong and snooker tables. They also paved NE 2nd Avenue and laid sidewalks. The Garden Club supplied and installed plants. Senator Claude Pepper dedicated the building on July 23rd 1943. Servicemen from Camp Blanding, the Alachua Army Air Base, the Officer Candidate School and the 62nd College Training Detachment attended events organized by program director Thelma Boltin (1904-1992) seven days a week from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM that included dances, plays, variety shows, sing alongs, chess, pinochle and bingo. Outdoor activities included badminton, barbeque and shuffleboard. Civic clubs provided funds and hostesses for meals including 400 dinners on Thanksgiving. The city bought the building for $12,500 in 1946 and retained Miss Boltin as Director. A 1928 graduate of Emerson College, she returned to Gainesville after teaching in Polk County 1930-32 and taught English, Speech and directed plays at Gainesville High School. The School Board employed her until 1956 when she moved to White Springs to direct the Florida Folk Festival. She was a founder, actor and director at the Gainesville Little Theater (Community Playhouse), chair of the Florida and National Federation of Music Clubs, received an award from the American Assoc. for State and Local History, was WGGG Radio's “Story Hour Lady,” artist in residence at schools, and assisted folklife programs in Dade City, Apopka, Cocoa, and Fernandina. She was known as “Cousin Thelma,” and “Queen of Florida Folklore.” In 1946 she organized the teen club at the “Rec Center” which continued through the 1960s. Local bands with Stephen Stills, Don Felder and Bernie Leadon played Friday night dances which Tom Petty attended. All four are now in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The building became a senior center in the 1970s and is also used for dances, wedding receptions and civic events. A $420,000 renovation took place in 2000.
Sponsors: The Alachua County Historical Commission and the Florida Department of State

OLD STAGE ROAD

Location:SW 24th Ave at SW 69th Terrace
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: The Old Stage Road, one of Alachua County’s original highways, passed near here. Dating from the 1820s, it connected the county’s two major towns, Newnansville (once the county seat near present day Alachua) and Micanopy to the south. The road served as a major commerce, transportation and military artery. Forts built for protection from Seminole Indians near Micanopy and Newnansville were linked by the road. During the Second Seminole War of 1835 to 1842, Fort Clarke, a U.S. Army post, was built along the road northwest of here. By the early 1860s, local farmers relied on the road to transport crops to the railroad depot in Arredondo. From 1866 to 1876, a stage line used the road, carrying mail and passengers to Ocala and Newnansville, and to Tampa by 1869. Use of the road diminished after steamer service across Alachua Lake (now Payne’s Prairie) began in 1876. Railroad service was expanded to Micanopy in the early 1880s. Newnansville had been deserted by 1900. In the 20th century, sections of the road were abandoned in favor of newer and better roads. Original sections of the Old Stage Road still exist.
Sponsors: SPONSORED BY INFINITE PROPERTIES, LLC., THE ALACHUA COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

TIMUCUA BURIAL MOUND/ TIMUCUA PEOPLE

Location:University of Florida Levin College of Law's Law School Woods
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: Side One: This earthen mound pays tribute to the ancestors of the Timucua Indians who lived and established villages near lakes and other sources of fresh water in north central Florida. Around 950 CE, following millenia of occupation by Native American peoples near Lake Alice, the ancestors of the Timucua marked this location as sacred with the initiation of a cemetery. They buried several individuals in a central grave and then constructed a small earthen mound over them. Over the years, additional burials were laid on the mound surface and covered with earth, especially on the southeastern side, resulting in an oval-shaped footprint. In 1881, assistant Gainesville Postmaster James Bell began conducting a limited amateur excavation, but found no evidence of burials. In 1976, a more thorough scientific excavation was conducted by University of Florida archaeologists and students that confirmed that the site had been used for burial purposes. The mound is estimated to have been around 50’ in diameter and about 6’ high prior to disturbance by plowing and early excavations. The site was protected within the Law School Woods conservation area. This burial mound is sacred to Native peoples and protected under State law. Side Two: Although this mound ceased to be used for burial purposes, indigenous people continued to live in this area. They are known to those who came after them as the Timucua. Scholars refer to those Timucua who lived in this part of North Florida when Europeans arrived in the 16th Century under the subdivision Potano, named for the Spanish mission San Francisco de Potano established about 10 miles north of here in 1606. Our knowledge about the Timucua comes from archaeological sites like this one and from historical records from the Spanish Colonial period. The descendants of the people buried here were probably part of the system of Catholic missions throughout this region. Untold numbers of Timucua people died from war, forced labor, and disease during the 17th and 18th centuries. This marker is intended honor to the memory of the first people of Alachua County, using the following words from the Timucuan language: Naebahiono manta nahiabotanicano - We remember them with compassion.
Sponsors: The Native American Law Student Association- University of Florida Chapter

MT. CARMEL BAPTIST CHURCH

Location:429 NW 4th Street
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: The congregation of the Mt. Carmel Baptist Church first met on May 4, 1896. The church’s original members worshipped in the St. Paul CME Church, and together the congregations bought a parcel of land in 1900 to build a new church. Its construction continued piecemeal until the church was completed in 1943. Led by NAACP leader, the Rev. Thomas A. Wright, high school and college students, and church elders met at Mt. Carmel to organize for school integration and the appointment of black city officials from 1962 until Wright’s retirement in 2006. They were aided by the strategy and power of University of Florida professors Ruth McQuown and Marshall Jones. In 1963, a Civil Rights march for desegregated public facilities and businesses began here. Students from the all-black Lincoln High School, including Joel Buchanan, Sandra Ezell, and LaVon Wright, met at Mt. Carmel to catch rides to Gainesville High School during the school’s integration from 1964-1970. Wright advocated for the role of community youth in moving equality forward, and his nonviolent protests in St. Augustine and Gainesville mobilized other black communities across the state to work toward desegregation in the second half of the 20th century.
Sponsors: Prayers by Faith Ministries and the Florida Department of State

CHESTNUT FUNERAL HOME

Location:18 NW 8th Avenue
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: The Chestnut family in Gainesville has served the mortuary needs of the African American community in Alachua County since 1914. Charles S. Chestnut, Sr. was a founding member of the Florida Morticians Association in the early 1900s. The business was founded in the early 1920s by Matthew E. Hughes and Charles S. Chestnut, Sr. as the Hughes and Chestnut Funeral Home. This Mission-style building was built for the business in 1928. Following Hughes’s death in 1947, the business was re-named the Chestnut Funeral Home. Four generations of the Chestnut family have managed the business, and provided training for undertakers, some of whom went on to establish their own funeral homes. In addition to providing professional service to the community, the Chestnuts have followed the tradition of civic duty set by Johnson Chestnut. He was the first member of the Chestnut family to settle in Gainesville, and served on the city commission from 1868-1869. Many of Johnson Chestnut’s descendants have been community leaders and have held a variety of elected offices. During the Civil Rights era, they worked to integrate schools and businesses and provided a meeting place at the Chestnut Funeral Home for the local chapter of the NAACP.
Sponsors: The Chestnut Family and the Florida Department of State

EVERGREEN CEMETERY

Location:401 SE 21st Avenue
County: Alachua
City: Ganinesville
Description: Evergreen Cemetery, known locally as “This Wondrous Place,” began with the burial of a baby girl in 1856. The infant, Elizabeth Thomas, was the daughter of wealthy cotton merchant James T. Thomas and his wife, Elizabeth Jane Hall Thomas. The baby was laid to rest by a young cedar tree on family land. Eight months later, her mother was buried alongside her. Their double grave is marked with a simple headstone carved by a noted stonemason from Charleston, W. A. White. In 1866, Thomas sold his 720-acre parcel, reserving roughly one acre around the burial for a graveyard. The Evergreen Cemetery Association operated the cemetery, beginning in 1890, until it was purchased by the City of Gainesville in 1944. The cemetery now includes 53 acres, and is the final resting place of more than 10,000 people. Some of the persons interred here are Gainesville founder James B. Bailey, anthropologist William R. Maples, ecologists Archie and Marjorie Carr, Florida’s first female physician Sarah L. Robb, Major General Albert H. Blanding, U.S. Commissioner of Education John J. Tigert, and Gatorade inventor Robert Cade. Veterans of nearly every American conflict since the 1830s are also buried here.
Sponsors: Evergreen Cemetery Association of Gainesville, Inc., and the Florida Department of State

ALACHUA GENERAL HOSPITAL

Location:801 SW 2nd Avenue
County: Alachua
City: Gainseville
Description: Historic Alachua General Hospital (AGH) stood on this site for nearly 82 years. A county or community-supported venture for much of its history, the hospital served the needs of Alachua County citizens for generations as a respected health care resource. Public attempts to raise funds and establish a community hospital began in 1904. In 1906, the Alachua County Hospital Association leased the Odd Fellows Home, built in 1883 as a sanatorium, and in 1928, the 58-bed Alachua County Hospital opened. As community needs grew, the hospital added an annex in 1943 and a staff and nurses’ residence in 1944. The Hospital Auxiliary, formed in 1953 as a volunteer organization, provided valuable services to support hospital activities. By its 50th anniversary in 1978, AGH had become a private, not-for-profit hospital. In 1983, AGH became part of SantaFe Health Care; then, in 1996, it was purchased by Shands HealthCare. For 13 years, Shands AGH further developed its outstanding reputation. The hospital closed in 2009 and in 2010 became the site for the Florida Innovation Square at the University of Florida.
Sponsors: University of Florida Health and the Florida Department of State

MOSES ELIAS LEVY

Location:
County: Alachua
City: Micanopy
Description: Moses Elias Levy (1782-1854), a Moroccan born Jewish merchant, came to Florida after its cession from Spain to the United States in 1821. Before his arrival, Levy acquired over 50,000 acres in East Florida. In 1822, Levy began development on Pilgrimage Plantation, just northwest of the future town of Micanopy. The plantation’s main commodity was sugar cane, which Levy had reintroduced to Florida. Levy and his partners, including the Florida Association of New York, helped to draw Jewish settlers to the area with the goal of creating a refuge for oppressed European Jews in a communitarian settlement, the first on U.S. soil. Levy’s efforts sparked significant economic development, spurring the growth of Micanopy from a small trading post to a bustling town. Pilgrimage was destroyed in 1835 during the Second Seminole War, but Levy’s reform efforts continued. He promoted free public education and served as one of the territory's first Education Commissioners. He was also a vigorous advocate for the gradual abolition of slavery and the humane treatment of enslaved people. Levy was the father of David Levy Yulee, one of the first U.S. Senators from Florida and the first U.S. Senator of Jewish heritage in American history.
Sponsors: The Town of Micanopy, Micanopy Historical Society, The Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation

LACROSSE, FLORIDA (REVISED)

Location:
County: Alachua
City: LaCrosse
Description: Settlement in the LaCrosse area started in the 1840s with the arrival of John Cellon, a young French immigrant. Other early settlers were Thomas Green, Abraham Mott, Richard H. Parker and family, William Scott and Thomas Standley. The town was built on land granted to Parker by the U.S. government in 1856. Cotton was the area’s primary cash crop, and local buyers, like John Eli Futch, capitalized on the growing industry. Futch built a warehouse to store harvests and a general store to serve growers. In 1878, Parker’s son, Henry Clay, opened his first business, which became the largest general store in the area. The post office opened in Futch’s store in 1881, and he served as postmaster. The town was incorporated in 1897 and was named by either Mrs. Futch or Henry Clay Parker. By the turn of the 20th century, LaCrosse had two cotton gins, grist mills, multiple stores, and a hotel. Boll weevils devastated the local cotton industry, and farmers turned to potatoes as a new cash crop. The town gained acclaim as the “Potato District” and became a major shipping point with a cooper assembling barrels to transport crops by rail. LaCrosse remains a vital farming area for corn, vegetables, tobacco, and livestock.
Sponsors: Alachua County Historical Commission, The Parker Family

ALACHUA COUNTY TRAINING SCHOOL

Location:Southwest Corner of Northwest 141 Street & 158 Avenue
County: Alachua
City: Alachua
Description: Side One: The Alachua County Training School was built at this location as the first school for blacks in the City of Alachua in 1922. In 1920, a delegation of courageous black men from Alachua led by Jack Postell, who could neither read nor write, approached the Alachua County School Board to build a school for the city’s black children. Postell was inspired by the Julius Rosenwald Fund, which provided aid for the construction of African American schools in the rural South. Directed by the School Board to raise $10,000 for construction of the school, Postell and his delegation raised the money in two years. Donations included $1,600 from the Rosenwald Fund and money from the John F. Slater Fund to furnish the school. The school opened in September 1922 with Napoleon B. Campbell as its first principal, and 300 students, ages 7-25 in grades 1-6. By 1938, grades 7-12 had been added. Students were given an education that emphasized agriculture and home economics, as well as academic subjects. A.L. Mebane served as principal from 1924 until the 1950s. The school operated for 36 years and was a mainstay of the African-American community until it was demolished in 1959. Side Two: This one-story frame vernacular style building, supported on a brick pier foundation with lattice infill, featured exposed rafter tails, decorative gable end brackets, and nine-over-one double hung windows. The school consisted of an auditorium and seven classrooms. Many of its graduates returned to the county after college as successful contributing professionals.
Sponsors: The A.L. Mebane High School Alumni Association, Inc.

THOMAS GILBERT PEARSON 1873-1943

Location:Corner of US 41 and SW 137th Ave
County: Alachua
City: Archer
Description: Thomas Gilbert Pearson was an ornithologist, college professor, and world leader of the bird preservation movement. Pearson grew up in Archer, where he collected bird skins and eggs and taught himself ornithology to pay for his schooling at Guilford College in North Carolina. Pearson donated his collection to the college museum and served as curator. He taught at Guilford and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He joined the American Orinthologists' Union, which initiated the Audubon movement to protect the nation's rapidly declining bird populations. He founded and directed the Audubon Society of North Carolina, the South's first state wildlife commission. He served successively as secretary and president of what is now the National Audubon Society. The Audubon movement changed public attitudes toward birds, and was instrumental in obtaining government action that saved millions of birds and brought several species back from the verge of extinction. The movement also helped lay the foundation for a global effort to save the earth's diverse biological systems. Pearson is buried in Greensboro, North Carolina. His parents and brother are buried in Archer.
Sponsors: Alachua County Historical Commission, City of Archer Alachua Historical Society, and Alachua County Commission and the Florida Department of State

JESSE JOHNSON FINLEY

Location:401 Se 21st Ave, Evergreen Cemetery
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: Jesse Johnson Finley was born in Wilson County, Tennessee, November 18, 1812 and educated in Lebanon, Tennessee. After service as a captain in the Seminole War of 1836, he studied law and was admitted to the bar. During a ten year period he served in the Florida and Mississippi legislatures and as mayor of Memphis, Tennessee. He was elevated to the Florida bench in 1853 and was appointed Confederate district judge for the state in 1861 but soon promoted to colonel of the 6th Florida Infantry, where he participated in the Kentucky campaign under General Kirby-Smith and at Chickamauga. Commissioned as brigadier general in November 1863, he was assigned to command of Florida infantry regiments in the Army of Tennessee, where he led his brigade with great credit in the Chattanooga and Atlanta campaigns. Twice severely wounded, he was incapacitated for further field duty after the battle of Jonesboro. After the war, he served parts of three contested terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, and in 1887 was appointed by the governor to serve in the U.S. Senate in anticipation of a resignation which did not occur. He had served in all three branches of government, with service at the local, state, and national level. This service was rendered in three states. He dies in Lake City on November 6, 1904 and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery. His son, Samuel Y. Finley, elected as Gainesville's first mayor in 1869, is also buried here.

ALACHUA COUNTY COURTHOUSE

Location:Corner of Main (SR 329) & SE 1st St.
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: The Alachua County Commission, by authority of the Florida Legislature, selected this site for a courthouse in 1854, moving the county seat from Newnansville. The first courthouse was a frame building completed in 1856. It was demolished on the completion of a red brick courthouse in 1886. The current building, completed in 1958, and its 1962 addition, were erected in response to the continuing expansion of governmental needs in Alachua County.
Sponsors: Alachua County Historical Commission, Authorized by the Board of County Commissioners in Cooperation with Department of State

ARCHER, FLORIDA

Location:16870 SW 134th Ave City Hall grounds
County: Alachua
City: Archer
Description: Side 1: When Europeans first arrived in this area in the 16th century, the inhabitants were Timucuan Indians. In 1774, traveling botanist William Bartram visited Seminole Indians nearby. In the 1850's a town called Deer Hammock was established here, probably in anticipation of the construction of the Florida Railroad from Fernandina to Cedar Key. Upon completion of the railroad to Deer Hammock in 1859, the name of the town was changed in honor of James T. Archer, Florida's Secretary of State 1845-49 and advocate of internal improvements. The Archer post office was established the same year. In May, 1865, the remnants of the Confederate treasury, removed from captured Richmond and conveyed by baggage train into Florida, were hidden at Cotton Wood, the Archer plantation of David Yulee, just prior to Union seizure at Waldo. Side 2: In the contested presidential election of 1876, the votes of the Archer precinct for the Republican candidate were among those challenged but allowed to stand, thus securing the victory of Rutherford B. Hayes over Samuel J. Tilden. The town of Archer was incorporated in 1878. Among new arrivals in the 1880's were Quakers who planted extensive orange groves using avenues of oaks as windbreaks. The freezes of 1886 and 1894-95 killed the orange trees, but the oaks survived to shade the city streets. Archer's oldest surviving industry is the Maddox Foundry, established in 1905 by H. Maddox and operated by his descendants.
Sponsors: Sponsored by Alachua County Historical Commission In Cooperation With Department of State

BLAND COMMUNITY

Location:1801 Gulf Breeze Parkway
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: Settled in the 1840s by cotton planters from Georgia and South Carolina, Bland became a diverse agrarian area where farmers and sharecroppers raised cattle and grew cotton and a variety of fruits and vegetables. Joseph “Fate” Lafayette Matthews (1868-1934) was the town’s most prominent citizen who moved to the area from Bradford County in 1899. He and Thomas A. Doke initially purchased 720 acres of land which was once part of the Samuel R. Pyles plantation. Matthews built a large home and general merchandise store just under a mile south of here. With cotton gins and a grist mill, the store served as the center of commerce for the area. In May 1903 Matthews opened a post office which was named for his son, Blan C. Matthews (1902-1927). Fate Matthews served as the only postmaster until the closing of the post office in July 1906. By the late 1920s he was one of the county’s largest land owners. On December 1, 1934, Matthews, then president of the Bank of Alachua, was murdered in his home by a man upon whose house he had foreclosed. William and Elsie Washington successfully homesteaded 104 acres in this area in 1879. Among their many descendants is actress, comedienne, and humanitarian Whoopi Goldberg.
Sponsors: ALACHUA COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

THE MOORE HOTEL (1883)

Location:6635 Southeast 221st Street
County: Alachua
City: Hawthorne
Description: Side One: The Moore Hotel is the first hotel and oldest existing business in Hawthorne. In 1882, William Shepard (W.S.) and Virginia McCraw Moore moved to Hawthorne from Braden, Tennessee, and bought a railroad house on Johnson Street to use as their home. They added two more railroad buildings in 1883, and established the Moore Hotel. A model of Folk Victorian architecture, the hotel featured a two-tiered, full facade, wrap-around veranda. The style, popular in small towns following Reconstruction, captured the culture and beauty of early Hawthorne. A south wing was erected by Moore circa 1900. The northeast wing, formerly an early 1870s schoolhouse and Masonic Lodge, was moved from across the street using mules and logs. Walkways and porches with jigsaw-cut balusters and post brackets linked the buildings. In 1923, Moore’s 6-year-old grandson, Francis, walked barefoot across a wet cement sidewalk section in front of the hotel. Those impressions still remain. The Moore Hotel was the first in the region to provide bathtubs with running water, via a tank and windmill in the backyard, and carbide gas lighting. The center lobby was used for guest registration, socializing, and Saturday night bridge games. Side Two: Wealthy men and women from all over the country wintered here, and the Moore Hotel was regarded as one of the best in Florida. W.S. Moore and Chester Shell, a local black man experienced in hunting and training bird dogs, led guests on hunting excursions. Over 2,500 game birds were served at the hotel in a season. Virginia (Jennie) Moore managed hotel duties. Room rates were $2 a day or $10 per week. When W.S. died in 1925, Jennie sold the hotel to a Jacksonville company. The new owners were unable to maintain the hotel and defaulted after seven years. Jennie reclaimed the property and rented 23 rooms to overnight travelers until her death in 1934. The dining room was closed in 1948, and Moore’s son, Glenn Sr., converted all but six rooms into apartments. After the death of Glenn’s wife, May, in 1964, sons Glenn Jr. and Francis converted the apartments into ten spacious units. The hotel was then renamed Hawthorne Apartments and managed first by Mary Moore, then by Glenn Jr. In 2000, W.S. Moore’s great-grandson, Richard, inherited the apartments. The Moore Hotel has been maintained by four generations of the Moore family, and they have been a part of the history and development of Hawthorne for over a hundred years.
Sponsors: The Hawthorne Area Historical Society, Hawthorne Mayor Matt Surrency, Hawthorne City Manager Ellen Vause, Alachua County Historical Commission, The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners.

BETHLEHEM PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Location:16979 Southwest 137 Avenue
County: Alachua
City: Archer
Description: Bethlehem Presbyterian Church was first organized in 1866 at Wacahoota, a farming community southwest of Archer. The early members were pioneer families from South Carolina. Their first pastor, the Rev. William McCormick, founded other pioneer Presbyterian churches in Alachua County. After the Civil War, Archer grew rapidly due to its railroad connection. In 1875, the Bethlehem congregation left rural Wacahoota and regrouped in Archer. The existing church was built in 1884 on land given by William C. Andruss, a businessman and Presbyterian elder. The historic sanctuary is an example of American Gothic-Revival architecture. The historic 1884 interior, featuring the original wainscoting and woodwork, remains largely intact. The ceiling is supported by scissor trusses secured to king-posts, also original. The steeple has embossed metal shingles and two bells in its tower. The church pews, handmade by local craftsmen, are from the old Wacahoota church. In 1936, the church was shifted from an east-west to a north-south axis and a Sunday School wing was added to the building. The Bethlehem Presbyterian Church is the oldest surviving church building in Archer and one of the oldest Presbyterian churches in Florida.
Sponsors: The Bethlehem Presbyterian Church

ARCHER SCHOOL GYMNASIUM

Location:16671 Southwest 137th Avenue
County: Alachua
City: Archer
Description: The Alachua County Board of Public Instruction contracted with the firm of Winston and Perry to build a 3-story brick building for the Archer School, west of an old wood frame building, in 1917. The building housed grades 1-10 until 1925 when the 11th and 12th grades were added. Archer High School gained its accreditation in 1926, and graduated its first senior class that same year. Construction began in 1936 on a new gymnasium building as part of the New Deal Works Progress Administration Project 1189, and was completed the following year. The gymnasium was used as an auditorium for school activities and sporting events such as basketball. The school continued to offer high school classes until 1951, and in 1954 the school was reduced to grades 1-6 with kindergarten added in 1963. In 1969, the school consolidated with the local African-American school, and moved to a new location. The old brick school was demolished in 1972. This gymnasium building remained. The City of Archer and volunteers rehabilitated the building and reopened it as the Archer Community Center in July 2011.
Sponsors: The City of Archer, The Alachua County Historical Commission

MELROSE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Location:5808 Hampton Street
County: Alachua
City: Melrose
Description: The Melrose United Methodist Church was organized in 1868 as the Melrose Methodist Episcopal Church, South. This church building, the first located within the original 1877 plat of Melrose, was constructed out of heart pine by the congregation in 1879. The church bell, installed in the 1890s, was rung to alert townspeople of fires, community meetings, and the arrival of the steamboat from Waldo to Melrose Bay. It was also rung to warn citrus growers of possible freezes. The bell still calls people to worship. A parsonage was added in the 1890s for the circuit preacher, and a fence was built around the church to “keep the hogs out.” In 1895, kerosene lamps lit the church; gas lights were installed by 1919. Before each service, young boys pumped gas into the fixtures from an outdoor tank. In 1931, the church’s west side was enlarged to include Sunday school rooms. When the Melrose school burned in 1947, the church served for two years as the school for first and second grades. The Hagglund Fellowship Hall was built in the 1950s and Holstun Hall was added in 1995. Throughout its history, the church has played an important role in the community and contributes to the Melrose Historic District.
Sponsors: Melrose United Methodist Church

TOM PETTY, ROCK MUSICIAN

Location:400 NE 16th Avenue
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: Side One: On October 20, 1950, Thomas Earl Petty was born to Earl and Kitty Petty at Alachua General Hospital. In 1954, the family moved to a house on NE 6th Terrace. Petty played in this park and bicycled to the Duckpond Neighborhood where he looked for crawfish in the pond. He was in the Boy Scouts at the First United Methodist Church and attended Sidney Lanier Elementary School. Petty’s love of music began when his uncle, Earl Jernigan, took him to the filming of Follow that Dream in Ocala, where he met Elvis Presley. At age 13, Petty’s father bought him an electric guitar. He learned to play from friends and from future Eagles’ guitarist Don Felder at Lipham’s Music. He formed his first band, the Sundowners, to play at a dance at his middle school, Howard Bishop. They later won a Battle of the Bands at the Moose Club. Petty joined the Epics and was a professional musician at age 15. He was in the Gainesville High School class of 1968, though he often missed school. He worked for the University of Florida (UF) and the City. His next band, Mudcrutch, played for the Rose Community at UF and performed nightly shows at Dubs and other venues in Florida and Georgia. Petty moved to California to seek a recording contract in 1974. Side Two: In 1974, Mudcrutch signed with Shelter Records but broke up after recording one single. Petty’s new band, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1975. Their debut album earned little notice in the US, but was a hit in the UK and the band toured Europe in 1977. When Shelter sold the band’s contract to MCA without Petty’s permission in 1979, he refused to release the third album, Damn the Torpedoes, and declared bankruptcy. MCA sued and Petty won, a milestone victory for artists’ rights. In 1981, MCA tried to raise the price of the album, Hard Promises, to $9.98. In protest Petty tried to name the album “$8.98.” MCA sued and Petty won again. In 1988, he joined the Traveling Wilburys, a supergroup with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne. He won his first Grammy with them in 1989. He won his second in 1995 for Best Rock Vocal Performance. Over his career, Petty received numerous accolades, including induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 and Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2016, and was named the 2017 MusiCares Person of the Year. The band’s 40th Anniversary Tour of 44 shows in 36 cities sold 637,671 tickets. On October 2, 2017, a week after the last concert, Petty passed away at age 66.
Sponsors: The Gainesville Music History Foundation, Inc.

THE COTTON CLUB BUILDING

Location:837 SE 7th Avenue
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: Side One: Soldiers built this wood-frame building in 1940-1941 as a Post Exchange for Camp Blanding in Starke. It was later the Perry Theater, Cotton Club, and Blue Note Club. William and Eunice Perryman, who owned a grocery store on East Depot Avenue (later SE 7th Avenue) in Gainesville’s Springhill community, bought the building in 1946. They had it moved to this site, closer to their store, and opened it as the Perry Theater, serving African Americans only. A cement projection room was added to the building’s north end, a requirement for theaters that stored highly flammable celluloid movie film. Operating from 1948-1949, the theater only survived a short time because African Americans in Gainesville also patronized the all-black Lincoln and Rose theaters on Seminary Lane (NW 5th Avenue) in a thriving black commercial district. After the Perry Theater closed, the building became a “big band” club operated by Sarah McKnight, an African American entrepreneur. McKnight and her husband, Charles, named it the Cotton Club after the famous Harlem speakeasy and nightclub. The Gainesville Cotton Club sold food, alcoholic drinks and provided live music and dancing, hosting African American performers working the Chitlin’ Circuit. Side Two: According to the McKnights, entertainers who appeared at the Cotton Club and went on to achieve broader fame included James Brown, B.B. King, Ray Charles, Brook Benton, and Bo Diddley. In 1952, the City of Gainesville refused to renew the club’s liquor license and the lively run of the Cotton Club came to an end. From 1953-1959, the building housed another entertainment venue, the Blue Note Club. It had a jukebox for entertainment and beer was the beverage of choice. However, it never attained the popularity of the Cotton Club. When the Blue Note Club closed in the late 1950s, the building was used as a furniture warehouse until 1970, after which it remained vacant. In 1995, the building, along with the five others on the site, was sold to Mt. Olive African Methodist Episcopal Church, which sits on the southwest corner of the site. In 1997, the Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center Board was established to oversee the restoration of the original club building. It was incorporated in 2005 and received non-profit status in 2007. A ribbon-cutting ceremony on November 11, 2018, marked the completion of the building’s reconstruction.
Sponsors: The Cotton Club Museum and Culural Center, Florida Africacn American Heritage Preservation Network, and the Florida Department of State

THE NEWBERRY LYNCHINGS OF 1916

Location:1910 NW 166th Street
County: Alachua
City: Newberry
Description: Side One: On August 19, 1916, African Americans living in the Jonesville and Newberry communities were lynched. At 2:00 a.m., Constable George Wynne, Dr. L.G. Harris, and G. H. Blount drove to Boisey Long’s home in Jonesville to serve a warrant and question him about stolen hogs. Gunfire was exchanged with Long after Wynne and Harris entered the home, and all three men were wounded. Long escaped while the other men were taken for medical help. Wynne’s wounds were serious, and he died on the train to a Jacksonville hospital. Wynne was related to the Dudleys, a large local family, and a mob formed at their home. During the search for Long, the mob terrorized other African Americans living in the area, many related to Long. James Dennis, suspected of hiding Long, was shot to death by the mob. Local law enforcement helped the mob round up five African Americans and hold them in the Newberry jail. They were Dennis’s brother, Gilbert, and sister, Mary, a pregnant mother of four; Stella Young, Long’s partner and mother of his son; Andrew McHenry, Stella’s brother; and the Rev. Joshua Baskin, a farmer and pastor. The mob took them from the jail to the Newberry picnic grounds (W. Newberry Road and County Road 235) and hanged them. Side Two: The lynching was national news, and created a spectacle. Men, women, and children came from miles around to view the bodies. On August 21, 1916, Boisey Long surrendered to the Rev. Squire Long, and was turned over to Alachua County Sherriff P. G. Ramsey in Gainesville. Ramsey, afraid of additional mob violence, transferred Long to a jail in Jacksonville. An Alachua County grand jury took up the case on September 6th and investigated the actions of the lynch mob. The grand jury did not find anyone guilty for the lynchings and nobody was ever punished. Long was indicted for the murder of George Wynne. The trial was swift, and after seven minutes of deliberation, the jury issued a guilty verdict. Long was sentenced to death. The headstones of three victims of the Newberry Lynching of 1916, Andrew McHenry, James Dennis, and the Rev. Joshua Baskin, are in the cemetery of the Pleasant Plain United Methodist Church. Many of the victims’ descendants still live in the Jonesville community and attend the church, which traces its founding to 1860.

TOM PETTY, ROCK MUSICIAN

Location:400 NE 16th Avenue
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: Side One: On October 20, 1950, Thomas Earl Petty was born to Earl and Kitty Petty at Alachua General Hospital. In 1954, the family moved to a house on NE 6th Terrace. Petty played in this park and bicycled to the Duckpond Neighborhood where he looked for crawfish in the pond. He was in the Boy Scouts at the First United Methodist Church and attended Sidney Lanier Elementary School. Petty’s love of music began when his uncle, Earl Jernigan, took him to the filming of Follow that Dream in Ocala, where he met Elvis Presley. At age 13, Petty’s father bought him an electric guitar. He learned to play music with friends and future notable musicians who gathered at Lipham Music. He formed his first band, the Sundowners, to play at a dance at his middle school, Howard Bishop. They later won a Battle of the Bands at the Moose Club. Petty joined the Epics and was a professional musician at age 15. He was in the Gainesville High School class of 1968, though he often missed school. He worked for the University of Florida (UF) and the City. His next band, Mudcrutch, played for the Rose Community at UF and performed nightly shows at Dubs and other venues in Florida and Georgia. Petty moved to California to seek a recording contract in 1974. Side Two: In 1974, Mudcrutch signed with Shelter Records but broke up after recording one single. Petty’s new band, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1975. Their debut album earned little notice in the US, but was a hit in the UK and the band toured Europe in 1977. When Shelter sold the band’s contract to MCA without Petty’s permission in 1979, he refused to release the third album, Damn the Torpedoes, and declared bankruptcy. MCA sued and Petty won, a milestone victory for artists’ rights. In 1981, MCA tried to raise the price of the album, Hard Promises, to $9.98. In protest Petty tried to name the album “$8.98.” MCA sued and Petty won again. In 1988, he joined the Traveling Wilburys, a supergroup with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne. He won his first Grammy with them in 1989. He won his second in 1995 for Best Rock Vocal Performance. Over his career, Petty received numerous accolades, including induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 and Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2016, and was named the 2017 MusiCares Person of the Year. The band’s 40th Anniversary Tour of 44 shows in 36 cities sold 637,671 tickets. On October 2, 2017, a week after the last concert, Petty passed away at age 66.

GAINESVILLE WOMAN'S CLUB

Location:2809 W. Unversity Avenue
County: Alachua
City: Gainesville
Description: Side One: In February 1903, women in Gainesville organized “The Twentieth Century Club of Gainesville Florida” for the purpose of “intellectual and social improvement.” The 45 charter members met every other Monday afternoon in members’ homes, and dues were $.50. They discussed literature, read Shakespeare, listened to opera, and studied history and geography. Starting in 1906, they petitioned the city to stop cutting down trees and in 1913, helped build a park on NE 2nd St. and NE 4th Ave. by donating $500 (equivalent to $13,595 in 2021) to match the city. A major goal for the club was to create a public library and in 1918, with the help of the city, a Carnegie library opened. That year, the club’s 107 members rolled bandages and sold Liberty bonds for World War I soldiers. In 1921, after meeting in the Elks’ Hall for 10 years, a clubhouse was built at 716 W. University Ave. Work was completed in November, in time to host the Florida Federation of Woman’s Clubs conference. The club could now hold bridge parties, dances, luncheons, and programs in their own home. The club’s 200 members were active in areas of education, citizenship, fine arts, public welfare, legislative committees, and publishing the State Club newsletter. Side Two: In 1935, the club organized a new department, the Junior Welfare League (now the Junior League). The club supported World War II soldiers by knitting bags, outfitting rooms at the Alachua Army Airbase, and selling $17,000 worth (equivalent to $254,239 in 2021) of War bonds. After rezoning 4+ acres, the club purchased this lot in 1958 and in 1960, changed their name to the present one. Construction of a new clubhouse began in January 1961, and an opening reception was held in October for the 800 members. Congressman Donald Ray “Billy” Mathews was the first program speaker. During the 1960s, many future Rock and Roll Hall of Fame musicians played at the club’s cotillions and dances. The club’s Spring Promenade began in 1975 to save the Thomas Center, now a cultural center. In 1986, they donated $10,000 to help the Girl’s Place get a new home. They made large donations to Idylwild Elementary and Duval Early Learning Academy, and donated $10,000 for Unity Park on NE 31st Ave. In 2020, COVID-19 dramatically reduced clubhouse rentals, but with financial help from members and others, the property was not lost. In 2021, the club celebrated the centennial of its 1921 clubhouse, and the 60th anniversary of their current one.

WILLIAM HENRY TRAXLER

Location:23300 Old Bellamy Road
County: Alachua
City: Alachua
Description: Side One: Country stores were critical for collecting farm crops and sending them to market. They played an important role in building commerce and establishing credit. The Traxler store was one of several in Alachua County that provided these essential services to local farmers. William Henry Traxler, Jr., (1857-1928) was born in Columbia County, Florida. He was the son of pioneers and former slaveholder, William Henry Traxler, Sr. (1812-1871), and Ann Elizabeth Sandford (1825-1868), who came from Colleton County, South Carolina, to grow long-fibered Sea Island cotton. One of eleven children, he was orphaned at age 14. In 1879, the 22-year-old Traxler used $100 of his inheritance to purchase 360 acres on the Bellamy Road. He built a small store adjoining his home and supplied goods needed by local farmers. In 1889, this was the home where he brought his bride, Mary Leila Dell, the daughter of community leader and former slaveholder Simeon Dell (1795-1869) and Williamina Warren Dell Downing (1827-1910). This marked the beginning of the Traxler community. The Traxler home became a hub of activity. The store became a general merchandise store; value of the inventory increased to $5,000 in 1900 ($152,600 in 2020 value). Side Two: From 1891 to 1906, a post office operated out of the store, and Traxler served as the postmaster. The cotton gin, grist mill, sawmill, and store formed the heart of the community. Local farmers including tenant farmers provided a bustling marketplace on Saturdays. Nearby was Spring Hill Methodist Church and a one-room schoolhouse. Leno on the Santa Fe River was located about four miles over the natural bridge from Traxler. The Leno trading post closed in 1896 after the railroad bypassed it, and Traxler benefited from increased business. Traxler may have brought the grist mill grinding stone to the community. He extended business ties to Savannah and up the East Coast as a cotton broker and merchant. In 1917, the Traxler house completely burned and was rebuilt. Boll weevils appeared in 1917 and had destroyed the cotton crop by 1919. Many farmers then transitioned to tobacco as their primary cash crop. Traxler served as the president of the First National Bank in Alachua until his death in 1928. The bank survived the Great Depression, but was later sold. The stone from the grist mill is on display in O’Leno State Park. The store building and cotton gin were moved to the Florida Agriculture Museum in Palm Coast.

BELLAMY ROAD/ SPRING HILL METHODIST CHURCH

Location:23300 Old Bellamy Road
County: Alachua
City: Alachua
Description: Side One: The Traxler community and Spring Hill Methodist Church may never have existed without the Bellamy Road. Completed in 1826, it was the first federal road in Florida. In 1821, Florida became a territory and in 1823, petitioned Congress for a road to link St. Augustine and Pensacola. Tallahassee was the new capital city at the midpoint, on former Apalachee tribal lands. John Bellamy (1776?-1845) from Cowford (Jacksonville) won the bid to build the section from the Picolata on the St. Johns River to Tallahassee for $13,500. He used enslaved laborers to construct the 16-foot-wide road. Trees were cut close to the ground and the timber was used to bolster the road in swampy areas. The workers were plagued by mosquitoes, swamp fevers, flies, and Indian attacks. They worked with cross-cut saws, grubbing hoes, chains, and mules. The road followed Indian trails, going over the Santa Fe River at the natural bridge and by the settlement, Dells (Newnansville). During the 1974 celebration of Tallahassee‘s 150th anniversary as Florida’s capital, Agriculture Commissioner Doyle Conner and others reenacted the trip to the capital on horseback. People from the community greeted the riders with a barbeque lunch at Spring Hill Church. Side Two: In 1860, after the era of circuit rider preachers, the local Methodists built a church. Five men, including Simeon Dell and Fernando Underwood, bought five acres on the Bellamy Road for $50. Though the price was high, it was a prime location. The original church was constructed as a simple A-frame with two front doors to serve whites and a back door for enslaved people. The pews, still in use today, were sawed and hewn by enslaved laborers. The 1896 Cedar Keys Hurricane severely damaged the original church. In 1915, the congregation rebuilt the church retaining the organ and the pews. In 1956, the church elders brought the lumber from Bland Methodist Church to Spring Hill to build an annex. In 2001, the church completed a second annex and restored its bell tower. Church members have memorialized those who have passed on with beautiful stained glass windows. Spring Hill is one of the oldest Methodist churches in Florida. The Annual Methodist Conference celebrated the church’s 150th anniversary in 2010. At a time when small rural churches are in decline, Spring Hill has flourished. Church pastors with notable service include Dr. Franklin Kokomoor (1956-1965), Don Denton (1979-2002), and James Richardson (after 2002).

WILLIAMS/LEROY HOUSE

Location:14603 Main Street
County: Alachua
City: Alachua
Description: In the mid-1800s, Furman Williams moved to Florida with his parents. At age 24, Williams and his brothers came to Newnansville, where they purchased land and acquired interests in local general stores. When the railroad was slated to come to the area in the 1880s, the Williams brothers already owned much of the land around the proposed depot site. They quickly divided their land into plots for residential and commercial use, leading to the creation of the town of Alachua. The Williams family remained involved with Alachua’s development, and owned many local businesses. Furman was credited with establishing Alachua’s post office in 1882, and was the postmaster. In 1886, Ida Dyron Gray moved to Alachua with her five-year-old nephew, Henry LeRoy. In the late 1800s, she married Furman and in 1898, the couple began construction on this grand Queen Anne style house. Completed in 1902, it had all the latest conveniences, including plumbing and gas fixtures. When Furman passed in 1905, Ida inherited the house, and she lived there with her nephew until her death in 1920. The house then went to LeRoy, who lived there until he passed in 1969. His wife, Blanche, stayed at the house with a family friend until her death in 1989.

ST. PETER CEMETERY OF ARCHER

Location:17026 SW 83 Avenue
County: Alachua
City: Archer
Description: Side One:African American families living in rural unincorporated Archer used the burial ground that would later become St. Peter Cemetery since before the end of the U.S. period of legalized slavery. Following the abolition of slavery, freed people of color settled in this area on land that was once part of or near former cotton plantations, like Cottonwood. Established in 1878, St. Peter Missionary Baptist Church, originally known as St. Peter Colored Baptist Church, took over the maintenance of the cemetery and renamed it St. Peter Cemetery. Other African American churches in the area, including St. James Baptist church (est. 1867) and St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church (est. 1913), also began using the cemetery. African American congregants from the combined Pinesville Methodist Episcopal Church (est. 1869) in neighboring Pinesville and Bethlehem Methodist Episcopal Church (est. 1870) of Archer, now Banks United Methodist Church, also use this burial ground. St. Peter Cemetery includes grave markers dating from 1886. Some notable burials include veterans, community leaders, and survivors of the 1923 Rosewood Massacre. New Year’s Day was traditionally a day for the community to gather and care for the cemetery. Side Two: Generations of African Americans, like the Nattiel, Rollins, Brown, Crawford, Moss, Spann, Neal, Michael, Miles, and Hunt families, have lived in this area with many still owning their original property. Farming is an important part of this community. Until the 1960s, many families grew crops like sugarcane, corn, and tobacco. More recently silviculture, the growing of trees, has become more common. During the U.S. period of racial segregation, this self-contained community had black-owned stores and restaurants. After segregation ended, education became more accessible, and more neighborhood children began to graduate from higher institutions of learning. Pride in the local community is reflected in its historical roots from the time of enslavement to emancipation. Notable individuals include professional athletes, such as football players Ricky Nattiel and Michael Nattiel, Jr., baseball player Derrick Robinson, and Olympic Gold medalist runner Jearl Miles-Clark. St. Peter Cemetery represents honor, dignity, and respect for deceased loved ones that was not always given in life to African Americans. St. Peter Cemetery is just a stop on to glory “…oh won’t it be grand!”

BETHLEHEM METHODIST EPISCOPAL CEMETERY

Location:SW 174th St and SW 175th Terrace
County: Alachua
City: Archer
Description: Side One: The Bethlehem Methodist Episcopal Church and Cemetery of Archer were established in 1873. The Rev. Major Reddick donated the land, which was part of a parcel awarded to him through the 1862 Homestead Act. Church trustees were Romeo Reddick, Rinaldo Reddick, Major Reddick, Henry Peterson, Adam Moulton, Richard Doby, and Arthur Haynes. Originally called Deer Hammock, Archer became an economic hub for local plantations, especially after the cross-Florida railroad was built in the 1850s. Sen. David Levy Yulee’s Cottonwood was the most well-known of these plantations. At least 25 African Americans who had once been enslaved were interred in the cemetery. Elbert McKinney Sr., born in 1829 in South Carolina, was buried here. McKinney, an enslaved blacksmith at Cottonwood, daily blew a ram’s horn to call the enslaved laborers to work. Ellen Lawrence (ca. 1796-1884) has the earliest marked grave in the cemetery. Formerly enslaved laborer James Dansey homesteaded 40 acres to the east of Reddick’s donation; he sold the parcel to his brother, Rev. Frank Dansey, in 1881. Dansey, founder of St. Joseph’s Missionary Baptist Church, began to use 1.28 acres nearest the Reddick donation for burials. Dansey was buried here in 1911. Side Two: Bethlehem Methodist Episcopal Church remained active until the 1960s, though the structure may have been moved to another location at some point. The cemetery remained active until 1989. The cemetery went through a period of neglect until local educator, community advocate, and civil rights activist Careatha “Clyde” Williams (1924-2021) stepped in. In 1999, Williams founded the Bethlehem Methodist Episcopal Cemetery Restoration Organization (BMECRO) to preserve the resting place of the community’s ancestors and to honor their resilience in the face of enslavement, segregation, and racial terror. In 2004, Henry Penny Jr. formally donated 1.28 acres to BMECRO. This parcel had once been the Rev. Frank Dansey’s land, which had been used as part of the cemetery since the 1880s. In all there are more than 125 identified individuals buried in the cemetery, including formerly enslaved people and veterans from World War I and II. In 2021, BMECRO partnered with the Historic Preservation program at the University of Florida and the Florida Public Archaeology Network to survey, document and prepare a preservation plan. More than 65 unmarked graves were discovered using ground penetrating radar.

ALACHUA METHODIST CHURCH

Location:14805 NW 140th Street
County: Alachua
City: Alachua
Description: In 1822, John J. Triggs was sent as a Methodist missionary to a new mission called Alapaha. This mission extended from south Georgia into parts of north Florida, extending east and west of the Suwanee river. Four missions were established in this northeast section of Florida, and one of those was known as Dell. It was named after Maxey Dell, one of the early settlers in the area. Dell's Courthouse became one of the first meeting places for Methodist circuit riders to the area. In November of 1828, the Florida Territorial Council changed the name of the community from Dell to Newnansville and established it as the seat of Alachua County. Home churches and circuit riders continued to serve the people of Newnansville until 1865 when services began after the erection of a church building. In 1882, the Florida Railroad came through the area, missing Newnansville by 1.5 miles. This led to the new community of Alachua and subsequent move of the Methodist church to its current location in 1897. In 1910, fire destroyed the church building and a new brick building was erected and consecrated in 1912. Alachua Methodist Church is one of the longest, continuously operating churches in Florida.

Baker

CAMP AT SANDERSON

Location:U.S. Hwy. 90 between C.R. 229 and Thomas Sweat Rd.
County: Baker
City: Sanderson
Description: This site was used by both Union and Confederate soldiers as a camp during the campaign of 1864. The camp was used as a Confederate supply depot but it was abandoned on February 9, 1864. From the 9th to the 13th, it was held by Federals and used as a base for raids on Lake City and Gainesville. On February 20 the site was by Federals attacking Olustee. In retreat from Olustee the camp again fell into Confederate hands.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

Bay

CONFEDERATE SALT WORKS

Location:U.S. 98 past Phillips Inlet Bridge West of Panama
County: Bay
City: Panama City
Description: St. Andrews Bay was a major source of salt for the Confederacy. An estimated 2,500 men were engaged in manufacturing salt of a very high quality. Containing numerous arms and an extensive shoreline, the landlocked Bay was sheltered and safe. Beginning in September, 1862, many Federal raids were directed against the works. Rebuilt as soon as Union forces destroyed them, the works remained in effective operation through February, 1865.

PANAMA CITY AIRPORT

Location:3173 Airport Rd., In front of main terminal.
County: Bay
City: Panama City
Description: Established 1945 on Fannin Field, Panama City-Bay County Airport 1964 Panama City-Bay County Airport and Industrial District 1967 Developed and controlled by Representative Airport Authorities in conjunction with the Federal Aviation Agency Control Tower Erected by Federal Aviation Agency 1967
Sponsors: Bay County-Panama City in Cooperation with Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

JOHN CHRISTO, SENIOR

Location:W. Beach Dr. near Balboa Ave.
County: Bay
City: Panama City
Description: Built in 1927 by A. A. Payne, a banker, and bought by John Christo, Sr., the house is significant in architecture, a mixture of styles typical of the late 19th and early 20th centuries which includes Neo-Colonial Revival and Italianate Villa influences and the accomplishments of John Christo, Sr., 1885 – 1973. He was born to a Greek family on a farm near the village of Kirte, Turkey. As war between Turkey and Bulgaria drew near, he left Turkey and came to America in 1912 at the age of 27. He had $50, which he borrowed from a relative in Turkey. His ship sailed to New York where he knew no one and was advised to travel by steamer to Jacksonville, Florida and from there to Tarpon Springs where he could communicate in Greek and get a job. He overcame the language barrier by obtaining a Greek-to-English dictionary. He got a job at a restaurant peeling onions, then was advised to go to Quincy, Florida where he was able to work, save and borrow enough to realize his dream to own and operate a five and dime store. Christo became so successful that he eventually owned 42 stores named Christo’s 5 Cents, 10 Cents and $1.00 Stores in Florida, Alabama and Georgia. He founded four successful corporations: Christo’s, Inc., Christo’s Stores, Inc., F & T Investments, Inc. and Christo Realty Company, Inc. The main office and warehouse for the five and dime stores was located at 437 Grace Ave., Panama City. The warehouse was the main merchandise supplier for the stores. He was successful in department store retailing, commercial real-estate investments, commercial building, organizing corporations, architectural design and draftsmanship, land surveying and helping others with their financial endeavors. He opened and operated 36 of the five and dime stores while residing at 940 West Beach Drive. He built three homes. The first was built in 1926 at 100 Allen Ave. He donated property to the State of Florida in 1951, doubling the size of Florida Wayside Park, Panama City Beach. The house is the birthplace of Jimmy and George Christo, twins, born on July 31, 1936 during an unnamed hurricane. The A. A. Payne – John Christo, Senior House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sponsors: The Christo Family and the Florida Department of State

OLD CALLAWAY ONE ROOM SCHOOL HOUSE

Location:522 Beulah Avenue
County: Bay
City: Callaway
Description: The Callaway School House was built in 1911 (two years prior to the creation of Bay County in 1913) on the SW corner of Beulah Avenue and Letohattchee Street. Callaway had been surveyed and platted in 1908 by Pitt Milner Callaway for whom the community is named. AT that time students had to walk several miles through woods and across a small stream to Parker for instruction. “Grandma” Hettina Ettie Fox, who believed every child should have the opportunity to learn to read, spearheaded the drive to build a community school. Ella Callaway Carlisle donated the school’s land. The Washington County School Board, assisted by donations from the community, constructed the school. The first teacher was Kate McMillan. Although serving primarily as a school, it became a social center for the community, hosting church services, socials, Christmas parties, and as a polling place. After the school closed in 1936, the building was used as a church and later as a residence. In 1984, the school was sold to the City of Callaway for one dollar with the stipulation that it be preserved. The building was moved a short distance to John B. Gore Park and was restored by the Callaway Historical Society, Inc.
Sponsors: Sponsored by the Callaway Historical Society, Inc. and the Florida Department of State.

ST. ANDREW SKIRMISH

Location:On Business 98 between Fairland and Friendship Ave.
County: Bay
City: Panama City
Description: Near this site on March 20, 1863, Confederate soldiers commanded by Captain Walter J. Robinson repelled a landing by Union sailors led by Acting Master James Folger of the blockading vessel U.S.S. Roebuck. The 11-man scouting party of Union sailors was seeking to locate a southern civilian vessel near the "Old Town" spring, when they were reportedly ordered to surrender by Captain Robinson. During the ensuing skirmish, several Union sailors were killed and wounded as they fled to their launch boat. Quarter, or safe passage, was requested by the remaining Union sailors to retrieve their dead and wounded. Total Union casualties were six dead and three wounded. Union sailors buried four of the deceased on nearby Hurricane Island, and a fifth sailor was interred by the Confederate soldiers. No casualties were recorded by the Confederate unit, which later became Company A of the 11th Florida Infantry Regiment. After the conclusion of the Civil War, the remains of the Union sailors were removed to the national cemetery at Fort Barrancas.
Sponsors: Sons of Confederate Vetrans, Camp 1319 and the Florida Department of State

ROSENWALD HIGH SCHOOL

Location:924 Bay Avenue
County: Bay
City: Panama City
Description: Side One: In 1913, Jewish philanthropist and Sears, Roebuck and Company chairman, Julius Rosenwald, joined African American rights activist Booker T. Washington of the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute to help support a project to design and operate schools for black children in the rural South. Rosenwald and his family established the Rosenwald Fund in 1917 for the well-being of mankind; the rural African American school-building program was one of its largest programs. The Bay County School Board and local black community joined forces during the mid-1920s to take advantage of the assistance available to them from the fund to build a school in the Panama City black neighborhood of Shinetown. The fund required school boards to agree to operate such schools and to arrange for matching funds. Black communities were required to raise funds or donate property and labor for the construction of schools. During the 1927-1928 budget year, the Bay County School Board partnered with the local black community to purchase land to build and operate a school under the Rosenwald program. Located at 819 E. 11th Street, the school was built in accordance with the Rosenwald Fund specifications and named Panama City High School. Side Two: The building served the black community in Panama City as an elementary and high school, and in 1939 graduated its first class of three students. By that year, the school had been renamed in honor of Julius Rosenwald to avoid an identity conflict with the all-white Panama City High School. Enrollment increased to 125 students by 1944. The school continued to grow, and served grades 1 through 12 until a new junior-senior high school was built. Land for the new school was purchased in 1950, and the building was dedicated in 1951. The school was relocated to this campus, and the Rosenwald name was transferred to it. African American students were educated on this site from 1952 to 1967. Many students graduated and went on to further their education. The desegregation of public schools in Bay County began in 1966. Rosenwald was a middle school serving grades 6 through 8 from 1967 to 2009, and then became an alternative high school serving grades 9 through 12. Rosenwald and its alumni continue to be a vital part of the community.
Sponsors: Rosenwald High School Alumni Association and the Florida Department of State

ROBERT LEE MCKENZIE'S HOME AND OFFICE

Location:On 3rd Court at Park Street.
County: Bay
City: Panama City
Description: The McKenzie House is a large two-story clapboard frame dwelling built in the Dutch Colonial style typical of the turn of the century houses still standing in Northern Michigan. It was built in 1909 by Belle Booth who married R.L. McKenzie in 1912; after which time the house came to be known as the McKenzie House. It stands today as it was enlarged in 1925. This house is significant because it was one of the first houses in a virtually unsettled area of Northwest Florida and because it was the home and office of Robert Lee McKenzie. McKenzie was born in Macon County, Georgia in 1870. He moved to the Florida Panhandle in 1902 where he became joint owner of a large naval stores business. After acquiring some waterfront property here he organized the Gulf Coast Development Company. The purpose of the company was to buy more land and develop it into a town site and to secure more waterfront property for a railroad terminal. In 1906 this purpose was realized when McKenzie persuaded J.B. Steele of Atlanta to choose Gulf Coast Development Company land for his new railroad which would continue south from Dothan with connections to Atlanta. Steele said "I want this to be Atlanta's outlet to the Panama Canal;" which suggested the new city's name. In February 1909 Robert Lee McKenzie was elected Mayor of Panama City. He also served two consecutive terms as State Representative from Washington county in the Florida Legislature (1909-11, 1911-13). McKenzie was a leader in the formation of Bay County. He was instrumental in getting a highway constructed to Pensacola. His work and dedication resulted in Panama City being the location of the International Paper Company. The "Drummond Cut," completed in 1938 opened the intercoastal waterway to the west and McKenzie was a leader in this project. During the war years McKenzie was Chairman of the Bay County chapter of the Red Cross (1941-44) and a member of the Selective Services Board (1940-47). On December 4, 1964, the park across the street was renamed McKenzie Park in honor of his devoted service to the community. R.L. McKenzie's place in the development of Panama City is secure. Most of the important events of the town's development for a period of over 50 years (1902-1956) are linked with his name and efforts. For 45 years (1912-1956) the office/library of the McKenzie House was the center of his activities and as such, gives real historic importance to the house and its place in Panama City history.
Sponsors: sponsored by the descendants of robert lee mckenzie in cooperation with the department of state

SITE OF LOFTIN'S FERRY

Location:Pitts Avenue 0.1 miles south of Aster Street
County: Bay
City: Parker
Description: This site, originally known as Riviere’s Landing, was named for the early settler, Henry L. Riviere and is commemorating the founding of the City of Parker. In 1836, William M. Loftin became custom’s officer for the St. Andrews Bay and operator of a ferry from this point to Ferry point across St. Andrews Bay. This endeavor was part of the road system constructed from 1834 to 1838 under the supervision of Major J.D. Graham. The “Old Military Road” as it was known ran from Apalachicola to Marianna and beyond, and was the major land route through the bay area. Loftin’s Ferry was the beginning of the community that Loftin, Riviere and U.S. Representative Joseph M. White developed and named “Austerlitz.” This is significant for in 1886 the name was changed to “Parker” honoring the two separate families of Peter Parker and William Henry Parker. The City of Parker was established in September 1967, by charter and has remained a thriving, growing community ever since.
Sponsors: City of Parker

ST. ANDREW(S) SCHOOL

Location:3001 W. 15th St. Panama
County: Bay
City: Panama City
Description: The first school in St. Andrews, a community established ca.1827, was built in 1850. That building burned down. The second school was a two-story wooden structure with two large rooms on each floor. The school had four teachers and 100 students. In 1925, that school burned, six weeks before the summer recess. On July 7, 1926, voters overwhelmingly approved the issuance of bonds totaling $60,000 to build the present school. E.D. Fitchner, a Tallahassee architect, drew the plans for the 12 classrooms and an auditorium. J.R. Asbell of Panama City was the contractor. St. Andrew(s) School has a Mediterranean Revival Style with classical motifs, and is most noted for its arched windows, red tile roof, and impressive auditorium. During World War II (1941-1945), due to the Wainwright Shipyard and Tyndall Air Force Base, the area grew so rapidly that the school had to go to double sessions. Through the years the building has been used for community events, such as plays, public service forums and educational films. St. Andrew(s) School was completely renovated in 1999-2002, and is the oldest continuously functioning school in Bay County.
Sponsors: ST. ANDREW(S) SCHOOL AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

ST. ANDREWS BAY SKIRMISH

Location:On U.S. 98 between Fairland & Friendship Aves.
County: Bay
City: Panama City
Description: The U.S. bark Roebuck, commanded by John Sherrill, was sent to St. Andrews Bay to prevent blockade running. On March 20, 1863, an 11-man scouting party landed in this vicinity to secure fresh drinking water. They were attacked by Confederates commanded by Captain W. J. Robinson. When ordered to surrender, the Union crew refused and two were killed and six wounded in the ensuing skirmish. The rest escaped to their ship. The Confederates had no casualties.
Sponsors: Florida board of parks and historic memorials

THE GIDEON VERSUS WAINWRIGHT CASE

Location:300 E. 4th St.
County: Bay
City: Panama City
Description: This is the site of the landmark Gideon case, after which the Public Defender system was established in Florida and throughout the nation. In 1961, Clarence Earl Gideon (1910-1972) stood trial in this courthouse for the felony of burglary. Lacking funds to hire a lawyer, Gideon requested that a lawyer be appointed to represent him at trial. Gideon’s request was denied, because at that time, a person accused of a non-capital felony did not have a constitutional right to a free lawyer. Gideon represented himself at his trial and was convicted. While serving his five-year prison sentence, Gideon petitioned the United States Supreme Court to review his case. The Supreme Court issued its decision in 1963 in Gideon v. Wainwright, ruling that every poor person charged with a serious crime in this country must be provided a lawyer for his defense at public expense. Panama City attorney, W. Fred Turner (b. 1922) represented Gideon at his retrial and won an acquittal. Built in 1914, this building is one of only a few original courthouses in Florida still being used for its original purpose. A fire in 1920 gutted the building, but it was immediately rebuilt in its Classic Revival architectural style.
Sponsors: THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF BAY COUNTY AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

THE ST. ANDREW BAY SALTWORKS

Location:At the intersection of West Beach Drive and East Caroline Boulevard
County: Bay
City: Panama City
Description: Between 1861 and 1865, the St. Andrew Bay Saltworks, one of the largest producers of salt in the South, contributed to the Confederate cause by providing salt, fish and cattle for southern troops and citizens. A necessary preservative in those times, salt sold for as much as $50 per bushel, and was produced in wood-fired saltworks on the perimeter of the West Bay, East Bay and North Bay and Lake Powell (a.k.a. Lake Ocala). An estimated 2,500 men, primarily from Florida, Georgia and Alabama, were exempted from combat duty in order to labor in the saltworks. The salt was transported to Eufaula, Alabama, then to Montgomery, for distribution throughout the Confederate states. Because of the importance of St. Andrew Bay Saltworks to the Confederacy, acting Master W.R. Browne, commander of the U.S. Restless, was instructed to commence a series of assaults beginning in August 1862. In December 1863, additional Union attacks occurred, which Confederate home guards could not resist. The attacks resulted in the destruction of more than 290 saltworks, valued by Master Browne at more than $3,000,000. The St. Andrew Bay Saltworks employees promptly rebuilt them, and they remained in operation through February 1865.
Sponsors: THE SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS, CAMP 1319 AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Bradford

CAPTAIN RICHARD G. BRADFORD

Location:S.R. 230. Corner of Base and Range
County: Bradford
City: Starke
Description: On December 6, 1861, Gov. John Milton signed a law changing the name of New River County to Bradford County. The Legislature has passed the law in honor of Captain Richard G. Bradford of Madison who was killed October 9, 1861, in the Battle of Santa Rosa Island. This battle was fought in an attempt to capture Fort Pickens which protected Pensacola Harbor. Bradford was the first Confederate officer from Florida to die in the War Between the States.

WOMAN'S CLUB OF STARKE

Location:201 N. Walnut St., Starke, Florida
County: Bradford
City: Starke
Description: The Woman’s Club of Starke, formerly known as the Mother’s Club, was founded in the late 19th century and held its meetings in the Bradford County High School. Their purpose was to assist the Bradford County High School. Only mothers were accepted as active members with teachers as honorary members. One of their earliest projects was furnishing a room in the school or a library and a study for the principal. They also provided students with books and clothing and hired a janitor to do maintenance. In 1913, the Mother’s Club reorganized and changed its name to the Woman’s Club of Starke. One year later, after the school moved to a different site, the Woman’s Club began using the school building as its headquarters. In 1917, with the approach of World War I, the building was turned over to the Red Cross. Club women made hospital blankets, Christmas kits for troops and shipped clothing to allies. In 1921, the Board of Education gave the school building to the Woman’s Club, at which time it was remodeled. Some of the lumber from the original structure was used in the new construction. The new craftsman/bungalow building opened on November 3, 1922. Projects undertaken in the 1920s by the Woman’s Club included a drive to remove cows from the streets, development of a city park and municipal suffrage. The Bradford County Library used portions of the building and in 1936 was the first county library in Florida allowed to borrow books from the State Library in Tallahassee. Throughout World War II, the United Service Organization (USO) used the building as a clubhouse where the Army YMCA entertained soldiers who were stationed at nearby Camp Blanding. Opening in April 1941 they provided minstrels, radio programs, quiz games, card games, dances and vaudeville shows for the soldiers. Throughout its history, the Clubhouse has continued to serve as the community’s primary facility for social and cultural events. On April 18,1997, the Clubhouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and continues to serve as the Woman’s Club of Starke headquarters.
Sponsors: Little Woman's Club of Starke

Brevard

THE ADDISON/ELLIS CANAL

Location:444 Columbia Blvd.
County: Brevard
City: Titusville
Description: In 1911, Edgar W. Ellis and J.H. Beckwith put together a consortium of developers known as the Titusville Fruit and Farm Lands Company. They acquired 22,500 acres in the western portion of the old Delespine Grant with plans to drain marshland in the St. Johns River Valley, to make the land usable for agricultural purposes. By 1913, 43 miles of lateral canals had been dug and work began on the Addison/Ellis Canal, which led from Addison Creek to the outlying vegetable fields. The canal was intended to relieve flooding in the St. Johns River by diverting floodwaters to the lagoon and to transport supplies and crops from the St. Johns River to the Indian River Lagoon, ending at Addison Point. The company used the coquina rock extracted from the canal to pave roads to their fields. The marshland and sand ridges proved no problem for the equipment used, but a coquina rock ridge that runs north-south proved insurmountable, and the canal was never completed. The consortium went broke and the project was abandoned. The canal never reached a useful depth, and construction ended just east of the scrub/coquina ridge in Addison Creek.
Sponsors: THE BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION, THE BREVARD COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

BENSEN HOUSE

Location:5795 S US Highway 1
County: Brevard
City: Grant
Description: Atley Bensen paid $1,200 for the precut yellow pine lumber which arrived by riverboat from Jacksonville in 1916, to build this house for his wife Clara Christensen. The Bensen brothers married the Christensen sisters, both pioneer families of Grant. Atley and Clara lived in the house with sons, Atley Jr. and Russell until they were school age, and then moved to Melbourne, where son Edward Hartman was born in 1928. The Bensen House was rented for about five years until the family returned. Atley and his brother Adolph were involved in commercial fishing, grew pineapples, and operated the Jorgensen General Store, which opened in 1894. Atley died in 1961. Clara continued to live in the house, and then later moved to Tampa where she died in 1981. Russell donated the “cracker” house to the Grant Historical Society in 1984. In 1985, the house was moved from its original site, which was about 300 feet south of 1st Street on the banks of the Indian River Lagoon to this location, which was the original site of Grant’s first house built in 1894 by Louis Kossuth “Honey” Smith. The Smith house burned down in the 1970’s. The Bensen House became a museum in 1987.
Sponsors: THE BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION, THE BREVARD COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL,AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

CITY POINT COMMUNITY CHURCH

Location:3783 North Indian River Dr.
County: Brevard
City: Melbourne
Description: Known as City Point, this area was settled shortly after the Civil War by Confederate veterans, citrus grove workers, northern winter residents, and consumptives seeking a healthy climate. By early 1885, a board of trustees was formed consisting of William H. Sharpe, George W. Holmes, A.L. Hatch, John M. Sanders, and George E. Chester, to construct this building to be used for a public hall, school, and non-denominational church for both white and black residents. On land donated by J.C. Norwood, this building was designed by A.L. Hatch and built by John M. Sanders who completed the work on November 1, 1885. This structure served as the beginning congregation for the following churches: the United Methodist Church of Cocoa, Church of Christ, Church of God, Primitive Baptist Church, Calvin Baptist Church, Indian River Baptist Church, Baptist Enterprise Church, and the First Apostolic Temple. The building was used as a school until 1924. Picnics, dances, political rallies, a precinct voting station and observation tower during World War II, were some of the many uses the community found for the building.
Sponsors: THE BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

CLIFTON COLORED SCHOOL

Location:2.8 miles north of the Haulover Canal on the Canaveral National Seashore, on the east side of U.S. Route 3.
County: Brevard
City: Merritt Island
Description: Before the Clifton Schoolhouse was built, Butler Campbell and Andrew Jackson’s children were home schooled by a black teacher, Mr. Mahaffey. The teacher was paid five dollars for each student, after examination by the County School Superintendent. Any locality claiming a school had to provide a public school house, select at least one trustee, and secure a certified teacher. In 1890-91, Campbell and Jackson decided to build a proper school. A neighbor, Wade Holmes provided a one-acre lot on the northwest corner of his property. The three men built a 12’ x 16’ heart pine structure that sat on coquina cornerstones about one foot off the ground. The west-facing front was fitted with a double-paneled door. Two sets of glass-paned windows were on the north and south sides. The roof was made of cedar or cypress boards. Campbell’s children included Florida, Eugenia, Agnes, Henry and Willie, who was Valedictorian in 1892. Jackson’s children were Annie, Mary, Floyd and Douglas, who was Valedictorian in 1893. Studies included reading, physiology, English, math and Latin. By 1910, the children were out of school or attending school elsewhere. In 1924, Eugenia returned to Clifton and later lived in the structure. When NASA bought properties on North Merritt Island in the 1960s, the families relocated to other areas and most of the houses were moved or demolished.
Sponsors: THE BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION, THEBREVARD COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

DOUGLAS DUMMETT - DUMMETT GROVE

Location:In Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge, on Courtenay Pkwy N. after the Haulover canal
County: Brevard
City: Merritt Island
Description: Indian River oranges, one of Florida's most outstanding products were developed in the 19th century by Douglas Dummett. The Dummett family immigrated from the Barbados in 1807. By 1825, Thomas Dummett had acquired sugar plantations on the east coast of Florida. His son Douglas (B. 1806) established his plantation in this part of Merritt Island and began to grow oranges. Dummett used a new grafting technique later widely adopted in Florida. He grafted buds from sweet orange trees onto his sour orange trees. This method produced frost-resistant trees and was called top-grafting because budding began several feet above ground. Unlike many coastal planters, Dummett did not abandon his property during the Second Seminole War (1835-42). He served as captain in the "Mosquito Roarers," a Floirda Militia company formed to protect property in this area from Indian raids. Dummett continued to cultivate what were regarded as East Florida's most valuable orange groves until his death in 1873. He also held elective and appointive political offices. The Dummett groves were damaged beyond recovery in the 1893 hurricane and the freeze of 1894-95. The property became part of Kennedy Space Center in 1963.
Sponsors: sponsored by the brevard county historical commission in cooperation with department of state

FLORIDA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Location:S. Country Club Rd. between W. University Blvd and W. Amherst Ave.
County: Brevard
City: Cape Canaveral
Description: A 37-cent donation, given to Florida Institute of Technology founder Jerome P. Keuper (1921-2002), would launch one of the most remarkable stories in American higher education. Keuper, a scientist working at Cape Canaveral, founded Florida Tech in 1958 to meet a critical need for scientists and engineers in America’s race for space. Florida Tech quickly attracted the world’s foremost rocket scientists and engineers to its halls. It awarded its first honorary doctorate in 1962 to astronaut Virgil “Gus” Grissom. Among its first visiting professors were the legendary rocket scientist Werhner von Braun and Edward Teller, the father of the hydrogen bomb. Over the years, Florida Tech expanded its course offerings to take advantage of its unique location where the land, sea, sky and space come together. It has done so while maintaining internationally recognized excellence, and its ties to the space program. It counts among its graduates five astronauts, including two who flew together on Space Shuttle Discovery in December, 2006, Joan Higginbotham and Sunita Williams.
Sponsors: THE FLORIDA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

GEORGIANA RAILWAY

Location:S. Tropical Trl., Near Georgianna United Methodist
County: Brevard
City: Merritt Island
Description: In 1892, Frank Cass Allen, a Georgianna merchant, began building a 0.6-mile standard-gauge railway with steel rail and wood ties across Merritt Island at this location, connecting docks on the Indian and Banana rivers. It was part of his private water/rail venture to accommodate tourists, especially northerners, who began flocking to the Atlantic beaches following the completion of a mainline railroad into Titusville in 1885. Allen wanted to improve upon the one and only 45-mile boat trip around the southern tip of the island to reach the beaches south of the Cape. His 10-mile route across the Indian River to Georgiana by boat, the island by rail, and the Banana River by boat took about an hour. One 10-ton steam locomotive is documented, apparently replacing an earlier one. Allen built an open 50-passenger car using commercial railroad wheels. The line opened in mid-December 1893, and by April 1894, over 700 had visited the beaches. Financial problems and poor maintenance defeated the railway, and, in mid-1894, it was replaced by a wagon route at Lotus, two miles farther south. The locomotive and passenger car were sold at public auction on March 2, 1896. Rail and other rolling stock were not part of this sale.
Sponsors: THE BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION, BREVARD COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

GEORGIANNA CHURCH

Location:3925 S. Tropical Trail
County: Brevard
City: Merritt Island
Description: Georgianna United Methodist Church was built in the community of Georgiana on Merritt's Island in 1886. The ringing of the church bell still marks the beginning of worship as it has for many decades. Franklin C. Allen, Jr., a local homesteader, donated the land where the church stands. In the summer of 1886, led by Edwin Nelson, men of the Georgiana community started their building program. Lumber was brought in from St. Augustine by sailboat and unloaded along the Indian River shoreline then carried to the work site. By the end of September the roof was in place and Sunday school was held using chairs on loan from local households. Crafting of the pews was the next project. D.C. Munson crafted the pews by hand from rough lumber. The first service was held on Thanksgiving in 1886. With its dark wood, white pews, red carpet and bright stained glass windows, Georgianna United Methodist Church is one of the most unique worship centers on the east coast of Florida. Georgianna United Methodist Church has always been a vital part of its community and remains so today.
Sponsors: THE BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

GREATER ST. JAMES MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH OF MIMS

Location:2396 Harry T. Moore Avenue
County: Brevard
City: Mims
Description: In 1894, after organizing a congregation, St. James Colored Missionary Baptist Church acquired land in Mims, and with Rev. G. Brewer as pastor, built the first wooden church on this site in 1904 under the guidance of Rev. J.S. Gilbert. Many of North Brevard’s pioneering black families: Warren, Grant, Campbell, Cuyler, Strickland, Bell, Harris, Hester, Lewis, Sheldon, Abrams, Brothers, Wright, Highsmith and Mitchell, held positions in this church. Rev. James Massey served as an inspirational and dedicated leader from 1937 to 1967. Choir director Dorothy Hester also served as Youth Advisor for North Brevard NAACP under the direction of Harry T. Moore. Funeral services were held at this church for Civil Rights activists Harry T. Moore and Harriette V. Moore who were killed when their home was bombed on Christmas night 1951. Moore was Brevard County NAACP Chapter President and later NAACP Florida Convention president/state coordinator. The present church structure was built in 1964. The old wooden structure was torn down in 1968 and the annex building was started in 1971. The name of the church was changed to Greater St. James Missionary Baptist Church in 1974.
Sponsors: THE BRVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

HARRY T. & HARRIETTE V. MOORE MEMORIAL HOMESTEAD

Location:2180 Freedom Ave. Near Replica House
County: Brevard
City: Titusville
Description: This property is the former homesite of civil rights activists Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore, two people whose lives were committed to help Florida’s Negro communities unite to form a collective identity. Mr. Moore was a Brevard County educator who became a full-time civil rights activist. After being fired for demanding equal pay, he worked to equalize the salaries received by Negro teachers with that of their white counterparts. He organized the Progressive Voters League of Florida, and his efforts to open the Democratic Party to Negroes provided new political opportunities for minority citizens all over the state. Mr. Moore organized the first Brevard County Branch of the National Association for he Advancement of Colored People in 1934, and served as its president for five years. From 1941-1946, he served as president of the Florida State Conference of the Branches of the NAACP, and then as the executive director until his death. Mr. Moore and his wife were murdered when a bomb was planted beneath their house on Christmas night in 1951.
Sponsors: Brevard County Board of County Commissioners and the Florida Department of State

HAULOVER CANAL

Location:SR #3 Merritt Island Wildlife Rufuge
County: Brevard
City: North Merritt Island
Description: Native Americans, explorers and settlers hauled or carried canoes and small boats over this narrow strip of land between Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River. Eventually it became known as the “haulover.” Connecting both bodies of water had long plagued early settlers of this area. Spaniards visited as early as 1605 and slid boats over the ground covered with mulberry tree bark. Early settlers used rollers and skids to drag schooners across. Fort Ann was established nearby in 1837, during the 2nd Seminole War (1835-1842), to protect the haulover from Indians and carry military supplies from the lagoon to the river. In 1852, contractor G.E. Hawes dug the first canal using slave labor. It was 3 ft. deep, 14 ft. wide, and completed in time for the 3rd Seminole War (1856-1858). Steamboat and cargo ships used the passage until the railroad arrived in 1885. By 1887, the Florida Coast Line Canal and Transportation Co. dug a new and deeper canal which you see now, a short distance from the original. The Intracoastal Waterway incorporated the Haulover Canal as a federal project in 1927 to be maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Since then the channel has been dug wider and deeper, and a basin added for launching boats.
Sponsors: BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

HERNANDEZ TRAIL

Location:U.S. 1 at King Street
County: Brevard
City: Cocoa
Description: One half mile to the west ran the Hernandez Trail used during the Seminole War. It connected forts along the East Coast to Ft. Dallas in Miami and across from Ft. Pierce and Ft. Capron to Ft. Brooke near Tampa. Brig. General Joseph M. Hernandez, born 1792 in St. Augustine, served as the first delegate to Congress and held a number of positions of importance in the Territory of East Florida. In 1837 under orders from General Thomas S. Jesup, he captured Indian Chief Osceola.
Sponsors: The Brevard County Historical Commission, The Brevard County Tourist Development Council, and The Florida Department of State

HISTORIC BREVARD COUNTY COURTHOUSE

Location:506 South Palm Avenue
County: Brevard
City: Titusville
Description: Brevard County was founded in 1855 and Titusville became the county seat in 1879. The first courthouse was a two-story classical revival wood structure built in 1882, on land donated by Titusville founder Col. Henry Titus. In 1912, County Commissioners ordered the construction of a new courthouse which opened in March 1913. The old wooden structure was moved to the back of the site and sold at auction. Lightman, McDonald & Co. of Jacksonville built the two-story structure of re-enforced concrete for $30,566. Four large classical columns mark the original main entrance on the east side. On the north and south entrances were two small piazzas with one-story classical columns. County Commissioners, Clerk of the Court, Treasurer, Tax Assessor/Collector, and Surveyor offices were on the first floor. On the second floor were a large courtroom, lawyer’s offices, judge’s chamber, and jury rooms. In 1926, a three-story wing was added to the west side. On the third floor were jail cells, warden’s quarters, kitchen, and hospital ward. Sheriff, other county offices, and vault room were located on the second floor. The courthouse continues to serve Brevard County, and the jail facilities on the third floor are no longer used.
Sponsors: THE BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION, THE BREVARD COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

HISTORIC DERBY STREET CHAPEL

Location:121 Derby Street
County: Brevard
City: Cocoa
Description: Dedicated on July 13, 1924, this structure was built by the Seventh Day Adventist Church, and was heralded by The Cocoa Tribune as “an honor to the City.” In 1955 it was sold to the Church of Christ, Scientists. In 1964 it was sold to the First Baptist Church. The building is constructed of heart of pine and stucco over wire lathing. The Craftsman style architecture and the original flooring, windows, altar rail, and tin tile roof have been preserved. The roof withstood many years of hurricanes without leaking. In 1996, the building was destined to be demolished for a parking lot, but local preservationists objected and resolved to save the historic building. In 2003, Cocoa Main Street leased the property to restore and rehabilitate it as a community use facility. Restoration was done by volunteer labor. Design and landscaping of the adjoining park was a project of the Dirt Daubers Circle of the Cocoa-Rockledge Garden Club. On September 27, 2005, it was officially named “The Historic Derby Street Chapel.”
Sponsors: THE BREVARD HISTORICAL COMMISSION, THE BREVARD COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL,AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

HOLY TRINITY

Location:Corner of Fee Avenue and U.S. 1, Melbourne
County: Brevard
City: Melbourne
Description: First organized in 1884, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church was erected in 1886 on land donated by Lucy Boardman, who also provided plans for the building. Founding members of the congregation included the Goode, Campbell, Miller, Ely, Ellis and Grubb families as well as Hector, McBride, Gibbs, and Mason. The church, built of virgin Georgia heart pine, was located south of Crane Creek. Members from the north side of the creek arrived by boat and after 1895, by footbridge. The building was moved in 1897 to land donated by W.T. Wells at the corner of Fee Avenue and U.S. 1, Melbourne. Repaired and stuccoed in 1927, the building was moved to its present location in 1963.
Sponsors: BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

JAMES WADSWORTH ROSSETTER HOUSE

Location:1320 Highland Avenue
County: Brevard
City: Melbourne
Description: Descended from 17th Century New England pioneers, James Rossetter (1863-1921) was born in Hamilton County, Florida. Rossetter arrived in Eau Gallie in 1902 and became a leader in the local fishing industry, harvesting the many local waterways as a charter partner of the Indian River & Lake Worth Fish Company. Later, he would form his own wholesale fishing enterprise and would go on to develop a fish pound at the Bight of Canaveral, precursor of Port Canaveral. The James W. Rossetter House began as a small existing structure on this property, which Rossetter bought in 1904. To expand his newly purchased home, Rossetter bought the winter home of John Aspinwall, a wealthy New York industrialist, and moved it to its present location. The Aspinwall structure, built in 1890 and now the west wing of the house, was connected to the existing building with open-air breezeways. Many of the designs used in the construction of boats were employed in the building of the house, as evidenced by the whimsical wood patterns inside the home. The scale of the home in relation to the surrounding residential area reflects the early success of Rossetter's industrial endeavors.
Sponsors: BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION, BREVARD COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, THE FLORIDA HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

JOHN H. SAMS HOMESTEAD

Location:6195 N. Tropical Trail
County: Brevard
City: Merritt Island
Description: The Sams family came to Brevard County from South Carolina in 1875 to take advantage of the 1860 Homestead Act. The family consisted of John Hanahan Sams, his wife Sarah, their five children, John’s brother William Sams, and his sister, Catherine DeVeaux Sams. The Sams Homestead consists of two buildings. The first, a single story home, was originally constructed in Eau Gallie on property homesteaded by John H. Sams in 1875. The family decided to move nearer to other relatives on North Merritt Island and the house was rafted up the Indian River in 1878 to the present site. It is the oldest dated structure on Merritt Island and a prime example of Florida vernacular construction. In 1884 Sams was granted a homestead deed for 156 acres and by 1888, built the second two-story home adjoining the older house on the property. Sams served as Superintendent of Schools for the county from 1880-1920, while growing citrus and pineapples. John H. Sams died in 1923 and the homes were occupied by his descendants until 1995. Archaeological excavations at the site discovered a prehistoric Native American occupation site that dates from approximately 5,000 BC to 1250 AD, and also a late Pleistocene fossil site.
Sponsors: THE BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION, THE BREVARD COUNTY TOURIST D EVELOPMENT COUNCIL AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

LaGRANGE COMMUNITY CEMETERY

Location:1575 North Dixie Highway
County: Brevard
City: Mims
Description: Established in 1869, this is the oldest cemetery on Florida’s lower East Coast. The oldest portion is located in the front center section, evidenced by the southeasterly positioning of the tombstones. Tom Johnson Cockshutt (1841-1917), who arrived here in 1868 and made barrels nearby, donated this parcel to be used, in part as a community cemetery. In 1869 he organized the first protestant church on the East Coast between New Smyrna and Key West. The community built a small log structure to serve as the first public meeting house, area schoolhouse, and church. It was located in what is now the north portion of LaGrange Cemetery. LaGrange Community Church, built in 1872, stands just south of this parcel. The earliest marked grave is that of Andrew Fenster, a War of 1812 veteran, who settled here in 1865, died in 1869 and is buried in the large family plot. Gravesites of many pioneer families include Tom J. Cockshutt, founder of the Church; Andrew Froscher, undertaker; Dr. B.R. Wilson, physician; William S. Norwood, who operated the first overland mail service; Mims, for whom the town of Mims was named; and Colonel Henry T. Titus (1823-1881), founder of Titusville.
Sponsors: BY THE BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

LaGRANGE COMMUNITY CHURCH

Location:1575 Old Dixie Highway
County: Brevard
City: LaGrange
Description: Founded by Tom Johnson Cockshutt in 1869, this was the first organized Protestant Church on the East Coast of Florida between New Smyrna and Key West. Tom donated land for a cemetery and built a small log structure located on what is now the northern part of LaGrange Cemetery. It was used as a public meeting place, church, and the first public school in Brevard County. In 1872 a two-story structure of vertical logs was built on the present site. The first floor was used as a church and the second floor for public meetings and a schoolhouse. In 1893 the second story was removed, a bay window was added between the two front doors, and horizontal boards were placed over the vertical logs, encompassing the old structure within the walls of the new. Depicted on one of the eight memorial windows are the names of those who built the church: J.N. Feaster; J.C.C. Feaster; Tom J. Cockshutt; W.S. Norwood; B.J. Mims; R. Singleton; and W.P. Day. The first ordained pastor was W.N. Chaudoin from 1871-1904. Several other congregations were formed from this small church that included: First Presbyterian of Titusville; Mims Methodist Church; and Greater St. James Missionary Baptist Church of Mims.
Sponsors: THE BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

LaGRANGE MIMS COMMUNITY CEMETERY

Location:1575 North Old Dixie Highway
County: Brevard
City: Titusville
Description: In the early 1900s a two-acre parcel of land north of LaGrange Church and Cemetery was given to the Mims colored community for a cemetery. Earliest marked graves are dated 1903; many were unmarked. During the late 1800s both blacks and whites worshiped at LaGrange Community Church. In 1894, after organizing their own congregation, St. James Colored Missionary Baptist Church acquired land in Mims and in 1904 built their own church. In June 1913, trustees of that church purchased this parcel from the East Coast Cattle Company for use as a cemetery, then referred to as the Mims Colored Cemetery. Many of North Brevard’s pioneering black families rest in this hallowed ground with family names of Abrams, Bell, Brothers, Brown, Campbell, Cuyler, Grant, Gibson, Highsmith, McKenzie, Mitchell, Seigler, Simms, Strickland, Warren and Williams. Most noted ate the graves of Harry T. Moore and Harriette V. Simms Moore, Florida civil rights activists. Moore was chapter president of the Brevard County National Association of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and later NAACP Florida Convention president/state coordinator. On Christmas Eve, 1951, the Moores were killed when their home, located near this site, was bombed.
Sponsors: THE BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

LAWNDALE

Location:1219 Rockledge Dr.
County: Brevard
City: Rockledge
Description: Homestead of H.S. William, his wife Cornelia, and children, Sidney and Myra. Williams moved to this in Rockledge in 1874, began construction of this house, and became construction of this house, and became one of the first "indian River Fruit" citrus Farmers, shipping his fruit under the label "lawndale" Williams was the first postmaster for the City of Rockledge (1875-1881) with a post office established at this site. He was also Brevard County Treasurer (1874-1883) and the first State Senator, representing Brevard county for two terms beginning in 1884. Williams was a profific author and a strong proponent of education, establishing one of the first schoolrooms in the area on the second floor of this house. Lawndale is one of the last remaining examples of Queen Anne style architecture in this area. It is listed in the National Reister of Historic Places as part of the Rockledge Drive Historic District. Preservation and Education Trust, Inc is restoring the property with grants from the Florida Division of Historical Resources
Sponsors: THE BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION, PRESERVATION EDUCATION TRUST - BREVARD COUNTY TOURISTDEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

OLIVER'S CAMP

Location:2215 Jay Jay Rd., Chain of Lakes Park
County: Brevard
City: Titusville
Description: This site derives its name from the Oliver family who migrated from Missouri and homesteaded this area of Turnbull Hammock in the early 1870’s. They owned large tracts of timberland and citrus groves, and the main “camp” was located on this property. In 1886, L.C. Oliver started a lumber business in Titusville, and dealt in Georgia pine lumber, shingles, and other building supplies. Oliver bought half interest in the Budge & Huckabay Hardware Store in 1888, and renamed the business Oliver & Budge Hardware & Lumber. Budge and Oliver moved to Miami in 1895, and started another hardware and lumber business. Budge bought Oliver’s half interest in the Titusville business, and in 1898 sold it to his father-in-law, Captain J. Pritchard, and it became James Pritchard and Son Hardware. In 1918 Oliver and wife Louise sold their Turnbull Hammock 40 acres to Florida Senator J.J. Parrish and wife Emma for $15,000. Parrish was one of the state’s largest citrus grove owners and businessmen during the early 1900’s. Located on this property was a 1910 Craftsman style two-story house that Parrish used as the grove caretaker’s residence. Brevard County purchased this property and is now the location of Chain of Lakes Regional Park.
Sponsors: THE BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

ORIGINAL MELBOURNE VILLAGE HALL

Location:6100 Hall Rd.
County: Brevard
City: Melbourne
Description: This community hall was constructed, circa 1941, as a barracks on the Banana River Naval Air Station. Following World War II, the Naval Air Station became Patrick Air Force Base. In 1948, this building was declared surplus, and sold to the American Homesteading Foundation (AHF), located in Melbourne Village, Florida. The building was barged down the Banana River and Indian River to Melbourne and trucked on the then two-lane U.S. Route 192 to this location. As the center of Village life, the Hall was used for AHF Trustee meetings and annual AHF Membership meetings. It was also used for square dancing, life saving and first aid classes, Women’s Guild activities, study groups for organic gardening, art and drama, plus children’s crafts, drama, and story time programs. From 1957 until 1963, it provided office space for the newly incorporated Town of Melbourne Village. After 1963, it was used for recreational activities and the Village Men’s Club. In 1996, the Town of Melbourne Village Historic Preservation Commission began a campaign to restore this historic landmark. The Town of Melbourne Village with the support of a grant from Brevard County completed the restoration in 2003.
Sponsors: THE BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

POSSIBLE VICINITY OF JUAN PONCE DE LEON'S LANDING

Location:4005 Hwy. A1A
County: Brevard
City: Melbourne Beach
Description: While there is disagreement among scholars, it is believed that this site may be in an area where Juan Ponce de Leon made landfall in April 1513. It has long been thought that this event took place near St. Augustine, based upon studies of de Leon’s compass headings that did not account for the inability of 16th century navigators to accurately determine longitude, magnetic compass deviations, or the effects of the Gulf Stream and prevailing winds. Professional navigator Douglas Peck re-traced Juan Ponce de Leon’s route in a sailboat, however, and found a more likely landing site. Peck, who sailed the same waters for 30 years, has an “intimate geographical knowledge of the route” Juan Ponce de Leon took. When he re-sailed the route at the same time of year as the 1513 voyage, he reached Florida’s eastern shore at 28 degrees North Latitude and 80 degrees 29 minutes West Longitude, just south of Melbourne Beach. He can place the accuracy to within 5 to 8 Nautical Miles on either side of this navigational fix. Many historians now conclude that an area south of Melbourne Beach, such as this site, was a more probable location for Juan Ponce de Leon’s first landing. This Brevard County Park, Juan Ponce de Leon Landing, was created in 2005.
Sponsors: THE BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION, BREVARD COUNTY PARKS & RECREATION, AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

PROVOST HALL

Location:3890 Old Settlement Road, behind building
County: Brevard
City: Merritt Island
Description: Provost Hall was originally constructed in 1910 as the Georgiana Club house on land provided by Charles D. Provost and his wife Gertrude Breese Provost. Until their grandchildren, Charles D. Provost and his sister, Mary Virginia Provost Katz, gave the hall to the Georgianna United Methodist Church in 1992 the Georgiana Club house was used for community functions. These functions included the children’s Christmas Eve party; the Georgiana Club meeting and card party fund-raiser; Memorial Day services; and, the Fall Youth party and dance. During WWI it was the focus of many Georgiana Red Cross Auxiliary Unit (GRCAU) functions to sew items for the war effort. A fund-raising mid-winter ball was held on March 1, 1917 by the GRCAU with the KMI military school orchestra providing the music. The Club house was packed to capacity with people from all over Brevard County. The Club house was also the voting precinct for Georgiana residents for many years beginning in the 1930s. Presently, Provost Hall plays a vital role in the ministry of Georgianna United Methodist Church and its WAVE (Wave of the Future) Youth Groups.
Sponsors: THE BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

ST. GABRIEL'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Location:South Palm Avenue between Pine St. and Julia st.
County: Brevard
City: Titusville
Description: In 1887, construction of a church was begun on land donated to the Titusville Episcopal mission by Mary Titus, wife of the town's founder, and J. Dunlin Perkinson, lay reader of the mission. The name of the church was changed from St. John's to St. Gabriels's with the gift in 1888 of a stained glass window depicting St. Gabriel. The neo-Gothic style reflects a trend in Episcopal Church architecture in central Florida during the late 1800's. This style was spread through the efforts of Edwin G. Weed, third bishop of Florida. The church, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, contains a fine collection of Victorian stained glass.
Sponsors: Sponsored by St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church in cooperation with department of state

ST. LUKES EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Location:5555 N. Tropical Trail
County: Brevard
City: Merritt Island
Description: St. Luke’s Episcopal Church of Courtenay was formed by the Porcher, LaRoche, Sams and other families that settled on north Merritt Island after leaving the Charleston, South Carolina area in 1875 due to the loss of their homes and plantations during the Civil War. The first services were held in 1879 in a store building on the bank of the Indian River. In 1888, Edward Porcher donated property for the site of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. It was built with a $600 donation from Lucy Boardman of New Haven, Connecticut, along with the donated labor of parishioners. The Florida Gothic style, common architecture for Episcopal churches in Florida at the time, was a board and batten wooden 600-square-foot structure built of locally milled hand-planed island pine and cypress with a steep gabled roof and square bell tower. During the early years, the church did not have a vicar. Ministers from churches in Cocoa and Titusville traveled by boat to hold monthly services, while members led the weekly services. The chapel is still used for mid-week and special services. The church is surrounded on three sides by an historic cemetery. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
Sponsors: THE BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION, THE BREVARD COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

THE LAST NAVAL BATTLE OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR

Location:400 S. Sykes Creek Parkway
County: Brevard
City: Merritt Island
Description: The last naval battle of the American Revolutionary War took place off the coast of Cape Canaveral on March 10, 1783. The fight began when three British ships sighted two Continental Navy ships, the Alliance commanded by Captain John Barry and the Duc De Lauzun commanded by Captain John Green sailing northward along the coast of Florida. The Alliance, a 36-gun frigate, and the Duc De Lauzun, a 20-gun ship, were loaded with 72,000 Spanish silver dollars they were bringing from Havana, Cuba to Philadelphia to support the Continental Army. One of the British ships, the HMS Sybil, a 28-gun frigate, commanded by Captain James Vashon, chased the Alliance and Duc De Lauzun to the south. The HMS Sybil fired first, exchanging shots with the slower Duc De Lauzun. Then in a daring strategy Captain John Barry aboard the Alliance reversed his course, and while under fire, waited until the HMS Sybil was close. When the British ship was alongside he returned fire to the broadside with greater number of cannon. The battle lasted less than an hour, when the HMS Sybil, outgunned and badly damaged, broke off from the battle and fled. The Alliance and Duc De Lauzun then continued on their mission at dawn on March 11, 1783.
Sponsors: THE FLORIDA SOCIETY OF THE SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

THE PRITCHARD HOUSE

Location:424 South Washington Avenue
County: Brevard
City: Titusville
Description: Captain James Pritchard bought a lot from Mary Titus, and in the spring of 1891 contracted Pleasant J. Hall, who had built St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church, to build a Queen Anne style house of heart pine. It appears today much like it did then. On the first floor is a main entrance hall, a stairway to the second floor, parlor and dining room. The kitchen was separated from the main living area by an open passage, now closed in with a side door. A narrow stairway ascends from the kitchen to the maid’s room above. The second floor has four bedrooms with built-in closets. Only the master bedroom had access to the balcony. The passage between the main house and maid’s room at the end of the hall later became a bathroom. A pipe connected to a hand pump located next to the tub carried water from the cistern below. The four fireplaces have original tiled hearths. The entrance hall light fixture is original. In 1888, Pritchard organized Titusville’s first bank, built the first generating plant in 1890 - later sold to Florida Power and Light Co., and owned James Pritchard and Son Hardware Store. Pritchard family members had continuously lived in the house, until it was purchased by Brevard County in May 2005.
Sponsors: THE BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

TITUS HOUSE

Location:Indian River Ave between Main St. and Stephen House Way
County: Brevard
City: Titusville
Description: Located on the Indian River, the hotel was built (circa 1869) and operated by Henry T. Titus, founder of Titusville. The building, constructed of wood, was U-shaped with each room opening on a veranda facing a tropical garden. In the days of steam boat travel, the hotel, with its elaborate salon, was considered one of the best in Florida. After the death of Titus, the property became part of the Dixie Hotel.

UNION CYPRESS RAILWAY

Location:Tallwood Park, Hollywood Blvd. Between Trend Rd and N. Tallwood Circle
County: Brevard
City: Melbourne
Description: This 18.5-mile standard-gauge railway was built to carry logs from the large cypress/pine holdings of George W. Hopkins, at Deer Park, to the Union Cypress sawmill just south of Melbourne. Two new and seven used steam locomotives would eventually ride the 50-lb. rails, crossing the St. Johns River on a 2,850-foot wooden trestle south of Lake Sawgrass. This was the first direct route across the St. Johns for 80 miles south of Enterprise, preceding the Kissimmee Highway (U.S. 192) by 6 years. Melbourne to Kissimmee travel was now only 53 miles, compared to a previous 128 miles by rail or 153 miles by road. The railway opened up the vast prairie lands along the St. Johns for settlement and carried much of the regional commerce: cut timber, naval stores, livestock, and farm produce as well as people and the materiel of their daily lives. Trains ferried automobiles across the marsh on flat cars when floods closed the Kissimmee Highway. Logging and railway operations ceased after Hopkins died in January, 1925. Foshee Manufacturing Co. took over in March, 1928, and operated until forced to quit in late 1932 due to a declining lumber market in the Great Depression. Only the skeletal St. Johns River trestle remains today.
Sponsors: THE BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION, THE BREVARD COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

UNION CYPRESS SAWMILL

Location:2729 Lipscomb St, on Mill St. side of Macedonia Missionary Baptist
County: Brevard
City: Melbourne
Description: The Union Cypress Co. was Melbourne’s first big industry, bringing employment, growth and development to the region. Their big cypress/pine sawmill was a three-story, all-steel structure about 50 by 150 feet. Five, 150-horsepower boilers provided power. Its power plant supplied Melbourne’s first electricity. The company’s railway to Deer Park provided the first direct route across the St. Johns River for 80 miles south of Enterprise. Some 40,000 feet of lumber and 45,000 shingles could be produced daily from the cypress/pine holdings of George W. Hopkins, which had a market value over $2 million in 1911. Lumber not used locally was shipped out via the Florida East Coast Railway. The company-owned town of Hopkins had some 69 buildings within its industrial, residential and commercial areas. The big mill burned in August, 1919, and was replaced by a smaller pine mill. Construction of a new cypress mill began in late 1924, but halted after Hopkins died in January, 1925. Foshee Manufacturing Co. leased the now-idle mill and railway in March, 1928, but even with plenty of timber left, had to close in late 1932 due to a declining lumber market in the Great Depression. Less than a handful of original buildings exist today.
Sponsors: THE BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION, THE BREVARD COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

VALENCIA HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:Intersection of Rockledge Dr. and Valencia Dr.
County: Brevard
City: Rockledge
Description: The Valencia Historic District was developed during the Florida Land Boom of the 1920s. The Valencia Homes Company was formed in 1924 by local businessmen C. Sweet Smith, Charles D. Smith, L.S. Andrews and Horace R. Bruen. The company acquired a 22-acre tract of land that was formerly the site of the Plaza Hotel and occupied in part by an orange grove. In March 1924 the company platted the subdivision and named it after the type of oranges that grew there, and for a region in Spain. They built impressive entry gates, a waterworks, paved roads, and installed light posts and tropical landscaping. Each lot was 25 feet wide and most buyers purchased at least two lots to build on. Each sale agreement required that the homes constructed must cost $4,000 or more and that they be of Spanish, Moorish or Italian architectural design. The official architect for Valencia was Richard W. Rummell, Jr., who designed many of Brevard County’s most impressive buildings. All of the contributing homes were built between 1924 and 1926 and are excellent examples of the Mediterranean Revival style. The Valencia Subdivision was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.
Sponsors: THE BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION, THE BREVARD HERITAGE COUNCIL,THE BREVARD COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

WINDOVER ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

Location:8006 Thru 8026 Windover Way
County: Brevard
City: Titusville
Description: Discovered by accident in 1982, the Windover site is a burial place of Early Native Americans who inhabited this region 7,000 to 8,000 years ago. The burials were placed underwater in the peat of the shallow pond. This peat helped to preserve normally perishable artifacts and human tissues. The site contains the largest skeletal sample in the New World and the oldest bottle gourd found north of Mexico, two features that add to its significance. It also includes the largest and most complex sample of early textiles in the New World, a pollen record from the end of the Pleistocene to Recent Eras and recovery of some of the oldest DNA from brain tissue and bone. The remarkable state of preservation has allowed archaeologists to reconstruct some of the earliest New World diets based on contents from their stomachs and on scientific analysis. The site has produced the largest and most complex textile collection ever recovered from an Early Archaic period site. It also yielded a remarkable organic artifact inventory including wood and fibers. Archaeologists from Florida State University were among those who explored the Windover site.
Sponsors: THE BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

WINTER-TIME AIS INDIAN TOWN OF PENTOAYA

Location:2055 So. Patrick Dr.
County: Brevard
City: Eau Gallie
Description: In 1605 Florida’s Spanish Governor Pedro de Ybarra sent Lt. Alvaro Mexia on a diplomatic mission to the Ais Indians. Mexia recorded his passage from St. Augustine down the coast to the principal Ais Indian town near present-day Vero Beach. At the confluence of Ulumay Lagoon (Banana River Lagoon) and the Great Bay of Ais (Indian River Lagoon) Mexia reported the location of the winter-time Ais Indian Town of Pentoaya. He recorded that the 17th century town of Pentoaya was located directly opposite on the western mainland, near the confluence of the Eau Gallie and the Indian Rivers. The Winter-Time Town of Pentoaya was located between this park and the Banana River Lagoon, to the west. It consisted of a complex of shell middens, mounds and a causeway, which divided the small lake seen from this marker. Little remains of these mounds, as the shells found in them were used as roadbed material early in the 20th century.
Sponsors: THE BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

FIRST ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH IN BREVARD COUNTY

Location:1422 Miller Street
County: Brevard
City: Palm Bay
Description: In the early twentieth century, the North Dakota-based Florida Indian River Catholic Colony corporation advertised it was starting a Catholic community in central Florida. By 1914, the land company helped settle nearly 100 midwestern families, mostly of German and Slavic descent, in the area of Tillman, situated on the banks of the Indian River and Turkey Creek. During this time, Brevard County did not have a resident Catholic priest and services were administered by clergy who traveled among rural communities. The corporation failed to deliver on a promise to build a proper church, so the parish members built one themselves. Bishop Michael J. Curley dedicated the church in 1914. Following the ceremony, 78 local children received the Sacrament of Confirmation. Named St. Joseph's, the church served the nearby communities of Melbourne and Eau Gallie. Residents traveled by wagon or boat to attend services. In 1923, a rectory was built and the church’s first resident priest arrived a year later. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987, St. Joseph's Church of Palm Bay is the oldest Catholic Church in continuous use in Brevard County.

THE LEGACY OF DENNIS SAWYER

Location:1240 North Tropical Trail
County: Brevard
City: Merritt Island
Description: Edwin Dennis Sawyer (1874-1964) was born in the Bahamas, the second child of freed slave Alfred Sawyer. From age 18-25, Dennis worked on a ship and then in Ft. Pierce as a fisherman. In 1898, after moving to Cocoa, he married Rebecca Dallas. The couple settled on Merritt Island and raised five children. In 1902, Dennis Sawyer applied for U.S. citizenship. He organized and helped build Mt. Olive AME Church in 1908. He owned a 2-story building known as "Sawyer's Hall," which had space for community and Masonic lodge meetings, a small store, and rented living quarters. He helped establish one of the first African American schools on Merritt Island. In 1931, Sawyer arranged for the construction of a 2-room schoolhouse that was later known as Merritt Junior High. Sawyer grew vegetables, fruits, and sugarcane, and was often seen with his produce wagon pulled by his mule, Maude. He also captained the tug Mystic, which pulled fruit barges to Cocoa for loading onto Florida East Coast Railway cars, and skippered a trade boat that S.F. Travis ran down to Jupiter. Sawyer was a 33rd degree Mason, a mediator between the black and white communities, and is remembered for his fine produce, generous nature, and excellent character.
Sponsors: The Brevard County Historical Commission, the Brevard County Tourist Development Council, and the Florida Department of State

DENNIS SAWYER MEMORIAL PARK AND CEMETERY

Location:258 Bevis Road
County: Brevard
City: Merritt Island
Description: Dennis Sawyer Memorial Park was established in 1956 when R.V. and Hazel Woods deeded three acres of land for use as an African American cemetery. It was originally managed by Greater Mount Olive AME Church, but years later, the cemetery deteriorated due to neglect and vandalism. Bahamian émigré Dennis Sawyer and his wife Rebecca are buried in the cemetery. The marker for Rebecca, who died in 1960, has deteriorated but remains readable. The grave for Dennis, who died in 1964, is unidentified, although there is a nearby concrete slab marker similar in design to Rebecca's. A survey uncovered six other gravesites. One, marked “MI Bowman,” was for a six-year-old child who died in 1962; only broken pieces of concrete remain for the other five. In 1963, two acres of the cemetery were deeded back to the Woods family, leaving only one acre for the cemetery. A portion of the last acre became property of Brevard County and was transformed into a park. The remaining property, which belonged to Dennis Sawyer Cemetery, was transferred to Brevard County in 1972 when the owner defaulted on unpaid taxes. That property was deeded back to Greater Mount Olive AME Church in 2012.
Sponsors: The Brevard County Historical Commission, the Brevard County Tourist Development Council, and the Florida Department of State

THE LAUNCH SITE OF AMERICA'S FIRST SATELLITE, EXPLORER I/ THE SPACE RACE BEGINS

Location:191 Museum Circle
County: Brevard
City: Cape Canaveral
Description: Side One: In 1955, President Dwight Eisenhower approved a plan to orbit a satellite during the International Geophysical Year, a period hailed as an unprecedented international effort involving scientists from 67 countries to advance scientific studies of Earth. The United States entered the Space Age at 10:48 p.m. on January 31, 1958, when a Juno I rocket lifted off from Pad-A at Launch Complex 26 carrying Explorer I. It was not the nation’s first attempt to launch a satellite, but it was the first to successfully orbit Earth. The countdown was conducted from the Launch Complex 26 Blockhouse. The mission was a cooperative effort by the Army Ballistic Missile Agency, the U.S. Air Force, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and other academic and aerospace entities. Weighing 30 pounds, the satellite carried instruments to measure temperature, micrometeorite impacts, and radiation. Data from Explorer I confirmed suspected areas of intense radiation around Earth. The areas were named the Van Allen radiation belts, in honor of Dr. James Van Allen, who designed the satellite’s equipment. Explorer I transmitted data for 105 days and completed 58,376 orbits around Earth before re-entering the atmosphere and burning up in 1970. Side Two: The Soviet Union launched the world’s first satellite, Sputnik 1, on October 4, 1957. A second satellite, Sputnik 2, followed on November 3, 1957, and carried the first live animal into orbit, a dog named Laika. The United States attempted its first satellite launch using a Vanguard rocket on December 6, 1957, from Complex 18. It rose just four feet off the launch pad before it exploded. Fifty-five days later, Explorer I was successfully launched on a Juno I rocket. To determine if life, including human life, could be sustained in a space environment, two bio-flights carrying rhesus and squirrel monkeys were launched from Complex 26. Gordo was launched on December 13, 1958, then Able and Baker on May 28, 1959. Complex 26 also served as the site of numerous Jupiter missile launches as part of NATO’s combat training program. Italian and Turkish missile crews used the facility from 1961-1963. Complex 26 hosted 36 launches from 1956-1963. Following its deactivation, plans were formulated to make it a museum. In February 1968, the Blockhouse opened to the public; subsequently educating millions of visitors about aerospace history and modern spaceflight. This area is now known as the Air Force Space & Missile Museum.
Sponsors: The U.S. Air Force Space & Missile Museum Foundation

THE S.F. TRAVIS COMPANY

Location:300-302 Delanoy Avenue
County: Brevard
City: Cocoa
Description: Side One: Founded in 1885, the S.F. Travis Company is the oldest continuously operating business in the city of Cocoa and one of the oldest hardware stores in Florida. Surviving two world wars, numerous hurricanes, and financial busts, the S.F. Travis Co. has been family owned and operated for over five generations, making it among the longest-running family operations in the state. Built in 1891, the store was one of the first constructed after a fire in 1890, and Colonel S.F. Travis purchased it in 1902. It is the only commercial structure in Cocoa from this period still used for its original purpose and is the oldest brick building in the city. Travis expanded his operation with a second building in 1907. He sold everything from groceries and furniture to caskets and appliances. The buildings’ exteriors have changed little since a 1924 renovation that added large display windows, the awning, brick facade, and second floor walkway between the buildings. In addition to the hardware business, this property also housed a mortuary, telegraph office, and at one point a small movie theater. It was the first building in Cocoa to have an elevator and a sprinkler system, and was one of the first businesses to install a telephone. Side Two: Predating many modern conveniences and local infrastructure, the S.F. Travis Co. conducted much of its early business by boat. The company used a dock that came right up to the back of the store. It made deliveries up and down the Indian River until the 1950s when the dock was removed and the shoreline was filled in for the Cocoa River Development project. The tools and building materials sold by the S.F. Travis Co. helped build Cocoa Village, the Kennedy Space Center, the Banana River Naval Air Station (later renamed Patrick Air Force Base), and many of the other neighboring communities. The S.F. Travis Co. sold supplies that helped build the infrastructure for Florida’s space industry and continued to serve an array of customers ranging from defense contractors and aerospace companies to small businesses and homeowners. What began as a small local hardware store has made a lasting impact on the Space Coast extending far beyond the boundaries of the little village where it began.
Sponsors: Brevard County Historical Commission, The Brevard County Tourist Development Council

JOHN R. FIELD HOMESTEAD

Location:750 Field Manor Drive
County: Brevard
City: Merritt Island
Description: In 1868, the Field family landed on Merritt Island to start a new life. A year later, much of the family returned to Macon, Georgia, but the two eldest brothers John R. (J.R.) and Samuel J. (Sam) Field remained. Using the Homestead Act of 1862, they claimed over 450 acres, with J.R. taking the northern section and Sam the southern plot. Sam used part of his land to help develop the community of Indianola, while J.R. and his family established a homestead. By 1880, the current two-story riverfront house was built for J.R., his wife Eliza, and their two daughters, Irene and Annie Eliza. The first crops J.R. planted were sugarcane and mangoes, but he later found more success in growing citrus. By 1900, he had built an onsite packing house, and started to ship Indian River citrus nationwide. As the family grew, so did the house, and several additions were made to accommodate the three generations that lived there. In 1997, the Field house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Alma Clyde, J.R.’s last living descendant to live on the property, passed away in 2013. She left the homestead to the community with the intent that it would serve as a museum for future generations to enjoy.
Sponsors: Brevard County Historical Commission, The Brevard County Tourist Development Council

NAVAL AIR STATION MELBOURNE

Location:
County: Brevard
City: Melbourne
Description: This site was the 129-building Naval Air Station constructed at the Melbourne Municipal Airport at the beginning of World War II. It was commissioned as Operational Training Unit #2 on October 20, 1942 and closed on February 15, 1946. The Station was used for training newly commissioned Navy and Marine pilots. There were over 2,200 pilots who trained in Grumman F4F Wildcat and F6F Hellcat fighter planes. Of the pilots trained there, 63 died in aerial accidents and two enlisted men died in ground-related accidents. The location served more than 310 officers and 1,355 enlisted personnel. Today the area is operated by the City of Melbourne Airport Authority.
Sponsors: Melbourne Airport Authority Property Manager and the Florida Department of State

CARTER-FULLER MOUND COMPLEX

Location:Center Street North to Richie Avenue
County: Brevard
City: Cape Canaveral
Description: Before modern construction a complex of six burial mounds occupied this location. They were built by the ancestors of the prehistoric Ais tribe, a group who occupied the Cape Canaveral area at the time of European contact. Based on pottery styles and the presence of European materials discovered here, the age of the mounds in this complex ranges from AD 600 to the 16th century. In the 1930s, Dr. George Woodbury, under the direction of the Smithsonian Institute’s Bureau of Ethnology, the Peabody Museum, initiated a series of archaeological investigations into several American Indian mound sites near here. With the help of local laborers provided by the New Deal’s Civil Works Administration, excavations on the properties belonging to the Carter and Fuller families revealed the remains of more than 100 individuals that included men, women, and children. Along with these burials, dozens of ornamental and utilitarian artifacts made of bone, shell, and stone were recovered. Many of the artifacts are housed at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. and at the Peabody Museum in Massachusetts.
Sponsors: The Brevard County Historical Commission, The Brevard County Tourist Development Council

PENTOYA

Location:924 Thomas Barbour Drive (Ballard Park)
County: Brevard
City: Melbourne
Description: The Ais Indian town of Pentoaya is thought to have been located atop the arc-shaped sand bluffs that surround the western edge of what is now Ballard Park. Pentoaya was an important prehistoric Indian settlement on the east coast of Florida, and was one of ten towns recorded on Alvaro Mexia’s 1605 map of Indian habitation sites. The segment of the Indian River Lagoon that stretches from this site to Floridana Beach was once called Pentoaya Lagoon. Like many Ais villages located along the Indian River Lagoon, the wintertime location of Pentoaya was along a barrier island near present-day Gleason Park in Indian Harbour Beach, while this site probably served as Pentoaya’s primary location during the rest of the year. Artifacts found here date from as early as 2000 BC to as late as AD 1700, and range from fiber-tempered Orange pottery to more recent Malabar II check-stamped pottery. Pentoaya’s location where the Eau Gallie and Indian rivers meet would have contributed to its economic and political importance among the Ais and their ancestors. The main settlement of the Ais Indians – their paramount village – was located at the Kroegel homestead, just south of the city of Sebastian in Indian River County.
Sponsors: The Brevard County Historical Commission, the Brevard County Tourist Development Council, and the Florida Department of State

INDIALANTIC CASINO

Location:201 North Miramar Avenue
County: Brevard
City: Indialantic
Description: The Indialantic Casino was constructed on this site in 1923. The two-story Mediterranean Revival style building was designed by architect William Christen and developed by Herbert Earle. It opened on December 22, 1923, and boasted shops, an Olympic-size saltwater pool, a tall diving tower, and wading pools. The casino became a center for social activity in the Melbourne area, offering rooms for winter guests and space for club meetings, socials, and galas, such as wedding receptions, banquets, and cotillions. Special events included a Midnight New Year’s Eve dinner, a Fourth of July celebration, and the Miss Melbourne and Miss Florida Beauty Pageants of 1925. Weekly rates in 1924 for ocean-view rooms (including board) were $20 for singles and $35 for doubles. The casino’s pool was used for training World War II military personnel from the Banana River Naval Station. Following a major renovation in 1942, Karl Abbott purchased the casino in 1944 and changed its name to the Bahama Beach Club. From 1949 until it was purchased by the Town of Indialantic in 1967, the building was an exclusive private club. Following a period of decline, the building was razed in 1970
Sponsors: SPONSORED BY THE BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION THE BREVARD COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

OLD MELBOURNE BEACH TOWN HALL

Location:2373 Oak St.
County: Brevard
City: Melbourne Beach
Description: This building was constructed in 1908 facing the Indian River Lagoon in the area now know as Ryckman Park in Melbourne Beach. It originally held offices of the Melbourne Beach Improvement Company. The officers, Capt. Rufus Beaujean, son Donald Beaujean and Lawrence Ryckman made plans for the town which included the pier, lot sites, roads, and a railway which ran from the Indian River to the Atlantic Ocean. Eventually, the building became the Melbourne Beach Town Hall and Post Office. In 1953, a new town hall was built and this building was floated down the river to this area. It was used for meetings and classes and managed by Mr. and Mrs. Williams, and became known as the Williams Building. When the Spessard Holland Golf Course was built, the building was moved to the point of land between Oak Street and Highway A1A where it continued to be a community center. In 2001, the county scheduled it for demolition, but two citizens requested time for rehabilitation. After many discussions, petitions and student letters, the county agreed to lease the building to the Town of Melbourne Beach. A committee enlisted the help of volunteers. In May 2007 the building opened as a history center.
Sponsors: The Brevard County Historical Commission The Brevard County Tourist Development Council and the Florida Department of State.

THE RYCKMAN HOUSE

Location:515 Ocean Ave
County: Brevard
City: Melbourne Beach
Description: One of the first homes in Melbourne Beach, the Ryckman House was built in 1890 for Jacob Fox by Captain Rufus W. Beaujean. Both men were original investors in the Melbourne Beach Company, later named the Melbourne Beach Improvement Company. The Ryckman House was built of native pine and cypress that was brought to Melbourne Beach on the vessel Frost Line. The two-story house originally had no electricity, and water came from the Improvement Company’s free-flowing artesian well. Jacob Fox and his family spent several seasons living here, enjoying the Atlantic, hunting, fishing, and socializing with the town’s few residents. Garrett E. Ryckman, a vintner from Brockton, N.Y., and a major shareholder in the original Melbourne Beach Company, acquired the house in 1908. The Ryckmans and their son Lawrence came to Melbourne Beach in 1908, followed by their daughter Ruth in 1910, after her graduation from Vassar College. Ruth Ryckman was an active member of the Melbourne Beach community, volunteering her services as a private nurse to the town for many years. She bequeathed the Ryckman House to the Town of Melbourne Beach upon her death in 1979 at the age of 89.
Sponsors: Commodore John Barry Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution and the Florida Department of State

BETHEL AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Location:4725 North Tropical Trail
County: Brevard
City: Merritt Island
Description: Established in 1892, the Bethel A.M.E. Church of Merritt Island was the first African Methodist Episcopal church on North Tropical Trail, located on land James R. Ragan originally acquired in 1895 through the Homestead Act. The little wooden church sat on brick piers close to the road, and was referred to as “The Little Church on Courtenay.” The pews were made of rough-hewn cypress, worn smooth from years of wear and lined with fans advertising an insurance company. In front of a small altar was the Communion rail, a 4 ft. section of 2x4 wood. Rev. Lawrence Walton was one of the first pastors and Rev. L.R. Catlin, Jr. was the pastor when a cornerstone was added in 1959. The congregation numbered 49. The church was in existence for 76 years before burning down in the spring of 1968. The adjacent cemetery was originally known as the “White Lilly Cemetery.” Graves date back to the early 1900s, and many are unidentified. Among pioneer families buried here are the Gillins, McDonald, Williams and Anderson. Renamed the Bethel-Greater Mount Olive A.M.E. Church Community Cemetery, and still in use, it is managed by the Greater Mount Olive A.M.E. Church, 1240 N. Tropical Trail, Merritt Island.
Sponsors: SPONSORED BY THE BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION BREVARD COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

MISSION (MERCURY) CONTROL CENTER

Location:Mission Control Rd.
County: Brevard
City: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Description: Built on this site in 1957, the Mercury Control Center, later renamed Mission Control, was the United States' first mission control for unmanned and manned space programs under the leadership of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The center housed critical launch equipment for the Mercury and Gemini programs. These programs made crucial advancements in the development of spaceflight, including placing astronauts in suborbital and orbital space within and outside a spacecraft, and safely returning them to Earth. The Gemini program was the first American attempt in orbital rendezvous and docking, a critical maneuver used in future manned lunar landings. The control room was dominated by a world map with a miniature spacecraft that tracked the capsule's planned flight path. Teams at the center controlled all flights launched aboard Redstone, Atlas, and the first three Titan II vehicles. After mission control functions were transferred to Houston, Texas, the center provided backup for the initial launch and trajectory. Before the facility's demolition in 2010, its essential historical components were removed for preservation and are displayed at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
Sponsors: THE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

DOUGLAS DUMMETT - DUMMETT GROVE

Location:n Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge, on Courtenay Pkwy N. after the Haulover canal
County: Brevard
City: Merritt Island
Description: Indian River oranges, one of Florida's most outstanding products were developed in the 19th century by Douglas Dummett. The Dummett family immigrated from the Barbados in 1807. By 1825, Thomas Dummett had acquired sugar plantations on the east coast of Florida. His son Douglas (B. 1806) established his plantation
Sponsors: The Brevard County Historical Commission in Cooperation with the Florida Department of State

ULUMAY

Location:805 Sykes Creek Parkway at the entrance of the Ulumay Wildlife Sanctuary
County: Brevard
City: Cocoa
Description: The Ais were one of the most influential and powerful tribes in Florida when Spanish Army Lt. Alvaro Mexia mapped Ulumay Lagoon in 1605. He wrote in his diary “Here is the town of Ulumay, the first one of the province of Ais. In back of and adjacent to this town there are many camps.” Ulumay was part of the vibrant Ais (Malabar) culture. Ais people occupied small interior camps and towns along resource-rich estuaries. The Ais were subject to Spanish patrols but were independent when British merchant Jonathan Dickinson from Jamaica trekked north through their territory in 1696 after he was shipwrecked near Hobe. Within a few years of his visit, epidemics weakened and then decimated the Ais. By 1715 only a few natives were seen by survivors of a Spanish fleet wreck. Through the 1950s, Ais village mounds including Ulumay were mined to obtain decomposed shell for use as roadbed. During the 1960s, local naturalist and historian Johnnie Johnson helped record what remained of Ulumay mounds. In 1970 the area was given to Brevard County by the State of Florida as a park. In 1993, the Brevard County Historical Commission dedicated the Ulumay Wildlife Sanctuary as a historical landmark.
Sponsors: A FLORIDA HERITAGE LANDMARK SPOSORED BY THE BREVARD COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION,FRIENDS OF ULUMAY, THE BREVARD COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

ST. MARK'S EPISCOPLE CHURCH

Location:4 Church Street
County: Brevard
City: Cocoa
Description: On June 2, 1878, The Right Reverend, The Bishop of Florida, and Dr. William H. Carter of Holy Cross Church of Sanford, FL held the first meeting of St. Mark's Episcopal at a nearby Rockledge residence. The mission was originally named St. Michael's in honor of St. Michael the Archangel. In 1884 Mrs. Lucy Boardman, a Winter resident of Sanford and frequent visitor to Cocoa and Melbourne, made a donation to Bishop Young for the constuction of Episcopal churches in the Indian River Area. Mrs. Sarah O. Delannoy donated land for the church. The board and batten Carpenter Gothic church was designed by Gabriel Gingras in 1886. William Booth and William Hindle, both early settlers in Cocoa designed and installed the church's woodwork. While still under construction on Christmas Eve 1886, the church was the sight of the first ever Christmas Tree seen in Cocoa Village. In 1888 "Michael," the Church's tower bell was cast in New York. In 1890 the church name was changed to St. Mark's in recognition of support from St. Mark's church in West Orange, New Jersey. Despite later remodeling and additions, most of the church's original interior woodwork and stained glass windows remain
Sponsors: The Brevard County Historical Commission, The Brevard County Tourist Developement Council, and The Florida Department of State

SMITH FAMILY HOMESTEAD

Location:A1A and Old Florida Trail
County: Brevard
City: Melbourne Beach
Description: Under the United States Government Homestead Act of 1862, brothers Robert Toombs Smith and Charley Smith laid claim to 158.79 acres on mullet creek in 1887. They discovered the property while searching the Indian River Lagoon shoreline by sailboat for land to homestead. They improved the land by clearing it by hand, building a permanent two story Florida Cracker “I” house with a wrap around porch on three sides was built on the site. The house, made from heart pine, featuring lapboard siding and tongue and groove floors, rests on coquina on pilings. A separate kitchen structure was attached. More than 15 years later on March 17 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt signed the deed to their homestead. Today the property is known as Honest John’s Fish Camp. Honest John Smith was the son of R.T. Smith and their decedents currently own the homestead. Also located on the site is a sugar cane mill, barn net house and railroad depot used as a packing house for citrus grown on the property. Access to these areas is restricted.
Sponsors: The Brevard County Historical Commission, The brevard County Tourist Development Council and the Florida Department of States.

HISTORIC MONROE CENTER

Location:705 Blake Ave
County: Brevard
City: Cocoa
Description: The Monroe Center – originally Monroe High School -- was built in 1954-55 as one of three segregated high schools serving Brevard County. The school was named after Jessie Ruth Monroe, a pioneer, teacher and principal of Cocoa Junior High School, an earlier segregated school in the community. The original address was 705 Avocado Street. The street was renamed after Virgil Blake, a prominent activist in the community who resided on the Street. Virgil Blake was the father of Richard Blake, who served as principal of Cocoa High School for 22 years and as a councilman in the City of Rockledge. Richard Blake is the grandfather of Michael Blake, who was elected the first Black Mayor of the City of Cocoa in 2004. The facility served Black children in grades 7 through 12 from throughout Central Brevard until 1966-67, when area public schools were integrated. The school had a distinguished reputation and was the alma mater for several community leaders in education, government, industry and the arts. The Monroe Center, now the “Children’s Village,” includes an array of educational and social services for children and families.
Sponsors: SPONSORED BY THE CHILD CARE ASSOCIATION OF BREVARD COUNTY, INC. AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

MYRTLE COTTAGE

Location:Ocean Ave, near Pine St.
County: Brevard
City: Melbourne Beach
Description: Constructed on this site in 1888, Myrtle Cottage was built by Mrs. Hannah Cummings and her daughter Grace, and was the first house in the area known as Melbourne Beach. The house's construction was made difficult by the lack of roads or docks, and while it was being built the Cummings family camped on the beach at the nearby House of Refuge, a shipwreck lifesaving station. After its completion, the family lived in the large house and took in boarders, including Major Cyrus Graves, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Whiting, Mr. Alfred Wilcox, and others who helped found Melbourne Beach. Myrtle Cottage was always an important part of the community. Church services and Sunday school classes were held there until 1892 when the Community Chapel was built. However if repairs were needed to the chapel or bad weather threatened, church services and classes were temporarily held in Myrtle Cottage. In later years the house served as a rooming house for students from the Florida Institute of Technology. In 1982, the house caught fire and burned to the ground as a large number of people watched in dismay. There are still residents of Melbourne Beach who fondly remember the "Grand Old Building."
Sponsors: The Brevard County Historical Commission The Brevard County Tourist Development Council and the Florida Department of State

CAPE CANAVERAL LIGHTHOUSE

Location:Lighthouse Rd
County: Brevard
City: Cape Canaveral
Description: On May 21, 1838, Florida territorial delegate Charles Downing requested a lighthouse be built on Cape Canaveral. The first lighthouse completed in Jan. 1848 stood 65-feet tall, had a 55-foot tower and a 10-foot lantern room equipped with 15 lamps on 21-inch reflectors. The brick tower and keeper’s home cost under $13,300. Nathaniel Scobie oversaw construction and appointed the first keeper. With the advent of the Civil War, S. Mallory, Confederate Navy Secretary, ordered Florida east coast lighthouses “extinguished.” Keeper Mills Burnham removed the lamp and buried it in his orange grove. A state-of-the-art, 151-foot iron tower was erected in 1868 and topped with a 1st Order Fresnel lens. The tower’s living quarters were used for storage and a weather station. In 1871 a storm surge washed over the lighthouse area spoiling lamp oil and drinking water. This and shoreline erosion caused the lighthouse to be moved. From Oct. 1893 to Jul. 1894 the tower was dismantled, moved by tram one mile inland and re-erected, along with a 1st and 2nd assistant’s and keeper’s homes, to its present location. In 1939 the Coast Guard took ownership. In 2000 stewardship was transferred to the 45th Space Wing, Patrick Air Force Base.
Sponsors: The Brevard County Historical Commission, The Brevard County Tourist Development Council And The Florida Department Of State

EDWARD POSTELL PORCHER HOUSE

Location:434 Delannoy Avenue
County: Brevard
City: Cocoa
Description: On October 31, 1916, citrus grower and inventor Edward Postell Porcher and wife, Byrnina Peck Porcher, moved into what was the grandest house in Cocoa. The house is a unique example of Neo-Classical Revival Style architecture interpreted in coquina rock. It featured ten bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms, a partial basement, and an attic. Mrs. Porcher’s love of card games can be seen in the house’s design as the facade incorporated club-, diamond-, heart-, and spade-shaped stones. Lost elements included a porte-cochere on the north side, swimming pool, and large packinghouse on the river bank behind the house that processed produce boated from the family's groves on Merritt Island. The Porcher family lived in the house until Edward’s death in June 1939. The estate passed to his son Arthur, who died the next month. The house was sold and used as a hotel for a brief period. In 1945, the City of Cocoa purchased the house and it became city hall. The house was restored with funds from city and state historic preservation grants. It was used as event space and office space for local businesses following the restoration. The Porcher House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
Sponsors: Brevard County Historical Commission, Brevard County Tourism Development Council

THE THOUSAND ISLANDS

Location:540 Ramp Road, Cocoa Beach FL 32931
County: Brevard
City: Cocoa Beach
Description: The Thousand Islands formed as the result of an ancient tidal inlet that breached this barrier island and flowed across modern-day Cocoa Beach. The indigenous Ais people, a fisher-gatherer society, lived along the inlet. Their oyster-shell middens gave rise to the tropical hammocks still evident on the islands today. In 1907, a New York hunting club purchased the land through their agent, W.J. Hazelwood, for duck hunting. The Thousand Island Club paid $5,000 to erect a clubhouse across the river at Horti Point, but it burned down on a rainy night in 1912. After World War II, dredge and fill activities for new housing developments modified the islands. During the Mercury and Apollo space programs of the 1950s and 1960s, Cocoa Beach saw an influx of population, and ditches were cut through the shoals to allow larger fish to access the inner marshes for mosquito control. In 1988, the State of Florida purchased the portion north of Minutemen Causeway. Brevard County acquired the remaining southern section of the Thousand Islands in 2007 to preserve and protect the natural beauty, vegetation, and native wildlife of this habitat.
Sponsors: Brevard County Historical Commission

TITUSVILLE VETERAN'S MEMORIAL FISHING PIER

Location:2 A. Max Brewer Memorial Parkway
County: Brevard
City: Titusville
Description: This pier was the western end of Walker Bridge, the first bridge linking Titusville to Merritt Island. Built in 1922, the hand-cranked, wooden drawbridge served the area until preparations for a modern causeway began in the late 1930s. Causeway construction halted following the United States’ entrance into World War II. A temporary connection was built linking the unfinished causeway to the bridge. In 1942, an Army transport laden with soldiers and equipment failed to make the turn at this juncture, which resulted in an accident that claimed the lives of six soldiers. Several inmates from a labor crew working nearby aided in the rescue. Despite saving several soldiers and recovering the bodies of the deceased, they received little public recognition for their efforts. After the war, construction resumed, and the causeway opened in 1949. Local citizens petitioned the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for ownership of this remaining part of Walker Bridge for use as a public fishing pier. Valued by locals and tourists alike, the pier has been restored through the generosity of the local community to ensure it will remain a cherished gathering place for generations to come.
Sponsors: Brevard County Historical Commission, The Tourist Development Council

THE WILLIAM H. GLEASON HOUSE

Location:1736 Pineapple Avenue
County: Brevard
City: Melbourne
Description: The William H. Gleason House was built around 1884 by William Henry Gleason (c.1830-1902) and his wife Sarah Griffin Gleason. Gleason came to Florida in 1866 with his wife and two sons from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and settled in Dade County. In 1870, he bought a 16,000-acre tract of land in Brevard County and named the area Eau Gallie (“Eau” from his hometown, meaning water, and “Gallie,” a derivative of a Seminole word meaning rocky). Convinced the area was likely to develop, Gleason moved his family to Eau Gallie in 1882. Here he practiced law, was a partner in a sawmill business, and was director of the town’s first bank, the State Bank of Eau Gallie. In 1887, he convinced Henry Flagler to extend his railroad to Eau Gallie by offering the railroad right-of-way through the area. Gleason was also interested in politics during Reconstruction, and was instrumental in framing the 1868 state constitution. He was Florida’s first elected Lieutenant Governor, under Governor Harrison Reed, in 1868. The Gleason House is an outstanding example of Queen Anne style architecture and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
Sponsors: The Brevard County Historical Commission, the Brevard County Tourist Development Council and the Florida Department of State

THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF MELBOURNE

Location:1824 South Harbor City Blvd
County: Brevard
City: Melbourne
Description: The First Congregational Church of Melbourne had its beginnings in 1887 when Edward Branch and his wife Abbie began to hold regular Bible study and worship meetings. In December 1887, five men and seven women signed a covenant that was the first step toward construction of a church building. In 1892, local businessman W.H. Powell donated a corner lot on Second Street (Strawbridge) and Washington Street (U.S. Hwy. 1) for a church. The church, a frame building with a steeple, was designed by R. J. Anderson, a local builder, and was completed in 1893 at a cost of $2,065. Records show that exactly $2,512.12 was collected for the church’s construction. The leftover funds were used to start an organ fund. The first church service was held on Sunday, July 2, 1893. In 1929, the church was greatly expanded by four large stucco-covered additions, and in 1959 stained glass windows were added. Between 1960 and 1999, the building served as the United Church of Christ-Congregational. On January 3, 2000, the building was sold to His Place Ministries East Coast, Inc., for continued use as a church.
Sponsors: The Brevard County Historical Commission, The Brevard County Tourist Development Council, and the Florida Department of State

Broward

LINK TRAINER BUILDING #8

Location:4000 West Perimeter Road
County: Broward
City: Fort Lauderdale
Description: Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale (NASFL), a complex of over 200 buildings, was built on the site of Merle Fogg Field in 1942 and served as one of a few specialty schools for training on the TBF/TBM Avenger torpedo bomber. Nineteen-year-old pilot Ensign George H.W. Bush, who later served as president of the United States, trained here in 1943. He spent several sessions in this building on a Link Trainer, a flight simulator commonly known as the “Blue Box” built by Link Aviation, Inc. On December 5, 1945, a routine training flight of five Avengers, Flight 19, disappeared into what became known as the Bermuda Triangle. In 1979 the NASFL Historical Association was formed by Navy veteran Allan McElhiney and a small group of aviation and history enthusiasts. Their goal was to save one building to restore as a museum for the public to visit and learn about the important role this base played in winning the war. With the help of Broward County Commissioner Lori Parrish, this building was relocated to its present location in December 1999. Link Trainer Building #8 is the only remaining building from NASFL, and the only military museum in Broward County. Our Mission: EDUCATE, PRESERVE, AND HONOR OUR HEROES
Sponsors: Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Historical Association

POMPANO BEACH MOUND

Location:1232 Hibiscus Avenue
County: Broward
City: Pompano Beach
Description: Side One: The Pompano Beach Indian Mound is a prehistoric sand burial mound that was used by the Tequesta tribe and their ancestors for burial of their dead. Located nearby was their associated village and midden dating as far back as AD 500. Artifacts recovered from the site are associated with the Glades pre-Columbian cultural period (ca. AD 500 to 1513), with evidence that the site was occupied as late as 1763. The Tequesta were significant for their role in shaping and controlling other tribes within the Everglades and for the construction of extensive canal systems. They were experienced woodworkers as evidenced by their dugout canoes. They gathered an abundant supply of fruits, hunted wildlife and fish, and sometimes traveled great distances in their dugout canoes in search of large marine animals including sharks and right whales. The Tequesta lived in villages that were typically marked by kitchen middens that contained the discarded remains of shellfish, bones, ashes, and broken pottery. These middens were accessible by water and usually located near the mouth of a river or on an island. Side Two: Spanish accounts from the sixteenth century describe the Tequesta as a powerful Florida tribe, whose main village was located along the shore of Biscayne Bay, near the mouth of the Miami River, in Miami-Dade County. The Tequesta were one of the first indigenous groups encountered by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon during his first voyage to Florida in 1513. In the 1560s, the Spanish established a fort and mission among the Tequesta and took the brother of the principal Tequesta chief to Spain. He returned to Florida and helped mediate relations between the Spanish and Indians. The Pompano Beach Mound has been of interest to archeologists for over 85 years. Excavations at this site have yielded pottery, ceramics, carved bone, shell and wood tools and human remains. In 1926, the City of Pompano Beach created a park to protect the Indian Mound and its contents. The mound was placed on the Pompano Beach Local Register of Historic Places in 2010 and the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. It was recognized as a Florida Heritage Landmark in 2014.
Sponsors: The City of Pompano Beach

COLORED BEACH AT JOHN U. LLOYD ST. PARK

Location:6503 N. Ocean Dr
County: Broward
City: Dania Beach
Description: African Americans living in South Florida in the earlier part of the 20th century drove from as far away as Palm Beach and Miami to use Fort Lauderdale’s beaches, but met with significant resistance from oceanfront property owners. On May 14, 1946, a delegation from the Negro Professional and Business Men’s League, Inc., petitioned the Board of County Commissioners “seeking a public bathing beach for colored people in Broward County.” In 1954, the county finally acquired a barrier island site, designated it for segregation, and promised to make the beach accessible, but a road was never built. In response, Eula Johnson, Dr. Von D. Mizell and many others led a series of protest wade-ins on all-white public beaches. In July 1962, the City of Fort Lauderdale requested an injunction to end the wade-ins. The court disagreed with the municipality’s position and entered an order in favor of defendants, thus launching a larger civil rights movement that soon brought integration to local schools. John U. Lloyd, the county attorney at the time of these landmark cases, is the namesake of this state park. Unrecognized, however, are our local black leaders, whose historic actions forever changed the landscape.
Sponsors: SPONSORED BY THE FLORIDA STATE PARKS SYSTEM AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

FORT LAUDERDALE BEACHES WADE-INS

Location:S. Fort Lauderdale Blvd. at E Las Olas Blvd,
County: Broward
City: Fort Lauderdale
Description: On July 4, 1961, local NAACP president Eula Johnson and black physician Dr. Von D. Mizell began a series of nationally publicized "wade-ins" of Fort Lauderdale beaches. Johnson, Mizell, a third black adult, and four black college students participated in the first "wade-in." As many as 200 African-American residents took part in subsequent "wade-ins" during July and August 1961. The demonstrations were prompted by Broward County's failure to build a road to provide access to "Colored Beach," the only beach available for people of color. In 1954, the county had purchased the beach (now part of John U. Lloyd State Park), promising African-Americans beach access and amenities. By 1961, the beach still lacked tables, restrooms, shelter, and fresh water, and only members of the black community served as lifeguards. On August 12, 1961, the City of Fort Lauderdale filed suit in Broward County Circuit Court against Johnson, Mizell, and the NAACP in an attempt to stop the "wade-ins." Nearly a year later, on July 11, 1962, Judge Ted Cabot denied the city's request. The decision effectively desegregated the county's beaches and marked a turning point in the struggle to desegregate all public facilities in Broward County.
Sponsors: The City of Fort Lauderdale, The Florida Department of State

THE FIRST FORT LAUDERDALE

Location:400 SW 11th Avenue
County: Broward
City: Fort Lauderdale
Description: The prehistoric peoples of Fort Lauderdale, commonly known as the Tequesta, occupied camps as early as 500 BCE in the area now known as Sailboat Bend. By 1800, Seminole Indians and Bahamian and American settlers inhabited lands along New River. In January 1836, after the outbreak of the Second Seminole War, settler William Cooley’s family was killed by the Indians. In response to the incident and to seek out the Seminoles and their leader Sam Jones (Abiaca or Abiaki), U. S. Army Major General Thomas Jesup sent 200 mounted Tennessee Volunteers, commanded by Major William Lauderdale, from Jupiter to New River. They were accompanied by Lieutenant Robert Anderson with Company D, Third Artillery, and followed a route later known as "Military Trail." On March 6, 1838, the soldiers encamped on the north bank of New River at its forks. The new post was designated "Fort Lauderdale" after its commanding officer. Although active during its occupation, the garrison abandoned the fort by May 1838. Soldiers returning to reestablish Fort Lauderdale in February 1839 found that the fort’s blockhouse and stockade had been burned. They chose a site further down river, west of Tarpon Bend, for the second Fort Lauderdale.
Sponsors: The City of Fort Lauderdale and the Florida Department of State.

THE SECOND FORT LAUDERDALE

Location:630 SW 9th Avenue
County: Broward
City: Fort Lauderdale
Description: During the Second Seminole War (1835-1842), there were three military posts named “Fort Lauderdale” along the New River. In February 1839, the second “Fort Lauderdale” was established to the east of the first fort by Company K, Third Artillery, under the command of Captain William B. Davidson. Located on the north bank of New River at what is today approximately Southeast Ninth Avenue, the fort consisted of a two-story log blockhouse and tents surrounded by a stockade with a watchtower. A cemetery, privy and a garden were located just outside the stockade. With only occasional encounters from nearby Seminole Indians, boredom, disease, insects, and isolation weakened the soldiers’ moral. The officers’ wives and the occasional visit by a steamer enhanced the forts social life. Hunting and Fishing were popular activities and items such as liquor, books, and tobacco provided some diversion from soldiers. During the summer of 1839, works began on the third and final “Fort Lauderdale, “ located on a thin strip of land between the Atlantic Ocean and the New River Sound (now the Intracoastal Waterway). The beach Fort was completed by September 1839.
Sponsors: Sponsored by the City of Fort Lauderdale and the Florida Department of State

ANNIE TOMMIE'S CAMP

Location:101 NW 15 Ave
County: Broward
City: Fort Lauderdale
Description: Seminole matriarch Annie Jumper Tommie and her family established a Panther clan camp c. 1902 on a site located on the north fork of the New River east of the present-day Broward Boulevard bridge. Annie Tommie’s Camp was the last permanent Seminole camp in the City of Fort Lauderdale. There, Annie and her husband, Doctor Tommie, lived with her mother Mammy; brother Willie Jumper; and Annie’s children, including Tony Tommie, who were well-known to local residents. The camp consisted of a cooking chickee, work and sleeping chickees, and a landing and work area on the New River. Nearby, the young Seminole boys practiced baseball on their own diamond in preparation for games against local schools. The camp was a local tourist attraction, where Annie pioneered the manufacture and sale of Seminole Indian dolls, which later became an important industry for the tribe. Fort Lauderdale pioneer Ivy Stranahan convinced Annie and her family to move to the new federal Indian reservation west of Dania (now Hollywood), where Annie became the leading matriarch in June, 1924. Annie Tommie died in December 1946 at the age of 90.
Sponsors: The City of Fort Lauderdale and The State of Floirda

HILLSBORO INLET LIGHTHOUSE

Location:907 Hillboro Mile
County: Broward
City: Hillsboro Beach
Description: This lighthouse is one of five skeletal cast-iron towers built by the Russel Wheel and Foundry Co. in Detroit, Michigan. The optical system was built in 1906 by Barbier Benard et Turren in Paris, France. Following its construction, the lighthouse was barged down the Mississippi River, through the Gulf of Mexico and Florida Keys, and then to the Hillsboro River inlet. The giant Fresnel lens, 9 feet in diameter and weighing 2.5 metric tons, floated on a pool of mercury. The first light was fueled by kerosene vapor, which had to be carried up the 175-step lantern room staircase by hand. In the 1920s, the lighthouse was electrified and a 250-watt lightbulb replaced the kerosene lantern. A new 1,000-watt bulb was installed in 1966. In 1995, a hazmat crew decontaminated the toxic mercury after the failure of the flotation system three years earlier. A Coast Guard Auxiliary team, led by Commander Art Makenian restored operation of the classic lens in 2000 using a ball bearing concept that featured a 60-inch bearing made in North Carolina. This lighthouse is one of the brightest in the United States sending out a white flash every 20 seconds, visible up to 28 nautical miles.
Sponsors: Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society, Inc.

NORTH WOODLAWN CEMETERY

Location:1936 Northwest 9th Street
County: Broward
City: Fort Lauderdale
Description: During racial segregation, Fort Lauderdale’s African American community was restricted to the northwest quadrant of the city. Recognizing a need in this area, the Christian Pallbearer’s Association founded North Woodlawn Cemetery in 1926, most likely on a previously-established burial ground. The new formal four-acre cemetery included a potter’s field for unknown individuals or those without local family. Woodlawn served as one of only two burial places for African Americans until the mid-1960s when race restrictions on other city cemeteries were lifted. Woodlawn remained in use until 1996, when the City of Fort Lauderdale began to acquire the property, rededicating it in 2002. Woodlawn is estimated to contain over 2,200 burials, but only 571 graves are marked, mostly with handcrafted concrete markers or masonry slabs. This sacred ground serves as a place of remembrance for the important achievements of a community that overcame many challenges. Veterans and prominent businessmen, as well as civic, farming, and religious leaders are buried here. Woodlawn welcomed all people of color, many of whom were of Bahamian descent. In 2017, North Woodlawn Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sponsors: The Florida Department of Transportation

BRIDGE OF THE ISLES

Location:
County: Broward
City: Fort Lauderdale
Description: During the 1920s Florida Land Boom, the present-day Nurmi Isles subdivision was dredged to create the four finger islands. Bridges providing access to each island were constructed, but no additional development occurred until Victor Nurmi purchased the property in 1944. Nurmi had a vision for development of the subdivision, and one of the first construction projects he undertook was the replacement of the 1920s bridges. The four new bridges were intended to be gateways to the islands. Designed as low-level bridges, they provided sweeping views of the subdivision’s palm-lined boulevards. The bridges included sidewalks and low-level, recessed lighting. Constructed by the Powell Brothers of Fort Lauderdale, they were of cast in place concrete slab engineering. The bridge railings were concrete, with simple relief designs similar to those of the original bridges. The bridges included Moderne design features in their decorative pedestals, urns, and lettering, which have been incorporated into the designs of the current bridges. The historic bridges were significant for their association with the history of Fort Lauderdale’s finger island development, and were replaced in 2015 and 2016.
Sponsors: Florida Department of Transportation, District 4

FIRST ZION MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH

Location:125 Southwest 1st Court
County: Broward
City: Deerfield Beach
Description: The settlement of Deerfield was founded on the southeast coast of Florida with the coming of Henry Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railroad in 1896. In 1902, two Methodist missionaries began holding religious services for the community. These early services were held in a palmetto brush arbor, a shelter constructed from foliage. No more than five white families and around forty African-Americans lived in the area. Initially local African-American Methodists and Baptists worshipped together in joint services. The Baptist congregation separated from the Methodists and moved to several locations, including a railroad section house and a one-room house, before settling in a more permanent location in 1905. That year, the first wooden church was built on this property under the administration of Rev. A.J. Thomas and Rev. L.J. Ely. For most of the 20th century, the church continued to expand and the congregation thrived. In 1967 the church building was replaced with this larger, more modern structure. Although the original church is no longer standing, the congregation has worshipped at this location since 1905, making it one of the oldest religious sites in Broward County.
Sponsors: First Zion Missionary Baptist Church

FORT LAUDERDALE HIGH SCHOOL, 1915-1962,HOME OF THE FLYING L'S

Location:SE 53rd Avenue
County: Broward
City: Fort Lauderdale
Description: On this 13-acre site, bounded by Broward Boulevard, South Federal Highway, SE 3rd Avenue, and SE 2nd Street, stood the original Fort Lauderdale High School. The land was donated by Frank and Ivy Strahanan, Fort Lauderdale’s first school teacher. Built at a cost of $86,000 and dedicated on September 16, 1915, it was the first high school in newly organized Broward County. Originally called Central School with students in all twelve grades, as Fort Lauderdale grew it became exclusively a high school in 1924. North Hall was completed in 1924, two wings were added to the original building in 1925 and 1926, and the auditorium in 1925. The Great Hurricane of 1926 damaged both wings and the auditorium roof, requiring extensive reconstruction. A gymnasium was added in 1930, followed by the library and cafeteria in 1940. Between 1915 and 1962, forty-eight classes were graduated, totaling 8,833 students. A new high school building opened in the fall of 1962 at 1600 NE 4th Avenue. The original buildings were demolished in August 1970.
Sponsors: Ft. Lauderdale High Class of 1962

POMPANO COLORED SCHOOL

Location:Northern end of Coleman Park at the Northwest 7 Terrace
County: Broward
City: Pompano Company
Description: Side One: The first school for Pompano Beach’s African American students was a two-room wooden building that was destroyed in the 1926 Great Miami hurricane. Classes were held in the Psalters Temple AME Church until a new schoolhouse could be built on this site. In 1927, leaders in the Pompano Beach African American community and local families raised approximately $15,500 for the construction of a new Pompano Colored School. The Julius Rosenwald Foundation, a charitable organization that worked with Booker T. Washington and the Tuskegee Institute to increase educational opportunities for African American children across the South, supplied matching funds. Finished in 1928, the new two-story schoolhouse was built using concrete block and stucco. It featured an assembly hall, a library, a separate principal’s office, and six classrooms. The new school building was the second of four Rosenwald Schools in Broward County, and one of the 5,295 schools built by the Rosenwald Foundation during its tenure from 1913 to 1932. Side Two: Blanche General Ely served as the school’s principal, as she had at the previous school. It offered grades first through sixth and later expanded to tenth grade. The school year ran from September to December, broke for the harvest season, and resumed for May and June. During those last two months, students had to attend classes Monday through Saturday to make up the lost time. Ely lobbied for the construction of a high school in Pompano Beach, because many older students had to travel out of town to attend class. Named in her honor, the new Blanche Ely High School opened in 1952, and she served as its principal. In 1954, the Pompano Colored School was renamed Coleman Elementary School, in honor of the Reverend James Emanuel Coleman, pastor of Pompano’s Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church. Following the integration of Florida’s public schools in the 1960s, enrollment at Coleman Elementary declined, and it was closed in 1969. The Broward County School District razed the schoolhouse in 1972. The Pompano Colored School provided quality education for the community, and reflected the extraordinary achievements of Pompano Beach’s early African American community.
Sponsors: City of Pompano Beach, Florida, The Honorable Lamar Fisher, Commissioners Beverly Perkins and Michael Sobel, Vice Mayor Charlotte Burrie, Rex Hardin, Barry Moss

OLD DAVIE SCHOOL

Location:6650 Griffin Rd.
County: Broward
City: Davie
Description: This historic structure was the first permanent school in the Everglades and is now Broward County’s oldest existing school building. The Davie School was designed in 1917 by August Geiger (born 1888), who came to Miami in 1905 from New Haven, Connecticut and later became one of South Florida’s most well known early architects. The school opened its doors in 1918 to 90 students and was in continuous use as a school until 1980. The masonry vernacular, concrete structure is topped by a shallow hip roof behind a parapet. From the day it opened, the Davie School served as the area’s source of education as well as a center for community gatherings. In 1988 the Davie School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the Old Davie School Historical Museum is a historic, cultural, social and artistic resource dedicated to providing information and learning opportunities for students and the community at large. The building represents an irreplaceable link with the history of early 20th century pioneering, settlement and education in Western Broward County.
Sponsors: THE TOWN OF DAVIE AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

BRANHILDA RICHARDSON KNOWLES MEMORIAL PARK AND HISTORIC CEMETERY

Location:411 Southeast 2nd Avenue
County: Broward
City: Deerfield Beach
Description: Born in the Bahamas in 1898, Branhilda Richardson Knowles immigrated to the Deerfield Beach area in 1922. Knowles was trained as a midwife, and due to Jim Crow era segregation, helped deliver babies for the African American community in Deerfield Beach. For many people of color living in Deerfield Beach during the early 20th century, formal medical treatments such as hospital birth were not available. Knowles played a vital role in helping improve the quality of life for many African American residents. In 2018, the City of Deerfield Beach named this 3.3-acre park in her honor. Beginning in the late 1800s, the park served as a cemetery for African Americans, many of whom were Bahamians that lived and worked in Deerfield Beach. Segregation prohibited people of color from being buried in the city cemetery during the Jim Crow era. The cemetery on this site was in use until 1950. Development threatened to destroy the burial ground in 2015, but after archaeological investigation uncovered numerous signs of human remains, the city purchased the land to preserve it. At the park, conch shells serve as a reminder of the original grave markers used by Bahamians, like Knowles, who came to Deerfield Beach for a better life.
Sponsors: City of Deerfield Beach Commission: Mayor Bill Ganz, Vice Mayor Gloria J. Battle: Commissioners: Todd Drosky, Joseph Miller, Bernie Parness; City Manager Burgess Hanson; The Deerfield Beach Historical Society

MARGATE BLOUNT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

Location:11051 Trails End
County: Broward
City: Parkland
Description: Side One: The Margate Blount Site was known as early as 1940. Parkland Founder Bruce Blount observed what appeared to be a wooden crypt filled with skeletal remains when in 1959 a bulldozer struck the mound and scattered bones. The remains were determined to be very old, so archaeologists began to survey the site and found multiple artifacts. From 1959 to 1961, the Broward County Archaeological Society conducted excavations led by Wilma Williams, who named the site. In 1986, Gypsy Graves led additional studies of the site. Coral Ridge Properties purchased the site in 1989 with the intent to develop it. They hired Professor Wilburn “Sonny” Cockrell to assess the site in 1990 and 2000. He tentatively dated the site from 500 BCE to 500 CE, but also suggested a wider range from 1500 BCE to 800 CE. Cockrell stated, “This site is certainly a significant site in terms of regional significance and would probably qualify to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places and such would be significant at that level as well.” A 2002 survey of the site by Robert S. Carr led to its protection and designation in 2006 as a conservation site in partnership with the City of Parkland, Broward County, and the State of Florida. Side Two: This site provides important information about the lifeways and mortuary practices of the Tequesta, a Native American tribe that occupied the southeastern Atlantic coast of Florida. The site consists of both a habitation area and burial mound. In the course of several archaeological digs, multiple artifacts were found including over 4,000 pottery shards, 108 shell tools, 113 bone artifacts, and skeletal remains with wooden burial implements. Excavations also uncovered midden materials, which gave insight into the food sources of the inhabitants. The bone artifacts found consisted of drilled shark vertebrae and teeth, bone points and knives, beads, and a drilled alligator and human tooth. Rock pendants were also found, including three that were not of local stone origin, suggesting trade with and travel to other places. A rare turtle effigy pendant and other wooden artifacts make it an extremely significant site. The pottery found is important for dating purposes and supports a dating range from the 500 BCE to 750 CE, though some pieces represent a more recent historic component dating to the late 17th or early 18th century.

THE WRAY HOUSE MUSEUM

Location:3750 S. Flamingo Road
County: Broward
City: Davie
Description: Floyd L. and Jane Wray founded Flamingo Gardens, originally Flamingo Groves, in 1927. It first served as a citrus grove, and later became a botanical garden. The Wrays built this frame house in 1933 as a weekend home, and used it for relaxing and conducting business. They also used the house to entertain business associates, civic groups, and friends. It is the oldest residence in Broward County west of University Drive. Floyd and Jane Wray were significant to the growth and development of Broward County and the Broward County citrus industry. Additionally, they were responsible for the creation of one of Florida's first botanical gardens. Floyd served on the Board of Directors of the First National Bank of Fort Lauderdale, and served as a substitute municipal judge for the City of Hollywood. He was a founding member of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, founding member of the Broward County Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Pan-American Committee of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, and was instrumental in the establishment of Port Everglades. The house was converted into a museum in 1975, and in 1991 the interior of the building was restored to depict a typical South Florida country home of the 1930s.

DENISON FAMILY HOMESITE/ BROWARD MARINE

Location:1601-1801 SW 20th Street
County: Broward
City: Fort Lauderdale
Description: Honeymooning here in 1948, Frank and Gertrude Denison purchased the shipyard on this site known as Dooley’s Boat Basin, renaming it Broward Marine. In 1950, they won the contract to build 11 minesweepers for the Dutch and U.S. navies. The seemingly impossible delivery schedule dictated the launching of seven 144-foot ships every 45 days, and four 172-foot ships every 90 days. The local press dubbed the effort “Frank’s Folly.” As the largest defense contractor in Florida, Congress mandated the widening of bridges and dredging of canals in the area, along with the building of a railroad spur directly to the yard. Thousands came to Florida in the early 1950s to work at the yard, and many stayed after the program ended. In 1955, Broward Marine launched Alisa V, the largest yacht built in the U.S. since World War II, which began the yacht-building industry here. In 1993, the company had the largest world-wide order book, the first U.S. yacht builder to receive this distinction. The establishment of Fort Lauderdale as the “Yachting Capital of the World” was due to the efforts of people like the Denisons, who made their careers here. In 1999, the Denisons sold this shipyard after living and working there for over 50 years.

ROBERT ROSCIOLI- LEADER IN THE SOUTH FLORIDA MARINE INDUSTRY

Location:3201 West State Road 84
County: Broward
City: Davie
Description: Robert “Bob” Roscioli moved to south Florida from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with his family in 1956. He started working in the Florida marine industry in 1962, when he took a position sanding boats at the Marine Ways boatyard in Fort Lauderdale. In the late 1960s, he started his own yacht servicing business, Roscioli Yachting Center, Inc., on a small dock. Roscioli built his business on hard work and attention to detail, ensuring quality and customer pride; he built his team on their ability to meet challenges, and by instilling loyalty and trust. In 1981, Roscioli expanded his business by acquiring a larger shipyard. By 1987, he had branched into building his own yachts with the creation of Roscioli Donzi Yachts. Among Roscioli’s more notable clients was McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc and builder Henry Burger. His mantra, “Today’s the day!”, helped Roscioli define Fort Lauderdale’s marine and yachting industries for nearly sixty years. With focus, vision and dedication, he rose to become a respected icon of yacht building, repair, and restoration. He passed away in 2020, at the age of 78, survived by this wife, Sharon, and his children, Robert and Heather.

CORAL SPRINGS COVERED BRIDGE

Location:4550 NW 95 Ave., Aux
County: Broward
City: Coral Springs
Description: The Covered Bridge was the first permanent structure built within the City by Coral Ridge Properties, developer of Coral Springs, in 1964. It withstood the eye of Hurricane Cleo that passed over it in August 1964 without sustaining any damage. The 40-foot Bridge has a single steel span. Its roof is composed of 25 truss rafters, cross braces, and stringers and is covered with shingles. It is the only covered bridge in Florida in the public right-of- way. Originally painted barn red, Coral Ridge Properties contacted the American Snuff Company in Winston-Salem, North Carolina for chewing tobacco designs to make the Bridge appear appropriately weathered. They supplied two historical designs and an artist to paint the murals. The Bull of the Woods logo, on the east side of the Bridge, first appeared in 1876. The Peach Sweet Snuff logo, on the west side of the Bridge, was designed to appeal to the ladies and was introduced in 1950. Over the years, the Bridge and murals have been restored but are difficult to see as trees have grown along the sides of the canal.
Sponsors: CORAL SPRINGS HISTORICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

EVERGREEN CEMETERY, ESTABLISHED 1910

Location:1300 SE 10th Ave.
County: Broward
City: Fort Lauderdale
Description: Many Civil War veterans are buried at Evergreen Cemetery in addition to the founding families of Fort Lauderdale including the Stranahans (who built Stranahan house on SE 6th Avenue), Bryans, Kings, Cromarties (the maiden name of Ivy Julia Stranahan (1881-1971) and the Olivers. This burial place for the early residents of Fort Lauderdale was established by Mr. and Mrs. E.T. King in 1910. In 1910 or 1911, a funeral director from Miami moved many bodies from the first burial ground, in the proximity of what currently is Southside School on Andrews Avenue, to the newly created Evergreen Cemetery. In 1917, the City of Fort Lauderdale purchased the cemetery. In 1921, the American Legion purchased four lots set aside for the burial of veterans. Shortly thereafter, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks purchased lots 34 and 43 for indigent burials. In 1926, hurricane victims were buried in unmarked graves in the north central portion of the cemetery. This area is also the baby section. In 1935, B’Nai Israel acquired blocks one and two for burials of those of the Jewish faith. Evergreen Cemetery is Fort Lauderdale’s oldest intact cemetery.
Sponsors: THE CITY OF FORT LAUDERDALE AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

INDIAN HAULOVER

Location:S. R. A1A at entrance to Bahia Mar Hotel & Resort.
County: Broward
City: Fort Lauderdale
Description: Bahia Mar is the site of a haulover where Indians took their canoes from New River Sound into the Atlantic Ocean. A Second Seminole War fort named for Major William Lauderdale was built near here in 1838. It was active until the War ended in 1842. House of Refuge Number Four, originally built about two miles to the north in 1876, was moved to this site in 1892. Barefoot mailmen walked their weekly route from Hypoluxo to Miami along these beaches. The Coast Guard began using the House of Refuge in 1915. It was made permanent as Coast Guard Base Six in 1926. Base Six saw considerable action against rum runners during Prohibition. It remained in active service until after World War II. The City of Fort Lauderdale purchased the property for use as a public yacht basin and park in 1947.
Sponsors: sponsored by bahia mar hotel and yachting center and fort lauderdale historical society, inc. in cooperation with department of state

MUSEUM OF CORAL SPRINGS HISTORY

Location:10,000 NW 29th Ave.
County: Broward
City: Coral Springs
Description: Coral Ridge Properties built the City’s first real estate office in 1964 at the intersection of Route 441 and Wiles Road, just outside the City limits. This 30-by-20 foot single-room wooden structure displayed maps and plats of subdivisions, none of which had been built in 1964. In 1966 Coral Ridge Properties built a large administration building at 9551 Sample Road and offered the real estate office to the City, provided they move it. It was moved to 4500 Woodside Drive and became Coral Springs’ first administration building. In 1968 it became the first police station. When the police moved to a larger facility in 1972, it became the Jaycees’ clubhouse. By 1976 the building was considered obsolete and moved to the City dump, to be used as a fire department training facility for smoke drills. When it was accidentally set on fire, a group of concerned citizens formed the Landmark Restoration Committee with the intent of rescuing the building and restoring it for use as a museum. In 1977, the building was moved again but this time with an accompanying parade as a flat bed truck moved it to its permanent home in Mullins Park. On March 4, 1978, it was fully restored and opened as the Mini Museum.
Sponsors: THE CORAL SPRINGS HISTORICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

NORTH NEW RIVER CANAL - LOCK NO. 1

Location:S.R. 84 at Broward Memorial Boat Lock Park
County: Broward
City: Davie
Description: Lock #1 was the first to be built as part of the Everglades Drainage District. As such, it played a vital role in the operations of North New River Canal, a major transportation link between Lake Okeechobee and Fort Lauderdale. The canal became operational in 1912 and remained in use until highways and railroads supplanted the system in the 1930s. Lock #1 was built by the Furst-Clark Construction company of Baltimore, Maryland. The parallel side walls are of poured concrete, six feet thick at their bases. The gates were constructed of large timbers and were operated by a geared rack-and-pinion mechanism. Lock #1 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in march, 1978.
Sponsors: sponsored by broward county historical commission in cooperation with department of state

OLD FORT LAUDERDALE VILLAGE

Location:SW 2nd St. Grounds of the Fort Lauderdale History Center behind the Museum of History New River Inn
County: Broward
City: Fort Lauderdale
Description: Old Fort Lauderdale Village at the intersection of the New River and the Florida East Coast Railway (F.E.C.) incorporates four turn-of-the-20th century historic buildings. These include the 1905 New River Inn, the 1905 Philemon N. Bryan House, the 1905 Acetylene Building, and the 1907 King-Cromartie House. The New River Inn houses a Museum of History and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built for Philemon N. Bryan from hollow concrete block made on site. Bryan, a grove owner, storekeeper and former mayor of New Smyrna, was ruined by the great Florida freeze of 1894-95. F.E.C. owner Henry Flagler (1830-1913) asked Bryan to build the railway section from the New River to Pompano. In 1894, Philemon, with his two sons Tom and Reed, brought 400 African-American workers by boat from New Smyrna to build the roadbed. The first train to Miami reached Fort Lauderdale on February 22, 1896. Philemon and his sons acquired land on either side of the railway tracks in what later became downtown Fort Lauderdale. In 1905, Contractor Edwin T. King built the Inn, the Philemon Bryan House and the nearby Tom and Reed Bryan houses, thereby creating the first Fort Lauderdale residential neighborhood.
Sponsors: THE FORT LAUDERDALE HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

SILVER THATCH MOUNTED BEACH PATROL

Location:Corner of Colony Club Rd. and N. Riverside Dr.
County: Broward
City: Fort Lauderdale
Description: The recreation area encompassed by Colony Club Road, during World War II, was the site of the corrals and paddocks for the United States Coast Guard’s Silver Thatch Mounted Beach Patrol. The mounted beach patrol protected the coast from U-boat activity and saboteurs. The location of the Beach Patrol headquarters was the site of the old Silver Thatch Inn, which was built by the Jelks family c. 1930s. When the Coast Guard requisitioned the property in 1942, stables, corrals and a paddock were built behind the hotel, which served as headquarters for the unit and barracks for the men. Starting the eight-hour duty at 4 P.M., the unit patrolled from Hillsboro Inlet to Port Everglades. In 1945, the unit was decommissioned and the hotel was returned to civilian control. In 1954, Ed Stack, who later became Broward County Sheriff and then was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, purchased the property and started the Bath and Tennis Club of Pompano Beach on the site. The hotel was torn down in 1972, when the Silver Thatch Atlantic Plaza was built on the property. The recreational area remains because of a 1962 deed restriction, which precludes any building on the parcel.
Sponsors: THE FORT LAUDERDALE HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

THE EVERGLADES DRAINAGE PROJECT

Location:6521 West S.R. 84 at Broward Memorial Boat Lock Pa
County: Broward
City: Davie
Description: As Florida's population increased after the Civil War, the state's southern wetlands attracted the attention of potential settlers. Settlement was hindered, however, by inadequate drainage, and years of public and private attempts at reclamation ended in failure. In 1905, Florida established the Everglades Drainage District. Governor Napoleon B. Broward opened the project on July 4, 1906, and dredge "Everglades" began work on the North New River Canal. The resulting network of canals and locks opened thousands of acres of virgin land to settlement and cultivation. Fish from Lake Okeechobee and produce from remote farms were carried through the North New River Canal to Fort Lauderdale, where they were shipped by rail to northern markets. small passenger steamers plied the canal network en route to Fort Myers. Although boat traffic is now restricted, the canal system continues to serve South Florida in maintaining an ecological balance in the Everglades and protecting coastal urban areas from floods.
Sponsors: sponsored by broward county historical commission in cooperation with department of state

Calhoun

"OLD BLOUNTSTOWN" COURTHOUSE

Location:River St. & Hayes Ave., 1.3 Mi S of SR 20
County: Calhoun
City: Blountstown
Description: Side 1: Following the Civil War, a growing number of steamboats plied the waters of the Apalachicola River, busily transporting passengers, agricultural products and manufactured goods between the Gulf of Mexico and upstream locations in Florida, Alabama and Georgia. A river port had been established and a 26-block area was mapped out for the new community of Blountstown, named for the Seminole chief who had ruled much of the nearby territory during the early 19th Century. In 1880, after the Calhoun County courthouse at Abe Springs Bluff burned, the county seat was moved here to Blountstown -- then a growing community of 100 or so inhabitants. On this site, a two-story wood frame courthouse was constructed on the designated courthouse square. Side 2: Homes, businesses and a hotel were constructed nearby, but few of the mapped streets ever were built. Periodic river flooding caused some residents to seek higher ground -- and "New Blountstown" began to develop around the turn of the century. In 1904, after streets had been laid out and many buildings built in "New Blountstown," a much larger two-story brick courthouse was constructed just over a mile northwest of here on the town's principal east-west thoroughfare. After the courthouse here at "The Bluff" no longer housed county courts and offices, the structure was used as a private residence until it was demolished in the mid-1940s.
Sponsors: The Florida Department of State

ABE SPRINGS BLUFF COURTHOUSE

Location:Corner of CR 275 and Abe Spings Rd.
County: Calhoun
City: Blountstown
Description: Side 1: Abe Springs Bluff was Calhoun County's second county seat -- from 1849 to 1880. About 4/10 mile west of here, at a remote location overlooking the Chipola River, stood the one-story wood frame courthouse that housed county courts and offices for over three decades, including the turbulent period surrounding the Civil War. Earlier, St. Joseph had served as the original county seat from the time Calhoun County was created in 1838 until the coastal boom town was destroyed by a yellow fever epidemic and a hurricane in the early 1840s. For a time thereafter the county actually had no seat of government. Side 2: From 1845 to 1847 the Florida Legislature tried unsuccessfully to re-establish a county seat. Finally, in 1848 Calhoun Countians voted on proposed locations and, the following January, Abe Springs Bluff -- a more centrally located inland site -- was officially declared the county seat. Unlike its ill-fated predecessor, Abe Springs Bluff never was a true community -- just a courthouse site. In 1880 the Abe Springs Bluff courthouse was destroyed by fire and the county seat was moved to the new community of Blountstown on the Apalachicola River.
Sponsors: The Florida Department of State

ALTHA METHODIST CHURCH

Location:25503 N. Main St.
County: Calhoun
City: Altha
Description: The Richards family had a long history of building churches in Northwest Florida. Daniel Thomas Richards (1825-1879), survivor of an Indian attack on Fort Richards/Fort Place, and son of Rev. John G. Richards of Wewahitchka, built Moss Hill Methodist Church in Vernon (1857), Chipola Primitive Baptist (1873), and organized the Chipola Methodist Church (1874) in his log home. In 1876 Daniel and his sons built a log church near this site. In 1899 Daniel’s son, Martin L. Richards, purchased land and platted the town. Martin Lafayette Richards (1866-1947) and wife Lula Mozelle Cannon Richards (1875-1956), who named Altha and served as its first postmistress, granted this church site on August 23, 1907 to J.F. Richards, B. M. Stanfill and I. H. King as Trustees of the Blountstown Circuit Methodist Episcopal Church South, of the Marianna District Alabama Conference, and their successors in office, in order that the premises be used, kept, maintained as a place of divine worship for the use of the ministry and membership. A white wood frame church was built here in 1908 where the congregation met until a new church was built in 1974. Martin L. Richards served as the first Sunday School Superintendent until 1945.
Sponsors: PEACOCK, TATE, DEMARIA AND RICHARDS FAMILIES AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

BLUNT RESERVATION AND FIELDS

Location:On Highway 20 on grounds of Old County Courthouse between Cayson and Rauson St.
County: Calhoun
City: Blountstown
Description: This is the western boundary of a reservation set aside by the treaty of Fort Moultrie and given to John Blunt (Blount) one of the six principal chiefs of the Florida Indians. The Apalachicola River was the eastern boundary. The treaty was ratified January 2, 1824. Signers of the treaty were William P. Duval, James Gadsden, Bernard Sequi, Nea Mathla, John Blunt, Tuski Hajo, Mulatto King, Emathlochee and Econchatimico. Blounstown was named after him.
Sponsors: In Cooperation with Calhoun County Board of County Commissioners

COCHRANETOWN - CORAKKO TALOFV

Location:On Highway 20 on grounds of Old County Courthouse between Cayson and Rauson St.
County: Calhoun
City: Blountstown
Description: Side 1: Apalachicola Creek Indians permanently settled Calhoun County in 1815; wars forced them out of Alabama. A new Tribal Town was built by Chief Tuskie Hajo Cochrane between Old River and Noble Lake. Cochrane is an anglicized version of his Creek name Corakko pronounced "Cho'thlakko" which means Horse. The 1823 Treaty of Moultrie Creek recognized Cochranetown with its 100 families as part of the Blunt-Tuskie Hajo Reservation now called Blountstown. Meske 1815 mahen, Estecate Ocesvlke Vpvlvcekola fullvt. Tepokv empefatkvtet eyicet tacko Kvlhun vpoketv hatyakvtes. Mimvm, Tvske Hacoketatet talofv empvtakvn hayvtes. Tvske Haco Corakko "Cochrane" Wacenv ehocefkvt toyvtes. 1823 opunvkv-cokv (Motle Temfvtcetv) oc-ofvn, Corakko Talofv "Cochranetown", Plvnt-Tvske Haco ekvntacko hahoyvtes. Mucv nettv, Plvnt-en-Talofv tos. The 1832 Treaty of Payne's Landing compelled local Creeks to emigrate to Texas with Chief John Blunt. Tuskie Hajo Cochrane's daughter, Polly Parrot, refused to go. Her clan fled northward to a Calhoun County wilderness called Boska Bokga, "the last fasting place." The Bokga's people became known as the Boggs family. Many Calhoun County citizens descend from Polly's clan. 1832 opunvkv-cokv (Lucuwv Temfvtcetv) oc-ofvn, Teksvke min vpeyvnonstkes kihocen. Vyepofvn Tvske Haco echuste vyetvn eyacekot. Polly em-estvlken vtelohyet kvn posketv pokkon sohletkvtes. Mucv, Kvlhun Tacko ofvn, Polly enrohonvpvlke fulle emunks. Side 2: In 1986, Florida Tribe of Eastern Creek Indians whose members include the Boggs clan was recognized by the State. Today, they still maintain their ancient traditions. Their unbroken line of titled chiefs is Tuskie Hajo Cochrane-1832; Polly Parrot, regent matriarch 1833-1898; Tuskie Hajo John James William Joseph Boggs-1900; Tuskie Hajo James Daniel Boggs-1920; Alice McClellan Boggs, regent matriarch 1933-1961; Tuskie Mahaya Hajo Dr. Andrew Boggs Ramsey-1962, The Tuskie Hajo (Zealous Warriors) all descend from Polly. Cochranetown is 3 miles south of here, east of SR 69. Ohrolope 1986, Kvnfvske, Vhakv-hayvlke em-nakaftetv oc-ofvn Ocesvlket Florida Tribe kerkueckv emhoyet omvtes. Hiyomat, Kvlhun Tacko estecate Mvskokvlket fulle emunks. Emmekkvlket Tvske Haco Corakko 1832, Polly 1833-1898, Tvske Haco Can Cems Welev Cose Pokkvs 1900, Tvske Haco Cems Tvnel Pokkvs 1920, Vles Mvklelan Pokkvs 1933-1961, Tvske Mvhayv Haco Vntolv Pokkvs Lvmse 1962, Hocefkvlket omvts. Pommekkvlke Pollyketate Rohonvpvlket omes, Mytto!
Sponsors: The Calhoun County Historical Society and the Boggs Family in Cooperation with the Florida Department of State

M & B RAILROAD

Location:Railroad and Pear Street
County: Calhoun
City: Blountstown
Description: For 63 years (1909-1972) the Marianna and Blountstown Railroad was Calhoun County's link to the railroads and commerce of the nation. Sometimes known as "Many Bumps" or "Meat and Bread," the M&B had a significant impact on the lives of Calhoun Countians. Until 1929, before automobile travel was commonplace, the M&B provided passenger service. Farmers used the railroad to ship a wide array of agricultural products. In the early years, logging spur lines extended into remote areas of the county and millions of board feet of long-leaf pine lumber were shipped from local sawmills. The M&B also carried mail, manufactured goods and building products. During its operation, the 29-mile-long line was Florida's shortest railroad. Until 1938 it ran 16 miles farther south to Scotts Ferry. Steam locomotive #444 was in operation when the M&B's first diesel engine arrived in 1947 and rests today on the exact location of the M&B roadbed.
Sponsors: Rep. Robert Trammell in Cooperation with the Florida Department of State

RICHARDS CEMETERY

Location:C.R. 274 between NW Harrel Rd. and Pete's Ln.
County: Calhoun
City: Altha
Description: On this site are the remains of early area settlers, the Richards family. As a prominent Virginia Colonial family, George Richards (1727-1818) was with Washington at Braddock’s Defeat (1755), and with his sons in the Revolutionary War (1776). The family served in the War of 1812, Florida Indian Wars and Richards Company of Friendly Indians, settling Ocheese Bluffs, Wewahitchka, and Altha. As one of Florida’s first pioneer families and Interpreters for Andrew Jackson for Florida treaties, they built Fort Richards where George’s son Thomas C. Richards (1774-1838) was killed during an Indian attack. Thomas’s son, Rev. John G. Richards (1797-1876), built the church and named Wewahitchka, and served as Calhoun County Elections Inspector (1843), Clerk of the Court (1851) and in Company A 2nd Florida Calvary. His son, Daniel Thomas Richards (1825-1879), buried at this site, survived the fort’s attack and built Moss Hill, Chipola Baptist and Altha Methodist Churches. He was a Civil War Veteran (6th Florida Infantry Regiment Company G wounded at Chickamauga, Georgia in 1863) and Washington County Clerk of Court. His wife, brother, a son, and other family are buried here. Son Martin L. Richards (1866-1947) founded Altha.
Sponsors: BY THE PEACOCK, TATE, DEMARIA, RICHARDS, AND HARRELL FAMILIES AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Charlotte

ALBERT WALLER GILCHRIST - (1858-1926)

Location:326 W Marion Ave at City Hall
County: Charlotte
City: Punta Gorda
Description: A founder of Punta Gorda, he was a resident until his death. Served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives in 1893, 1895, 1903 and was House Speaker in 1905. He resigned as Brig. Gen. of the Florida Militia and enlisted as a private in the U.S. Volunteers during the Spanish-American War. He was discharged a captain. He served as Governor 1909-1913. Was noted for rugged honesty, good humor, and concern for others. Gilchrist County was named for him.

CITY OF PUNTA GORDA

Location:326 W Marion Ave on wall of City Hall.
County: Charlotte
City: Punta Gorda
Description: Spanish fishermen from Cuba first gave the name "Punta Gorda" to this area in early 1800's. The City was originally platted as "Trabue" by Isaac H. Trabue on February 24, 1885. The City of Punta Gorda came into being when a group of men met in a home on Cross Street and decided that the community should be incorporated. They walked to Pine level and filed the necessary papers on December 7, 1887.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in Cooperation with the City of Punta Gorda

COLUMBUS G. McLEOD--PROTECTOR OF PLUMED BIRDS

Location:3400 Ponce De Leon Parkway
County: Charlotte
City: Punta Gorda
Description: Many wading birds can be seen here, largely due to the sacrifice of men like Columbus G. McLeod (1848-1908), who gave his life trying to protect them from plume hunters. Ladies’ hats with exotic bird feathers were high fashion in the late 1800’s, and thousands of birds were slaughtered in Florida for their plumage. In 1901, the Audubon Society persuaded the state to adopt laws protecting Florida wildlife, especially plumage birds. Even so, no funds were allocated. The state, however, agreed to deputize two wardens hired by the Audubon Society. The danger of this work was evidenced when Guy M. Bradley, charged with protecting the Everglades area, was found shot to death near Flamingo on July 8, 1905. Columbus G. McLeod of Placida, charged with protecting the rookeries here in northern Charlotte Harbor, disappeared under suspicious circumstances and was presumed murdered on November 30, 1908. This second death of an Audubon warden sparked a national campaign against the wearing of feathers, and shifted public sentiment in favor of stronger enforcement of wildlife protection laws and the prosecution of plume hunters. Today we enjoy the beauty of our Florida wading birds largely because of these men.
Sponsors: THE PEACE RIVER AUDUBON SOCIETY AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

PONCE de LEON AT CHARLOTTE HARBOR

Location:3400 Ponce De Leon Parkway
County: Charlotte
City: Punta Gorda
Description: On his first voyage to Florida in 1513, Juan Ponce de Leon spent several weeks at or near the mouth of Charlotte Harbor. When attacked by Indians he returned to Puerto Rico. In 1521, Ponce de Leon, with two shiploads of colonists, returned to Charlotte Harbor. The colony lasted five months before it collapsed due to illness and Indian hostility. Ponce de Leon was wounded and died in Cuba shortly after the colonists returned.

PUNTA GORDA RAILROAD DEPOT

Location:1009 Taylor Rd.
County: Charlotte
City: Punta Gorda
Description: Plans to build the railroad depot in Punta Gorda began in 1928. Although the trains carried passengers, the main purpose was for shipping fish to northern markets. The Punta Gorda depot is the only remaining one of this style built by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. Its design incorporated the Spanish Mission style features used by Atlantic Coast Line in six Florida depots. The original work was awarded to the R.W. Burrows Construction Company of Bartow. By 1971 the depot was closed to freight traffic and purchased by Fred C. Babcock, who donated the site to Old Punta Gorda, Inc., in 1996. In 1998 volunteers began to restore the building. The former “Colored” waiting room features pictures of area pioneers and local prominent African Americans. The former “White” waiting room includes other exhibits. The ticket office now includes railroad memorabilia, historic items from the local fishing industry and nostalgic items from World War II (1941-1945) troop arrivals to Charlotte County. In August 2004 the depot was hit by Hurricane Charlie, but it has since been restored as a Punta Gorda landmark. The depot was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
Sponsors: OLD PUNTA GORDA, INC., DBA PUNTA GORDA HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

SOUTHERNMOST RAILROAD TERMINAL

Location:Marion Way behind Punta Gorda Yacht Club
County: Charlotte
City: Punta Gorda
Description: On this site, in 1887, ended the southernmost railroad trackage in the U.S. Florida Southern Railway's narrow-gauge tracks run out on a 4,000 foot "Long Dock," where connections were made with New Orleans, Key West, and Havana steamers of the Morgan Line. Sailing schooners and paddle wheelers were a common sight. Governor Albert Waller Gilchrist, then a young civil engineer, was in charge of construction. The railroad was extended South in 1904.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Historic of Parks and Historic Memorials in Cooperation with Punta Gorda Isles, Inc.

CHARLOTTE HIGH SCHOOL

Location:1250 Cooper Street
County: Charlotte
City: Punta Gorda
Description: Originally named the Punta Gorda High School, this building was the first dedicated high school for the newly created Charlotte County (1921), replacing the previous 1907 Punta Gorda Grammar and High School. Construction of the school began in 1926 in response to student overcrowding caused by rapid development after the first bridge was built across Charlotte Harbor. Construction was delayed that year due to a hurricane, and the first commencement took place in the school’s auditorium, as the building’s classrooms were still under construction. The school served as Charlotte County’s only high school for 49 years and was one of the first high schools in the state to desegregate in 1964. In 1990, the austere Neo-Classical Revival style building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Charlotte High School survived multiple hurricanes over time, but was significantly damaged by Hurricane Charley on August 13, 2004. The school was re-opened on April 2, 2009. Despite ongoing construction work around the school at the time, Charlotte High School’s class of 2009 was able to complete its senior year in the original school building, much like the first class had 82 years earlier.
Sponsors: The Charlotte County Public Schools and The Florida Department of State

HECTOR HOUSE PLAZA: THE FOUNDING OF PUNTA GORDA

Location:223 Taylor Street
County: Charlotte
City: Punta Gorda
Description: On December 3, 1887, 34 men in the "Town of Trabue" met here in a two-story building, built in 1887, owned by Tom Hector. The diverse group of landlords, tenants, merchants and workers, some white and some black, were all qualified voters. At the time of the meeting, the ground floor was the location of a drug store and the second story was Hector's billiards hall. Above the drug store, at a pool table, the men passed the articles of incorporation by a two-thirds majority. They selected a city seal, a council and the corporate name of Punta Gorda. Although politically active locally and in his native Kentucky, town founder Col. Isaac Trabue had not registered to vote on this issue and was barred from the balloting. Trabue had begun acquiring land in early 1883. He had the land platted, reserving the shoreline for public use and naming streets for family members. Having given up half his holdings for rail service, a depot and a luxury hotel, he was angered by the settlers' ingratitude. The documents were filed at Pine Level, the county seat, on December 7, 1887. Trabue sued to dissolve the municipality and regain title to the public lands. Ten years later he gave up. The Hector House was demolished in 1988.
Sponsors: Sponsored by the City of Punta Gorda and The Florida Department of State

Citrus

FLORIDA BOOM SIDEWALK

Location:Aquaduct St. and S. Pittsburg Ave.
County: Citrus
City: Homosassa Springs
Description: The wide sidewalks of Homosassa Springs are a reminder of the 1920s Florida Land Boom in Citrus County. In 1924, at the height of the boom, the Florida West Coast Development Company bought several thousand acres in what is now Homosassa Springs and set out to create a “City Beautiful.” Locally referred to as New Homosassa, the community was laid out with 80 to 100-foot-wide streets and nine-foot-wide sidewalks. Also envisioned were plazas, parks, boulevards, a golf course, three country clubs, and 700 home sites. The city’s ambitious plan reflects the aspirations of the City Beautiful Movement in urban planning. Popular during the late 1890s and early 1900s, proponents of this aesthetic believed that living in a beautiful, harmonious setting would lead to an improved quality of life. The grand plans envisioned for Homosassa Springs were quickly abandoned after the boom went bust in 1926. Most of the city’s planned amenities were never realized, and only two commercial buildings and a few homes designed in the Mediterranean Revival style popular during the boom years were built. Today, this remaining portion of the city’s original sidewalk reflects the City Beautiful aesthetic once envisioned for Homosassa Springs.
Sponsors: SPONSORED BY THE CITRUS COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

HISTORIC FLORAL CITY

Location:8861 East Orange Avenue
County: Citrus
City: Floral City
Description: Side 1: The area containing present day Floral City has been inhabited by humans for thousands of years. When Hernando De Soto came through the area in 1539, he found the Indian village of Tocaste. From the late 1700s until the Second Seminole War (1835-1842), the Seminole village of Cho-illy-hadjo (meaning Crazy Deer’s Foot) was located here. The Armed Occupation Act of 1842 and statehood in 1845 brought American settlers who took advantage of the abundant timber, natural waterways, and rich farmland. By the 1860s, the area was part of the vast land holdings of John Paul Formy-Duval, a Confederate veteran and son of a French physician who had fled Napoleon’s rule in the early 19th century. Duval’s house still stands and is the oldest home in Citrus County. Floral City was surveyed and platted in 1883 by Senator Austin Mann and surveyor W.H. Havron. They named the town for the many wildflowers and blooming trees. In the 1880s, Floral City’s commercial center was located along Aroostook Way, with the New England Hotel at the south end (on Orange Avenue) and Lake Tsala Apopka at the north end. The Orange State Canal, dug in 1884, provided for steamboat transportation to the Withlacoochee River and beyond. Side 2: When the Plant System railway tracks were laid near the western edge of town in 1893, fast steam-powered trains quickly out-paced slower water vessels, which diminished the popularity of steamboat travel. The town’s commercial center shifted from Aroostook Way to an uptown location at the rail line. The Florida Phosphate Boom also began in the 1890s, and a dozen mines soon dotted the area. Mine workers swelled the village population to nearly 10,000 people, making it larger than the city of Miami at that time. The local phosphate ore was shipped primarily to markets in Germany, until World War I brought a sudden halt to trade in 1914. With the collapse of the phosphate industry, Floral City reverted to its agrarian roots as a small, rural community. As one of the oldest and most distinct settlements in Citrus County, the Floral City Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. The oak tree canopy along Orange Avenue and Aroostook Way that contributed to the character of the district was planted by community residents in 1884, a year after the town was founded.
Sponsors: Floral City Heritage Council, Citrus County Historical Society, Inc.

HISTORIC CITRUS COUNTY COURTHOUSE

Location:1 Courthouse Square, Inverness, FL 34450
County: Citrus
City: Inverness
Description: Citrus County was formed from Hernando County in 1887 and Mannfield, in the center of the new county, was chosen as the temporary county seat by the state legislature. After a political tug-of-war and several elections, Inverness was chosen as the permanent county seat in 1891. In June, 1911 the Board of County Commissioners adopted a resolution to erect a new building to replace the Victorian style wood courthouse on the square. The 1912 Courthouse, designed by architect Willis R. Biggers, includes a copper cupola topped with a belvedere and constructed at a cost of $55,885. Its eclectic design incorporates features from four distinct architectural styles, Italian Renaissance, Neoclassical, Mission, and Prairie School. The building is uniquely situated on a square lot at 45 degree angles. It is historically significant because of its association with county government for over eighty years. A restoration returning the building to its original appearance was funded with grants from the Division of Historical Resources, matching funds from the county, and fund raising efforts by the Citrus County Historical Society. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.
Sponsors: THE CITRUS COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

COTTONWOOD

Location:Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins State Historic Site
County: Citrus
City: Homsassa Springs
Description: On the Homosassa River stands the ruins of the antebellum sugar plantation of Senator David Levy Yulee, pioneer Florida railroad builder. Yulee was president of the Florida Railroad Company, which was completed in 1861, and linked the Atlantic with the Gulf between Fernandina and Cedar Key. Cottonwood was raided and pillaged in 1863 and again in 1864 by Federal forced based at Cedar Key. As a result the plantation never recovered its productivity.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

Clay

THE KEYSTONE INN

Location:550 South Lawrence Boulevard
County: Clay
City: Keystone Heights
Description: Side One: The Lawrence Developing Company built the three-story, 38-room Keystone Inn at a cost of $50,000. It was designed by architect G.M. MacDonough. Hopeful that the inn would attract potential settlers and investors, the developers held a festive dinner party at the hotel on New Year's Eve 1923, the night before the grand opening. After the meal, the men retired to the lobby and formed the Keystone Board of Trade to promote the area. The women formed the Woman's Club to serve community needs. On New Year’s Day 1924, the hotel held its grand opening with over 150 attendees. Notable guests came from all around, including from Green Cove Springs, Palatka, and Starke. State officials, including future governor John W. Martin, also attended. The inn was a hub of social activities, and provided a meeting place for organizations. It featured modern conveniences such as large comfortable rooms, connecting baths, hot and cold running water, electricity, and telephone service. The inn was known for its fine dining, and guests could relax on the large porch and enjoy the beautiful view of Lake Geneva. The Keystone Inn helped fuel Keystone Heights’ growth by providing an attractive place for potential investors to stay. Side Two: In the 1920s, the inn served as headquarters for a National Federation of Women’s Clubs convention and hosted delegates from every state. Speakers, entertainers, and educators affiliated with the Chautauqua Movement frequently gathered at the inn or at Keystone Heights’ nearby Chautauqua Circle site. During the 1930s, the inn helped transform Keystone Heights into a summer resort town. During World War II, pilots training at the Keystone Army Air Corps Field and the families of servicemen stationed at Camp Blanding stayed at the inn. The University of Florida football team also enjoyed the amenities of the inn as coaches believed the team played better on game days if sequestered from Gainesville’s pre-game activities. Due to its declining popularity in the early 1950s, the inn was transformed into a boarding house. On October 3, 1954, the third floor caught fire, and the rest of the building sustained water damage. Thereafter, it was left vacant and unrepaired. With a grant from the State of Florida, the City of Keystone Heights purchased the property in 1999. The building was demolished in 2000 due to its neglected condition. The property was converted to a walking park for the residents of Keystone Heights.

ORANGE PARK NORMAL AND INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL SITE

Location:2042 Park Avenue
County: Clay
City: Orange Park
Description: The 1885 Florida Constitution mandated the segregated education of black and white students in public schools. In 1891, the American Missionary Association (AMA) opened the private Orange Park Normal and Industrial School at this site to educate black students. It consisted of several buildings which housed classrooms, dormitories, and workshops. Due to the school’s success, white children began to attend. This attracted the attention of Florida’s Superintendent of Public Instruction William Sheats, a staunch segregationist. In response, he pushed the state legislature to pass a law in 1895 that prohibited any Florida school, public or private, from teaching black and white students together. The Orange Park Normal School was the only racially-integrated school in the state at that time. The AMA fought the law, and the case went to court, where Judge R.M. Call ruled against the State of Florida. Although the AMA won the case, the damage was done. Public sentiment against the school increased among whites. By 1917, the AMA closed the school. Although segregation persisted in Florida for another 50 years, this school was a pioneering example of integration in education.

MAGNOLIA LAKE STATE PARK

Location:Magnolia Lake (Camp Blanding)
County: Clay
City: Keystone Heights
Description: Situated on the site of Camp Blanding, between Sandhill and Brooklyn lakes, are the remnants of Magnolia Lake State Park. A relic from the time of segregation, Magnolia Lake was built to provide separate facilities to serve African American visitors. Proposed in 1955 and constructed in 1957, the 191-acre park featured 3,000 feet of lake frontage, a boat ramp, a dock, a swimming area, a bath house, and picnic pavilions. Magnolia Lake operated alongside the neighboring Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park, which was reserved for whites only. As a result, the park had its own entrance, gatehouse, and ranger residence. By the 1960s, Magnolia Lake State Park was one of four segregated state parks for African Americans in Florida. It was a popular recreation spot for much of Clay County’s African American population. In 1964, following several lawsuits, protests, and pressure from the Federal Government, Florida State Parks became fully integrated. Magnolia Lake State Park eventually closed in the late 1970s, and management of the property was returned to Camp Blanding.

DR. APPLEGATE HOUSE

Location:103 South Magnolia Avenue
County: Clay
City: Green Cove Springs
Description: Originally from Indiana, Dr. Joseph W. Applegate moved to Florida after the Civil War to work with the Freedmen's Bureau at Magnolia Springs. He later partnered with John H. Harris to operate the Clarendon Hotel (c. 1871) in Green Cove Springs. By the late 1800s, the town had established itself as “a watering hole for the rich." While working as the hotel’s physician, Applegate lectured on the health benefits of the spring’s sulfurous waters, and teamed with Harris to form the Water Cure Company. Harris managed the business from New York, while Applegate handled the prescription, dispensing, and shipment of spring water from Florida to New York. This house was built for Applegate by 1887. It was designed in the Frame Vernacular style based on local needs, available construction materials, and local tradition. In 1900, The Clarendon was destroyed by fire, but Applegate and his wife, Jenny, resided in this house until his death in 1919. Afterwards, Navy personnel stationed at Lee Field lived here, and it later became an antiques shop. In 1991, the house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing building in the Green Cove Springs Historic District. In 1997, it opened as a bed & breakfast.
Sponsors: Clay County Historic Preservation Board

AUGUSTA SAVAGE, SCULPTOR AND TEACHER

Location:1107 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
County: Clay
City: Green Cove Springs
Description: Here stood the childhood home of Augusta Savage (1892-1962), a gifted sculptor who fought poverty and racism to become a leading figure of the Harlem Renaissance. The seventh of 14 children born to Edward and Cornelia Fells, Augusta taught herself to fashion animals of clay from a nearby brickyard. A first marriage and motherhood postponed her artistic ambitions. She later married James Savage in 1915 and moved to West Palm Beach. A group of clay figures that she created for the County Fair won a cash prize, and its superintendent encouraged her further formal education. Efforts to live by sculpting portraits of Jacksonville’s black elite failed, but sponsors advised Savage to try her fortune in New York. There her talent earned her commissions and a scholarship to Cooper Union. In 1923, a grant to study art in France was rejected because of her race; her public protest gained wide support. Finally sent to Paris in 1929, she won more honors. During the Great Depression, Savage served as director of the Harlem Community Center, where she mentored many future artists. Her monumental interpretation of James Weldon Johnson’s “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the “Negro National Anthem,” was an icon of the 1939 World's Fair.

THE BELLAMY ROAD

Location:S.R. 100 just east of County Line rd. LOCATED ON US 17 AT THE BELLAMY ROAD, 6.
County: Clay
City: Green Cove Springs
Description: The Old Bellamy Road intersects Highway 17 near this point. In 1824, the First session of the 18th United States Congress appropriated $20,000.00 to develop a public road in the Territory of Florida between Pensacola and St. Augustine. It was to follow as nearly as possible on the pre-existing Old Mission Trail. The St. Augustine to Tallahassee segment was contracted to John Bellamy. He completed this in 1826, using Native American guides and his own slaves. Remnants of the old sand road are used today and part of the Bellamy Road forms the county line between northwest Putnam and Southwest Clay County.
Sponsors: Clay County Historical Commission and the Florida Department of State

FORT HEILMAN

Location:Blanding Blvd. between Section and Palmetto St. near bank
County: Clay
City: Middleburg
Description: Fort Heilman, named after Brevet Lieutenant Colonel Julius F. Heilman, was built in the mid 1830's at the spot where the north and south forks of Black Creek join. It was a temporary wooden stockade used during the First Seminole War as a quartermaster work shop and storage depot. Clustered around the stockade were the log huts of the small village of Garey's Ferry. When the Indian wars ended the fort was abandoned.

FORT SAN FRANSISCO DE PUPO

Location:S.R. 16 at Shands Bridge.
County: Clay
City: Green Cove Springs
Description: Pupo is first mentioned in 1716 as the place where the trail from the Franciscan Indian Missions in Apalachee (present-day Tallahassee) to St. Augustine crossed the river. The Spanish government built the fort on the St. Johns River sometime before 1737. Pupo teamed with Fort Picolata on the Eastern Shore, these forts protected the river crossing and blocked ships from continuing upstream. In 1738 after an attack by the British-allied Yuchi Indians, the fort was enlarged to a 30-by-16 blockhouse, surrounded by a rampart of timber and earth. During General James Oglethorpe's 1739-40 advance on St. Augustine, Lt. George Dunbar unsuccessfully attacked Pupo on the night of December 28th. On January 7th and 8th, Oglethorpe himself took two days to capture the Spanish blockhouses. Oglethorpe reinforced the fort with a trench, which is still visible. Upon the British retreat from Florida, Fort San Fransisco de Pupo was destroyed. Though the fort was never rebuilt, the site remained a strategically important ferry crossing. In the 1820s, Florida's first federally built road, the Bellamy Road, used the river crossing on the route between St. Augustine and Pensacola.
Sponsors: CLAY COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

FORT ST. FRANCIS DE PUPA

Location:This marker was destroyed and was replaced.
County: Clay
City: Green Cove Springs
Description: The site was used as a ferry landing late in the 17th century. About 1716 the first fort was built by the Spanish. It was rebuilt and enlarged early in 1739. The following year the fort was captured by English and Indian forces led by James Oglethorpe, founder of the Georgia colony. On their withdrawal, later in the summer, they destroyed the fort and it was never rebuilt.

GREEN COVE SPRINGS

Location:229 Walnut Street at Spring Park
County: Clay
City: Green Cove Springs
Description: High ground along the river and a flowing mineral spring drew the first inhabitants to this area some 7000 years ago, but historic development dates from 1816 when George I. F. Clarke erected a sawmill in this vicinity under a Spanish land grant. The first settlement, called White Sulfur Springs, was established in 1854, with a wharf, a store, and several houses clustered around a public square. During the Civil War, Federal troops frequently skirmished with Confederate forces in the vicinity, and finally occupied the town in 1864. Renamed in 1866, Green Cove Springs became the seat of Clay County government in 1871. Tourism flourished, surpassing citrus culture and lumbering as the area's economic base. River steamers brought visitors to the "Saratoga of the South", noted for the healthful qualities of its famous spring and for hotels and boarding houses said to rival the finest to be found in northern resorts. By the 1890s, the population reached more than 1500. But an expanding railroad system carried tourists southward and a great freeze in 1895 destroyed the surrounding citrus groves. The city's tourist industry declined sharply. The advent of the automobile age and the creation of a state highway system provided the basis for economic recovery in the 1920s, when the city shared in the general prosperity of the Florida Land Boom. But the collapse of the boom and the depression of the 1930s marked the end of the early development of the city. Between 1940 and 1945, the city experienced renewed development. The population increased from 1752 to 3026 as a result of the wartime construction of Benjamin Lee Field, a 1500 acre air auxiliary complex, by the U. S. Navy. With the end of World War II, thirteen piers were constructed by the Navy and the Green Cove base became home port to a "mothball fleet" of some 600 ships. With its share of returning war veterans, the community's population grew through the 1950s to a total of 4233 in 1960. In 1961, the Navy decommissioned its base and the reserve fleet was transferred to another facility. In 1984, the city annexed the former naval base into its corporate limits, tying this part of its heritage to its future growth and development.
Sponsors: The City of Green Cove Springs in Cooperation with the Florida Department of State

MIDDLEBURG

Location:Corner of Wharf Street and Main Street
County: Clay
City: Middleburg
Description: Middleburg developed in the early 1800s as a transportation center linking the St. Johns River with the peninsular interior. Originally settled in the 1820s as Clark's Ferry, a crossing on Black Creek, it became a major military entrepot during the Second Seminole war (1835-1842) with establishment of Ft. Heilman. The Clark-Chalker House dates from that era, when the population reached 800. Served by roads and riverboats, Middleburg gained its name in the 1840s, thrived on the surrounding timber, citrus, and farm economy, and became the first Clay County seat of government in 1858. The United Methodist Church was built in 1847. The 4th Massachusetts Cavalry burned much of the town in 1864. Prosperity returned in the 1870s as river traffic and the citrus industry burgeoned. The population numbered 700 in 1890, before a devastating freeze (1895) and decline of the river trade undermined the local economy. Many houses in the unincorporated town date from the Victorian Era and are found in a historic district listed in the National Register of Historic Places (1990).
Sponsors: Main Street Preservation Project, Inc. in Cooperation with the Florida Department of State

MIDDLEBURG METHODIST CHURCH

Location:3925 Main Street
County: Clay
City: Middleburg
Description: Founded on or before July 27, 1828 by Isaac Boring, a Methodist Circuit Riding Preacher. First known as The Black Creek Methodist Church. This frontier Methodist society met in homes until the present church was built in 1847. In continuous use since that date, the structure represents the oldest Methodist meeting place in Florida. Built mostly by slave labor, from native lumber and hand wrought nails from local blacksmiths. The heart of pine exterior is of clapboard square edge siding, a design unique to this period. The windows and mahogany wood for the pews were brought from overseas ports. The bell was cast in New York in 1852 and shipped here prior to 1860 by George Branning. It was tolled for the first time for the funeral of his son on February 29, 1860, who died during a swamp fever epidemic. The wide aisle was left down the center to segregate the men and women. The back pews were reserved for slaves. The pews were put together with wooden pegs and hand drawn. The marks of the draw-knife can still be seen. During the mid 1800's the cemetery was used to bury the town Protestants. The Catholic Cemetery was located 120 feet north of here. In recent years the Cemetery became the burial ground for the community in general.
Sponsors: sponsored by the middleburg united methodist church in cooperation with the department of state

OLD CLAY COUNTY COURTHOUSE

Location:915 Walnut Street
County: Clay
City: Green Cove Springs
Description: When Clay County was created in 1858 by the Florida Legislature, Middleburg was named as temporary county seat. As a result of an 1859 election, Whitesville (Webster), became the official county court site. Clay County's 1st courthouse was located there. In 1871, Green Cove Springs was chosen as the new county seat. Courts met there in 1872, but it was 1874 before a 2 story frame courthouse was completed. In 1889, a new, large 2-story brick building was ready for use. The Old Clay County Courthouse served as the seat of county government until 1973. This structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
Sponsors: sponsored by the clay county historical society in cooperation with department of state

TOWN OF PENNEY FARMS

Location:4100 Clark Ave.
County: Clay
City: Penney Farms
Description: James Cash Penney (1876-1971), philanthropist and founder of J.C. Penney Department Stores, purchased 120,000 acres in Clay County and invited farmers to claim 40-acre tracts by clearing the land, building houses, growing crops and raising livestock. In 1922 Penney and associates formed the Florida Farms and Industries Company that planned, plated and registered 10,000 acres as Long Branch City, whose population rose to 825 in 1930 and is 654 in 2002. Here, in 1926, Penney built the Memorial Home Community to honor his parents. In 1927 the Florida State Legislature chartered the city as the Town of Penney Farms and in 1937 the town limits were reduced to 1,500 acres. The community consisted of a church building and 22 cottages based on French Norman architecture. Modest wood frame dwellings occupied by farmers contrasted with stately Norman-styled buildings. The Great Depression (1929) caused Mr. Penney to sell his holdings except 200 acres, which he deeded to the Memorial Home Community, and turned over its operation to the Christian Herald Foundation. In 1971 it became the self-sustaining Penney Retirement Community, Inc., and in 1999 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sponsors: THE TOWN OF PENNEY FARMS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION WOMEN'S CLUB

Location:17 Palmetto Ave.
County: Clay
City: Green Cove Springs
Description: On February 20, 1883, the Village Improvement Association (V.I.A.) of Green Cove Springs was organized. Meetings were held in members’ homes. Money was raised to beautify the town, most of which was used for boardwalks, and 70 feet of clay pavement was laid. In 1888, the V.I.A. formed a children’s auxiliary known as the Star Branch, and ran the first public library until December 1961, when the Clay County Public Library was formed. A kindergarten was maintained from 1900 to 1904 in the public school building, with the V.I.A. assuming most of the expenses. In 1889 the V.I.A. was incorporated. In 1895, a member of the Borden Milk Company family, Mrs. Penelope Borden Hamilton gave the V.I.A. its first permanent home and the lot where the present building stands. That same year, the V.I.A. became a charter member of the Florida Federation of Woman s Clubs and acquired membership in the General Federation in 1898. The present building, designed by Architect Mellen C. Greeley (1880-1981) of Jacksonville, was built in 1915 at a cost of $4,589.49 and formally dedicated on February 18, 1915. The V.I.A. continues as an important unit of the community, devoted to social, educational, and beautification projects.
Sponsors: THE VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

HICKORY GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH AND CEMETERY

Location:State Road 16
County: Clay
City: Green Cove Springs
Description: Hickory Grove Baptist Church was organized in 1863, and the church’s congregation first worshiped here in one of the earliest buildings constructed in Clay County. The church was named for a grove of hickory trees that grew here. The original sanctuary was constructed of old growth yellow pine logs that were hewn by the volunteer labor of a detachment of Confederate soldiers stationed in Green Cove Springs. When the log building became unsafe for use, the congregation relocated to a nearby school house on Highland Street, where it remained until a sanctuary was rebuilt in 1913 on the location of the original church. When Highway 16 was rerouted, the church sold the 1913 building to the Florida Highway Department and purchased property on nearby South Oakridge Avenue for construction of a masonry block sanctuary. It was completed in 1955. The church’s cemetery is one of the oldest in Clay County and includes more than 300 graves, the oldest of which dates to 1849. The cemetery’s distinctive architectural features include obelisk markers and family plots surrounded by wrought iron fences.
Sponsors: The Hickory Grove Baptist Church and the Florida Department of State

GENERAL ROY STANLEY GEIGER, UNITED STATES MARINES CORPS

Location:2645 Blanding Boulevard
County: Clay
City: Middleburg
Description: Roy Stanley Geiger, the “Father of Marine Corps Aviation,” was born on January 25, 1885, in his family home on what is now the campus of Middleburg First Baptist Church. He served as a school teacher, principal, and lawyer. Geiger joined the Marine Corps in 1907 and was commissioned in 1909. After tours of duty in Nicaragua, Panama, and China, he became the fifth Marine Corps Aviator in 1917. Major Geiger commanded the 1st Marine Aviation Force in France during WWI. During WWII, he commanded the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing at Guadalcanal and was named Commander of Third Marine Amphibious Corps for the invasion of Guam and Okinawa. He was promoted to Lieutenant General in July 1945 and was named Commander of Fleet Marine Force, Pacific. General Geiger was the most senior marine present at the Japanese surrender on board the U.S.S. Missouri in September 1945. Following his death on January 23, 1947, Geiger was promoted to four-star general by the U.S. Congress. General Geiger is the only general in the American military to be born and raised in Clay County. An icon in Marine Corps history, General Roy Geiger now rests in Arlington National Cemetery.
Sponsors: Clay County Historic Preservation Board, Clay County Board of County Commissioners

CAMP CHOWENWAW

Location:1517 Ball Road
County: Clay
City: Green Cove Springs
Description: Created in 1932, Camp Chowenwaw (Cho’-wen-waw) derived its name from the Creek word for “sister.” Prominent Jacksonville resident Nancy Osborne, with support from local organizations such as the Rotary and Kiwanis clubs, led the effort for the Girl Scout Council of Duval County to purchase a 67-acre parcel at the mouth of Black Creek for $250. This newly acquired land served as the camp’s grounds. Federal help to build camp structures came from the Reconstruction Finance Corporation during the Great Depression. One of the biggest jobs was the exterior and interior construction of the Big Cabin, including shingles and furniture, from timber harvested on-site. Swedish granite, originally used as ballast in 19th century sailing ships, was donated by G.W. Parkhill and used to construct the cabin’s fireplaces. The camp expanded in 1951 by adding another 40 acres. For over 70 years, Camp Chowenwaw enriched the lives of young women by providing them a place to master new skills and talents as Girl Scouts. The camp remains an important part of Clay County history and serves as a county park offering recreational activities in a preserved natural environment.
Sponsors: Clay County Historic Preservation Board, Clay County Board of County Commissioners

ORANGE PARK

Location:2042 Park Avenue
County: Clay
City: Orange Park
Description: Orange Park was the site of a cotton and citrus British plantation, Laurel Grove, which was established by William and Rebecca Pengree during Florida’s British Period (1763-1783). Following the American Revolution, Florida was returned to Spain, and the Pengrees left. They returned in 1786 with their slaves and a Spanish land grant to produce pine pitch and turpentine (naval stores) for the Spanish. After William’s death in 1793, Rebecca ran the plantation until she sold it in 1803 to Zephaniah Kingsley who expanded it. The plantation flourished until it was burned in 1813. In 1877, the Florida Winter Home and Improvement Company created the Town of Orange Park on most of the original Pengree land claim. Developer Washington Gano Benedict attracted northern buyers by planting acres of oranges in a system of home and agricultural plots. A 5-acre plot sold for $600 and included cleared, fenced land planted with 250 orange trees. River boats brought tourists to the Hotel Marion, including Ulysses S. Grant and Philip H. Sheridan, as well as Buffalo Bill Cody and Chief Sitting Bull in 1880. Small farms, sawmills, and naval stores, in addition to tourism, made up the town’s economy.
Sponsors: Clay County Historic Preservation Board and the Florida Department of State

CAMP BLANDING

Location:5629 State Road 16 West
County: Clay
City: Camp Blanding
Description: Side 1: Camp Blanding, established as a National Guard base in 1939, is named for Major General Albert Blanding (1876-1970) who commanded a brigade in WWI, was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, and was Chief of the National Guard Bureau. He assumed command of the 31st Infantry Division, Florida National Guard in 1924, and served as chief of the National Guard Bureau in Washington, D.C. from 1936 until his retirement in 1940. Some materials from the Guard's former base, Camp Clifford J. Foster in Jacksonville, were used for buildings at the new 30,000-acre facility in Clay County. By early 1940, the cantonment area, built to serve one infantry regiment, was in place on the shores of Kingsley Lake. In early 1941, when World War II was declared, President Franklin Roosevelt mobilized the National Guard and the War Department began construction of sufficient facilities to house two full divisions. The State Armory Board turned the post over to the U.S. Army to establish separate training and induction centers for soldiers of both races, although they remained in separate areas of the post. The government purchased 40,000 more acres and leased additional land for military maneuvers, expanding the base to more than 150,000 acres. Side 2: The Camp Blanding construction project employed more than 22,000 civilian workers, who built more than 10,000 buildings to accommodate two divisions, about 60,000 trainees. By 1941, Camp Blanding was the fourth largest city in Florida. In addition to housing and mess halls, maintenance buildings, PXs, field artillery and rifle ranges, the camp had a 2,800-bed hospital, enlisted men's and officer's clubs, bowling alleys, four theaters, and five chapels. The first unit trained here was the 31st Division ("Dixie Division"), National Guard units from four southern states. The 43rd Division, composed of men from New England, arrived in February 1941. During World War II, approximately one million men received basic training here, the largest of Florida's 142 military installations built in the 1940s. A prisoner of war compound, established for about 1,200 captured German soldiers and sailors, was maintained until the prisoners were repatriated to Germany after the war. At the war's end in 1945, many temporary buildings were sold as surplus. In 1955, Camp Blanding Military Reservation was returned to the State Armory Board for training the National Guard in Florida and other states and active and armed services reserve units.
Sponsors: The Florida National Guard and The Florida Department of State

THE BELLAMY ROAD

Location:U.S. 17 at Bellamy Rd.
County: Clay
City: Keystone Heights
Description: The Old Bellamy Road intersects Highway 100 near this point. In 1824, the First session of the 18th United States Congress appropriated $20,000.00 to develop a public road in the Territory of Florida between Pensacola and St. Augustine. It was to follow as nearly as possible on the pre-existing Old Mission Trail. The St. Augustine to Tallahassee segment was contracted to John Bellamy. He completed this in 1826, using Native American guides and his own slaves. Remnants of the old sand road are used today and part of the Bellamy Road forms the county line between northwest Putnam and southwest Clay County.
Sponsors: Clay County Historical Commission and the Florida Department of State

ST. MARGARET'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH AND CEMETERY

Location:6874 Old Church Road
County: Clay
City: Fleming Island
Description: Hibernia Plantation was founded in 1790 by Irish immigrant George Fleming on a 1,000-acre grant from the Governor of Spanish East Florida. George died in 1821 and his son Lewis inherited Hibernia. Lewis had three children by his first wife. After she died, in 1837 he married Margaret Seton of Fernandina and had seven more children. After the Civil War, the widowed Margaret converted the damaged plantation house into a tourist resort. Church services were held in the mansion’s parlor, while she planned the construction of a chapel. She began building it in 1875 in coordination with Episcopal Bishop John F. Young. The church was named in honor of Saint Margaret of Scotland. The first service, held on April 6, 1878, was for Margaret’s funeral. The chapel was relocated to this location in 1880. The wooden Gothic Vernacular church has a memorial window depicting Margaret Fleming teaching children. The cemetery contains graves of the Fleming family, including George; Lewis; Margaret; their son Francis P. Fleming, Florida Governor (1889-1893); and veterans from the Second Seminole and Civil wars. The church and cemetery were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
Sponsors: Clay County Historic Preservation Board, The Clay County Board of County Commissioners

Collier

THE NAPLES CANAL

Location:1234 8th Street South
County: Collier
City: Naples
Description: The Naples Canal was a monumental prehistoric construction achievement. It was 4,150 feet long (0.8 miles) and bisected an area between the Gulf of Mexico and Naples Bay. The Naples Canal was dug perhaps as early as A.D. 200 by local American Indian inhabitants of the Ten Thousand Islands or by the neighboring Calusa Indians. The central section of the canal, dug through a sandhill with a relatively deep water table, is the deepest Indian canoe canal ever found in Florida. The Indians’ decision to dig down to access ground water demonstrates their understanding of the land and hydrology. They created a channel that was deep enough to penetrate the water table and able to consistently hold enough water for the traverse of dugout canoes. The canal shortened the distance between Gordon’s Pass and Doctor’s Pass by half, and was more efficient and safe for canoe paddlers and their possessions than open water travel. The canal’s construction would be a dramatic achievement even today. The Naples Canal was still clearly visible in the late 1800s, but by the 1960s it had been totally destroyed by land development, leaving no trace of this remarkable prehistoric engineering achievement.
Sponsors: Dorothy S. Peppe and the Florida Department of State

1936 SEMINOLE CONFERENCE

Location:US 41 (Tamiami Trail) just south of Monument Lake South side of Tamiami Trail
County: Collier
City:
Description: On February 22, 1936, this pine hammock was the site of a conference attended by about 275 Seminoles and several representatives of state and local governments. Florida's New Deal governor, David W. Sholtz (1933-37), had aided the state's economic recovery from the great depression. Accompanied by members of his cabinet and D. Graham Copeland of the Collier County Board of Commissioners, Sholtz journeyed into the Everglades to discuss with Seminole leaders what the government could do to assist the Indians in those trying times. A ceremonial welcome was followed by conversations in which Gotch Nagoftee (Josie Billie) and Tush Kee Henehe (Corey Osceola) spoke for the Seminoles. The Indians appreciated the offer of aid but, fearing removal from the Everglades, gave the Governor this reply: "Pohoan Checkish" - "Just leave us alone."
Sponsors: Sponsored by the collier county historical societyin cooperation with department of state

BIG CYPRESS SWAMP

Location:Collier-Seminole State Park off U.S. 41, near San Marco Rd.
County: Collier
City: Naples
Description: Once occupied by the Caloosa Indians and the Spanish, it was the last refuge of the Seminoles. The region is drained in a north- south direction by creeks, rivers, sloughs and swamps. Abounding in wildlife, trees, plants, shrubs and flowers, most of the area is less than fifteen feet in elevation; but fertile hammock forests dot the higher lands. The ever-present cypress is called the "wood eternal" and is the oldest living thing on earth.

OLD LAUNDRY BUILDING - EVERGLADES WOMEN'S CLUB

Location:105 West Broadway
County: Collier
City: Everglades City
Description: The first permanent white settlers arrived in this region in the late 19th century. A community dependent on hunting, fishing and farming soon emerged. The land upon which Everglades City now stands was acquired in 1921-22 by Barron Collier, a wealthy advertising man. In 1923 Collier County was formed with the Town of Everglades as county seat. A planned town, it was built on filled land at Collier's direction, service facilities were provided, and by 1928 this building had been completed as a community laundry. That year also marked the opening of the Tamiami Trail from Tampa to Miami and completion of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad into Everglades. After a prosperous beginning, the town suffered economically during the depression and World War II. The Town of Everglades was changed by charter into Everglades City in 1953, and the community moved away from its "company town" origins. This structure ceased to function as a laundry after WWII but remained Collier-owned until 1963. In that year the Everglades Women's Club, founded in 1928 but later disbanded, was reactivated and in 1965 purchased the building for use as a clubhouse. The structure retains the typical appearance of the company town period.
Sponsors: sponsored by everglades women's club in cooperation with department of state

SUNNILAND OIL FIELD

Location:Oil Well Park Rd, just before S.R. 29 in unmarked park
County: Collier
City: Sunniland
Description: The first commercial oil well in Florida, located just east of this site, was drilled in 1943 by Humble Oil and Refining Company. The discovery of oil at a depth of over 11,500 feet proved that there was oil in Florida. Seventeen wells were subsequently drilled near here. Sunniland was the state's only commercial oil field until 1964 although there had been extensive drilling since 1900. A vision of Barron Gift Collier was thus fulfilled.
Sponsors: Collier County Historical Society and the Collier County Historical Commission in Cooperation with Department of State

THE NAPLES DEPOT

Location:1200 5th Avenue South
County: Collier
City: Naples
Description: The Naples Depot, which was completed in 1927, is one of the oldest remaining structures in the City of Naples. The Depot was built to serve as the Seaboard Air Line Railway's southern-most west coast terminal. The coming of railroads to Naples and the opening of the Tamiami Trail in 1928 gave impetus to the growth of the area as a winter resort. The Naples Depot for a time became the property of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad before a merger in the late 1960s brought it under the auspices of the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad. It remained a hub of activity for tourists and residents for several decades. In 1971, increased reliance upon auto and air transportation resulted in the discontinuation of passenger service to Naples. Originally designed in a style compatible with the tropical Florida climate, the terminal building was added to the National Register of Historic places in 1974. Through action initiated by the Naples Jaycees, community efforts to save the Depot were started. Two years later the Naples Depot was acquired by Southwest Heritage, Inc., so that it might continue to be used by this community.
Sponsors: sponsored by the naples jaycees in cooperation with department of state

THE NAPLES PIER

Location:12th Avenue South, at entrance to pier.
County: Collier
City: Naples
Description: Built in 1888 as a freight and passenger dock, the Naples Pier stands as a community landmark. Narrow gauge train rails spanning the length of the pier transported freight and baggage in the early 1900's. Part of the structure as well as the post office located on the pier was razed by fire in 1922. Rebuilt after damage from hurricanes in 1910, 1926, and 1960, it remains a public symbol of the area's history.
Sponsors: Naples Jaycees in Cooperation with Department of State

Columbia

ALLIGATOR

Location:Downtown Courtyard between NE Madison and W Duval St.
County: Columbia
City: Lake City
Description: Originally called Alpata Telophka, or Alligator Town, this site was a Seminole village, ruled by the powerful chief Alligator, an instigator of the Dade Massacre, which began the great Seminole War of 1835. Following the cessation of hostilities, a white settlement sprang up on the site of the old Seminole village and became known simply as Alligator. Prior to the War Between the States, the name was changed to Lake City.

BETHEL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Location:4843 South US Hwy. 441 at County Road 133-B
County: Columbia
City: Lake City
Description: Old Bethel Church was first organized by Alligator area settlers as early as the 1820s. The original church was a small log structure located some two miles northeast of this site. In 1855, this building was erected to accommodate a growing number of parishioners. One of only a few Antebellum church buildings which have survived in rural Florida, Bethel Church has served its congregation continuously since its mid-19th century founding. The building has been known in the community as "the white church by the side of the road" for over a century.
Sponsors: Bethel United Methodist Church in Cooperation with The Florida Department of State

TOWN OF FORT WHITE

Location:N 1st St., Deese Memorial Park
County: Columbia
City: Fort White
Description: The town of Fort White, named for a former Second Seminole War fort built nearby in 1837, was founded in 1870 and flourished briefly after the arrival of the railroad in 1888. Phosphate mining and the growing of citrus and cotton sparked a boom that before 1900 made Fort White the second largest city in Columbia County with a population of nearly 2,000. The boom collapsed when severe freezes in the winter of 1896-1897 destroyed the local citrus industry. Phosphate mining ceased by 1910, and the boll weevil ended cotton farming before World War I. A handful of historic buildings, such as the Old Fort White School (1915) remain from the town's era of prosperity.
Sponsors: The Florida Department of State

TOWN OF LENO

Location:O'Leno State Park
County: Columbia
City: near Mikesville
Description: Originally called "Keno", for a variation of lotto gambling, the town was settled in the 1860's. Ecclesiastical and commercial pressure changed the name to "Leno" in 1876. A grist and saw mill, cotton gin, stores, and hotel sprang up in the settlement. Railroad construction bypassed the town, and by the 1890's Leno became a ghost town. The site of old Leno (O'Leno) was purchased by the state as a park and forestry station in 1934.

FINLEY/RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL

Location:255 NE Coach Anders Lane
County: Columbia
City: Lake City
Description: Side One: African American education in Columbia County dates to Reconstruction when the first school was established in 1866 for freed people of color in the county. In 1906, the Lake City School for Colored Students was created under the leadership of Principal Henon Richardson and assistant Annie Mattox. Richardson was principal from 1905-1913 with a salary of $50 a month. In 1908, the faculty expanded to eight teachers with most receiving a monthly salary between $20 to $25. In 1909, the school term extended to three months. With the assistance of the school’s trustees, B.J. Jones, Horace Mattox, and J.N. Norwood, the school was expanded in 1913 from grades 1-6 to 1-9. At that time, John L. Hopps was named principal and served from 1913-1920. Between 1920-1928, three more principals would oversee the Richardson Academy including E.J. Madison, Annie Mattox, and Thomas D. Everett. In 1925, a petition was signed by the “colored” citizens and taxpayers of Lake City to purchase a new site to construct a modern school. The board agreed, and the African American trustees raised $2000 for the project. Construction of a new brick high school began on top of what had been Agnes Jones’ Boneyard, an early Florida tourist attraction. Side Two: Richardson Academy opened its doors in 1928 with 300 students under Principal Herman Tunsil. The building was a two-story block structure with 11 rooms, a library, an auditorium, and an office. E.R. Rolfe became the principal at the end of the year and served until the end of the twenties. In 1930, grades 11-12 were added under Principal H.L. Roundtree, and the school graduated its first class that year. Roundtree served 1930-1936. Following him was R.R. Kenon (1937-1944), A.L. Greene (1944-1954), C.W. Banks (1954-1957), and G.W. Ellis (1957-1960). M.L. Ferguson became principal in 1960. It had competitive sports teams, and the 1967-68 basketball team won the state championship. The school mascot was the wolves, and the colors were green and orange. Following the desegregation of U.S. public schools, it was integrated with white-only Columbia High School in 1970-71. The school was converted into a 9th grade center from 1971-1976. For much of the 20th century, Richardson helped to serve both the educational and social needs of the Lake City’s black community. Its doors closed in 1976 and much of the building was later demolished. The gym and cafeteria now serve as a community center for the surrounding neighborhood.

DeSoto

ARCADIA CITY HALL

Location:121 Hickory St., In front of Fire Department
County: DeSoto
City: Arcadia
Description: The Town of Arcadia was settled in 1883, incorporated in 1886, and became the county seat in 1888. By the late 1880s the population was 300. On Thanksgiving night 1905 the town burned. Three brick stores survived. Using only brick or block, rebuilding began immediately. Most of those buildings remain today. During World War I with its two flying schools, Carlstrom and Dorr Fields, Arcadia became known as the “Aviation Capital” of Florida. The land for Arcadia’s first city hall (140x142) was a pineapple patch bought in 1917 for $3,000 from Fred and Ida Gore. City Hall was designed in the Mediterranean Revival style and was furnished in June 1926 at a cost of $45,216, including all furnishings. A section of the original nine-foot office counter and steel shelves for the vault are still in use. The fire station first housed a solid, rubber-tired, auto driven hose wagon with chemical tanks and a 1924 American La France fire truck which is still owned and running. The original 20-foot brass fire pole and the 400-pound siren are to be placed in the City Hall Museum. In 2004, restoration of City Hall began with funding from the Florida Division of Historical Resources and the City.
Sponsors: THE CITY OF ARCADIA AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

DE SOTO COUNTY

Location:115 East Oak Street, by County Courthouse
County: Desoto
City: Arcadia
Description: Named after the great Spanish conquistador and Florida explorer Hernando De Soto, the county was created out of Manatee County in 1887. The area's original inhabitants were Caloosa Indians. In early Florida history the region was the scene of numerous Indian battles. The county's 416,640 acres offer a diversified economy of citrus, cattle, agriculture and industry. Arcadia is the county seat.

FORT OGDEN

Location:9693 SW Highway 17 in Front of Post Office
County: DeSoto
City: Fort Ogden
Description: As white settlers moved into Florida, demands increased for the removal of the Seminole Indians to a western reservation. The Seminoles failed to cooperate, and in 1835 the conflict known as the Second Seminole War began. By 1841, the Indians were still entrenched in central and south Florida. Campaign plans for that year aimed at clearing Indians from the area between the Withlacoochee River and the frontier and then attacking Indian bands in Big Cypress Swamp. To sustain the wide-ranging troops, detached camps were established at various points. Camp Ogden, named for Captain Edmund Ogden of the 8th U.S. Infantry, seems to have been established in July, 1841, as an advanced position for the Big Cypress campaign. In addition, 55 canoes were constructed for the next winter's Everglades expedition. Before the camp was abandoned in the fall, an influential Indian leader, Coacoochee, visited Camp Ogden. The community of Fort Ogden developed in this citrus and cattle region in the last part of the 19th century and took its name from the Second Seminole War camp. Fort Ogden's post office, established in 1876, is the oldest in DeSoto County to be in continuous service.
Sponsors: sponsored by fort ogden civic club in cooperation with department of state

OWENS COMMUNITY SCHOOL

Location:5586 SW Owens School Road
County: DeSoto
City: Arcadia
Description: The Owens Community School was built1916-1918 in the once thriving community of Owens. The community and school were named for Owen H. Dishong (1850-1902), the first sheriff of DeSoto County, serving 1887 to 1893 and 1897 to 1901. He was a charter member of the first church and donated land for the first schoolhouse. The community was situated between the Peace River and Horse Creek. It flourished through the mining of pebble phosphate. The community consisted of a post office, general store, railroad, citrus packing house, Owens Community School, and Mt. Ephraim Baptist Church. The frame school is the only remaining building of the original structures of Owens. It was last used as a school site in 1946, but some original school furnishings remain intact. It has continued to be used as a polling place over the years. In 2000, the School District of DeSoto County refurbished the school and began using it for school district training and recognitions, and historical society and humanities presentations.
Sponsors: SCHOOL DISTRICT OF DESOTO COUNTY AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

ARCADIA HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:W. Oak Street
County: DeSoto
City: Arcadia
Description: The Arcadia Historic District comprises fifty-eight blocks within 340 acres that embody the city's development from the founding of its post office in 1883 through the late 1920s. The Town of Arcadia was incorporated in 1886 following the arrival of the first train that year and the area's subsequent growth. In November 1888, voters selected Arcadia as the county seat of DeSoto County, which was established in 1887. The City of Arcadia was incorporated in 1901. The heart of the district is a commercial zone extending 18 blocks and consisting of buildings constructed between 1900 and the late 1920s. Three buildings that survived the devastating 1905 downtown fire, and those that were rebuilt, are generally masonry vernacular in style. The district’s most imposing structure is the 1912 Classical Revival courthouse. Residential neighborhoods of mostly frame vernacular homes from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries surround the commercial area. Listed on the National Register in 1984, the district retains remarkable historical and architectural integrity as reflected in its churches, residences, and schools, as well as commercial, governmental, and industrial buildings.
Sponsors: The Peace River Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, DeSoto County Historical Society

NOCATEE HISTORIC DISTRICT/ NOCATEE BAPTIST CHURCH

Location:4562 Highway 17 SW
County: DeSoto
City: Nocatee
Description: Side One: The town of Nocatee originated as a lumber manufacturing town during the 1880s. During the late 19th century, two businesses stimulated the town’s growth. One was the King Lumber and Manufacturing Company, established by W.G. Welles in 1896. The second was the Nocatee Crate Lumber and Manufacturing Company, opened a few years later. The two businesses were next to each other west of the Florida Southern Railroad tracks and south of County Road 760/Welles Avenue. The Nocatee Crate Company eventually became the largest employer in Desoto County, which prompted the construction of many homes and businesses. The company’s success was partly due to the development of a packing crate that made it cheaper and easier to ship fruits and vegetables to market. These “4-One” crates, built of wire wrapped around wood corners and veneer strips, were used throughout the U.S. The crates could be flattened and stacked, and their light weight reduced shipping costs and waste. Several buildings along the west side of U.S. 17 were constructed by the Nocatee Crate Company and rented to its employees. When the company closed, the homes were sold to the residents at auction. Side Two: The Nocatee Baptist Church (later known as the First Baptist Church of Nocatee) was organized around 1890, and held its early services in a local school under the pastorship of the Rev. T.J. Sparkman. In 1915, B.F. Welles, brother of Nocatee Crate Lumber and Manufacturing Company co-founder W.G. Welles, donated land for the construction of a brick church east of U.S. 17. The building used a Greek cross plan with a cross gable roof, Gothic style windows with Queen Anne colored glass, and a bell tower. The church held its first service in this new location in 1916. The church closed temporarily in 1930s because of a controversial divide in the congregation, which was reunited by 1949. From 1949-1956, a new classroom building as well as a kitchen and recreation hall were constructed. Although the church was taken down in 2014, the Florida Department of Transportation assisted the congregation with salvaging the arched windows and bell. The top of the bell tower, or cupola, was removed and relocated to the DeSoto County Historical Society property in Arcadia.
Sponsors: Florida Department of Transportation

FLORIDA BAPTIST ORPHANAGE

Location:Intersection of N. Arcadia Avenue and W. Winifred Street
County: Desoto
City: Arcadia
Description: The Florida Baptist Children’s Homes, originally the Florida Baptist Orphanage, was established by the Florida Baptist State Convention in 1902 and started admitting children in 1904. The purpose was to care for orphans until they reached 18 years of age or were adopted into a Christian home. John L. Jones of Desoto County donated 80 acres of land on which the orphanage was founded. B.M. Bean was the first superintendent serving from 1904-1911. Juanita Martinez was the first child to live at the home. Her stay at the home started on February 1, 1904. J.E. Trice served as superintendent from 1911 to 1932. The name was changed to the Florida Baptist Children’s Homes in 1925. T.M. Johns served as superintendent from 1932 to 1969. The Children’s Homes moved to Lakeland in 1948. Presidents of the Children’s Homes included Roger Dorsett (1969-1974), Walter Delamarter (1974-1984), Richard Phillips (1984-1994), Charles Hodges (1994-2002), Jimmy McAdams (2002-2007), and Jerry Haag (2007-). In 2008 the Children’s Homes served 5,183 children and families with its various services which included residential care, emergency shelter care, foster care, adoption care, maternity care and counseling.
Sponsors: THE NAZARENE CHURCH AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Dixie

FLETCHER COMMUNITY

Location:Hwy. 349 Between Pinecrest Dr. and Senco Mertz Rd.
County: Dixie
City: Old Town
Description: The Fletcher Community was established when Dixie County was part of Lafayette County and both were part of their parent county, Madison. In the early 1850s Fletcher families and other families emigrated south from the Carolinas through Georgia, bringing their livestock and looking for better pastures. Other families followed including the Edmond, Bell, Boatright, Gronto, Hatch, Matthis, Jones, Sauls and Ward families. They used the Suwannee River to move cotton and farm produce by steamboats to the railroad at Cedar Key. Most settlers of the Methodist faith attended services at Pleasant Grove Church, established by Rev. John A. Fletcher (1811-1858). This church is now gone but the Pleasant Grove and Ward Cemeteries are reminders of the Fletcher Community’s settlers. William Rete Fletcher served as Madison County’s Justice of the Peace 1847-1849 and Clerk of Court of Lafayette County 1856-1858. U.S. Postal records show Matilda J. Jones Fletcher as the community’s first Postmaster. Eborn Haywood Sauls, William R. Fletcher, and Mittie (Matilda) Fletcher were later Postmasters.
Sponsors: DIXIE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, DIXIE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

FORT DUVAL AND THE SUWANNEE RIVER

Location:23465 SE 349 Hwy
County: Dixie
City: Old Town
Description: Captain Francis Langhorne Dade, U.S. Army and his 120-man Companies A,B,D,H and N, built Fort Duval in November 1826 at the mouth of the Suwannee River. The structure was 140 by 130 feet and six feet high with portholes for firing. The fort was named for territorial governor William Pope Duval. Fort Duval was built to guard the mouth of the Suwannee River. Indians used the river for many years, traveling to Cuba, the Bahama Islands and other places to trade and purchase goods. William Bartram witnessed this in his travels in 1774 while visiting the Indians up river from its mouth. In April 1818, General Andrew Jackson used the river to transport his wounded back to St. Marks after his Battle for Billy Bowleg’s Old Town, located on the Suwannee River. Fort Duval was destroyed by May 15, 1841. At that time, Capt. Cambell Graham wrote of Lt. Palmer’s survey of the mouth of the Suwannee River in search of the remains of Fort Duval. Time and tide have destroyed all traces of Fort Duval. The Suwannee River now carries fishing enthusiasts and sportsmen.
Sponsors: DIXIE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, THE SUWANNEE RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

OLD TOWN SCHOOL

Location:SE County Road 349, and St. Co. Rd. 55A Dixie County Cultural Center
County: Dixie
City: Old Town
Description: On April 1, 1899, Orren Y. Felton and his wife, Lillie F. Felton, gave deed to the Board of Public Instruction for Old Town School. On May 23, 1911, Ruby E. Chaires and her husband McQueen Chaires gave additional deed to the Board of Public Instruction for School. The present two story, four-classroom building was constructed in 1909—two classrooms upstairs and two downstairs. From home schooling to one-room schoolhouses to neighborhood schools, the schools of the Old Town era were built. The auditorium was added in 1930. Children continually attended classes in this building until 1999. This historic, two and one-half story building was constructed of locally made bricks which were “fired” on site. All rafters are of the exposed “Italian eight design.” The top half floor contains a two-louver door dormer. The dormer and high windows were the only means of ventilation. The Dixie County Historical Society uses this building, now known as the Dixie County Cultural Center, as an office, museum of local artifacts, and library.
Sponsors: DIXIE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

OLDTOWN

Location:Near intersection of C.R. 55 and S.R. 349
County: Dixie
City: Old Town
Description: Inhabited by the Upper Creeks, Old Town, often called Suwanee Old Town, was one of the largest Indian villages in northern Florida. In Andrew Jackson's punitive expedition into Florida in April, 1818, Old Town was captured. Most of the renegade Indians escaped, but Jackson caught Robert Armbister, a British subject, who was tried and executed for aiding the Creeks in border raids into Georgia. This produced tension between the United States and Great Britain.

PUTNAM LODGE

Location:15487 NW 19 Hwy
County: Dixie
City: Shamrock
Description: Putnam Lodge, built in 1927-28 by the Putnam Lumber Company, is part of a bygone era in Florida's forestry history. Here, beside the old Dixie Highway, Putnam Lodge, part of the "company town" of Shamrock, accommodated tourists, transients and company executives and clients. The lobby and the dining room of the 36-room lodge were decorated exclusively with the still preserved, artfully stenciled "pecky cypress," a now virtually extinct lumber product. In its day, the Putnam Lumber Company, founded by William O'Brien, a timber magnate of Irish descent, and associates including E. B. Putnam, employed hundreds at its two state-of-the-art sawmills in Shamrock. The mills annually produced and shipped worldwide millions of feet of "deep swamp tidewater cypress" and "dense Florida longleaf yellow pine" lumber, products that are now rare because the old growth trees are gone. Shamrock provided its residents and employees with comfortable homes, a commissary, a store comparable to "any city department store," two schools, two hotels, the Shamrock Dairy Farm, and an ice plant producing 18 tons of ice daily. The lodge is representative of a time of local timber supremacy and economic prosperity.
Sponsors: THE SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FORESTERS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

THE JACKSON TRAIL

Location:C.R. 351, 2.4 mi. north of Horseshoe Beach
County: Dixie
City: Cross City
Description: On December 26, 1817, U.S. Secretary of War John C. Calhoun directed General Andrew Jackson to protect citizens trying to settle in Florida. Jackson arrived in Florida with the largest army ever to invade the state to date – 2,000 Creek Warriors and 1,000 Georgia and Tennessee militiamen. After leaving Nashville, Tennessee, they traveled through Georgia and on to Florida, winding up in Suwannee-Old Town (now Dixie County). Jackson’s goal was to remove the Indians, destroy their homes and confiscate their horses, cattle and food and slaves. In four days he had killed or driven off all Indians and escaped slaves. Near this spot, in April 1818, while on a “seek and find” mission, Jackson and his army captured Indian traders Robert Armbrister and Alexander Arbuthnot. They were British subjects who were supposed to be protected by a truce between England and the United States. Jackson had Arbuthnot hanged and Armbrister shot, which almost caused a war between the two countries. The Jackson Trail ran alongside Highway 19, branching south to the Coast on the west side of what is now the Horseshoe Beach Road (Highway 351).
Sponsors: DIXIE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

TRIUMPH THE CHURCH AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD IN CHRIST

Location:166 NE 106 Street
County: Dixie
City: Cross City
Description: This church, built in 1929, was originally a wood-framed structure and the first church erected in the African-American community of Cross City. The architectural character was retained when it was remodeled and enlarged in 1942. The hand-made masonry blocks were fashioned under the direction of Prince Robert C. Glanton (1892-1965). He was the church’s Shepherd and presiding elder until he was promoted to District Bishop in 1957. Cross City’s first voter registration for blacks was held in this church. The church is part of a national system of churches founded in 1902 by Father Elias Dempsey Smith and is represented in 36 of the United States and Monrovia, Liberia. It was chartered in Washington, D.C. in 1918, and is in the hall of records. In addition to worship and praise services, the church provides charity, summer enrichment classes, youth development training, and many other activities that enhance the spiritual, physical, and moral development of the community.
Sponsors: TRIUMPH THE CHURCH AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD IN CHRIST AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Duval

"MOTHER" MIDWAY A.M.E. CHURCH

Location:1462 Van Buren St.
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: Midway A.M.E. Church was organized on Sunday, June 10, 1865, a few weeks after the Confederate Army in Florida surrendered to the Union Army. It was thus the first black independent church organized in Florida. William G. Steward was sent to Florida by the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and founded a church at Midway, a settlement east of Jacksonville, on his second day in the state. Mr. Steward appointed Brother G. B. Hill as the pastor of Midway Church before going on to organize congregations in middle Florida and in the panhandle section of the state. In later years Mr. Steward became involved in politics in Leon and Gadsden Counties and served a term in the Floirda Legislature. Midway Church is recognized as the "mother" of both the Florida Conference of the A.M.E. Church, organized in 1867 in Tallahassee, and of the East Florida Conference organized in Palatka in 1877. While the original church building is no longer standing, the congregation of "Mother" Midway has been in continuous existence since its founding.
Sponsors: sponsored by african methodist episcopal church of floridain cooperation with department of state.

JACKSONVILLE'S 1901 FIRE

Location:Duval St. at Hemming Plaza
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: On May 3, 1901 at 12:30 p.m., a fire began at the Cleaveland Fibre Factory, ten blocks northwest of this site. Chimney embers ignited sun-dried moss to be used as mattress stuffing. Fueled by wind and dry weather, the fire roared east destroying most structures in its path. By 3:30 p.m., the fire reached this site, then called Hemming Park. The park and its renowned live oaks were devoured by the flames and only the Confederate Monument survived, its base glowing red from heat. The fire continued an eastward march to Hogan’s Creek, where a citizens’ bucket brigade stayed the flames. Then, turning south, the inferno roared to Bay Street’s riverfront docks. Extreme heat caused a waterspout in the river where rescue boats trolled for survivors. The fire was so intense, black smoke clouds could be seen as far away as South Carolina. As flames moved west on Bay Street, the firefighters’ gallant stand and dying winds brought the fire under control by 8:30 p.m. In just eight hours, nearly 10,000 people were homeless, 2,368 buildings were lost, 146 city blocks were destroyed, but miraculously only seven people perished. Jacksonville’s 1901 Fire remains the most destructive burning of a Southern city in U.S. history.
Sponsors: THE JACKSONVILLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

1960 CIVIL RIGHTS DEMONSTRATION

Location:Monroe St. and N. Hogan St. in Hemming Park
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: On Saturday, August 27,1960, 40 Youth Council demonstrators from the Jacksonville Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) advised by local civil rights leader Rutledge H. Pearson (1929-1967), sat in at the W.T. Grant Department Store, then located at the corner of West Adams and North Main Streets, and at Woolworth’s Five and Ten Cent Store on Hogan Street across from Hemming Park. Seeking access to the whites-only lunch counters, the youths were met by 150 white males wielding axe handles and baseball bats. Many of the youths were injured while others sought safety at the adjacent Snyder Memorial Methodist Church. Although not the beginning of the Jacksonville civil rights movement, this conflict was a turning point. It awakened many to the seriousness of the African-American community’s demand for equal rights, equal opportunity, human dignity, and respect, and inspired further resolve in supporters to accomplish these goals. Within the decade, lunch counters were integrated, Duval County public schools began to desegregate, four African-Americans were elected to City Council, and segregation of public accommodations, including parks, restrooms, and water fountains ended.
Sponsors: Jacksonville Historical Society and the Florida Department of State

ABRAHAM LINCOLN LEWIS MAUSOLEUM

Location:Moncrief Road, Downtown Jacksonville
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: Pioneer Abraham Lincoln Lewis (1865-1947) and others founded Florida’s oldest African-American insurance company, Afro-American Life in 1901, which spread throughout the South as far as Texas. In 1926, A.L. Lewis opened Lincoln Golf and Country Club where the famous visited, such as heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis (1914-1981). Later Lewis founded American Beach, which in 1935 was a recreational haven for blacks during segregation. Although most noted for the Afro, A.L. Lewis started Florida’s first black-owned and operated bottling company and assisted Booker T. Washington in establishing the national Negro Business League. Throughout his life A.L. Lewis continued to serve as a dynamic leader in countless organizations such as the 33rd Masonic Order and the African Methodist Episcopal Church, where he was a principle financial supporter. He also provided financial support to Edward Waters College and Bethune Cookman College. Interred in this nationally historic mausoleum, which was registered in 1997, are his immediate family and first wife, Mary Sammis Lewis (1865-1923), who was the great-granddaughter of Anna and Zephaniah Kingsley of Kingsley Plantation, today a national park on Fort George Island.
Sponsors: A.L. LEWIS HISTORICAL SOCIETY

CHURCH OF OUR SAVIOR (EPISCOPAL)

Location:12223 Mandarin Road.
County: Duval
City: Mandarin
Description: Situated on the St. Johns on a portion of the Fairbanks Grant, this congregation was organized in 1867. The church was completed in 1883 under the Rev. C.M. Strugess, a mission priest assigned to the St. Johns Valley. The church was regularly attended by Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of "Uncle Tom's Cabin", and the west window is a memorial to the Stowe family who were winter residents of Mandarin for many years.

DOOLITTLE'S 1922 RECORD FLIGHT

Location:Beach Boulevard near N. 5th St.
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville Beach
Description: Florida's mild climate made it attractive to aviation pioneers. This area, known until 1925 as Pablo Beach, served as takeoff or terminal point for several early coast-to-coast flights, the first of which occurred in 1912 and required 115 days to reach Pablo Beach from Pasadena, California. On September 4, 1922, Army Lieutenant James H. ("Jimmy") Doolittle piloted a DeHavilland DH-4 biplane from Pablo Beach to San Diego in an elapsed time of 22 hours and 35 minutes. He made one stop during his flight for fuel, at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas. Doolittle's feat established a new speed record and helped demonstrate the practicality of transcontinental flight. Jimmy Doolittle remained active in aviation. During World War II, he led the first American bombing raid against the Japanese home islands, a daring stroke which provided a psychological lift to the nation's war effort.
Sponsors: sponsored by beaches area historical society in cooperation with

DUVAL COUNTY'S FIRST COURT

Location:East Forsyth Street.
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: Duval County, established August 12, 1822, and named for William Pope Duval, Florida's first civil governor, held its first court on December 1, 1823. Some 200 settlers gathered at the corner of Market and Forsyth Sts. to watch the session presided over by Judge Joseph Lee Smith. Construction of the first court house began two years later on the north east corner of this intersection.
Sponsors: Jacksonville Historical Society, Florida Historical Society and the Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

FIRST SETTLERS AT RUBY, FLORIDA

Location:Beach Boulevard near N. 5th St.
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville Beach
Description: In 1883 construction of the Jacksonville and Atlantic Railroad was begun to serve this undeveloped area. The track was narrow-gauge, running 16.54 miles from the south bank of the St. Johns River to the beach. The first settlers were William Edward Scull, a civil engineer and surveyor, and his wife Eleanor Kennedy Scull. They lived in a tent two blocks east of Pablo Historical Park. A second tent was the general store and post office. On August 22, 1884 Mrs. Scull was appointed postmaster. mail was dispatched by horse and buggy up the beach to Mayport, and from there to Jacksonville by steamer. The Jacksonville and Atlantic Railroad company sold lots and housing construction began. The Sculls built the first house in 1884 on their tent site. The settlement was named ruby for their first daughter. On May 13, 1886 the town was renamed Pablo Beach. On June 15, 1925, the name was changed to Jacksonville Beach.
Sponsors: Sponsored by beaches area historical society, inc. centennial year in cooperation with department of state

FLORIDA’S FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN INSURANCE COMPANY--1901-2001

Location:101 Union St E
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: The Afro-American Insurance Company, formerly the Afro-American Industrial and Benefits Association, was founded in 1901 to provide affordable health insurance and death benefits to the state’s African-Americans. Founded by the Reverend E.J. Gregg, E.W. Latson, Abraham Lincoln Lewis, A.W. Price, Dr. Arthur W. Smith, J.F. Valentine, and the Reverend J. Melton Waldron, the Afro’s first office at 14 Ocean Street was destroyed by the great Jacksonville Fire two months after it opened on May 3, 1901. It then moved to 621 Florida Avenue, the home of treasurer and future president, Abraham Lincoln Lewis (1865-1947). From their next home office at 105 E. Union Street, the company wrote millions of dollars of insurance policies and started district offices in Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas. Lewis formed the African-American Pension Bureau and in 1935, land was purchased on Amelia Island for the black resort called American Beach. On April 22, 1956, the company dedicated its new, million-dollar building at Ocean and Union Street. After over 80 years of serving black southerners, the company closed on July 17, 1987. The 11th Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church owns the Building.
Sponsors: A. L. LEWIS HISTORICAL SOCIETY

FORT GEORGE ISLAND

Location:off S.R. A1A, State Cultural Site.
County: Duval
City: Fort George Island
Description: Ft. George Island presents a cross-section of the Florida story. Timucuan Indians inhabited this island when French explorer Jean Ribault landed nearby in 1562. A Spanish mission was established here before 1600 to serve the Timucuans. Known to the Spanish as "San Juan," this island was renamed "St. George" by Georgia Governor James Oglethorpe. He built a fort- Ft. George- here in the 1730's during a British invasion of Spanish Florida. During the 2nd Spanish Period (1783-1821), three American planters in succession owned this island: Don Juan McQueen, John Houstoun McIntosh and Zephaniah Kingsley. Two plantation houses and the ruins of slave dwellings which remain from that period are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Shortly after the Civil War, Ft. George Island was acquired by John F. Rollins. The island enjoyed brief popularity as a tourist resort during the 1880's. Competition from other tourist areas, yellow fever, and fire combined to end this era about 1890. The 1920's brought new prosperity to the island. Hecksher Drive, a road built by New Yorker August Hecksher, brought the automobile to the island. After World War II, a state park was created on a portion of historic Ft. George Island. Shortly after the Civil War, Ft. George Island was acquired by John F. Rollins of New Hampshire. He remodeled the Kingsley Plantation main house and called his new Florida residence the "Homestead." As postmaster, Rollins had the area's post office removed to nearby Batten Island to take advantage of river traffic on the ST. Johns. Although Ft. George Island could be reached only by boat, it became a popular tourist resort during the 1880's. There were new year-round residents as well. The construction in 1881 of St. George's Episcopal church signified the growth of the island's population. But by about 1890, the extension of the railroad along Florida's east coast combined with a yellow fever epidemic and destructive fire to end the tourist era on Ft. George Island. Later, during the Florida "Boom" of the 1920's, the island experienced new prosperity. Two fashionable clubs opened there, and a road - Hecksher Drive - built by New York millionaire August Hecksher brought the automobile to the island. After World War II, part of Ft. George Island became a state park, and tourists once again were attracted to this historic island.
Sponsors: sponsored by the jacksonville historical society in cooperation with department of state

HARRIET BEECHER STOWE HOME

Location:Mandarin Road 1.6 miles west of SR 13.
County: Duval
City: Mandarin
Description: In 1867, Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe and her husband Calvin bought thirty acres of the Fairbanks Grant in Mandarin which served as their winter home until the winter of 1883-1884. The move to Florida was due to plans for philanthropy among the Negroes and a desire to benefit her son's health. While in Florida, Mrs. Stowe, author of "Uncle Tom's Cabin", wrote sketches called "Palmetto Leaves". The Stowes were active in local charitable and religious activities.

JAMES HALL-SOLDIER OF THE REVOLUTION / JAMES HALL-DOCTOR OF MEDICINE

Location:Lomax Street.
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: Side 1: James Hall was born on October 8, 1760, in Keene, New Hampshire. Records of the Continental Army indicate that James Hall of Keene was mustered into service about August 20, 1776. Hall served throughout the Revolutionary War as an infantry soldier of the Continental Army line. New Hampshire units participated in the important campaign of the fall of 1777 which culminated in the surrender of Burgoyne at Saratoga on October 17, 1777. Hall continued to serve with the Continental Army as it endured the winter of 1777-78 at Valley Forge. On June 28, 1778, he was in the ranks of Poor's Brigade at the battle of Monmouth where he participated in the final advance of the day in that "hottest day of battle". James Hall was promoted to sergeant on April 1, 1780. He served on through the war and was present at Yorktown in October, 1781, in Col. Alexander Scammell's Third New Hampshire Regiment. When the war ended, twenty-one year old James Hall was a full-time fighting patriot. Side 2: During the next two decades, James Hall became a doctor. At length, he decided to move to the Spanish territory of Florida. In 1790, Dr. James Hall, then aged thirty, settled near Cow Ford (now Jacksonville). He was the first known American physician to sustain the practice of medicine in Florida. In 1803, the first settler of Cow Ford, Robert Pritchard, died. Since his arrival in 1783, Pritchard had acquired considerable land holdings. These included seven hundred acres in the Goodby's Lake region and sixteen thousand acres on Julington Creek. Within the year of Robert Pritchard's, his thirty-six year old widow, Eleanor (nee Plummer) married the forty-four year old Doctor James Hall. The Halls made their home in what is now called Plummer's Cove. Here Dr. Hall sustained his practice until 1810, at the age of fifty, he was banished from East Florida by the Spanish for having participated in the "Florida-Georgia Rebellion." On February 22, 1819, Spain ceded Florida to the United States, and in 1822 Doctor Hall returned to what had become Jacksonville. He continued his medical practice and was active in many community matters, such as testifying at Spanish Land Grant hearings. James Hall died at LaGrange, Florida (on Plummer's Cove) on December 25, 1837.
Sponsors: Sponsored by Sons of the American Revolution, The Daughters of the American Revolutions And The Duval County Medical Society In Cooperation With Department of State

JOESEPH E. LEE

Location:1424 E.17th St., the Joeseph E. Lee Child Develop
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: Joseph E. Lee, one of Florida's most distinguished adopted sons, was born in Philadelphia in 1849. Shortly after obtaining a law degree from Howard University in 1873, Lee began to practice in Florida as Jacksonville's first black lawyer. Joseph Lee's achievements ranged over several aspects of public life. In 1874, he was elected to the Florida House of Represetatives, serving as a member of that body for six years before being elected to the State Senate in 1880 for one term. The Republican party nominated Lee as a delegate to the Florida Constitutional Convention of 1885. In 1888, he was elected Municipal Judge of Jacksonville, defeating two white candidates for the post. As a political leader and statesman, Lee's abilities were respected on the local, county, and state levels. He was a major force in the Republican Party of Florida for several decades. His leadership was recognized by national party figures as well. Lee received federal appointments as Customs Collector for the Port of St. Johns (1890-94, 1897-98) and as Collector of Internal Revenue (1898-1913). At the time of his death in 1920, he was a delegate to the upcoming national Republican convention. In additon to his wide political activities, Joseph E. Lee was also a leader in the religious and educational life of Jacksonville.
Sponsors: Sponsored by citizens for community action in cooperation with department of state

MAPLE LEAF

Location:North Bank Riverwalk at the foot of Hogan Street
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: Approximately 15 miles up river from this point, the Union transport Maple Leaf was destroyed by a Confederate mine during the early morning hours of April 1, 1864. The Maple Leaf sank to the bottom of the St. Johns River after hitting one of twelve Confederate mines along Mandarin Point. At the time of the explosion, the steamboat was transporting 68 passengers and crewmembers from Palatka to Jacksonville. Passengers included 42 Union sympathizers seeking protection of federal troops in Jacksonville. Four crewmembers died in the explosion. After sinking, only the top of the wheelhouse and smokestack were visible. These parts were later removed to keep the channel clear for navigation. The hull with its valuable cargo had settled deep within the muddy river bottom. On the Maple Leaf were 400 pounds of cargo, primarily the equipment of three Union regiments and two brigade headquarters. In 1981the Maple Leaf was located by St. Johns Archaeological Expeditions, Inc. Hundreds of artifacts have been recovered from the site, which is now a National Landmark.
Sponsors: JACKSONVILLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

MULBERRY GROVE PLANTATION

Location:Mustin Road in a housing area on the Jacksonville Naval Air Station base
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: Although East Florida was under Spanish control from 1783 to 1821, English speaking settlers lived along the St. Johns River in the late eighteenth century. In 1787, the Spanish crown granted a large parcel of land to Timothy Hollingsworth, who named his plantation Mulberry Grove after trees native to the area. In 1805, Mulberry Grove was purchased by a Georgia planter named John H. McIntosh. In 1812, he became a leader in the so-called Patriot War, an attempt by U.S. citizens to seize East Florida from the Spanish. After these efforts failed, McIntosh returned to Georgia. During the next decades, cotton was grown on the plantation, which came to be owned by Joshua Hickman. Prior to the beginning of the Civil War, Arthur M. Reed, a Jacksonville businessman, purchased Mulberry Grove, and in 1862 took his family there to live when Union forces occupied the town. Oranges, cattle and many varieties of fruits and vegetables were produced on the plantation in the decades after the Civil War. The main house with an oak shaded avenue leading to the river was an attraction for excursionists travelling on the St. Johns. In 1939, the U.S. government acquired a portion of Mulberry Grove Plantation for the Jacksonville Naval Air Station.
Sponsors: Sponsored by the colonial dames xvii century, hannah dustion chapter in cooperation with department of state

MUNGEN HOUSE

Location:508 Jessie St.
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: This frame vernacular house was built in 1928 for Doane Martin Mungen, Sr. (1872-1948) and his wife Mary Elizabeth Mungen (1874-1955). It is located in the Oakland neighborhood, which was platted in 1869, and emerged in the 1870s as a working class community. The Mungens moved from 343 East Union Street to a wooded bungalow here that was demolished to build this 12-room house. With time, the rooms on the second level were rented. Later, inside stairs were removed, steps placed on the east, and the upstairs was rented as an apartment. Red bricks that form the columns, pier foundation, and chimney are from a demolished building in the downtown area. A large white stone at the curb of the front walk has rested there for 75 years. It once served as a step from horse-drawn buggies. Mr. Mungen planted a water oak on the east lawn and laurel on the west. D.M. Mungen, Jr. (1904-1936), eldest son of five, sent money from Tallahassee where he worked as a chef in the Floridan Hotel, now demolished. The only daughter, Sylvia Amanda Mungen (1903-1996), a Duval County teacher for 42 years, lived here until 1990. The house is one of a few left of its era in the area representing African-Americans of upward mobility.
Sponsors: The Mungen Family and the Florida Department of State

SITE OF COW FORD

Location:Bay Street on grounds of Courthouse.
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: This narrow part of the St. Johns River, near a clear freshwater spring was a crossing point for Indians and early travelers. The Indian name Wacca Pilatka, meaning "Cow's Crossing", was shortened by the English to Cow Ford, and Jacksonville was known by this name for many years. This crossing was used by the English when they made an old Timucuan Indian Trail into King's Road.

SITE OF MISSION OF SAN JUAN DEL PUERTO (ST. JOHN OF THE PORT)

Location:Replaced
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: Founded by the Franciscan Order of Friars Minor in the latter part of the 16th century, this mission was in operation for more than 100 years. It was here that Father Francisco Pareja wrote books in the language of the Timucuan Indians. In time, the mission gave its name to the island and the river. Philadelphia Quaker, Jonathan Dickinson, passed through here in 1696 and recorded that he found in the center of the island "the town of St. Wan's, a large town and many people; they have a friar and a worship-house. The people are very industrious, having plenty of hogs and fowls, and large crops of corn." The mission was destroyed in 1702 during a raid from South Carolina, then a British colony.
Sponsors: Jacksonville Historical Society in Cooperation with Department of State, Bureau of Historic Preservation

SITE OF THE MISSION OF SAN JUAN DEL PUERTO

Location:Fort George Rd. Fort George Island,
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: The establishment of missions chiefly for the purpose of Christianizing the Indian population was one of the methods used by Spain in attempting to colonize Florida in the sixteenth century. The Mission of San Juan del Puerto was founded late in the 1500's by the Franciscan Order of friars to serve the Timucuan Indians living in the area. While working at this mission around 1600 Father Francisco Pareja prepared a Timucuan dictionary, grammar and several religious books in that language for use by the Indians. The Mission of San Juan del Puerto continued to exist throughout the seventeenth century in spite of the growing conflict between Florida's Spanish inhabitants and English and French invaders. In 1696, Jonathan Dickinson, a Philadelphia Quaker who had been shipwrecked off the coast of Florida, passed this way and recorded a visit to "the town St. Wan's, a large town and many people." In 1702, Governor James Moore of the British Colony of South Carolina attempted to take St. Augustine from the Spanish. His effort failed, but in the process of the raid into Spanish territory, Moore destroyed the Spanish missions from St. Augustine northward, including the Mission of San Juan del Puerto.
Sponsors: Sponsored By Jacksonville Historical Society In Cooperation With Department of State

SS GULF AMERICA

Location:11 N. 3rd St., Jacksonville
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: This marker commemorates the attack on the USS Gulfamerica on April 10, 1942, during World War II (1941-1945) by a German U-boat just off the coast of Jacksonville Beach. The Gulfamerica, a merchant marine vessel, was on her maiden voyage from Port Arthur, Texas to New York carrying 90,000 barrels of fuel oil. It was one of the first merchant vessels to be fitted with weapons and carried seven naval armed guards in addition to its crew of 41 men. German U-boat, U-123, first fired a torpedo, striking the Gulfamerica on her starboard side; then maneuvered between the vessel and the shore to shell the tanker with its deck gun in full view of spectators on the boardwalk in Jacksonville Beach. Captain Oscar Anderson of the Gulfamerica ordered the ship to be abandoned. There was great confusion while loading the lifeboats and 19 men were killed, by drowning or from shellfire. The Gulfamerica and its cargo of oil burned for several days before sinking. Today the wreck sits in 60 feet of water, 4 ½ miles from the Jacksonville Beach coastline. In response to the sinking of the Gulfamerica, Florida Governor Spessard Holland declared a blackout of coastal areas to prevent the silhouetting of passing ships.
Sponsors: THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE BEACH AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

ST. GEORGE EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Location:Ft. George Rd. Between Palmetto Ave. and Admiral Blue Rd.
County: Duval
City: Fort George Island
Description: St. George Episcopal Church, designed by Robert S. Schuyler and built in 1882, is a fine example of Carpenter Gothic, one of the most distinctive varieties of church architecture. Such churches were promoted by Florida’s second bishop, John Freeman Young (1820-1885) just after the Civil War. Bishop Young divided north Florida into regions defined by major water bodies. These churches along the St. Johns River included St. George Episcopal Church on Ft. George Island. Using local materials and craftsmen, Carpenter Gothic became the preferred form of church construction from 1867 to 1924. Gothic architectural characteristics are defined by: a steep gable roof, a narrow rectangular building shape, pointed lancet windows and a bell tower. New York architect R. Dennis Chantrell (1783-1872) best described this type of church as “a handsome church, which is a kind of standing sermon.”
Sponsors: THE ST. GEORGE EPISCOPAL CHURCH AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

THE BEGINNING

Location:Interesction of Bay and Market st. at City Hall
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: Here at the foot of Market St. stood a bay tree which served as the starting point for the original survey of Jacksonville in June 1822. Market was the first street laid off and named. A total of 20 squares were platted, bounded by Ocean, Duval, Catherine and Bay Sts. One of the first lots sold for $12 and was in the center of the present courthouse block.
Sponsors: Jacksonville Historical Society, Florida Historical Society and the Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

THE HUGUENOT MEMORIAL SITE

Location:U.S. Highway A1A at Mayport Naval Air Station.
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: In 1562, when France was being torn by religious strife, Gaspard de Coligny, Admiral of France, sent two vessels to the New World in search of a refuge for the oppressed Huguenots. Leading the expedition was the Huguenot explorer, Jean Ribaut, who charted a new course across the Atlantic and arrived off the coast of Florida. On Friday, May 1, 1562, Ribaut's party first landed in the New World here on the east shore of Xalvis Island. In the presence of friendly Indians, the Frenchmen fell to the ground and gave thanks to God in the first Protestant worship service held in the New World. Ribaut sailed on up the coast where he founded the colonial settlement of Charlesfort-named in honor of his king. Charlesfort did not last and in 1562 a Huguenot settlement-Fort Caroline-was established on the St. Johns. There, sometime before 1565, the first Protestant white child was born in what is now the United States. On his second voyage to the Americas in 1565, Ruinate and his men were shipwrecked near St. Augustine. The bold explorer and most of his followers were cold-bloodedly murdered at Matanzas Inlet, near St. Augustine, by Spanish Governor Pedro Menendez, who feared the encroachment of France on Spain's Florida empire.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

MCCOYS CREEK IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

Location:Near the Edison Avenue Bridge
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: The McCoys Creek Improvement Project was a civic and transportation plan developed by Jacksonville City Engineer Joseph E. Craig in 1928. At the time, the McCoys Creek area was a breeding ground for mosquito-borne illnesses. Developed to reduce hazards and to control flooding at the railroad yard north of South Myrtle Avenue, the McCoys Creek Improvement Project was also intended to foster economic development and beautify the area with increased green space. The project included paving McCoys Creek Boulevard, straightening the creek, and constructing eight bridges (Edison, Fitzgerald, Hollybrook, King, McCoys Creek, Smith, South Myrtle, and Stockton) in the North Riverside neighborhood between 1929–1940. The project was influenced by the City Beautiful Movement, an architecture and planning initiative aimed at improving the infrastructure of city centers. The movement originated in response to poor conditions in metropolitan areas where tenement housing resulted in overcrowding and sanitation problems. Additionally, the City Beautiful Movement focused on eliminating health hazards by increasing access to clean water supplies and sanitary sewage disposal.

HENRY JOHN KLUTHO

Location:1850 N. Main Street
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: Side One: Henry John Klutho (1873-1964) arrived in Jacksonville following the Great Fire of 1901, which destroyed most of the city’s downtown. A talented and prolific architect, he is known for designing many of Jacksonville’s most iconic historic buildings. Klutho was influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright and his philosophy of architecture, which became known as the Prairie School style. Klutho brought this style of architecture to the deep South. His personal residence, also built in the Prairie School style, was identified as the first modern house in the South. Klutho adopted Jacksonville as his home and lived in the house he built in 1908 until his death at the age of 91. The house was moved from N. Main Street to 30 W. 9th in 1925, and still stands as a private residence. Klutho’s grandest architectural achievement was the St. James Building, built in 1910 for Jacob and Morris Cohen. The building, which covers an entire city block, is considered one of Jacksonville’s most significant architectural works. Located at 117 W. Duval St., it has been restored and now operates as city hall. Many Klutho designed buildings in downtown Jacksonville still stand today and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Side Two: During the early 1900s, Jacksonville became known as the “World’s Winter Film Capital.” From 1910-1920 more than 30 silent film companies set up shop and hundreds of films were produced. Klutho also played a part in the history of filmmaking in Jacksonville. As companies began leaving for Hollywood and other locations, Klutho sought to keep the industry alive in Jacksonville. In 1917, he invested his own money to build a state-of-the-art studio complex behind his home and the Klutho Apartment Building next door at 1830 N. Main Street. Built in 1913, the luxury apartments housed film stars who worked at the studios. The apartments featured gold-leaf, leaded art-glass windows, French doors, and a three-story light well. The building was nearly lost to arson in 1993. However, due to the tireless work of local preservationists, it was saved and restored. Although Klutho had success renting studio space to small independent film companies during World War I, he was forced to sell in 1920. The studio complex was demolished in 1922 and ultimately the combination of changing local politics, the 1918 flu epidemic, and World War I, provided too many obstacles for the movie industry to overcome in Jacksonville.

BIRTH OF THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND

Location:2844 Riverside Avenue
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: Side One: On March 23, 1969, an interracial group of Southern musicians held a jam session in the front room of this house, known as the "Gray House.” The jam went so well that veteran Muscle Shoals session guitarist Duane Allman barred the doorway and announced that anyone not willing to be in his band would have to "fight your way out." Duane’s brother, Gregg, joined the group three days later as lead singer and keyboardist. Calling themselves the Allman Brothers Band (ABB), the group also featured Dickey Betts, Butch Trucks, Berry Oakley, and Jai Johanny “Jaimoe” Johanson. Comprised of four Florida musicians, a bassist from Chicago and a drummer from Mississippi, the ABB drew members from other bands, the 31st of February and the Second Coming, who had lived and jammed in a Victorian house down the block known as the “Green House." While living in the “Gray House,” Gregg wrote most of the ABB's first album, including, "Whipping Post." Without access to pen and paper, Gregg wrote the song in the middle of the night using burnt matches on an ironing board cover. The ABB held initial rehearsals at the Comic Book Club on Forsyth Street in Jacksonville. Within weeks, the band moved to Macon, Georgia. Side Two: In 1971, the Allman Brothers Band drew critical acclaim with the live album, At Fillmore East, and their 1972 double-album Eat a Peach was a Billboard top five smash. The following year, Brothers and Sisters topped the Billboard album charts and gave the group its most successful single, "Ramblin' Man," written by Dickey Betts. Known as standard-bearers of Southern Rock, in truth they played rock and roll interpreted through deep blues, jazz, R&B, and country. The Allman Brothers Band produced ten gold and four platinum albums. Duane Allman died in a motorcycle accident in Macon, Georgia, in October 1971. Bassist Berry Oakley died in a similar accident in November the following year. The group persevered, and in 1995, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Allman Brothers Band disbanded in 2014 following a concert at the Beacon Theater in New York City with newer, mainstay guitarists Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes. After forty-five years of making music, the band's last song that night was the first they played at the “Gray House” in 1969, "Trouble No More." Fellow founding member Butch Trucks passed away in January 2017, followed by Gregg Allman in May of that year.
Sponsors: Dennis and Mildred Prices, Owners; Bob Kealing, Author and Historian

FORT HATCH

Location:800 Block of West Adams Street, Southeast Corner of West Adams and North Davis streets
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: Jacksonville was an important port on the St. Johns River during the Civil War. It changed hands four times, finally ending up under Union control. In 1864, determined to prevent the city from once again falling into Confederate hands, the Union Army encircled it with temporary fortifications, called breastworks. Maps and archaeological testing showed this site was the location of Fort Hatch, which housed one of nine gun batteries built to protect the city. The chest-high fortifications contained barracks, mess halls, medical facilities, and parade grounds. Fort Hatch was named in honor of General John P. Hatch (1822 - 1901), who commanded various Union operations in the South. President Grover Cleveland awarded him the Medal of Honor in 1893 for his efforts during the Antietam Campaign. Notable occupants of Fort Hatch included members of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, raised in 1863 as the first northern unit of African Americans following President Abraham Lincoln’s issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation. The 54th grew to over 1000 men by May 1863, but by the battle of Olustee in 1864, the unit numbered about 500. The 54th retreated with other units to Fort Hatch after Union forces were routed at Olustee.
Sponsors: Cowford Archaeological Research Society, Jacksonville Historical Society

ORANGE PARK NORMAL AND INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL SITE

Location:2042 Park Avenue
County: Duval
City: Orange Park
Description: The 1885 Florida Constitution mandated the segregated education of black and white students in public schools. In 1891, the American Missionary Association (AMA) opened the private Orange Park Normal and Industrial School at this site to educate black students. It consisted of several buildings which housed classrooms, dormitories, and workshops. Due to the school’s success, white children began to attend. This attracted the attention of Florida’s Superintendent of Public Instruction William Sheats, a staunch segregationist. In response, he pushed the state legislature to pass a law in 1895 that prohibited any Florida school, public or private, from teaching black and white students together. The Orange Park Normal School was the only racially-integrated school in the state at that time. The AMA fought the law, and the case went to court, where Judge R.M. Call ruled against the State of Florida. Although the AMA won the case, the damage was done. Public sentiment against the school increased among whites. By 1917, the AMA closed the school. Although segregation persisted in Florida for another 50 years, this school was a pioneering example of integration in education.
Sponsors: The Town of Orange Park, Historical Society of Orange Park

THE CONTINENTAL HOTEL

Location:10 10th Street
County: Duval
City: Atlantic Beach
Description: In the late 19th century, Henry Flagler created the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) and the Florida East Coast Hotel Company, both of which significantly boosted development and tourism for Florida. By 1900, Flagler had purchased the local Jacksonville and Atlantic Railway. The line was expanded to create the Mayport Branch of the FEC. It was along this branch that Flagler opened up a luxury oceanfront hotel in 1901, the Continental Hotel of Atlantic Beach. Though it was considered one of the smaller and less ornate of Flagler’s line of winter resorts, the Continental Hotel boasted several attractions, including two of the area’s first golf courses and “automobiling” on the oceanfront. Previously, Atlantic Beach was one of the most remote areas of the Jacksonville Beaches. The arrival of the FEC and the Continental sparked development in the community of Atlantic Beach while creating a new tourism destination for Florida. The hotel was sold in 1913 to the Atlantic Beach Corporation, and was renamed the Atlantic Beach Hotel. The original hotel burned down in 1919, and a second was built on this site in the mid-1920s. Both hotels were a vital part of the community of Atlantic Beach for several decades.
Sponsors: The Beaches Area Historical Society, The Cloister Condominium Association

HISTORIC MANHATTAN BEACH, FLORIDA

Location:500 Wonderwood Drive
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: Manhattan Beach was Florida’s first African American beach resort. In 1900, Henry Flagler reserved Manhattan Beach for black employees of his Florida East Coast Railway and Florida East Coast Hotel companies. African Americans, who comprised a large portion of Flagler’s workforce, built and maintained Flagler’s racially segregated rail and hotel empire. Manhattan Beach provided their only seaside respite in northeast Florida. African American entrepreneurs, including Mack Wilson and William Middleton, helped transform Manhattan Beach into a vibrant community that attracted black beachgoers from all over the South. Their pavilions offered guests entertainment, bathing suit rentals, dining, and lodging. Manhattan Beach was a hub of African American culture and leisure until its decline during the 1930s. In 1932, the Florida East Coast Railway ceased operations from Jacksonville to its northern terminus in Mayport, making it harder for vacationers to reach Manhattan Beach. The resort survived until 1938, when pressure from white land developers and coastal erosion hastened its end. The displaced African American community found refuge at American Beach in nearby Nassau County, founded in 1935 by Abraham Lincoln Lewis.
Sponsors: The Beaches Area Historical Society, Inc., City of Jacksonville, and the Florida Department of State

A. PHILIP RANDOLPH HERITAGE PARK

Location:1096 A. Philip Randolph
County: Duval
City: Jackonville
Description: Side One: Asa Philip Randolph was born on April 15, 1889, in Crescent City, Florida. In 1891, his family moved to Jacksonville, which had a thriving, well-established African American community. From his father, Randolph learned that color was less important than a person's character and conduct. From his mother, he learned the importance of education. Randolph attended Jacksonville’s first high school for African Americans, the Cookman Institute, and was valedictorian of the 1907 graduating class. Randolph organized and led the nation’s first predominantly African American labor union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, in 1925. As an early voice in the civil rights and labor movements, Randolph would not be silenced. His continuous agitation, with the support of fellow labor rights activists, against unfair labor practices regarding people of color eventually led President Franklin D. Roosevelt to issue Executive Order 8802 in 1941, which banned discrimination in the defense industries during World War II. Side Two: Following World War II, Randolph protested racial segregation in the armed forces. He successfully pressured President Harry S. Truman to issue Executive Order 9981, which ended the practice in 1948. Randolph’s effective use of non-violent civil disobedience was an inspiration for later civil rights leaders. In 1963, he partnered with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and other activists to carry out the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, one of the largest civil rights demonstrations in American history. Randolph earned many accolades before and after his death in 1979. A number of programs, institutions, and locations are named in his honor. They include the A. Philip Randolph Academies of Technology in Jacksonville; the A. Philip Randolph Career Academy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and the A. Philip Randolph Institute in Washington, D.C. The City of Jacksonville renamed Florida Avenue to A. Philip Randolph Boulevard, and Crescent City named Randolph Street in his honor. Amtrak named its Superliner II Deluxe Sleeper 32503 cars the "A. Philip Randolph.” The Pullman Porter Museum in Chicago, Illinois, and Edward Waters College in Jacksonville both have exhibits dedicated to Randolph’s life and accomplishments.
Sponsors: A. Philip Randolph Institute Jacksonville Chapter and the Florida Department of State

GIRL SCOUTS BEACHES LITTLE HOUSE

Location:Jarboe Park 301 Florida Boulevard
County: Duval
City: Neptune Beach
Description: The Little House movement began in 1923 as part of the Better Homes in America Demonstration Week in Washington, D.C. With the intent of highlighting modestly-sized homes for the American family, a demonstration home was erected behind the White House in cooperation with the General Federation of Women’s Clubs. After the event, the house was donated to the Girls Scouts National Council. The Girls Scouts national president and future First Lady, Lou Henry Hoover, oversaw the house’s relocation and rededication as a meeting and activity space. This sparked a national movement, and by 1930 there were over 70 Girl Scout “little houses” all over the United States. The Beaches Little House that once stood here, built in 1952, was a gift to the local Girl Scout troops from the Beaches Rotary Club. The small masonry house featured a living room, kitchen, dining room, and bedroom. The building was used for 65 years to host meetings, campouts, and many celebrations, inspiring girl leaders. It created memories for hundreds of Girl Scouts, including the 100 Years of Girl Scouts celebration in 2012. The house was given to the City of Neptune Beach in 2017, and later torn down to make space for the present community center.
Sponsors: Private Donations and Supports of the Girl Scouts, and the Florida Department of State

DOUGLAS ANDERSON SCHOOL

Location:2445 San Diego Road
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: In 1922, the Duval County Board of Public Instruction opened South Jacksonville School No. 107, the only public school on the southside of Jacksonville for African-American children in grades one through nine. Spearheading the building of this school were black community leaders Douglas Anderson (1884-1936) and W.R. Thorpe (1893-1967). Anderson, a graduate of Tuskegee Institute, began the first free school bus transportation service for the school and was president of the Parents-Teachers Association. In 1945, the school board renamed the school the Douglas Anderson School. It became a high school in 1955 and quickly became an educational and cultural center for African-Americans from communities all over southeastern Duval County. Community envolvement was the strength of the school. Even though high school enrollment never exceeded 400-500 students, they achieved prominence in academics, athletics, and the arts far beyond their numbers. Douglas Anderson School closed in 1968 as a result of school desegregation. Afterwards, it served as a campus for Florida Junior College, and a 7th grade center. It re-opened in 1985 as the Douglas Anderson School for the Arts.
Sponsors: The Douglas Anderson Alumni Association, Faculty, Parents and Community Friends, and the Florida Department of State

OLD BREWSTER HOSPITAL

Location:Monroe St. at Davis St.
County: Duval
City: LaVilla
Description: Built in 1885 as a private residence, Old Brewster Hospital and Nursing Training School was the first medical facility to serve Jacksonville’s African-American community. Located in the LaVilla neighborhood, the hospital opened in 1901 through the efforts of the Women’s Home Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Matilda Cutting Brewster of Danielson, Connecticut, donated $1,000 in honor of her late husband, the Rev. George A. Brewster, to help start the hospital. Brewster Hospital was sponsored by the nearby Boylan Industrial Home and School, a private institution for African-American girls. One of the earliest nursing training programs in Florida, its students were welcomed by the community and made 1,230 house calls in 1901. The hospital soon outgrew its first facility, and in 1910 relocated to a different part of LaVilla. By 1931, it was located in a large brick building on North Jefferson Street in the Old Sugar Hill neighborhood. With the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, Brewster Hospital closed in 1966 and reopened in 1967 as the Methodist Hospital. In 2005, the Old Brewster Hospital building was moved to its present location from its original site at 915 West Monroe Street.
Sponsors: x

CAMP SPRINGFIELD (CUBA LIBRE)

Location:427 East 5th Street
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: On April 25, 1898, the United States declared war on Spain after the explosion of the U.S.S. Maine in Havana harbor resulted in the deaths of 260 Americans. When President William McKinley called for 125,000 volunteers, camps were established to serve as rallying points for soldiers awaiting deployment. On May 22, soldiers of the 2nd Division, 7th Corp of the U.S. Volunteers (USV) arrived here under the command of Major General Fitzhugh Lee and Colonel William Jennings Bryan. Originally named Camp Springfield, it was later called Camp Cuba Libre (Free Cuba). Volunteer units from all over the country were stationed here. This exact site was the camp of the 1st North Carolina Volunteers. By August, Camp Cuba Libre had nearly 30,000 men, supplies were scarce, and typhoid was a constant threat. Army physician Major Walter Reed visited the camp to study the origins and transmission of typhoid. Most of the volunteers at the camp never saw combat. Some were deployed to Havana aboard the Roumanian on December 7, but the fighting ceased after the signing of the Treaty of Paris with Spain on December 10, 1898. The following day, the deployed volunteers became the first USVs to set foot in an independent Cuba.
Sponsors: The Family of Robert K. Murray, Soldier of the 1st N.C. U.S.V.

JAMES "CHARLIE EDD" CRADDOCK

Location:Memorial Sunset Cemtery, Corner of Montcrief Road and Edgewood Avenue
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: Originally born in Eufaula, Alabama, African American businessman James Craddock, known locally as “Charlie Edd,” moved to Jacksonville in 1921. That same year, he opened the Blue Chip Hotel on Broad Street in the African American neighborhood of LaVilla. Craddock gained a reputation as a philanthropist. In 1929, he organized a soup kitchen to feed the needy during the Great Depression until the government took over its operation in 1931. Craddock continued to grow and expand his business holdings. He opened another hotel, the Charlie Edd Hotel, in 1935, along with a barbershop and smoke shop. On Christmas 1940, Craddock opened the Two Spot, an African American nightclub. It became an instant destination, so much so that the NAACP magazine The Crisis called it “the finest dance palace in the country owned by a Negro.” Craddock continued to acquire properties, among them a haberdashery, clothing store, music store, and a number of tenant houses. Across his various businesses, Craddock employed over 500 people. He was involved in multiple fraternal organizations in Jacksonville, including the Elks Lodge and the Masons. After his death in 1954, Craddock was interred in this Art Moderne style mausoleum.
Sponsors: Dr. Gary Hunter, Sr., J.D. & Carmen Hunter, The Late Frank & Emma H. Morgan, Sr.

AMERICAN RED CROSS VOLUNTEER LIFE SAVING CORPS AND STATION

Location:2 North Oceanfront
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville Beach
Description: In 1912, following the drowning of a prominent citizen, Dr. Lyman Haskell and Clarence MacDonald established and trained Florida’s first U.S. Volunteer Life Saving Corps (VLSC) at this location to protect the lives of bathers on Jacksonville Beach (then Pablo Beach). On April 17, 1914, the American National Red Cross chartered this unit of lifeguards as its first American Red Cross VLSC in the U.S., and the unit served as a training model for other beaches around Florida. The VLSC celebrated its 100th anniversary of uninterrupted volunteer service at this station in 2012 after recording more than 1,500 life-saving rescues and 1.3 million volunteer hours at the site. Since 1913, three permanent VLSC stations have stood here. The present station, constructed of concrete block and stucco in the Art Moderne style, was designed by architect Jefferson D. Powell and completed in 1948. Among the traditions of the VLSC is the Annual Ocean Marathon Swim, which has been sponsored continuously by the Meninak Club of Jacksonville since 1934.
Sponsors: The Meninak Club of Jacksonville and the Florida Department of State

BATTLE OF THOMAS CREEK

Location:2145 Arnold Road
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: In May 1777, 400 soldiers from the Continental Army and 165 members of the Georgia militia organized in Sunbury, Georgia, just north of the Florida border for an expedition into British East Florida in retaliation for raids conducted by British Loyalists. Traveling by water, the Continentals encountered British troops at Amelia Island, which delayed their rendezvous with the Georgia militia who traveled by land. On May 17, a small force of 109 Georgia militia men was ambushed by a mixed force of British Army, Loyalist militia, and Native Americans near the mouth of Thomas Creek in Northeast Florida. Lieutenant Colonel John Baker of Georgia forces and 41 of the Georgia militia men survived the battle. The encounter was the first major engagement and the second of the three failed attempts by American forces to invade British East Florida. It is considered the southernmost battle of the American Revolutionary War.
Sponsors: Florida Society Sons of the American Revolution, The City of Jacksonville

VAN ZANT HOUSE

Location:5419 Woodcrest Road
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: Musicians Ronnie, Donnie, and Johnny Van Zant spent their formative years growing up in this house with their sisters and parents between the 1950s and 1980s. A serendipitous foul ball hit by Ronnie Van Zant at a nearby park struck future bandmate Bob Burns in the head, knocking him unconscious. This chance encounter led to what would become one of the most famous, hardest working rock ‘n roll bands in the world, Lynyrd Skynyrd. Gold and platinum records from millions of album sales adorned the walls of this house while the band toured worldwide. Tragedy cut short the original incarnation of Lynyrd Skynyrd, when four members of the band, including lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, died in a plane crash in Mississippi on October 20, 1977, after their tour plane ran out of fuel. The surviving members of the band and crew were seriously injured. Ten years later, Johnny Van Zant took over as lead singer, and Lynyrd Skynyrd was reborn. Donnie Van Zant was a founding member and lead singer of the rock band .38 Special, a highly successful band in its own right. The Van Zants’ legacy, memorialized in this house, commemorate their prodigious contribution to the world of rock music.
Sponsors: Horizon Property Solutions, LLC

COMBAT TEAM CAMP ATLANTIC BEACH

Location:Jack Russell Park, Corner of Seminole Road and Plaza Drive
County: Duval
City: Atlantic Beach
Description: Constructed by the U.S. Army in 1942, Combat Team Camp Atlantic Beach was the headquarters of the Harbor Defenses of Jacksonville during World War II. The camp was tasked with defending Florida’s Atlantic coast from Axis invasion following the sinking of the tanker SS Gulfamerica off Jacksonville Beach and the capture of Nazi saboteurs in Ponte Vedra. The 149-acre camp was leased by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers and supported rotating infantry and coastal artillery units. In its early days, the soldiers slept in tents on wooden platforms. Later, wooden huts housed six men each and had shutters that could be opened for ventilation. The 53rd Coast Artillery Regiment, which manned the four 155-mm long-range guns known as “Long Toms," was the camp’s anchor unit. The four artillery guns were flanked by 60-foot observation towers, though there are no visible remains today. The main camp was situated at present-day Selva Lakes and the gun placements were located at what is now Area 7 of Hanna Park. Although the camp never saw enemy action, it remained in service for 18 months until the U. S. military began a rapid reduction of its beach defense forces in 1944.
Sponsors: City of Atlantic Beach

SECOND MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH OF LAVILLA

Location:904 Kings Road
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: The founders of Second Missionary Baptist Church worshipped at Bethel Baptist Church with their slave masters in the 1830s. They built their first separate wooden sanctuary in 1848 in the African American neighborhood of LaVilla. The first sanctuary was destroyed by The Great Jacksonville Fire of 1901 that scoured more than 146 blocks and left nearly 9,000 people homeless. Church members worshipped at a new location and in 1930 built this brick sanctuary. Designed as a vernacular adaptation of the Late Gothic Revival Style, the sanctuary reflects the religious architectural form of the period with pitched gable roofs, massive towers framing the entrance, and ornate Gothic-arched stained glass windows. The church served as a refuge and source of strength during the racially segregated 19th and 20th centuries. Its members provided essential support for LaVilla businesses, schools, and the Brewster Hospital, the country’s first African American hospital. Church services, educational activities, and charity drives helped meet the social, spiritual, and physical needs of the community. This sanctuary is a reminder of the significant role the church played in the LaVilla community.
Sponsors: Reverend Kenneth J. and Sister Sheila F. Emanuel, Sr.

CENTENNIAL HALL, EDWARD WATERS COLLEGE

Location:1715 Kings Road
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: Founded in 1866, Edward Waters College (EWC) is the oldest historically black college in Florida. The history of the college is closely tied to the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. In 1865, the Reverend Charles H. Pearce, a presiding elder of the AME Church, was sent to Florida by Bishop Daniel Alexander Payne. Rev. Pearce worked with William G. Steward, the first AME pastor in Florida, to establish a school. Pastor Steward named his school, which was first located in Live Oak, Brown’s Theological Institute. In 1892, the school was renamed Edward Waters College in honor of the third bishop of the AME Church. The school moved to Jacksonville in 1883 where its campus was destroyed by Jacksonville’s Great Fire of 1901. In 1904, new land was obtained and work was started on the school’s present campus. Centennial Hall, built in 1916 and named to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the AME Church, is the oldest structure on the EWC campus. The Classical Revival style building was designed by the firm of Howells and Stokes of Seattle, Washington. The building was renovated in 1979 and serves as the college’s main library. Centennial Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Sponsors: Edward Waters College Alumni Association and the Florida Department of State

ORIENTAL GARDENS

Location:Intersection of Oriental Gardens Road and San Jose Boulevard
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: Located two miles from downtown Jacksonville, south of Craig Creek in San Marco, Oriental Gardens charmed Jacksonville visitors and residents for nearly two decades. In 1925, George W. Clark began planting overflow from his botanical collection on a bluff that he owned overlooking the St. Johns River. This 18-acre private estate was opened to the public in October 1937 and, until 1954, was Jacksonville’s major tourist attraction. The Gardens were a popular spot for concerts, picnicking, and photographers, and the majestic live oak trees, hundreds of tropical and subtropical plants, brilliant flowers, arched bridges, and red Chinese gates appeared on countless postcards and souvenirs of Florida. In 1954, the estate was purchased by the State Investment Company and subdivided into 33 single family home sites. Even though the Gardens are gone, their remnants, such as statuary, gate posts, and the original stairs to the river, can be seen along Oriental Gardens Road which is now dominated by mid and late 20th century single family homes.
Sponsors: The San Marco Preservation Society and the Florida Department of State

SOUTH JACKSONVILLE CITY HALL

Location:1468 Hendricks Avenue
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: Jacksonville’s Great Fire of May 3, 1901, destroyed a large part of the city and left nearly 10,000 people homeless. Numerous residents of the city relocated to other areas, including to the then-remote area of South Jacksonville, across the St. John’s River. Up to this time, this area was a farm community known as Oklahoma. South Jacksonville was incorporated as a town in 1907 with a population of about six hundred people. In 1913, ninety-six qualified voters cast ballots to pass a $65,000 bond issue for civic improvements, which included the construction of a city hall. The South Jacksonville City Hall was built in 1915 and was designed by the Jacksonville architects Mark and Sheftall in a masonry vernacular style. It housed city offices, as well as a fire truck. A trolley line ran in front of the building to Beach Road, now Atlantic Boulevard. Development in South Jacksonville expanded greatly with the opening of the St. Johns River Bridge in 1921. On January 1, 1932, South Jacksonville was annexed by the City of Jacksonville. This building is one of the few reminders that South Jacksonville once was a community distinct from the City of Jacksonville for nearly twenty-five years.
Sponsors: The San Marco Preservation Society and the Florida Department of State

SAN MARCO

Location:Balls Park, 1900 Block of San Marco Boulevard
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: With the opening of the St. John’s River Bridge in 1921, South Jacksonville became attractive to developers during the Florida land boom. In 1925, Jacksonville real estate developer Telfair Stockton began work on San Marco, an 80-acre Mediterranean-inspired community. Unlike many earlier developments, which were laid out following a grid street pattern, San Marco shows the influence of the City Beautiful movement. Its winding streets, planted medians, and use of parks and larger lots create a varied landscape and interesting building sites. San Marco developed rapidly. Before the streets were paved and the muddy claypit of a former brickyard became Lake Marco, lots were sold in a frenzy of speculation during September 1925. By late 1926, San Marco Square, the development’s business district, was laid out. It was inspired by the Piazza San Marco in Venice, which Stockton had visited on a trip to Europe. One of the Square’s original buildings, the St. Mark’s Building built in 1927, retains an arched façade and tile roof typical of the Mediterranean Revival style of architecture. San Marco’s original residential neighborhood lies along the St. John’s River west of this marker.
Sponsors: The San Marco Preservation Society and the Florida Department of State

VILLA ALEXANDRIA

Location:Intersection of River Road and Arbor Lane, Davin Park
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: Villa Alexandria, built in the 1870s as the winter home of Alexander and Martha Mitchell of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, once stood near here. Martha Mitchell’s brother, Harrison Reed, served as Florida Governor from 1868-73 and lived nearby on the south bank of the St. Johns River. While visiting him, Mrs. Mitchell became enthralled with this setting and purchased 140 acres that became known as Villa Alexandria. During the late 19th century, Villa Alexandria was “the show place of the environs of Jacksonville.” Harriet Beecher Stowe, also a winter resident, described its large frame house as an “Italian Swiss Villa.” The grounds featured carriageways, extensive vegetation, a boathouse, orange groves, a swimming pool, fountains, pools, and artificial streams. Mrs. Mitchell was one of the three founders of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association of the Union, which helped to preserve George Washington’s home. In Jacksonville, she helped to establish St. Luke’s Hospital Association, which she served as president for 25 years, and All Saints Episcopal Church. She died in 1902 and is buried in St. Nicholas Cemetery. Villa Alexandria was demolished about 1925 to make way for the San Marco subdivision.
Sponsors: The San Marco Preservation Society and the Florida Department of State

ST. NICHOLAS CEMETERY

Location:3811 Beach Boulevard
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: St. Nicholas Cemetery is one of the oldest and largest cemeteries associated with the historic African American communities of St. Nicholas, Philips, and Larsen/Pine Forest of South Jacksonville. Other associated community names include Spring Glen, Spring Park, Hogan, and Southside. The cemetery was referenced in a 1910 deed, but an older section has burials that predate the deed. This section was associated with the Mount Zion Baptist Church of Spring Park, founded in 1874. Because of the cemetery’s long history, St. Nicholas has a large variety of grave types, materials, and symbolism. The most common types of funerary art are headstones made of marble, granite, cement, and cast stone. Some markers are homemade from cement, often decorated with ceramic tiles, and with inscriptions engraved by hand. The cemetery includes approximately 974 identifiable graves. At least seven black veterans from the 21st, 33rd, and 34th United States Colored Troops are buried in the cemetery. According to oral tradition, the cemetery’s older section was donated by the Francis Richard family, who received a 16,000-acre land grant in the area during Florida’s Second Spanish Period (1783-1821).
Sponsors: F/V Christopher's Joy, Inc., St. Nicholas Cemetery Association and the Florida Department of State

SAWPIT BLUFF PLANTATION

Location:15770 Sawpit Rd.
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: Side 1: Sawpit Bluff Plantation, located on Black Hammock Island, was built in the 1750s by Edmund Gray. The plantation was named for the sawpit excavated to accommodate the up and down motion of a vertical saw blade. The plantation house was constructed of tabby, an early building material made from shells, sand, and lime. During the American Revolutionary War in the British colonial period, an invasion force composed of Continental Army soldiers and Georgia militia encamped at Sawpit Bluff and engaged in fighting on May 14, 1777. Known as the Battle of Sawpit Bluff, and part of the larger Battle of Thomas Creek, this skirmish was one of the few battles of the Revolutionary War fought in Florida. The invading soldiers were forced to retreat after an attack by the loyalist East Florida Rangers and their Creek Indian allies. After the return of East Florida to Spain in 1783, Black Hammock Island was part of a land grant made to Juan Thorp. Thorp established a large estate on the island, called "Sawpit Bluff'” or "Barranco de Acceradero." Used for growing Sea Island cotton and for raising cattle and horses, the plantation later passed to his daughter, Mary Thorp Smith. Side 2: In 1801 and again in 1812, life on Sawpit Bluff was disrupted by conflicts between American settlers migrating south from Georgia and the Spanish colonial government. During the War of 1812, an American military force under the leadership of General George Matthews, invaded the region in quest of Spanish territory as part the conflict known as the Patriot’s War. The invaders stole a boat from the Smith family. After the war, the daughter of Mary Smith, Mary Martha, grew up at Sawpit Bluff Plantation and married Florida's fourth territorial governor, Robert Raymond Reid. During the Civil War, Mary Martha Reid was the Matron of the Florida Hospital in Richmond, Virginia. Sawpit Bluff Plantation was also the childhood home of her sister Rebecca, wife of CSA General Joseph Finegan, who won the Battle of Olustee. Unable to keep up with the taxes on the property, Mary Smith lost the land, which fell into disuse and returned to swamp. It remained unchanged until the late 1970s. Little is left of the old house except a few tabby remains. This marker was erected in 2015 by Martha Reid 19, United Daughters of the Confederacy for the Sesquicentennial of the War Between the States.
Sponsors: The Martha Reid Chapter 19, United Daughters of the Confederacy

ST. JOSEPH'S MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH

Location:533 Dew Drop Street
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: This original sanctuary of the St. Joseph Missionary Baptist church is one of the few remaining institutional buildings directly associated with the old community of Hansontown. Originally a farming cooperative established for black Union soldiers, Hansontown was founded in 1866 by Dr. Daniel Dustin Hanson, a surgeon with the 34th Regiment, U.S. Colored Infantry. Following Dr. Hanson’s untimely death in 1868, the communal farm declined. African Americans, however continued to move to Hansontown, which developed into a large, dense neighborhood. The congregation for the St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church assembled in 1930 under the leadership of Reverend Harrison Edwards. After meeting in several locations, the congregation purchased this plot of land in 1940 for the construction of the sanctuary, which was completed in 1950. Nearly all of the buildings in Hansontown were torn down for urban renewal projects in the early 1970s, but the church remained. Under Reverend H.T. Rhim, the congregation moved to a new location in 1985. This building still owned by St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church, continued to be used for mission outreach.
Sponsors: The City of Jackonsville

PILOT TOWN/ NAPOLEON BONAPARTE BROWARD

Location:9954 Heckscher Drive
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville
Description: Side One: The St. Johns River provided trade access that supported the economy of the Fort George Island plantations. Cotton and sugar from the plantations were transported on the river to trading posts. Early Spanish seamen called the river Rio de Corrientas, or River of Currents, for its treacherous currents that plagued river travel. The shifting sandbar at the mouth of the St. Johns River was a significant impediment to ships. As river commerce on the St. Johns River grew, a community developed off Batten Island, which became known as Pilot Town. Pilot Town was inhabited mostly by harbor pilots and sea captains who made their living piloting ships through the currents to the Atlantic Ocean. These men, known as bar pilots, boarded ships and maneuvered them around the river’s shifting sandbar, and then helped guide them through the channel and up to Jacksonville. By 1877, Pilot Town became a landing used by tourists and visitors to visit the Fort George Island Hotel and inland attractions. A dock was built to accommodate steamers to Jacksonville, Charleston, and Savannah. Side Two: Napoleon Bonaparte Broward, Jr., was a bar pilot who became Florida’s 19th governor. As a young man, he worked on boats as a cook, fisherman, and seaman. In 1878, he took a job working tugboats on the St. Johns River and in 1883, he received his pilot’s license. Captain Broward became joint owner of a steamboat, the Kate Spencer, which bought visitors to the landing at Pilot Town. Broward was elected to the Jacksonville City Council in 1895, although he continued to work as a seaman and a bar pilot. In 1895, he built a seagoing tugboat, The Three Friends, with his brother. The tugboat carried munitions and Cuban expatriates on its maiden voyage to Cuba in 1896. Encouraged by Jacksonville’s Cuban community, Captain Broward commanded his boat on eight voyages through Spanish blockades to deliver arms and equipment to Cuban revolutionaries. He was pursued by U.S. authorities set on seizing his ship. In 1897, The Three Friends turned to peacetime freight and passenger business, and Broward and his wife bought a summer house in Pilot Town. Broward was elected Florida governor in 1905. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1910, but died before taking office.
Sponsors: Fort George Island Marina, LLC

Escambia

JOHN WESLEY HARDIN

Location:Tarragona Street between Church and Zaragoza Street
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: Side One: Texas fugitive John Wesley Hardin (1853-1895) was captured here on August 23, 1877. Hardin was wanted and dangerous, and his capture became national news that brought notoriety to Pensacola. Hardin had reportedly killed 27 men. He bragged he had killed 40 men “all in self-defense,” including one for snoring too loud. Texas Rangers Lt. John B. Armstrong and Jack R. Duncan along with the Sheriff of Escambia County, William H. Hutchinson, and nine deputies apprehended Hardin and his associates at the L&N Freight Depot as they boarded a train bound for Pollard, Alabama. When approached by Sheriff Hutchinson, Hardin tried to draw a revolver but was overpowered. Deputy Martin Sullivan shot and killed one of Hardin’s accomplices as he tried to escape. Hardin was returned to Texas and found guilty of killing Comanche County Deputy Charles Webb. He was sentenced to 25 years in the Texas State Penitentiary, but was pardoned after serving 17 years by Governor James Stephen Hogg and thereafter practiced law in El Paso, Texas. On August 9, 1895, Hardin was shot and killed while playing dice in El Paso. Side Two: Those Who Participated in the Capture of John Wesley Hardin August 23, 1877 TEXAS RANGERS Lieutenant John Barclay Armstrong John Riley Duncan ESCAMBIA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE Sheriff William H. Hutchinson Deputy Martin Sullivan Deputy A.J. "Ace" Perdue Deputy E.R. Payne Deputy John Bard Deputy William McKinney Deputy M.L. Davis Deputy Richard L. Campbell Deputy Joseph Commyns Deputy John E. Callaghan The Superintendent of the Pensacola & Atlantic Railroad, William D. Chipley, provided special rail transport to the Rangers and valuable intelligence on the location of Hardin. Chipley later became a Pensacola mayor and state senator.
Sponsors: Escambia County Sheriff's Office, Sheriff David Morgan, UWF Historic Trust, Mr. Joe Ulery

HYER-KNOWLES PLANING MILL

Location:Scenic Highway Between Langley and Bohemia Dr.
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: The Chimney is the only trace of what once was the first major industrial belt on the Gulf Coast, a string of antebellum wood mills and brick factories. The chimney represents the lumber industry of the Florida Panhandle. As the lumber industry prospered in the 1850s, local mills employed 600 people and produced almost 55 million feet of lumber. The bricks in the base of the chimney bear the mark of J. Gonzalez", showing that they were produced at the local brick plant of James Gonzalez. The chimney was part of the steam power plant for the Hyers-Knowles Mill. In March 1862, General Braxton Bragg was evacuating the Confederate forces holding Pensacola when Confederate Secretary of War Judah P. Benjamin gave the order to "Destroy all machinery private and public, which could be useful to the enemy; especially disable the sawmills in and around the Bay." The machinery from the mills was loaded onto barges which were moved into Escambia Bay. On March 10th a thunderstorm and large waves sank the barges. That same night the Hyer-Knowles Mill was burned, and all that is left is the chimney
Sponsors: City of Pensacola and the Florida Department of State

EMANUEL POINT SHIPWRECK

Location:Pensacola Bay near Bayou Texar
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: Side One: In August 1559, eleven ships under command of Don Tristán de Luna y Arellano sailed into Pensacola Bay, then called Ochuse, to establish a new colony for Spain. Intended to stake a claim on the northern Gulf coast, the settlement was planned to become a city on the edge of the empire. A thousand colonists brought livestock, personal possessions, tools, and materials to build their new town. A month after they arrived, a powerful hurricane struck the fledgling colony and sank most of the ships, which were being used as floating warehouses for supplies and food. Survivors eventually were evacuated and the Spanish did not return to Pensacola Bay until 1698. In 1992, archaeologists with the State of Florida discovered one of Luna’s ships off Emanuel Point near the entrance to Bayou Texar. A second ship was found by University of West Florida archaeologists nearby in 2006. Investigations revealed remnants of the doomed colony, including ceramic and metal storage containers and cooking pots, bones from cows and pigs, stone cannonballs and the wheel of a gun carriage, pieces of a suit of armor, wooden tool handles and eating utensils, and even remains of a ship’s cat. The rest of Luna’s fleet waits to be discovered. Side Two: En agosto de 1559, once navíos bajo el mando de Don Tristán de Luna y Arrellano entraron en la bahía de Pensacola, conocida entonces como Ochuse, para establecer una nueva colonia para España en el borde del imperio. Un millar de colonos trajeron consigo ganado, objetos personales, herramientas, y materiales para construir su nuevo pueblo. Un mes después de su llegada, un poderoso huracán azotó la naciente colonia y hundió la mayor parte de las embarcaciones. Eventualmente, los sobrevivientes fueron evacuados y los españoles no regresaron a la bahía de Pensacola hasta 1698. En 1992, arqueólogos del estado de Florida descubrieron uno de los barcos de Luna cerca de Emanuel Point próximo a la entrada de Bayou Texar. Arqueólogos de la Universidad de West Florida encontraron una segunda embarcación en las cercanías en 2006. Las investigaciones revelaron restos de la trágica colonia, entre ellos recipientes de cerámica y metal para almacenaje, ollas de cocina, huesos de vacas y cerdos, balas de cañón de piedra, la rueda de una cureña, piezas de una armadura, mangos de herramientas de madera, utensilios para comer, e aún los restos del gato de uno de los barcos. El resto de la flota de Luna espera ser descubierta.
Sponsors: Florida Public Archaeology Network, University of West Florida Division of Anthropology and Archaeology, City of Pensacola, Visit Pensacola

USCGC SEBAGO (WPG-WHEC-42)

Location:Plaza DeLuna
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: Side 1: This berth was once the home of the 255 foot Owasco class patrol gunboat, Sebago (WPG 42), which was commissioned in September 1945 as the United States’ most heavily armed war vessel per foot. The ship carried an initial complement of 273 sailors, which was reduced in 1952 to 143 sailors when she was refitted for peacetime missions. Sebago’s first postwar assignment was in San Francisco patrolling the northern Pacific waters. The ship was quickly reassigned to the Atlantic waters and in 1954 became the largest cutter operating in the Gulf of Mexico. She performed duties related to law enforcement, fisheries support, cadet and reserve training, and search and rescue missions. In 1964, Sebago moved from her home port in Mobile, Alabama to Pensacola, Florida, where she would remain assigned until she was decommissioned. While stationed in Pensacola, Sebago patrolled Ocean Stations Bravo, Charlie, Delta, and Echo, as she provided communications and navigation support for aircraft crossing the Atlantic and gathered weather and oceanographic data. A civilian meteorologist was often on board during station patrols. Side 2: In December 1966, Sebago helped fight the fire that destroyed Pensacola’s Frisco Docks. Sebago was reclassified as a high endurance cutter (WHEC 42) and in 1968, was refurbished at the Alabama Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Company in preparation for a combat tour in Vietnam. As part of the Coast Guard Squadron Three, Vietnam, she provided naval gunfire support (NGS) and small craft interdictions during Operation Market Time in 1969. In addition to combat actions, the ship conducted humanitarian missions that provided medical aid to the Vietnamese before she returned to Pensacola. Automated weather and oceanographic buoy systems replaced ocean station patrols in the early 1970s and all Owasco class cutters were retired. Sebago was decommissioned at this pier on February 29, 1972, and scrapped at Panama City in 1974. Throughout her service, the cutter was on patrol about 220 days each year and usually in-port 21 days between patrols. This marker is dedicated in memory of the ship, to all of the men who sailed aboard her, and to their families who waited weeks on end in the shelter of her home port. “Semper Paratus is our guide, our fame, our glory too!”
Sponsors: The Surviving Shipmates of the USCGC Sebago

PENSACOLA LUNCH COUNTER SIT-INS

Location:5 S. Palafox St.
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: This building, once occupied by a Woolworth’s five and dime store, played a role in the struggle for civil rights in Florida. In the 1950s and 1960s, African Americans in segregated communities began sit-ins to protest against “whites only” lunch counters in stores. Members of Pensacola’s NAACP Youth Council, some as young as 12 years old, took their stand against segregation by peacefully occupying lunch counter seats here and elsewhere in the city. Led by Rev. William C. Dobbins and the Pensacola Council of Ministers, the youth were trained in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s philosophy of non-violence. Confronted by hecklers, they were physically and verbally harassed, and even arrested on falsified charges. The African American community raised bail money and support for the youth through rallies at churches all over Pensacola. The battle to integrate the city’s lunch counters lasted 707 days and involved non-violent tactics such as sit-ins, pickets, marches, and a selective buying campaign or boycott. Downtown stores lost 80% of their business because of the boycott, and lunch counters in the City of Pensacola integrated on March 12, 1962.
Sponsors: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

ST. JOHNS HISTORIC CEMETERY

Location:301 North Street
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: After the Civil War, Pensacola’s population grew rapidly. As new residents flocked to the city, its burial capacity became inadequate. Other pre-existing cemeteries were affiliated with specific religious denominations, making it difficult for those of different faiths to find burial plots. Originally located outside the city, members of Escambia Lodge, No. 15, Free & Accepted Masons established this 26-acre cemetery in 1876 with the goal of creating a public burial space without restrictions based on religion, race, or social class. The lodge’s members made up the original board of trustees. They sold grave plots to individuals, families, and organizations, not for financial gain, but to pay off the land’s mortgage and for its maintenance. In 1876, Martha Eleanor Screven Frierson was interred here, the first recorded burial. Since then, thousands have been interred, including mayors, soldiers, sailors, and teachers. In 1908, a Spanish Mission style gate house was constructed, consisting of a chapel, storage area, and restroom. St. Johns remains one of Pensacola’s oldest and most diverse cemeteries. It features an eclectic mixture of funerary architecture, and is regarded as an “outdoor museum.”
Sponsors: St. John's Cemetery, Inc.

MORRISON FAMILY HOMESTEAD

Location:107 Gregory Street
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: Constructed in 1906 by Mabel Lewis, this frame vernacular structure was the home of generations of the Morrison family, including the parents of James Douglas (Jim) Morrison, the lead singer for The Doors. Before Robert Bruce (R.B.) and Frances Morrison purchased the building in 1932, it had been used as a tea house and as a speakeasy during Prohibition. In 1942, R.B. offered the basement apartment to his cousin George Stephen (Steve) Morrison and his wife Clara Clark Morrison. While in Pensacola, Steve, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate, completed his flight training at the Naval Air Station. Steve and Clara moved to Melbourne, Florida, a few months before Jim was born on December 8, 1943. Steve Morrison was a highly-decorated naval officer who became a Rear Admiral in 1966. After attending Florida State University and graduating from the University of California at Los Angeles, Jim Morrison, a gifted singer and lyricist, became a legendary and mysterious rock star. He died in Paris in 1972. The Morrison home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 as part of the Downtown Pensacola Historic District and was occupied by members of the Morrison family until 2014.
Sponsors: Swan Capital LLC, CEO and Owner- Andrew Scott McNair

CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART

Location:716 North 9th Avenue
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: The Church of the Sacred Heart was constructed in 1905. The Right Reverend Edward Allen, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mobile, which at the time encompassed Pensacola, appointed the pastor of Pensacola’s St. Michael’s Church, Father Robert Fullerton, to supervise the building of the Gothic Revival style church. The building was barely completed when the “great Pensacola hurricane of 1906” demolished the church’s roof. The damaged building was rebuilt and dedicated by Bishop Allen in April 1907 with a parish of 25 families. The church housed its Catholic parishioners for 50 years until the congregation moved to a larger facility in 1956. The church was sold to the City of Pensacola in 1956 with a deed restriction that the building could never be resold for use as a Protestant church. After serving as a concert hall for the Greater Pensacola Symphony Orchestra, and then as a youth recreation center, the building was sold in 1965 to the Central Church of Christ for use as a Protestant church after Pope Paul VI lifted the deed restriction. Unity of Pensacola purchased the church in 1982 and restored its 18 original Belgian-made stained glass windows.
Sponsors: Unity of Pensacola and the Florida Department of State

OLD ESCAMBIA COUNTY COURT OF RECORD BUILDING (1912-1978)/ PENSACOLA CULTURAL CENTER

Location:400 South Jefferson Street
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: Side One: During the early 1900s, the Florida Legislature established a new court of record to serve the rapidly-growing Escambia County. Completed in 1912, this Neo-Classical style building was designed by Alabama architect Rudolph Benz and served as an all-inclusive law enforcement complex. The building housed the Escambia County Court of Record and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. In addition, the building had its own jail, the largest one between Mobile and Tallahassee. Prisoners were held, tried, sentenced, and executed on site. The building originally had its own built-in gallows on the third floor with rope held by an iron ring in the ceiling of the judge's chambers and a trapdoor in the floor of the execution room. The final execution was carried out on July 31, 1920, when Hosea Poole was hanged for murdering his brother with an axe. The building's cells were vacated and removed after the construction of a new jail building in 1955. Following the completion of a new judicial building in 1978, the Court of Record relocated. The building was used for storage and other events until 1988, when Escambia Board of County Commissioners deeded the building to Pensacola Little Theatre. Side Two: In 1936, a loosely-organized group of drama enthusiasts came together, and with the help of the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Theatre Project, formed the Civic Drama Players. A year later, the group renamed themselves Pensacola Little Theatre (PLT). In 1952, PLT moved into its first permanent show space, a World War II-era Quonset hut on E Street. The group operated at that building for two decades until 1977, when it relocated because upkeep of the building became cost prohibitive. PLT joined with other Pensacola arts organizations to lobby the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners for a dedicated arts and performance space. After the board deeded PLT the abandoned Escambia County Court of Record’s building, it was transformed into the Pensacola Cultural Center. In January 1996, PLT put on The Wizard of Oz, its first production at the new arts center. Acclaimed as one of the oldest continually-producing community theatre groups in the southeastern United States, Pensacola Little Theatre is a leader of arts and entertainment in northwest Florida.
Sponsors: Pensacola Little Theatre Guild

KUPFRIAN'S PARK

Location:Avery Street Just East of N Pace Blvd
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: Established by German immigrant Conrad Kupfrian (1833-1892), the 100-acre Kupfrian’s Park opened in the early 1880s and provided a distinctive entertainment and recreational venue for Pensacola residents for over thirty years. Kupfrian constructed amenities such as a German-style beer garden, a racetrack surrounding an infield lake, and numerous picnic pavilions nestled among his park’s large live oak trees. One of the park’s greatest contributions to the growth of Pensacola was its connection with the creation of the city’s first public transportation system. An astute businessman, Kupfrian was one of the founding owners of the Pensacola Street Car Company, and he made certain that the company’s service extended two miles northwest of the city center to terminate at his park’s main gate. As the city grew during the 1920s, the popularity of Kupfrian’s Park waned, eventually being replaced by coastal venues accessible by the newly constructed Pensacola Bay Bridge. Today, the park’s original structures are gone, but many of its oak trees and infield lake remain. Kupfrian’s Park is an important reminder of the many contributions made by immigrant entrepreneurs to the multi-cultural growth of modern Pensacola.
Sponsors: The Kupfrian Park Homeowners Association, The Escambia County Board of County Commissioners, West Florida Historic Preservation, Inc., and the Florida Department of State

FIREFIGHTER VISTA S. LOWE

Location:Seville Square
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: At this site on September 30, 1962, Firefighter Vista Spencer Lowe, age 23, died in the line of duty while responding to a house fire at 409 East Zarragossa Street. Upon arrival at the scene, Firefighter Lowe stepped from the rear tailboard of the pumper he was riding (Engine 5, a 1957, 1,000-gallon Seagrave Pumper Truck), tripped and fell to the ground. Unaware of Lowe’s location, the pumper’s driver began backing his truck, trapping Lowe under the truck and crushing him. Lowe was the third firefighter with the Pensacola Fire Department (PFD) and the 33rd Florida firefighter to lose his life in the line of duty. Lowe’s death caused the PFD to change its rules and regulations governing standard operating procedures and training methods, requiring that no fire apparatus be backed up at any time without a department member directing traffic. As a result of these changes, no firefighter with the PFD has since died in the manner in which Firefighter Lowe lost his life in 1962.
Sponsors: Sons Matthew D. and Mark D. Lowe and the Florida Department of State

HISTORIC JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH

Location:101 N. 10th Avenue
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: This is the site of John the Baptist Church, one of the oldest Baptist Churches in Pensacola. In 1846 the First Baptist Colored Church of Pensacola, known today as Historic John the Baptist Church, was organized in the Seville Square community. The church served black and white Baptists until the Civil War (1861-1865). Retreating and invading armies threatened to burn Pensacola, causing all residents except 72 white and 10 black people to relocate to Alabama. During the war, African-American Baptists kept this, the only Protestant church in Pensacola open. After the war, a dispute arose between black and white Baptists regarding the church property. In 1866, black Baptists wrote a letter to the Freedmen’s Bureau explaining that the black Baptists purchased the property and “upon it erected a place of worship.” The letter also explained that the property had always been in use of the congregation and that since the war others claimed control of it. In 1870, the black congregations relocated, under the leadership of Rev. Robert Ahrens (c. 1833-1925), to this site in the Hawkshaw community. The Seville Square church housed a Freedmen’s Bureau school and the church at Hawkshaw housed a school for children and adults
Sponsors: The Congregation of John The Baptist Church and the Florida Department of State

ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC CHURCH

Location:140 West Government Street
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: The Sisters of Mercy began the Catholic Church's work for blacks in Pensacola when they opened St. Joseph Colored and Creole School on September 8, 1879. St. Joseph Catholic Church, built in 1891, was the 1st African-American parish in the Diocese of Mobile. The first Church was a two-story frame building. The present Gothic revival style church, built in 1894, cared for the needs of African-Americans, Creoles, Germans, Italians, and Irish immigrants. In the 1920's, Fr. Charles Hartkoff, the church's second pastor, built and opened St. Joseph orphanage which took in homeless African-American boys. In 1939, Fr. Joseph J. Raleigh closed and reopened one school operated by the Sisters of Charity of Convent Station, New Jersey. Two years later, St. Joseph High School opened, the only Catholic African-American high school in the state of Florida at the time. At its height, St. Joseph's operated "Maryall Negro Missions" which included four chapels: Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Victory, Our Lady of Fatima and Our Lady of Africa. Other ministries included Our Lady of Fatima Mission School and Our Lady of Angels Maternity Hospital for African-American women located beside the Church's grammar and high school
Sponsors: sponsored by the Knights of Peter Claver, Council 223, and the Florida Dept. of State.

ORIGINAL SITE OF PENSACOLA JUNIOR COLLEGE

Location:Lee Square on North Palafox Street
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: On this site, Pensacola Junior College (PJC) opened its doors on September 13, 1948. It was the first public junior college created by the Florida Legislature under the Minimum Foundation Program Act of 1947, signed into law by Governor Millard F. Caldwell. The Escambia County School Board received authority to establish the college. District staff Jesse Barfield and Margaret Andrus helped James L. McCord, principal of Pensacola High School, prepare the initial proposal and continued as faculty. McCord became the first director of PJC. The Aiken Boarding House provided classrooms for the first 136 students. James H. Allen, president of Florida Pulp and Paper Company, contributed the first two year’s rent for the facility. In June 1953, the College moved one block south to the old Pensacola High School. On May 13, 1955, Governor LeRoy Collins signed a bill appropriating $1,243,000 to the college, which resulted in the 1956 purchase of property on 9th Avenue, now the college’s main campus. Pensacola’s Booker T. Washington Junior College was established as Florida’s first black junior college in 1949, and at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, merged with PJC in 1965.
Sponsors: BY THE PENSACOLA STATE COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES and the Florida Department of State

MIDDLE PASSAGE TO PENSACOLA/ AFRICAN PRESENCE IN COLONIAL PENSACOLA

Location:458 South Spring Street
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: Side One: Beginning in the early 1500s and continuing for more than three centuries, about 12 million enslaved Africans were transported across the Atlantic Ocean from Africa to the Americas. This transportation, known as the Middle Passage, was the largest forced migration in history. As documented by the UNESCO Slave Trade Route Project, about 2 million enslaved Africans died during the voyage, and approximately 500,000 were delivered directly to the North American mainland. In August 1559, the expedition of Tristán de Luna y Arellano landed at the Bay of Ochuse, later named Pensacola Bay. Among his company of 1,550 were Africans, both freed and enslaved. How or where the expedition’s black members served is uncertain. However, according to records kept by Luna, it is well documented that they were here. Despite losing ships due to a hurricane in Pensacola Bay, Luna started a colony. The Africans in the expedition were among the first to have a continuous presence in the United States. In 1561, Luna was replaced, and departed for Havana. The settlement became a trading post during the colonial era, supplying its Native American trading partners with British goods in exchange for furs. Side Two: As the number of European settlements grew in North America, so did the number of enslaved Africans being imported and traded. Between 1775 and 1805, four documented slave ships, the Sucesco, the Black Prince, the Fly, and the Beggar’s Bennison, carried over 350 enslaved Africans to Pensacola. Britain gained control of Pensacola in 1763, and made it the capital of their West Florida colony. As part of their effort to develop Pensacola into a more thriving settlement, the British increased the importation of enslaved Africans and enacted new slave codes similar to those of their other North American colonies. Despite these policies, because of its relative remoteness, Pensacola became a refuge for enslaved people who had escaped from other nearby colonies. Racial lines in Pensacola blurred after Spain reclaimed West Florida following the American Revolutionary War. By 1811, Panton, Leslie & Company (1796-1848) had moved the headquarters of their Native American trading operation to Pensacola and brought at least 1,260 enslaved African captives with them. Their skills and cultural practices were foundational to the development of Pensacola.
Sponsors: City of Pensacola, the Pensacola Middle Pasasge Ceremony, Port Marker Committee, and the Florida Department of State

YONGE HOUSE

Location:1924 E. Jackson Street
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: Built in 1910, this Arts & Crafts style house was the home of Phillip Keyes (P.K.) Yonge, a successful Pensacola lumber magnate who served on several state and local education boards. In 1905, he helped reincorporate the Florida Historical Society, originally founded in 1856, and briefly served as its president. His younger son, architect Chandler Cox Yonge, designed the house, his first in a prolific career of prominent Florida buildings. P.K. Yonge’s elder son, Julien Chandler (J.C.) Yonge, was the editor of the Florida Historical Quarterly from 1925 until 1955. For decades, P.K. and J.C. Yonge collected articles, books, and other materials. Originally stored in a small brick library behind the house, their collection became the largest private Florida history collection in the world. The original library still contains J.C.’s handwritten, graphite labels organizing the collection. J.C. rejected offers to sell the collection, stating he wanted to give it to the people of Florida. In 1944, J.C. donated it all to the University of Florida in his father's name, creating the P.K. Yonge Library of Florida History. He became the library’s director and spent his salary buying books to continue to grow the collection.

BOYSEN-PERRY HOUSE

Location:1 East Wright Street
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: In 1867, this house was built for Danish sea captain Charles F. Boysen. It was constructed using materials from wrecked buildings along Palafox Street and featured a cupola so that Boysen could see the bay. The 1870 census listed Boysen as the Norwegian Vice-Consul, and during his tenure, the home served as a Consulate of Sweden and Norway. By the 1880s, Boysen was unable to keep up with the home’s mortgage, and the property was sold. In 1882, it was acquired for $9,000 by Edward Aylesworth Perry, who served as Governor of Florida from 1885-1889. Perry and his family expanded the house and occupied it until 1900. Ownership changed hands multiple times until 1922, when it was purchased by James Simpson Reese on behalf of the Scottish Rite Building Association. The house was converted into a Scottish Rite lodge, and in 1959, a two-story annex was added on the northern side. In 1983, the house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing building in the North Hill Preservation District. In 2008, First United Methodist Church of Pensacola, founded in 1821 and the oldest Methodist congregation in Florida, purchased the property to expand its ministries.

ALGER-SULLIVAN LUMBER COMPANY RESIDENTIAL HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:Corner of Front Street and Jefferson Avenue
County: Escambia
City: Century
Description: In 1901, one of the largest and most advanced southern pine sawmills east of the Mississippi River was built here. In the tradition of the era, the Alger-Sullivan Lumber Company built its own town to house and supply the families of mill workers. By 1915, the mill town of Century included a hotel, hospital, commissary, post office, executive club, business district, schools, churches, and segregated housing districts for black and white families. Housing ranged from small shotgun houses to large two-story, executive homes. Standing along Church Street is one of the lumber company’s last built town structures - a large theater and recreation hall completed in 1922. After a remodeling in 1946, it became lumber company offices. The deteriorated black residential district along Pond Street was largely demolished and the homes replaced in 1986 through a state block grant. The remaining residential district along Front, Church, Fourth, and Mayo streets, and Jefferson and Pinewood avenues represents a rare intact example of an early-twentieth century planned company town in Florida. The district, consisting of 45 historic buildings and a formal garden site, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
Sponsors: The Alger-Sullivan Historical Society, The Town of Century

BATTLE AND MASSACRE AT BAYOU TEXAR

Location:2000 E. Lloyd Street
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: In the closing phases of the First Seminole War (1817-1818), a U.S. supply boat was attacked by Creek Indians. The boat was ascending the Escambia River from Pensacola in Spanish West Florida, and was bound for Fort Crawford in the American Alabama Territory. The attack prompted Major White Young at Fort Crawford to launch an April 1818 assault by American forces into Spanish West Florida, the target being several Creek encampments on Bayou Texar that were only a mile away from Pensacola. Without Creek warriors present to protect them, Young’s assault on Bayou Texar resulted in the massacre of around 30 Creek women and children. This massacre partially prompted U.S. Army General Andrew Jackson to march his troops westward from St. Marks. In May 1818, Jackson captured Pensacola and the Spanish fortifications, which brought an end to the major military events in the war and convinced Spain of the futility of holding onto their colony of Florida.

BICENTENNIAL OF SPAIN TRANSFERRING FLORIDA TO THE UNITED STATES

Location:City of Right-of-Way south of 320 S. Jefferson Street
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: Side One: On July 17, 1821, celebrations in Pensacola marked the United States’ official acquisition of Spanish Florida. The people in attendance represented Pensacola’s diverse multicultural and multiethnic population. Many of them now rest in nearby St. Michael’s Cemetery. This marker is near the historic bay-side entrance that led to the military and administrative heart of Pensacola during the First Spanish, British, and Second Spanish periods (1756 – 1821). It is also near the historic location of the fort’s flagpole where the official exchange of flags took place in 1821. Archaeological research by the University of West Florida identified features and materials reflecting the continuous use of the Commanding Officer’s Compound site from the colonial era up to the modern day. The archaeological evidence revealed details about how Pensacola’s past communities changed and coalesced throughout history. This marker celebrates Florida’s 200th anniversary as part of the United States, and recognizes Pensacola’s historic role as the county seat of Escambia County and as the colonial capital of West Florida. It commemorates the city’s diverse past and our continued effort toward a more perfect union. Side Two: El 17 de julio de 1821, las celebraciones en Pensacola marcaron la adquisición de la Florida española por los Estados Unidos. Los asistentes representaban la población multicultural y multiétnica. Muchos de ellos descansan ahora en el Cementerio St. Michael’s. Esta placa está cerca de la entrada del corazón militar y administrativo de Pensacola durante el primer periodo español, el periodo británico y el segundo periodo español (1756 – 1821). Esta placa está también está cerca de la ubicación histórica del asta del fuerte, donde se llevó a cabo el intercambio oficial de banderas en 1821. La investigación arqueológica de la Universidad de West Florida identificó materiales que reflejaban el uso del sitio del Commanding Officer’s Compound desde la era colonial hasta la actualidad. La arqueología ha revelado detalles sobre los cambios de las comunidades de Pensacola y su integración a lo largo de la historia. Este placa celebra el 200 aniversario de Florida como parte de los Estados Unidos y reconoce el papel histórico de Pensacola como sede del condado de Escambia County y como la capital colonial de West Florida. Conmemora el pasado tan variado de la ciudad y el continuo esfuerzo hacia una unión más perfecta.

ALGER RAILROAD / CENTURY, FLORIDA

Location:on U.S. 29 at Hecker Rd. in wayside park.
County: Escambia
City: Century
Description: Side 1: This site is 300 yards west of former location of tracks of The Alger-Sullivan Lumber Company logging railroad which ran from Century to Alger-owned timber lands in Alabama. Ninety miles in length, the railroad hauled prime virgin longleaf logs for manufacture of lumber and export timbers at the Century mill, the largest in Florida. Logging crews lived in railroad camp cars on sidings. Oxen were used in the woods to skid logs to the railroad for loading. Railroad discontinued operation in 1942. Side 2: Founded in 1900 to house mill employees of the Alger-Sullivan Lumber Company founded in 1900 by General Russell A. Alger- Governor of Michigan, U.S. Senator, and President McKinley's Secretary of War - and by Martin H. Sullivan of Pensacola. Edward A. Hauss led the company from 1901 to 1957 and pioneered in reforestation to perpetuate timber resources. Century and Alger recall the names Colonel Frank Hecker, Henry Glover, W.D. Mann, David Miller, Houston Jones, Larry Nelson, and Marion Leach.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

BROWNSVILLE COMMUNITY

Location:Pensacola
County: Escambia
City: Brownsville
Description: In 1908, shortly after the extension of the trolley line west from Pensacola, Lucius Screven Brown (1874-1963) developed housing on seven blocks bounded by what is now Pace Boulevard, Strong Street, “W” Street and Gadsden Street. Brown’s builder, Haakon Paulsen, began calling the community Brownsville as it evolved into one of Pensacola’s first “suburbs.” Brown (1874-1963) had a long career in real estate, banking and insurance. He served the city on the City Council and as assistant postmaster. A bond issue held in Escambia County in 1912 resulted in the paving of Cervantes Street and Mobile Highway, and the extension of public water lines. This in turn intensified the residential building boom in Brownsville. The biggest concentration of houses from this period is to be found on Gadsden Street. Some commercial buildings in this nationally recognized area date back to the early 20th century because this was the road from Pensacola to Mobile. However, most of the commercial construction occurred just after World War II when automobile usage increased.
Sponsors: BROWNSVILLE REVITALIZATION COMMITTEE

CANNONS OF FT. PICKENS

Location:Storage
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: Brought to Pensacola during the period from 1765-1781 by the British, these cannons were used in defense of the town by the British, Spanish, United States and Confederate States. After the close of Ft. Pickens, the Navy scrapped the guns and sold them as salvage. Interested citizens of Pensacola purchased the cannons and returned them to Ft. Pickens State Park in 1955, where, in accordance with the deed, they can never be removed.

CAPTAIN RICHARD G. BRADFORD

Location:Storage
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: In this vicinity Captain Richard G. Bradford of Madison was killed on October 9, 1861, during the Battle of Santa Rosa Island. The battle was fought in an attempt to capture Fort Pickens which protected Pensacola Harbor. Bradford was first Confederate officer from Florida to die in the War Between the States. In his honor the Legislature voted to change the name of New River County to Bradford County. Gov. John Milton signed the law December 6, 1861.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Memorials

CHRIST CHURCH

Location:South Adams Street
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: Erected in 1832, this is the oldest church building in Florida still standing on its original site. Tradition ascribes the design of this Episcopal Church to Sir Christopher Wren. Constructed of locally made brick, it was used by Federal forces during the Civil War as a barracks and hospital. The Parish Moved in 1903. Deeded to Pensacola in 1936, it was used as a public library until 1957. Pensacola Historical Museum established here in August, 1960.

CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Location:18 West Wright Street
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: Christ Church, founded in 1827, was incorporated by the Legislative Council of the Territory of Florida in 1829. The first church, constructed in 1832, still stands on Seville Square. Later, Chicago architect John Sutcliffe and Pensacola contractor A.D. Alfred built a new church on this site at Wright and Palafox. The first services were held here by the Reverend Percival Whaley, rector, on Easter Sunday, 1903. The exterior of the building is unchanged since then, and its Spanish Baroque architecture reflects the city’s heritage. The building’s brick walls are covered with pebble-concrete stucco. A tiled narthex leads to the nave where wooden pews seat 600. The gable roofs have barrel tile surfaces and a copper-covered dome over the transepts. From the days of the Reverend Joseph Saunders (1836-1839), Christ Church has been involved in community outreach. Since then, members have been leaders in the city’s growth and development. Historic Christ Church was the mother congregation of Episcopalians in Northwest Florida and one of seven churches in the state when the Diocese of Florida was founded in 1839. The present Christ Church was the site of the Primary Convention of the new Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast in 1970
Sponsors: CHURCH WARDENS AND VESTRYMEN OF CHRIST CHURCH AND THE RECTOR OF CHRIST CHURCH

FIRST JEWISH HOUSE OF WORSHIP IN FLORIDA

Location:800 N Palafox St
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: Jewish families in Pensacola began organized worship following the Civil War. On this site in 1876 a Reform Jewish Synagogue was constructed. The State of Florida granted a charter in 1878 for Congregation Beth El. Temple Beth El joined the Union of American Hebrew Congregations in 1889 and engaged its first Rabbi in 1892. The original temple was destroyed by fire in 1895. It was rebuilt in 1898 at this site, but that building was also destroyed by fire in 1929. The current synagogue at 800 North Palafox Street dates from 1931. Temple Beth El is Florida's first formally recognized Jewish Congregation.
Sponsors: TEMPLE BETH EL AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

HAWKSHAW

Location:on South 10th Ave., grounds of Gulf Power
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: The Hawkshaw site has supported prehistoric and historic occupations which span a period of nearly 2,000 years. It was inhabited around A.D. 150 by groups of Native Americans whom archaeologists call the Deptford Culture. Scientific excavation of the site revealed hundreds of trash pits containing food remains and household debris which provided detailed information about the daily life of these prehistoric people. They sustained themselves with the abundant marine resources available in the area. Hawkshaw is important to archaeologists because the remains of the Deptford Culture are not mixed with those of other Native American cultures. For this reason the site gives a very good indication of what life was like during Deptford times. The next time the site was used was the middle of the 18th Century when the Spanish built a brick kiln here before 1761. A little later, during the British occupation of Pensacola (1763-1783), a complex known as the Governor's Villa was built nearby for Peter Chester, Governor of the Province of West Florida. The Villa was burned in 1781 by the troops of General Bernardo de Galvez during his recapture of Pensacola for the Spanish. After Florida was acquired by the United States in 1821, Hawkshaw became part of a plan to create a "New City" to serve the railroad industry. The New City Hotel was built in 1836 with over 100 rooms. It remained in operation into the 1840's. After the failure of the "New City", Hawkshaw evolved into a working class neighborhood whose residents were largely employed by the industrial and commercial establishments associated with lumbering and the railroad. It became the first of Pensacola's outlying black neighborhoods. Hawkshaw's waterfront once contained Wright's Lumber Mill, which could cut 30,000 board feet of lumber a day in 1882, and the Muscogee Wharf, which served as a coaling station for the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. After the destruction of Wright's Mill during the 1906 hurricane and the decline of the lumber and railroad industries, many of the residents of Hawkshaw became "baymen" who earned their living by loading ships, fishing and gathering shellfish.
Sponsors: sponsored by gulf power company in cooperation with the department of state

INDIAN VILLAGE SITE (ES-2)

Location:Archaeological site 8ES2 (storage)
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola Beach
Description: North of this point on the shore of Santa Rosa Sound, a large Indian village existed for centuries before the coming of the Spanish explorers. Refuse piles of shells (Kitchen Middens) with an occasional flint chip or potsherd indicates a village area of several acres. Both the Weeden Island and Fort Walton Cultures used it. PLEASE DO NOT DISTURB.

INDIAN VILLAGE SITE (ES-5)

Location:No data
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: The low ground just north of the highway at this point was the site of an Indian village about 1,000 years ago. The artifacts found have been identified as belonging to the Weeden Island Culture which lived along the Gulf Coast. Clams and Oysters made up a large part of their local diet. The village was about one acre in size. PLEASE DO NOT DISTURB.

NORTH HILL PRESERVATION DISTRICT

Location:401 West Gonzalez St., Alabama Square
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: The North Hill Preservation District occupies a 50-block area bound by Blount, Wright, Palafox, DeVilliers and Reus Streets, and represents one of the best preserved residential historic districts in Florida. After the Civil War, wealthy families left areas near the waterfront to build grand houses on Pensacola’s North Hill. From 1890 to the outbreak of World War I--between 1914 and 1918--as Northwest Florida entered the lumber boom era, local forests of yellow pine provided prosperity and building materials for many of the stately houses now treasured in the North Hill Preservation District. Another surge of growth occurred during the 1920s as a new generation of wealthy Pensacola citizens moved to the area and extended North Hill to its current northern border of Blount Street. From 1930 onward, homes typical of their periods were built on remaining available properties. As a result of its gradual development, architectural styles in North Hill are unusually varied including Queen Anne, Neoclassical, Tudor Revival, and Art Moderne. Through the dedicated efforts of community leaders, North Hill was designated as a preservation district in 1973 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sponsors: NORTH HILL PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

PENSACOLA NAVY YARD - ESTABLISHED IN 1825

Location:U.S. 98 West, Pensacola Navy Yard
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: In 1825 Congress passed a law authorizing a navy yard on Florida's Gulf Coast. A three-man commission came to Pensacola to examine the area as a possible site. Their report favored Pensacola, and in December, 1825, the Secretary of the Navy reported Pensacola's selection. In 1826 plans for the yard were laid out, but not until 1830 was the yard established. Captain Lewis Warrington, a member of the 1825 commission, was the first commander.

SITE OF THE FIRST METHODIST CHURCH OF PENSACOLA/SITE OF THE SAN CARLOS HOTEL

Location:1 North Palafox St.
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: Side 1: Pensacola's first Methodist congregation was established in 1821 by Alexander Talley, M.D. It met in a series of small, wood frame churches until 1881, when construction of a three-story, Romanesque Revival sanctuary was begun on this site. Services began here in 1884, but the building was not completed until 1890. The handsome red brick bell tower and gabled entrance portico of the church marked this corner of Palafox Street until 1909, when the property was sold and the congregation moved to larger facilities on East Wright Street. Side 2: The imposing, seven-story structure opened on this site in 1910 as the city's largest and most elegant hotel. Designed by the well known New York architect W. L. Stoddard, it was built by the local firm of C. H. Turner Construction Co. at a cost of $500,000. Its simple masonry design was embellished with Renaissance Revival exterior details. It was extensively "modernized" and expanded from 157 to 403 rooms in the 1920s, and continued to dominate the Palafox streetscape for the next 50 years. Increasing competition and gradual deterioration led to its closing in 1982. It was demolished in 1993.
Sponsors: The City of Pensacola, the First United Methodist Church of Pensacola and the Florida Department of State

TRADER JON'S

Location:South Palafox and Main Street
County: Escambia
City: Pensacola
Description: This building was erected in 1896 and rented to numerous businesses until the 1950s. One of the most significant tenants in the early 1900s was Samuel Charles, one of Pensacola's most prominent black businessmen, whose shoe repair shop became Pensacola's largest shoe repair and sales store at that time. In the 1920s the building was occupied by Birgar Testman's ship chandlery. Since the early 1950s the building has been owned and occupied by Trader Jon's, a favorite haunt of U.S. Navy and other military personnel. The tavern has gained international fame for its unusual and extensive display of military memorabilia which surrounds the clientele.
Sponsors: The Historic Pensacola Preservation Board in Cooperation with the Florida Department of State

Flagler

HOLDEN HOUSE

Location:204 East Moody Blvd
County: Flagler
City: Bunnell
Description: The Holden House was designed and built in 1918 by Sam Bortree (1859-1918) as a gift for his daughter, Ethel (1892-1977), and son-in-law, Thomas Holden (1892-1974). Holden was the town pharmacist and prominent in business, civic and political affairs. A unique feature on the house is the broken apothecary glass Holden used from his pharmacy as decoration on the gables. This home is among the more elaborate examples of the Craftsman bungalow style, featuring coquina, a shell and stone mixture quarried in this region. The Holden House is associated with I.I. Moody (1874-1918) and the Bunnell Development Company, the principal forces behind the first significant settlement and development of Bunnell. The Bunnell Development Company platted the town in 1909. Two years later, the Florida Legislature incorporated Bunnell as a town. Holden’s family retained ownership of the property until Flagler County purchased it in 1978. Except for the addition of a sunroom on the east side of the house in 1947, and the replacement of sash windows, the house retains its original features.
Sponsors: FLAGLER COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

KING'S ROAD

Location:Old King's Rd N, just South of I-95 overpass
County: Flagler
City: Bunnell
Description: This road was built about 1766 when Colonel James Grant was governor of British East Florida. It extended from St. Augustine to Cowford (Jacksonville) and north to Colorain, Ga., across the St. Marys River. Later the road was extended south along the Matanzas River. Aided in part by donations from Grant's friends in South Carolina and Georgia, the road's chief financial backing came from local subscribers. It became a major artery of travel.

MALA COMPRA PLANTATION

Location:Bing's Landing on Route A1A between Apachee St. and Mala Compra Rd.
County: Flagler
City: Palm Coast
Description: Joseph Martin Hernandez (1788-1857) purchased and worked Mala Compra Plantation, originally a Spanish land grant, from 1816 to 1836. The name Mala Compra means “bad bargain” or “bad purchase” in Spanish. It served as the center of the largest plantation system in Northeast Florida until burned by the Seminoles in 1836 during the Second Seminole War (1835-1842). He served as Brigadier General through the Second Seminole War and part of the Wars of Indian Removal. Hernandez did not revitalize the plantation after the war. Mala Compra was one of many coastal plantations in the Southeast that grew long-staple cotton. The physical remnants of the main house, well, and kitchen provide evidence of a coastal plantation. The building remains provide rare structural evidence of coastal plantation layout and residential construction in Florida during the early 19th century. Mala Compra’s relatively undisturbed setting offers a legacy of national importance and its lack of development offers the opportunity for further research about coastal plantations. Flagler County purchased the Mala Compra Plantation property in 1989.
Sponsors: FLAGLER COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

PRINCESS PLACE ESTATE

Location:2500 Princess Place Rd
County: Flagler
City: Bunnell
Description: In 1791, the King of Spain offered a 1,100-acre land grant to Francisco Pellicer. Henry Mason Cutting purchased the property in 1886, renaming it Cherokee Grove. Featuring local materials including tabby block cladding, cedar and palm tree trunk posts and pink coquina, the Adirondack camp-style lodge was constructed in 1887. The complex included servant’s quarters, a caretaker’s house, tennis courts, stables, bathhouse, pool house and the first in-ground concrete swimming pool in Florida. The Lodge became an entertainment center for many socially prominent Americans and New York families as well as European royalty. Cutting died in 1892, leaving a widow, Angela Mills Cutting and two small children. Angela later married an exiled Russian prince, Boris Scherbatoff, a member of the Russian royal family. Because he feared for his life, the Prince later changed the spelling to Scherbatow. After Prince Scherbatow died in 1949, the Princess used the lodge as her primary residence. For this reason it became known as the Princess Estate. In 1954, Princess Scherbatow sold the property to Lewis and Angela Wadsworth, one of the founding families of Flagler County. Flagler County purchased the property in 1993 as a preserve.
Sponsors: THE FLAGLER COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

WASHINGTON OAKS GARDENS

Location:Washington Oaks State Gardens.
County: Flagler
City: South of Marineland
Description: Part of a Spanish land grant to Bautista Don Juan Ferreira in 1815. Developed as a plantation by General Joseph Hernandez, early Florida planter. George Washington, related to our first president, married Hernandez' daughter, Louisa, in 1844. They were given this land by Hernandez and remained here until 1856, developing the plantation and starting an orange grove. Louisa died in 1859, and George left, but returned in 1886, to live here the rest of his life. Purchased in 1936, by Mr. and Mrs. Owen D. Young, the gardens, groves, and plantings were expanded. In 1964, after Mr. Young's death, Mrs. Young gave the property to the State.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

LEVITT & I.T.T. DEL MAR MODEL AND PALM COAST GOLF CLUB

Location:11 Cooper Lane
County: Flagler
City: Palm Coast
Description: The Levitt & International Telephone & Telegraph Corporation (I.T.T.) purchased 68,000 acres in 1969 for the development of a planned community. The site, named Palm Coast, offered numerous amenities, including a marina and golf course. Built in 1972, this home, the “Del Mar,” was one of the nine model homes showcased by Levitt & I.T.T. Designed in the Mid-Century Modern style, it features a stucco exterior with faux brick trim, and a hip roof. The “Del Mar” is located in the “Showcase Golf Course Neighborhood,” which is enveloped by the Palm Coast Golf Club course. Designed by William Amick, the course was marketed as being one of the most challenging in Florida. The proximity of houses like the “Del Mar” to the course helped drive sales. In 1978, the Palm Coast Golf Club became the home course of Ladies Professional Golf Association star Nancy Lopez, and, by 1979, Lopez was the resident touring pro for Palm Coast. The Palm Coast Golf Club was renamed The Palm Harbor Golf Club in 1981. The course was sold to the Centex Corporation in 2006 and the City of Palm Coast acquired it in 2007. The golf course remains a very important community resource.
Sponsors: Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Costa

LEVITT & I.T.T. 'DE BARY' MODEL

Location:29 Casper Drive
County: Flagler
City: Palm Coast
Description: Levitt & International Telephone & Telegraph Corp. (I.T.T.) developed 22,000 acres in Flagler County as part of the Palm Coast Project. Their goal was to construct the largest planned community in the nation, full of scenic drives, golf courses, and a marina. Levitt & I.T.T. engaged in an international marketing campaign on three continents to generate interest. As part of the “Levitt Showcase Golf Course Neighborhood,” the ‘De Bary’ model was the showcase of the nine advertised Contemporary houses. Built in 1971, this house features a stucco exterior, wide gable front, and a central, gated courtyard. Casper Drive, named in honor of golf legend William Casper, was the first street laid in the Palm Coast Project and was the only access road to the 18-hole golf course. Every prospective buyer was offered an official guided tour of the community’s many amenities. The residents of Casper Drive played an important role in the growth of Palm Coast, and occupants of the ‘De Bary’ were just as involved. The house’s first owners, Walter and Anna Kopecky, who purchased the house in 1972, actively worked to draw potential homeowners to the area.
Sponsors: Dr. Mery Gutierrez-Gable

PALM COAST, FLORIDA

Location:13 Clark Lane
County: Flagler
City: Palm Coast
Description: Palm Coast was begun in 1969 by the International Telephone & Telegraph (ITT) Corporation. The community was planned by William Levitt of Levitt & Sons, which ITT acquired in 1968. Levitt developed Levittown, NY, to provide affordable homes after World War II, and is considered the father of modern American suburbia. Palm Coast differed from the 35 other Florida projects developed by Levitt from 1964-1994 in that it was envisioned as an entire community, not just a subdivision or residential complex. Palm Coast initially included 48,000 home sites on over 42,000 acres. Public amenities included a boat landing, waterfalls, marina, golf course, and yacht and tennis clubs. The community’s first planned neighborhood included nine different Mid-Century Modern model homes, with names such as Santa Rosa, DeSoto, and Delmar. These homes featured concrete block construction with gabled roofs, some detailed by board and batten siding and faux brick. Palm Coast “pioneers” developed a social community as their homes became venues for a Bible school and medical care, and an open area became known as “Neighborhood Park.” By 1975, over 38,000 houses had been sold, and in 1999 Palm Coast was incorporated as a city.
Sponsors: The George Chuddy Family and the Florida Department of State

Franklin

CAMP GORDON JOHNSTON TRAINING AREA

Location:U.S. Hwy 98
County: Franklin
City: Carrabelle
Description: With the approach of World War II, amphibious warfare training centers were hurriedly built. Camp Carrabelle opened in September 1941. Construction began in July 1942 and the camp was renamed in honor of Colonel Gordon Johnston (1874-1934), a highly decorated Army officer and veteran of multiple wars. The 165,000-acre camp served as an Amphibious Training Center and Armed Service Forces Training Center for soldiers from all branches of the military during the war. Once referred to as the “Alcatraz of the Army” by columnist Walter Winchell, the camp housed around 10,000 troops at any one time and rotated between 24,000 and 30,000 from 1941 to 1946. Nearby islands and beaches, particularly Dog Island and St. George Island, were used as landing points for amphibious exercises. Florida's sandy beaches, swamps, and jungle-like forests allowed the military to simulate the conditions of landings in the European and Pacific theatres. Camp Gordon Johnston provided some of the toughest military training in the world and was the Army's major amphibious training center. The camp was responsible for training nearly 250,000 men and women before it closed in June of 1946.
Sponsors: The Camp Gordon Johnston Association

THE HANSERD-FRY HOUSE

Location:96 Fifth Street
County: Franklin
City: Apalachicola
Description: Constructed ca. 1845, the Hanserd-Fry House is one of Apalachicola's finest examples of Palladian Greek Revival style architecture. The well-preserved house features a symmetrical porch with Tuscan classical columns typical of the Greek Revival style, floor to ceiling windows, and a central hall, four-room plan. The building’s earliest known owner was Joseph Hanserd, who owned the house as early as 1866. Kate W. Ayers acquired the house from Hanserd in 1872. Captain Heber Fry, a riverboat captain on the Apalachicola River, bought the house in 1880. During the twentieth century, Dr. August E. Conter, a physician revered by the town's residents, lived in the house for several decades. The non-profit Historic Apalachicola Foundation, Inc. purchased the house in 1995. In an award-winning restoration recognized by the Florida Trust for Preservation in 2008, the organization returned the house to its original appearance, removing a later front porch and rear additions. From 2006 to 2016, the Hanserd-Fry House served as the Apalachicola Museum of Art.
Sponsors: June and Richard Dosik, Michaelin and David Watts or Bring Me a Book Franklin, Historical Apalachicola Foundation, Marie and Willoughby Marshall

THE DOCTOR ALVIN W. CHAPMAN HOUSE

Location:West Corner of 6th St and Avenue E
County: Franklin
City: Apalachicola
Description: This classical Greek Revival style house served as the residence of Dr. Alvan Wentworth Chapman, physician, scientist, and eminent botanist, whose research and writings on the flora of the South received international recognition. Born in 1809 in Massachusetts, Dr. Chapman came to Florida in 1835, and by 1847 had settled in Apalachicola. He built this house in 1847, and lived here almost continuously until his death in 1899. Active in the community, Dr. Chapman served as county judge, mayor, and collector of customs. Among the many plants named in his honor is the Chapman Rhododendron, so named by noted Harvard professor Asa Gray. Dr. Chapman was also associated with the Smithsonian, furnishing that institution’s first specimens of butterfly chrysalises of this locality. His first herbarium is located at the New York Botanical Garden; his second, including his original manuscript, “Flora of the Southern United States,” is at the Biltmore Estate near Ashville, North Carolina. Dr. Chapman died here and was buried in nearby Chestnut Cemetery. Dramatically altered during the 20th century, the house underwent a complete restoration, completed in 2012, and now appears as it did during Dr. Chapman’s residency.
Sponsors: Dr. Helen E. A. Tudor, Walter B. Melvin, A.I.A. and the Florida Department of State

CARRABELLE TOWN CENTER

Location:102 St. James Avenue
County: Franklin
City: Carrabelle
Description: The Carrabelle Town Center was once part of the Franklin Lumber Company mill site owned by James Coombs, which operated along the north shore of the Carrabelle River from 1875 to 1928. Ships came from around the world seeking cypress timber, turpentine, and naval stores. At that time, Carrabelle was only accessible by railway and steamboat. In 1923, the new McIntyre Ferry, at the confluence of the Ochlockonee and Crooked rivers near Sopchoppy, opened and allowed travel from Tallahassee to Carrabelle. The old growth cypress was fully harvested by 1928, and the mill was shuttered. The next year, the former mill site was platted and surveyed into blocks and lots known as the Coombs Addition, which became Carrabelle Town Center. The brick building on this site, built in 1930, served as a Standard Oil filling station, a Western Union telegraph, and a small grocery. Owned by the Wathen family, it had the first electric-powered gas pumps in town. In 1931, the opening of the Davis Island Ferry across the Carrabelle River allowed for travel west to Eastpoint. Construction of the John Gorrie Bridge across Apalachicola Bay in 1935 completed the new Highway 98 for automobile travel along the gulf coast in Franklin County.

CAMP GORDON JOHNSTON (1942-1946)

Location:Along U.S. 98 by the Old Camp Gordon Johnston
County: Franklin
City: Carrabelle
Description: In June 1942 the U.S. War Department selected a 155,000 acre section of coastal Franklin County to be used as an amphibious warfare training center. Originally called Camp Carabelle, the base was renamed in January 1943 to honor the memory of Colonel Gordon Johnston, who had died in 1934. The3rd Engineer Amphibian Brigade arrived for training on September 10, 1942. One of the largest army facilities in Florida during World War II, the base was known by troops stationed there as "Hell-by-the-Sea" because of its crude living conditions and dangerous training programs. The 4th, 28th an 38th Infantry Divisions also received training at the base. Its mission was changed September, 1943 to train personnel to operate small harbor craft and amphibious vehicles. In 1944, German and Italian prisoners of war were interned at the camp. The end of World War II in August 1945 made Camp Gordon Johnston obsolete, and it was decommissioned in 1946. By 1948 the property had been transferred to private ownership and most of the buildings and structures demolished or removed. Today, the former officers' family quarters that remain standing in the vicinity of Parker Street are being used as housing in the Lanark Village Retirement Community.
Sponsors: florida heritage landmarksponsored by the camp gordon johnston associationand florida department of statesandra b. mortham, secretary of state

CHESTNUT STREET CEMETERY OF EARLY APALACHICOLA (OLD CITY GRAVEYARD)

Location:U.S. 98 between 6th & 8th Sts.
County: Franklin
City: Apalachicola
Description: Chestnut Street Cemetery dates prior to 1831. Interred are some of Apalachicola's founders and molders of her colorful history. Also buried here are many soldiers of the Confederacy and victims of yellow fever and shipwrecks. Seven of the Confederate veterans served with Pickett at Gettysburg in the gallant Florida Brigade. World famed botanist, Dr. Alvin Wentworth Chapman, of Apalachicola died in 1899, and is interred here beside the grave of his wife.
Sponsors: The Apalachicola Historical Society in Cooperation with Department of State, Bureau of Historic Preservation

DR. JOHN GORRIE

Location:The Gorrie Grave, 6th Ave between Ave D and C
County: Franklin
City: Apalachicola
Description: Dr. John Gorrie (1803-1855) was an early pioneer in the invention of the artificial manufacture of ice, refrigeration, and air conditioning. He was granted the first U.S. patent for mechanical refrigeration on May 6, 1851 (U.S. Patent # 8080). Dr. Gorrie moved to Apalachicola in 1833 after the completion of his education at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of the Western District of New York in Fairfield, New York. Motivated by a severe yellow fever epidemic in the summer of 1841, Dr. Gorrie and his predecessors felt the fever was caused by heat, humidity and decaying vegetation. He sought to effect a cure by introducing an element of cold in the form of refrigeration. Dr. Gorrie noted, “Nature would terminate the fevers by the changing of seasons.” In May 1844, he constructed the refrigeration that received the patent. This mechanism produced ice in quantities but leakage and irregular performance impaired its operation. At various times he served as a physician of the Marine Hospital Service, Postmaster, President of the Apalachicola Branch Bank of Pensacola, Mayor, Secretary of the Masonic Lodge, and founding vestryman of Trinity Episcopal Church. Dr. Gorrie was honored by the State of Florida with a statue of him placed in Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol.
Sponsors: JOHN GORRIE STATE MUSEUM AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

FORT COOMBS

Location:4th St. Apalachicola
County: Franklin
City: Apalachicola
Description: The Franklin Guards, a company of Infantry organized in Apalachicola in 1884 by J.H. Coombs and Fred Betterfield, erected the first building in the city to be used solely as an armory in 1898. Made of simulated brick, it was located at the corner of High Street and Center Avenue. On May 25, 1900, fire destroyed it and much of the downtown. On July 3, 1900, a committee was formed to build a new armory. The facility was designed by Frank and Thomas Lockwood of Columbus, Georgia and constructed by John H. Hecker. It was completed in 1901 at a cost of $12,000. The replacement armory features real brick walls and a gable roof with a gable parapet. Solid massing of the walls, slit windows, and a corner tower that resembles a medieval watchtower make this an imposing military structure. Fort Coombs is a unique example of “fortress architecture” in Florida, and has served as the military and social nexus of Apalachicola for more than a century. Units stationed here have been mobilized for service in World Wars I and II, the Gulf War and the War with Iraq. Bronze plaques located on the exterior front wall memorialize the names of generations of Apalachicola and Franklin County citizens who have served their State and Nation.
Sponsors: THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AFFAIRS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

FORT GADSDEN

Location:Fort Gadsden State Historic Site
County: Franklin
City: Liberty
Description: Built in 1814 by Lieutenant Colonel Edward Nichols, His Majesty's marines, as a rallying point to encourage the Seminole Indians to ally themselves with England against the United States in the War of 1812. Abandoned after 1814, it was occupied by a band of free Negroes, and was known by 1816 as "The Negro Fort." Its location in Spanish Florida did not deter Major General Andrew Jackson from ordering its elimination as a threat to American commerce on the Apalachicola River. On July 27, 1816, Lieutenant Colonel Duncan L. Clinch, with U.S. forces and 150 Creek Indians, fired on the fort and destroyed it with a "hot shot" cannon ball which exploded in the powder magazine killing all but 30 of 300 occupants. In 1818 General Jackson directed Lieutenant James Gadsden to build "Fort Gadsden" here, in spite of Spanish protests. Confederate troops occupied the fort until July, 1863, when malaria forced its abandonment.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

FRANKLIN COUNTY

Location:U.S. 98 and Avenue C at Courthouse.
County: Franklin
City: Apalachicola
Description: Named for Benjamin Franklin, the county was created in 1832 .Apalachicola, the county seat, which dates back to the times of the Creek Indians, was an important center for cotton trade. The county is noted for agriculture, timber, livestock and sea foods. Franklin County men of note include: Joseph White, territorial delegate to Congress; McQueen McIntosh, fiery secessionist; Dr. John Gorrie, inventor of artificial refrigeration; Alvin Wentworth Chapman, botanist; and Cosam Emir Bartlett, editor.

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH SOUTH

Location:75 5th St.
County: Franklin
City: Apalachicola
Description: First United Methodist Church of Apalachicola was established in 1839 when Reverend Peter Haskew was appointed to serve the St. Joseph and Apalachicola Mission of The Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The original sanctuary, built and dedicated around 1846, was destroyed in 1900 by a fire that devastated the city, burning approximately 70 buildings. The present structure, erected in 1901 on the same site, has been in continual use since that time. The Gothic and Renaissance Revival style was typical of Protestant church architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The sanctuary is constructed of locally harvested black cypress ceiling with yellow pine tongue-and-groove walls and floors. The church building has consistently been included in the annual tour of historical homes held each spring, drawing several hundred people each day, many of whom return later for a leisurely appreciation of the town. The church congregation participates in the annual Florida Seafood Festival, and the structure is used for meetings by Philaco Woman’s Club of Apalachicola, the Girl Scouts and other civic organizations.
Sponsors: THE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

MILLY FRANCIS

Location:Addie Rd. Fort Gadsden State Park
County: Franklin
City: South of Sumatra
Description: Francis the Prophet, whose Indian name was Hillis Hadjo, was an important Creek chief who was forced to leave his home in the Alabama Territory at the end of the Creek War of 1813-14. He established a new town on the Wakulla River several miles above Ft. St. Marks. In 1818, Gen. Andrew Jackson led an army into Spanish Florida to campaign against the restive Seminoles. With the army was a young Georgia militia private named Duncan McKrimmon. While Jackson's forces were at recently constructed Ft. Gadsden in the spring of 1818, McKrimmon went fishing, lost his way, and after several days was captured by Indians from Francis' Town. Duncan McKrimmon was taken to that village where he was stripped and bound to await execution. The younger of Francis' two daughters, a girl of about fifteen named Malee (Anglicized to "Milly"), begged Private McKrimmon's captors to spare his life. This they agreed to do. Instead of being shot, the youth was sold to the Spanish at Ft. St. Marks, who then released him. Not long afterwards, Francis the Prophet was detained by U.S. forces and on April 8, 1818, was hanged at the order of General Jackson. A few months later, Francis' family surrendered themselves along with a number of other Seminoles. They remained at Ft. Gadsden for several weeks awaiting removal to a reservation in the West. Duncan McKrimmon traveled to Ft. Gadsden and out of gratitude offered to marry Milly, but she refused his proposal. Milly went to live in Indian Territory on Arkansas River where she married and had a number of children. In 1842, Lt. Col. E.A. Hitchcock found Milly living there widowed and in poverty. He initiated action which led to the granting in 1844 by Congress of a pension of $96.00 a year and a Congressional medal to Milly. Delays occurred and when the pension was finally activated in 1848, Milly was on her deathbed. There is no evidence that the medal recommended to honor Milly for saving the life of Duncan McKrimmon was ever cast.
Sponsors: Sponsored by department of natural resources in cooperation with department of state

THE RANEY HOUSE

Location:On Ave. F at Market Street.
County: Franklin
City: Apalachicola
Description: During the 1830's, when the cotton port of Apalachicola was rapidly expanding, David G. Raney built a rather plain, Federal style house at this site. Around 1850, a two-story portico and other features of the then popular Greek Revival architectural style were added to that structure. Raney, a native of Virginia, was a prosperous merchant who was prominent in many of the town's civic affairs. His eight children grew up in this home. A son, George Pettus Raney (born in 1845), served in the Confederate Army and then returned to Apalachicola to practice law until his election to the Florida Legislature in 1868. Later, George P. Raney served two Florida governors as Attorney General before becoming first a justice of the Florida Supreme Court and then its Chief Justice, a position he resigned in 1894. He practiced law until his death in 1911. Legend related that ladies of Apalachicola met in the Raney House at the beginning of the Civil War to sew a battle flag for local Confederate troops. Legend also says that Franklin County troops were mustered out of service at the Raney House when the war ended. The Raney House in listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sponsors: sponsored by the apalachicola historic board in cooperation with department of state

TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Location:6th Ave. at Ave. D on church grounds.
County: Franklin
City: Apalachicola
Description: This original structure of white pine had previously been cut into sections in New York and floated by sailing vessel down the Atlantic Coast and around the Florida keys before it was erected on this site. This parish was first organized in 1836 by The Reverend Fitch W. Taylor, Diocese of Maryland, but on February 11, 1837, it was incorporated by the Legislative Council of the Territory of Florida. Vestrymen at the time of the church's incorporation were Colin Mitchel, John Gorrie, E. Wood, George S. Middlebrook, Hiram Nourse, William G. Porter, C.E. Bartlett, Ludlum S. Chittenden, and George Field. Membership rolls include the names of some of Florida's pioneer settlers-Orman, Raney, Grady, Whiteside, Oven Branch, and many others.
Sponsors: Apalachicola Historical Society in Cooperation with Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

WHEN THE RIVER WAS KING!

Location:Park at Water St. between Ave. D and E
County: Franklin
City: Apalachicola
Description: Side 1: History records the first shipment of cotton to leave this Port, arrived New York, 1822. Beginning 1836, forty-three, three- storied brick, Cotton Warehouses and Brokerages lined Apalachicola's waterfront. Their granite-columned facades caused Apalachicola to be known as "The City of Granite Fronts." Cotton receipts were over 55,000 bales per year. By 1840, 130,000 bales of cotton annually left this Port. Foreign and coastwise shipments amounted to between $6,000,000.00 and $8,000,000.00 yearly. Corresponding amounts of merchandise were received for transportation into the interior. Apalachicola was the third largest Cotton Port in the United States. Side 2: The Apalachicola Board of Trade, 1860, in a resounding memorial to Congress, stated: "We are the great depot of the State. We do more business than each and every portion of the State put together. This year we have done $14,000,000.00 worth of business." In that year $13,000.00 was refused for a Water Street lot. Between 1828 and 1928 two hundred and four "Sidewheelers" and "Sternwheelers", Queens of the River, plied this waterway. Long Live The Apalachicola!
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in Cooperation with the City of Apalachicola

WILLIAM AUGUSTUS BOWLES

Location:St. George Island State Park, off of C.R. 300, sou
County: Franklin
City: Eastpoint
Description: During a storm in 1799, the schooner Fox ran aground off the eastern end of St. George Island. On board was William Augustus Bowles, a British citizen and self-styled leader of the Creek-Cherokee nation. Bowles was returning to Florida having escaped after five years as a Spanish prisoner. Bringing gunpowder and bullets, he hoped to re-establish his prominence among the Creeks, drive the Spanish out of Florida, and create an independent Muskogee state under British protection. The Creeks were the most organized of the southern Indians and still controlled much of their territory. Because of Florida's strategic location, the U.S., Spain, Britain, and France were all interested in Bowles' actions. With supplies salvaged from the shipwreck, Bowles paddled up the Apalachicola River to reunite with his Creek family and begin rallying native support. The ship captain and crew camped on the island until rescuers returned them to Jamaica. Bowles and his Creek, Seminole, black, and white followers captured the Spanish fort at St. Marks in 1800 and held it for over a month. Losing control of its only fortification between St. Augustine and Pensacola was an embarrassment to Spain and a sign of its fragile hold on Florida. Britain's peace with France and Spain through the Treaty of Amiens, 1802, removed any hope of British support for Bowles' schemes. Bowles lived among the Creeks until his recapture in 1803, and died in a Cuban prison. Although Bowles' dreams were not realized, he plagued the Spanish for almost two decades, preventing them from maintaining complete military control of Florida.
Sponsors: in memory of historian and professor j. lietch wright, jr.sponsored by the florida historical societyin cooperation with the florida department of state

WORLD WAR II D-DAY TRAINING SITE

Location:Carrabelle Beach & Dog Island
County: Franklin
City: Carrabelle
Description: In late 1943, Carrabelle Beach and Dog Island, while they were a part of Camp Gordon Johnston, were used by the U.S. Army 4th Infantry Division to train for the Normandy Invasion on D-Day, June 6th, 1944. The Amphibious Training Center had been officially closed, but it was reopened and staffed for the purpose of training for this important mission. Although the troops had trained for over three years, the amphibious training conducted on this site was the last step before shipping out to England for the invasion. On D-Day, the first amphibian infantry assault teams to arrive on French soil were from the 4th Infantry Division at Utah Beach. On June 6, 2000, the Camp Gordon Johnston Association extracted a small amount of soil from this site and delivered it to the National 4th Infantry Division Association to be placed in the Association’s monument in Arlington, VA. The U.S. Department of Defense’s World War II Commemoration Committee in 1995 named the Camp Gordon Johnston Association an official “Commemorative Community.”
Sponsors: CAMP GORDON JOHNSTON ASSOCIATION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Gadsden

DEZELL HOUSE

Location:328 E. 8th St.
County: Gadsden
City: Greensboro
Description: The Dezell House was built in 1912 by James A. and Margaret Leila “Maggie” Shepard Dezell. This house, with its Prairie Style architecture and Arts and Crafts features, was their family home for 46 years. James A. Dezell (1867-1937) was born in Chicago, moving from southwestern Missouri to Gadsden County in 1886. James and “Maggie,” a Gadsden County native, married on September 13, 1893. Between 1894 and 1903 they had three sons and two daughters. James and his father, Samuel A. Dezell, were builders. They constructed the Samuel Dezell family house in Mt. Pleasant in 1886. James A. Dezell was the first mayor of the Town of Greensboro, serving several terms following the first organizational meeting on August 13, 1908. The most distinctive aspects of this house’s construction are its closeness to the ground rather than sitting on piers, fine craftsmanship, and windows set in dormers that crown the roofline on each main roof slope and provide light for a skylight in the entry hall. Dezell was evidently very confident in materials and techniques he chose for the house. The Dezell House was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2006, showing his confidence was well placed.
Sponsors: THE WEST GADSDEN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC., THE CAPITAL CITY BANK GROUP FOUNDATION,AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

DR. MALCOLM NICHOLSON HOME

Location:on SR 12, 7.4 miles Northwest of SR 65 between Qui
County: Gadsden
City: Quincy
Description: Located just north of this point is the Dr. Malcolm Nicholson Plantation Home. Built in the 1820's, it is one of the oldest remaining structures in Gadsden County. It is a one-story Gulf coast Cottage, with end-gables and a built-in porch. It rests on brick piers and has a "dog-trot" floor plan in which a covered passage joins two parts of the house. Nicholson was born in the Carolinas in 1790. He moved to Georgia and then to North Florida where, like many frontier practitioners he combined his activities as a physician and planter. He was one of the commissioners who chose Quincy as the county seat of Gadsden County, and a member of the group which selected the site for the Capitol in Tallahassee. Dr. Nicholson was appointed by the citizens of Gadsden County in 1836 to petition the President of the United States for protection against Creek and Seminole raids on the Florida frontier. He was a stockholder in the Union Bank and served that institution as an appraiser. Dr. Nicholson died in 1840 and is buried in the Nicholson Family Cemetery near here.
Sponsors: sponsored by dr. malcolm nicholson descendents in cooperation with department of state

GADSDEN COUNTY

Location:Jefferson Street, between N. Adams and N. Madison St. on Courthouse lawn.
County: Gadsden
City: Quincy
Description: Gadsden, Florida's fifth county, was formed in 1823. It once ran from Georgia to the Gulf of Mexico, from the Suwannee River to the Apalachicola River. Quincy, the county seat, was incorporated in 1828. Previously known as Middle Florida, the new county was named for Capt. James Gadsden, Army Engineer and later diplomat, who campaigned in this area under Andrew Jackson in 1818. Capt. Gadsden designed and built the fort on the Apalachicola River which bears his name, and in 1853 was responsible for the Gadsden Purchase which completed the boundaries of the continental United States. Indian Wars troubled this frontier area until 1840. Before the Civil War the county was noted for cotton, sugar cane, and tobacco. Later farmers also produced rice, wine grapes, livestock, and timber. By 1890 shade-grown Cuban tobacco had become the major industry, with production from field to finished cigar. Such famous brands as White Owl and King Edward were made here. Other important industries include the mining of fuller's earth and the growing to tomatoes. Gadsden County has also provided Governors, Supreme Court Chief Justices, and numerous other high state officials.
Sponsors: sponsored by gadsden county historical commission in cooperation with department of state

JOSHUA DAVIS HOUSE

Location:on the grounds of the Joshua Davis House.
County: Gadsden
City: Mt. Pleasant
Description: In the 1820's, settlers from Georgia, South Carolina and other states came to the new United States Territory of Florida in search of land to homestead. One such frontiersman was Thomas Dawsey, who by 1824 was residing in the Gadsden County area. In 1827 Dawsey purchased the 160 acres upon which this house stands from the United States Public Land Office, a common practice for homesteaders. Another pioneer in the region was Joshua Davis, who brought his family from Laurens County, South Carolina to a farm two miles west of Quincy ca. 1828. He soon moved to the North Mosquito Creek community located about a mile northeast of this site. Between 1830 and 1849, Joshua Davis acquired the Dawsey property and moved with his wife and five children into what would be their permanent home. By 1830, a road had been built through this area from Quincy to the Apalachicola River crossing at Chattahoochee. Stage-coaches carrying mail and passengers through this fertile and well-populated farming region traveled over what was known as "the upper road." Some evidence suggests the Joshua Davis House served as a stage-coach stop and perhaps as a horse-changing station. This house was the focal point of a cotton, tobacco, and corn plantation which by 1859 consisted of 1440 acres of land on which Joshua Davis had as many as 33 slaves, 6 horses, and 135 cattle. A map of 1857 designated this general locality as "Davis." After the death of Joshua Davis in 1859 and of his wife Esther in 1876, the house was occupied by their grand-daughter Esther and her husband Lieut. Mortimer B. Bates, C.S.A. This house has been used as a frontier home, tenant house, and storage facility. It was originally built as a one room, 18' by 27' dressed timber structure with a front porch and a heating-cooking fireplace at the west end. Early alterations included a rear porch, attic sleeping loft, and east room. Joshua Davis enclosed the rear porch into shed rooms opening onto a breezeway, refurbished the interior and exterior with hand-beaded siding, and is thought to have added a separated kitchen in the rear. The additions include several architectural elements not commonly found in Florida. This house, which was still the property of descendants of Joshua Davis at the time of its restoration in 1974, is included on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sponsors: Sponsored by David A. Avant, jr. and George Davis Avant in cooperation with department of state

OLD PHILADELPHIA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Location:Approx 4 miles North of Quincy on CR-272
County: Gadsden
City: Quincy
Description: Presbyterians came to this area from Georgia and the Carolinas as early as 1822. These worshippers built Philadelphia, a log meeting house, in 1828. It was served by itinerant ministers until 1832, when the Reverend Leander Kerr arrived. The log structure was replaced in 1859 by the present building, Gadsden County's oldest remaining meeting house. Philadelphia served until 1912 as a house of worship, a place of education, and a center of community life. Many Presbyterian churches in Florida and southern Georgia trace their origins to Philadelphia.
Sponsors: sponsored by old philadelphia endowment association in cooperation with department of state

OLD WASHINGTON LODGE No. 2 - QUINCY'S WOMAN'S CLUB

Location:King Street and Calhoun Street intersection
County: Gadsden
City: Quincy
Description: Settlers in the new U.S. territory of Florida (created in 1821) who were members of the Masonic order soon established lodges in their new communities. Washington Lodge No. 2, Free and Accepted Masons, created in 1828 was among the first Florida lodges. A Masonic building constructed in 1832 served the lodge as well as the community as a meeting place until it was destroyed by a storm in 1851. Construction of a new brick building began the next year and was completed by 1854. It was erected by Charles Waller, a Gadsden County builder-designer who constructed several other brick buildings in the Quincy area. For over half a century, the Washington Lodge hall was the scene of community activities. Although the appearance of the building has been changed by alterations including the addition of an exterior coat of stucco, it retains much of its original character. In 1922, the Masons acquired new quarters and the old lodge building became the property of the Quincy Woman's Club. Under its auspices, the Old Washington Lodge has continued to serve the cultural needs of Quincy. In 1975, the structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Sponsors: sponsored by the quincy woman's club in cooperation with department of state

ROCKY COMFORT PLANTATION

Location:SR 65B and 267
County: Gadsden
City: Wetumpka
Description: Near this site stood Rocky Comfort, the plantation home of Bryan Croom, a native of North Carolina who settled in Gadsden County in 1826 with his family and slaves. Croom cultivated cotton and prospered to such an extent that he became on the largest landholders in middle Florida. In addition to his holdings in Gadsden, Croom owned Goodwood Plantation near Tallahassee. He was the brother of Hardy Bryan Croom, discoverer of the Florida Torreya tree.

SITE OF ELLICOTT'S OBSERVATORY

Location:At intersection of Pearl and High Streets
County: Gadsden
City: Chattahoochee
Description: At the end of the American Revolutionary War in 1783, Florida was returned to Spain after twenty years of British control. Controversy soon arose over the exact location of the boundary between Spanish Florida and the state of Georgia. In 1795, Spain and the United States signed the Treaty of San Lorenzo, an agreement fixing the boundary in question at the thirty-first parallel and providing a survey to be made to determine the exact location of that line. In May, 1796, President George Washington appointed Andrew Ellicott, a mathematician and experienced surveyor, as the American Commissioner for the survey. After much delay, work got underway in June, 1798. A party of Spanish and American surveyors carrying with them a large accumulation of apparatus required for making astronomical and land measurements began the task of determining the exact boundary line. By August, 1799, the group had reached the Chattahoochee River. On August 23, they selected a site near the mouth of the Flint Rivr as a campsite. Near this marker, an observatory was set up. Here Ellicott made his calculations until difficutly arose with Indians residing in the area. On September 18, 1799, ellicott abandoned the camp and departed for East Florida to complete the survey.
Sponsors: Sponsored by gadsden county historical commission in cooperation with department of state

SITE OF FIRST GADSDEN COUNTY COURTHOUSE

Location:U. S. 90 at Camilla St. on grounds of Talquin Elec
County: Gadsden
City: Quincy
Description: This antebellum home is related in style to the early Louisiana plantation houses of the lower Mississippi Valley. Designed to cope with the heat and dampness of the climate, its main living quarters were on the second floor. It rests on land once owned by Robert Forbes, first Gadsden County sheriff, whose house served as a county courthouse in the early 1820's. Later in the nineteenth century, the property passed into the hands of Hector and William Bruce, grandnephews of Forbes. In 1956, it was purchased by the Quincy Garden Club, and in 1972 was acquired by Talquin Electric Cooperative, Inc. who undertook complete restoration.
Sponsors: Talquin Electric Cooperative, Inc. in Cooperation with Department of State

SOLDIERS CEMETERY

Location:344 E. Jefferson St.
County: Gadsden
City: Quincy
Description: Gadsden County and the town of Quincy served the war effort of the Confederate States of America in many ways. Quincy served as a crossroads and a military center of activity through the four years of conflict. As a military center and commissary, everything from socks to beef were provided the units. In times of emergency hospitals were established in public buildings, churches and private homes. The needs of the sick, wounded and dying were tended by the Ladies Aid Society which in April 1868 became the Ladies Confederate Memorial Association. Soldiers Cemetery was established early in the war years for a final resting place for those who had no family here or were too far from home to be returned to their loved ones. The Ladies Memorial Association worked hard to preserve the memory of the Southern Soldier even though most of the markers and names of those buried here were lost. For years, in the springtime, the association held Confederate Memorial Day ceremonies at this site. Mrs. John Lawrence, President of the association from 1892-1900, raised $1,200 to erect the first iron fence around this “Soldiers Cemetery.”
Sponsors: THE SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

ST. PAULS EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Location:10 West King Street
County: Gadsden
City: Quincy
Description: The earliest Episcopal Services were performed in Quincy in 1834 and Jackson Kemper was the first bishop to visit in 1838. St. Paul's Parish was organized and the first Vestry was elected in the same year. In 1839, the parish joined the Diocese of Florida and was incorporated by act of the Florida Territorial Legislature on February 28, 1839. The first church was erected on this site in 1839 and was consecrated on February 21, 1841, by James H. Otey, Bishop of Tennessee. The present structure is the second church building. It was erected in 1892, enlarged in 1914, remodeled in 1928, and enlarged again with a cloister and parish hall in 1951. The St. Paul's Episcopal Church is the oldest church in continuous use in the City of Quincy.
Sponsors: St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Cooperation with the Florida Department of State

THE QUINCY ACADEMY

Location:North Adams and King Streets
County: Gadsden
City: Quincy
Description: The Quincy Academy was incorporated in 1832 and was probably established as early as 1830. Private educational institutions were common in newly settled frontier areas. Education was provided at reasonable rates by the"Male Academy" and the "Female Institute." The original school building (located northeast of this site) burned in 1849, and in 1850, plans were made for the construction of a new academy. The Classic Revival building was soon completed and, with a brief interruption during the Civil War, continued to serve the educational needs of the Quincy community until 1912. During the next several decades, the old Quincy Academy building was utilized as a temporary courthouse, library, church meetinghouse, child-care center, and kindergarten. In 1931, the Quincy Woman's Club Library began to serve the public from quarters in the Academy. During the 1950's, the building was restored and renovated. In 1974, this structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, a fitting tribute to its long service to cultural needs of the Quincy community.
Sponsors: sponsored by the quincy woman's club in cooperation with the department of state

THE QUINCY STATE BANK

Location:Washington St. at N. Adams St. on wall of Bank.
County: Gadsden
City: Quincy
Description: Pioneer commercial banking house in Gadsden County, E.P. Dismukes, President, opened 20 August 1889, under State Charter No. 1, issued twelve days earlier under the Act creating a State Banking System; original capital, $60,000. Became strong institution under Mark W. ("Pat") Munroe, President 1892-1940. Deposits one million dollars, 1919; doors never closed during Bank Crisis 1933; resources fourteen millions, 1964. Present building constructed and occupied 1961, under James J. Love, Chairman of Board.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in Cooperation with the Quincy State Bank

THE WHITE HOUSE / PLEASANTS WOODSON WHITE

Location:on W. King St. at Madison St.(S.R. 65)
County: Gadsden
City: Quincy
Description: Side 1: This house was constructed during the early 1840's for Joseph Leonard Smallwood. At that time, it was a one and one-half story structure. In 1849, Pleasants Woodson White married Smallwood's niece, Emily, and purchased the property. He had the house enlarged in 1856; it was remodeled in the Classical Revival style at the same time. The house is an excellent example of the style. Its matching porticos supported by Doric columns give it a dignified balance. The Whites were an active Quincy family. P.W. White served the Confederacy as Chief Commissary Officer for Florida and was politically active after the Civil War. Emily White organized and served as president of the Ladies Aid Society during the war, nursing and providing necessities to wounded soldiers. She was also involved in Methodist Church activities. The house, which was the White family home until 1921, has since served as the parsonage of Centenary Methodist Church. The White House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 16, 1973. Side 2: White was born in Georgia in 1820, the son of a Methodist minister who soon moved his family to Quincy. Young White studied at Emory and began practicing law in Quincy in 1848. He was commissioned a major in the Confederate Army in 1861 and, as Chief Commissary Officer for Florida, commanded the important depot at Quincy. In 1863, despite his attempts at secrecy, White's difficulties in supplying beef cattle to the army became known. The shortages thus revealed influenced the military campaign of 1864. White became active in politics after the war and served as Judge of the Second Judicial Circuit, 1869-79. He also served as Commissioner of Lands and Immigration from 1881 to 1885, a period of railroad expansion in which his office was deeply involved. He became an attorney for the Florida Coast Line Canal and transport Company, which controlled vast acreage near Miami. White became an ardent booster of the South Florida climate and divided his last years between his citrus groves in Lemon city and his civic and business interests in Quincy. He died in 1919.
Sponsors: sponsored by centenary united methodist church in cooperation with department of state

UNITED STATES ARSENAL (1832-1861)

Location:Corner of E. Washington and Maple
County: Gadsden
City: Chattahoochee
Description: One-half mile to the north are the remains of the United States Arsenal erected by the United States Army Ordnance under an Act of Congress passed in 1832. The arsenal proper consisted of various buildings erected so that their exterior walls formed a quadrangle of four square acres. All the brick were made in the vicinity and construction was begun in 1834. It served as an arsenal of deposit prior to the Civil War, when it was seized by the Confederacy and used as a Camp of Instruction. Following the Civil War the Federal Government gave it to the Freedman Bureau in 1866. The buildings were given to the State of Florida in 1869 for use as a prison. It was placed in service as a mental institution in 1876.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in Cooperation with Florida Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc.

GREENSBORO DEPOT

Location:115 Duffle Avenue
County: Gadsden
City: Greensboro
Description: The Apalachicola Northern Railroad (ANRR) opened to rail traffic in 1907, serving as the first north-south rail line connecting existing railroads at River Junction (Chattahoochee) and the port at Apalachicola. In 1910, the railroad was extended to Port St. Joe. Along the 96-mile line, forest resources were harvested and the area teemed with sawmills and turpentine stills. The rail line provided a more reliable method of transportation for passengers and goods versus the boats that plied the Apalachicola River. The Greensboro Depot was constructed in 1907 by ANRR and served as the principal transportation hub for this community until 1966. Greensboro began as a railroad junction, and developed into an incorporated community in 1911. The Greensboro Depot is the last surviving depot on the ANRR. Originally located between the main and side tracks one block south, it was sold to a private individual in 1966, moved one block, and remodeled into a barber shop. Threatened by demolition, the old depot was again saved and moved to this location in 2007. The building was restored by the West Gadsden Historical Society, Inc. and houses the Greensboro Depot Railroad Museum.

ARNETT CHAPEL AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Location:209 South Duval Street
County: Gadsden
City: Quincy
Description: The Arnett Chapel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, affectionately known as "The Nett," was established in 1866 but can trace its beginnings to 1865. This historical church is the oldest surviving African American congregation in Quincy and Gadsden County. The congregation was admitted to the AME’s General Conference in 1866 by the Rev. Charles H. Pearce, Acting Bishop for Florida, and the Rev. Benjamin Quinn was appointed as the first minister to serve the congregation. Early services were held in people’s homes or brush arbors. The congregation purchased property for a permanent church building from Brister Gunn, a free black man in Quincy. Constructed in 1898, the first church edifice was a simple white frame structure. It was named after Bishop Benjamin W. Arnett, the presiding AME Bishop in Florida from 1888-1892. In 1939, the current brick edifice was designed in the Gothic Revival style and built under the direction of the Rev. D. A. Russell, who had extensive knowledge of architecture and building construction. A parsonage was built in the early 1960s. The ethnic heritage and architecture of Arnett Chapel AME Church remain historically significant to the community.
Sponsors: The Rt. Rev. Adam J. Richardson, Presiding Bishop, Rev. Lee E. Plummer, Presiding Elder, Rev. Bernard E. Hudson, Senior Minister, Rev. Alicia M. Hudson, Assoc. Minister, Rev. Henry R. Griffin, Ret. Presiding Elder, Stewards, Trustees, and Members of the Arnett Chapel A.M. E. Church

OLD GRETNA SCHOOL HOUSE

Location:722 Church St.
County: Gadsden
City: Quincy
Description: In the late 1800’s the railroad pushed further west into Gadsden County. A settlement was established in Gretna in 1897 by the Humphrey Company. After Gretna was platted as a town in 1905 there was a desire to have a school in the town limits. One of the men who settled the area was W. P. Humphrey. In 1908, he along with his wife Sarah M. Humphrey and J.W. Mahaffey and his wife Addie Mahaffey deeded the land for the school to the Board of Public Instruction for $100. R.A. Gray, who later became Florida’s longest serving Secretary of State, was a principal here from 1910-1911. The building served as a school until 1935. Since the old school was closed, many students and teachers relate experiences and stories in loving memory of their lives at the Gretna School in times of long ago. The school has since been used as a health clinic, town hall, community center, and for church related activities. It has been a part of the history of Gretna from the beginning. Many lives have been touched by this building and we the trustees of the W.P. Humphrey Club, A. Walter Watson, Jr., W.A. Johnson, and Sterling L. Watson are honored to preserve for future generations this monument of our past
Sponsors: W.P. Humphrey Club and the Florida Department of State

PAT MUNROE HOUSE

Location:204 East Jefferson Street
County: Gadsden
City: Quincy
Description: Mark Welch, "Mr. Pat Munroe" built the Pat Munroe House for his first wife, Edith Adelaide Walker, in 1893. The couple had 10 children before her death in 1896. Mr. Pat later married Mary Frances Gray in 1912. Eight children were born from this union. Mr. Pat was the son of William Munroe, an immigrant from Inverness, Scotland. Serving for 50 years as president of the Quincy State Bank, Mr. Pat was reguarded as a prominent and respected businessman. His family occupied the house until 1972, after which John Welch Bates , a grandson of Mr. Pat, purchased the home from the estate of Mary C. Munroe. The home was then donated to the City of Quincy. The Quincy Garden Club has leased the home since that time. The Pat Munroe House is built of heart of pine in an unadorned Victorian style. Notable features of the house include stained glass windows, sculptured mantels, and plaster ceiling medallions. The basic structure of the house has not changed since 1893. The grounds, however, have gone from a farm-like atmosphere with chickens , a cow and vegetable garden , to a well landscaped area with camillias, azealeas and other plants of interest.
Sponsors: The City of Quincy and The Fl. Dept .of State

APALACHICOLA ARSENAL OFFICER'S QUARTERS AND GUARD ROOM

Location:100 North Main Street
County: Gadsden
City: Chattahoochee
Description: The Apalachicola Arsenal, originally known as the Mt. Vernon Arsenal, was built by the United States Army and served as an arms depot during the Second Seminole Indian War. Construction began in 1832, and was completed in 1839. The original compound consisted of nine buildings in a 400 ft. x 400 ft. quadrangle behind a 12-foot-high, 30-inch-thick perimeter wall, plus other outbuildings. The U.S. Army maintained the arsenal until 1861, when it was taken over by Confederate troops. Following the Civil War, the arsenal was used by the Freedman’s Bureau until 1868, and then as the state’s first penitentiary. In 1876, it became the first mental health hospital in Florida. This structure incorporates three of the arsenal’s original buildings: an office, guard room, and officer’s quarters. It later served as the hospital administrator’s residence. The building features a two-story gallery ornamented by decorative brackets. Although portions of the gallery have been enclosed, the building retains much of its imposing historic appearance. Segments of the original perimeter wall are visible at both ends of this building.
Sponsors: The Florida State Hospital, the Department of Children and Families and the Florida Department of State

APALACHICOLA ARSENAL POWDER MAGAZINE

Location:100 North Main Street
County: Gadsden
City: Chattahoochee
Description: The Apalachicola Arsenal, originally known as the Mt. Vernon Arsenal, was built by the United States Army and served as an arms depot during the Second Seminole Indian War. Construction began in 1832, and was completed in 1839. The original compound consisted of nine buildings in a 400 ft. x 400 ft. quadrangle behind a 12-foot-high, 30-inch-thick perimeter wall, plus other outbuildings. The U.S. Army maintained the arsenal until 1861, when it was taken over by Confederate troops. Following the Civil War, the arsenal was used by the Freedman’s Bureau until 1868, and then as the state’s first penitentiary. In 1876, it became the first mental health hospital in Florida. This structure, built as a gunpowder storage building or “powder magazine,” is one of the arsenal’s original outbuildings and the only one to survive. It originally had a hip roof and a single doorway located in the south wall, and was surrounded by a high brick containment wall. Over time, the Florida State Hospital used the structure as a coffin factory, carpenter shop, sewing center, and mattress factory. After undergoing numerous alterations and a period of neglect and abandonment, the building’s restoration was completed in 2013.
Sponsors: The Florida State Hospital, the Department of Children and Families and the Florida Department of State

Glades

HURRICANE OF 1928

Location:8898 W SR 78 SW
County: Glades
City: Moore Haven
Description: The Okeechobee Hurricane of 1928 was the most deadly hurricane ever to strike the state of Florida. An estimated 2,500 persons in South Florida died when the storm came ashore on September 16, 1928, near the Jupiter Lighthouse, and traveled west across Palm Beach County to Lake Okeechobee. Many of the hurricane’s fatalities, most of them migrant farm workers, occurred when the Lake Okeechobee dike was overwhelmed and the populated south side of the lake was flooded with a fifteen-to-twenty-foot storm surge. The floodwaters carried victims and survivors as far as ten miles from the lakeshore along nearly the entire south half of the lake, from Moore Haven to Pahokee. Noted Florida writer Zora Neale Hurston used the events surrounding the tragedy in her 1937 novel, “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” as she described the recovery and burial of the dead. The Ortona Cemetery contains the unmarked graves of several hundred victims of the 1928 hurricane, as well as victims of the 1926 hurricane that devastated Glades County. Several hundred African-American victims of the Okeechobee Hurricane were buried in a mass grave in the City of West Palm Beach’s pauper cemetery.
Sponsors: Representatives Denise Grimsley 2004-2012, Joseph R. Spratt 1996-2004, Florida House of Representatives, District 77, and the Florida Department of State

"LONE CYPRESS" AND EVERGLADES DRAINAGE

Location:Riverside Drive, near Three Mile Canal
County: Glades
City: Moore Haven
Description: Shortly after Florida became a state in 1845, its leaders began to consider draining the swampy areas of south Floirda to create prime farm land as an inducement to settlement. In 1850 Florida received title to all swamp and overflowed lands within its borders, but the young state did not have the funds to undertake drainage. Finally in 1881 the state convinced a wealthy northerner, Hamilton Disston, to drain the Everglades in return for half of the acreage he could reclaim. One of his projects was to improve the Caloosahatchee River and connect it with Lake Okeechobee by a canal which enters the lake near here. A lone cypress tree standing at the entrance to this canal served as a navigational aid for boatmen using the new waterways. Early in the twentieth century the town of Moore Haven, named for its founder James A. Moore, grew up around the "Lone Cypress" and the canal entrance. By this time the state itself had assumed responsibility for drainage, and in 1917-18 it constructed a lock at the canal entrance. In recent years state and federal governments have cooperated on the related problems of drainage, flood control and navigation. As a result, the Caloosahatchee Canal and River have been continually maintained and improved.
Sponsors: sponsored by calusa valley historical society in cooperation with department of state

Gulf

FLORIDA'S FIRST RAILROAD

Location:U.S. 98, East Port St. Joe
County: Gulf
City: Port St. Joe
Description: Florida's first railroad was constructed for the Lake Wimico & St. Joseph Canal & Railroad Company. Work began in 1835 and the first train ran in March 1836. The line extended nine miles from St. Joseph to Lake Wimico. The state's first steam locomotive was added in 1837. Economic distress, shallow lake waters, and a yellow fever epidemic combined to cause the abandonment of the line in 1839 and the decline of St. Joseph by 1840.

FORT CREVECOEUR / FORT CREVECOEUR ABANDONED

Location:U. S. 98 at Columbus Street.
County: Gulf
City: St. Joseph Beach
Description: Side 1: In 1717, on this site, the French began erecting Fort Crevecoeur within Spanish domain. On February 8, 1718, Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne de Bienville, acting Governor of Louisiana, dispatched his brother, Lemoyne de Chateague, to complete this Fort. By May 12, the French occupied St. Joseph's Bay. Chateague reported to Bienville completion, on the mainland, opposite St. Joseph Point, the stockaded Fort Crevecoeur with four bastions and garrisoned. Simultaneously Juan Pedro Matamoros de Ysla, Governor of Spanish Florida, at Pensacola, indignantly protested this usurpation as St. Joseph's Bay belonged to Spain by earlier discovery and previous settlement. Side 2: The French Colonial Council, with unanimous discretion decided to burn Fort Crevecoeur and abandon St. Joseph's Bay. On August 20, Spanish Captain, Joseph Primo De Rivera, reported to the Spanish Governorship, at St. Augustine, the French had retired from their invasion. Whereupon Rivera was ordered to command St. Joseph's Bay. By March 10, 1719, Don Gregorio de Salinas Varona had been transferred to the Spanish Governorship of St. Joseph's Bay.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Historic of Parks and Historic Memorials in Cooperation with the Gulf County Historical Commission

FORT PLACE - ST. JOESEPH & IOLA RAILROAD

Location:South of Wewahitchka on S.R. 71
County: Gulf
City: Wewahitchka
Description: Fort Place, forerunner of Wewahitchka, located one-quarter mile East was constructed in the early 1830's as a refuge from hostile Indians. It consisted of a hewn log blockhouse equipped with portholes for firearms, and was enclosed within a two acre stockade. No remains of Fort Place are visible today. The St. Joseph and Iola Railroad, completed in 1839, was the third railroad to use steam locomotives in Florida, and was the longest in Territorial Florida.
Sponsors: In Cooperation with Gulf County Historical Commission

No Title/ Listed as "BURIAL REGISTER" and "OLD ST. JOESEPH CEMETERY

Location:off of Garrison Ave.(C.R. 384) in Old St. Joe Ceme
County: Gulf
City: Port St. Joe
Description: The following persons are believed to be buried here: Dr. Thomas H. Thompson, native of Charlestown, Editor of the "Apalachicola Advertiser" - 1840 George Clark, of Boston-1841 Henry Langley, of Georgetown, Washington, D.C.- 1844 Captain George L.L. Kupfer, of Boston - 1840 Patrick McDonough and son John of Sligo, Ireland - 1841 William P. Broughton, son of George and Ann Broughton - 1850 Robert H. Stewart - 1837 Jacob A. Blackwell and his sister Amelia - 1841 Mrs. John Richards and her two children, Agnes and John Hon. Richard C. Allen, Calhoun County Delegate to St. Joseph Convention Mrs. Nancy Duval, wife of Ex-Governor W.P. Duval Mrs. George T. Ward and Georgianna, wife and daughter of Major G.T. Ward Mrs. S.S. Sibley, wife of S.S. Sibley, Editor of "The Floridian Mrs. Fleming Hixon, wife of Fleming Hixon, Att'y and Agt., Union Bank Dr. E.R. Gibson, Associate-Editor of the United State Telegraph, Washington, D.C. Thomas Bertrum, former Secretary of St. Joseph and Lake Wimico Railroad Mr. and Mrs. Moses, mother and father of Ralph G. Moses Bro. Hamilton, of the Methodist-Episcopal St. Joseph Station Bro. Seely, of the Methodist-Episcopal St. Joseph Station Editor Joseph B. Webb, Proprietor of the Florida Journal - 1841
Sponsors: St. Joseph Historical Society, City of Port St. Joe, Gulf County Historical Commission and the Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

SAINT JOESEPH CEMETERY

Location:S.R. 384A.
County: Gulf
City: Port St. Joe
Description: This site is one of three cemeteries of Saint Joseph. Many persons interred here were victims of yellow fever which plagued the city throughout July and August, 1841, causing its depopulation and abandonment. The dread disease, sparing neither rich nor poor, was brought into port by sailing ship from the Greater Antilles. Here many prominent territorial Florida statesmen, journalists and merchants succumbed. No markers remain of those buried in trenches.
Sponsors: In Cooperation with the Gulf County Historical Commission

SHIPYARD COVE

Location:Monument Ave.(U.S. 98)& 5th St. in 1st Union Bank
County: Gulf
City: Port St. Joe
Description: With completion of St. Joseph & Lake Wimico Railroad, 1836, movement of cotton to shipside at St. Joseph, from the foremost cotton producing territory in the world, began here, thence to domestic and foreign ports. As a result, the young village soon became metropolitan. For this extensive operation a large shipyard was established. Site recorded, Lieutenant L.M. Powell, Government Survey, St. Joseph Bay, 1841.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in Cooperation with Gulf County Historical Commission

ST. JOSEPH CONFEDERATE SALTWORKS

Location:C.R. 30E, 1.1 miles north of C.R. 30A, south of St
County: Gulf
City: Port St. Joe
Description: A major Confederate saltworks, with daily capacity of 150 bushels, before completion, was located 200 feet north. Brick foundations were salvaged from ruins of the Old City of St. Joseph. Salt processed by evaporation of seawater was one of Florida's two chief contributions to the Confederacy. These saltworks destroyed September 8, 1862, by U.S.S. Kingfisher, by bombardment and landing party action. Destruction of Confederate saltworks was a comparable blow "to the Southern cause as the fall of Charleston."
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in Cooperation with Gulf County Historical Commission

Hamilton

WHITE SPRINGS

Location:U.S. 41 between Kendrick & Wesson Streets. In 2002 moved to a spot near South Hamilton Elementary, 16693 Spring St. The marker is situated near a water tower which is near the school.
County: Hamilton
City: White Springs
Description: These sulphur springs were thought to have medicinal properties and were considered sacred by the Indians. Warriors wounded in battle reputedly were not attacked when they came here to recuperate. Settlers moved into the vicinity in 1826 and the springs became an antebellum resort noted for natural beauty and good cuisine. The village was a refuge during the War Between the States and many planters brought their families and slaves here for safety.

FLORIDA BRANCH RAILROAD

Location:Central Avenue Median
County: Hamilton
City: Jasper
Description: After the Civil War began in 1861, it became critical for the Confederacy to have north and south running railroads to connect existing Florida and Georgia lines to bypass Union blockades at Florida ports. The Confederate government ordered construction of a 49-mile rail line between Live Oak on the Pensacola & Georgia rail line in Suwannee County, Florida, and the Atlantic & Gulf Railroad line in Lawton (Dupont), Georgia. By 1862, the roadbed was mostly complete, along with bridges across the Suwannee and Alapaha Rivers, but the lack of available iron for rails stopped construction. After the David Levy Yulee Florida Railroad from Fernandina to Cedar Key was partially destroyed during the war, the Confederacy authorized removal of rails from that line to complete the north-south line. The line was not completed until March 1865, one month before the Confederate army surrendered at Appomattox, Virginia. The Florida Branch, as the north-south line was known, led to the establishment of the towns of Live Oak and Jasper. The line eventually became part of the Plant System and then the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. The Florida Branch Railroad was abandoned, and its rails were removed by the late 1980s.
Sponsors: Potash Corp- White Springs, FL

Hendry

FORT THOMPSON

Location:SR 80 near Collingswood Pkwy
County: Hendry
City: La Belle
Description: LaBelle's history begins here, along the Caloosahatchee River, on this old Fort Thompson site. Fort Thompson began c.1838 as a military post during the 2nd Seminole War, named for Lt. Colonel Alexander Thompson, who died in the battle of Okeechobee in 1837. The Confederates used the site during the Civil War to raise cattle for their troops. In 1879, former Confederate Captain Francis Asbury Hendry (1833-1917) acquired the property, making it his home in 1889. He established a cattle ranch and soon the town of LaBelle grew along its western boundary. In 1885, steamboat service carried passengers from Fort Myers to Fort Thompson, and in 1912, when LaBelle became a port on Florida's Intracoastal Waterway, it became a river paradise. In 1905, Edgar Everett Goodno (1858-1936) purchased Fort Thompson and built an ice plant and an electric plant to serve a growing population. By the end of the decade, the former fort had become the cattle and citrus town now known as LaBelle. Thomas Edison was known to have visited LaBelle, staying at the Fort Thompson Hotel. In 1924, Henry Ford purchased part of Goodno's property. It remained in Ford's name until 1942 when he sold it to one of Captain Hendry's cousins, Joseph B. Hendry.
Sponsors: the Labelle Heritage Museum, a chapter of the Calusa Valley Historical Society and the Florida Department of State

DOWNTOWN LA BELLE HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:Corner of Park Ave and Bridge St.
County: Hendry
City: La Belle
Description: In 1895, prominent landowner and cattleman Captain Francis A. Hendry (1833-1917) platted a townsite at LaBelle, which was first settled as a center for cattle and citrus industries. A post office, general store, school, and a church were eventually built, and LaBelle became the first town and commercial center in what became Hendry County. Although Hendry is credited with settling LaBelle, E.E. Goodno (1858-1936), who purchased Hendry’s former land holdings in 1903 and financed many of the town’s first improvements, is recognized as the “Father of LaBelle.” LaBelle’s historic business district extends along and near Bridge Street from the Caloosahatchee River south to Hickpockee Avenue. At one time, both sides of the street were lined with commercial establishments, some of which featured living accommodations on the second floor. Sadly, many early downtown buildings were destroyed in a 1928 fire, but some have survived, including the Poole Store (1911), First Bank of LaBelle (1925), the Royal Poinciana/Newcomb Bakery (1911-1912--one of the buildings constructed for both commercial and residential use). The Downtown LaBelle Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sponsors: CITY OF LABELLE AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

FORT DENAUD

Location:S.R. 78-A at Caloosahatchee River bridge
County: Hendry
City: La Belle
Description: The combined pressure of growing white settlement in Florida and federal policy of relocating Indian tribes west of the Mississippi sparked the outbreak of the 2nd Seminole War in 1835. Controlling the coasts and campaigning in the heart of Seminole lands were the objectives of Major General Thomas Jesup in 1837. Captain B. L. E. Bonneville established Fort Denaud in 1838 as one of a series of posts linking American operations south of Tampa to the east coast. It was constructed on the south bank of the Caloosahatchee River 27 miles from Fort Myers on land owned by Pierre Danaud, a French Indian trader. The fort consisted of tents with a blockhouse in their midst. It served as a supply depot for troops in the Lake Okeechobee area and was utilized intermittently until the war ended in 1842. Fort Denaud was reopened in 1855, soon after the outbreak of the 3rd Seminole War. Additions included company quarters, hospital, guardhouse, sutler's store and stables. A few months after a fire ravaged the post in June 1856, another site on the north bank of the river tow miles west was chosen. The fort, which was abandoned in May 1858, gave its name to the nearby town of Denaud.
Sponsors: sponsored by calusa valley historical society in cooperation with department of state

Hernando

CHINSEGUT HILL

Location:22495 Chinsegut Hill Road
County: Hernando
City: Brooksville
Description: In 1842, South Carolinian Bird M. Pearson staked a claim on 5,000 acres and called it Tiger Tail Hill, one of the few surviving plantations in Florida and the one of the oldest houses in Hernando County. Pearson built the manor house’s east wing in 1847 and later residents expanded it, beginning in 1852. He raised citrus, cattle, and sugarcane. In 1904 Chicago residents Raymond (1873-1954) and Margaret Drier (1868-1945) Robins purchased the property and named it Chinsegut Hill, an Inuit word meaning a place where lost things are found. The estate served as a retreat from the couple’s tireless activism on behalf of workers, women, and the poor. Guests entertained here included Thomas Edison, Senator and Mrs. Claude Pepper, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, J.C. Penney and Helen Keller. During the Great Depression, the Robinses suffered severe losses and donated Chinsegut to the federal government, collaborating with the Department of Agriculture on an experimental station to benefit Florida farmers. In return, the couple could live there until their deaths. New Deal workers improved the property and built two cabins in 1933. In 1958, the University of South Florida acquired the property for use as a conference center.
Sponsors: THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

FORT KING ROAD

Location:along S.R. 50. (See Comments)
County: Hernando
City: Ridge Manor
Description: Shortly after Florida became a U.S. Territory, Fort Brooke was constructed at the mouth of the Hillsborough River and Fort King was established near the present site of Ocala. In 1825, work was begun by the federal government on an overland route connecting those fortifications. This "Military Road" was improved and soon was known as the "Fort King Road." It was an important transportation and communication link during the Second Seminole War (1835-42), a conflict over the removal of Indians from Florida. This route remained a vital mail and wagon road during the 19th century development of central Florida. Presently, U.S. Highway 301 crosses the course of one of the oldest major roads in Florida, the Fort King Road.
Sponsors: sponsored by Hernando County historical commission in cooperation with department of state

GRAVE OF CHARLOTTE WYNN PYLES CRUM

Location:Spece 2, tier 3, lot 18, Brooksville Cemetery
County: Hernando
City: Brooksville
Description: One of the area’s early white settlers, Charlotte Crum is the first known burial in the Brooksville Cemetery. Her death occurred immediately following the Second Seminole War (1835-1842), and is symbolic of the epic collision that occurred in Florida as diverse cultures struggled for control of the expanding American frontier. Born 1792 near Savannah, Georgia, Charlotte married Col. Samuel Robert Pyles who in 1824 moved his family to what later became Alachua County, Florida. Following Pyles’s 1837 death, Charlotte married Richard R. Crum who secured this portion of land through the Armed Occupation Act of 1842, settling at Chuccochattie, less than one mile south. While traveling nearby September 12, 1842, Charlotte, her daughter Rebecca Harn, granddaughter Mary Catherine Harn and escort John Francis McDonnell were fired upon by a party of Seminoles who were unaware of the war’s end and evidently retaliating for recent aggressive acts by white settlers eager to remove the area’s native population. In the ensuing struggle, all escaped but Charlotte, who was killed and whose death received sensationalized attention. She is buried here, less than one-eighth mile from her home in a grave once entombed with brick.
Sponsors: THE HERNANDO HISTORICAL MUSEUM ASSOCIATION, INC. AN D THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

HERNANDO COUNTY

Location:U.S. 41 at Courthouse in Brooksville.
County: Hernando
City: Brooksville
Description: Hernando County originally embraced Hernando, Pasco, and Citrus counties. It was created by the Territorial Legislature in 1843 and named for Hernando DeSoto. In 1844, its name was changed to Benton County in honor of Senator Thomas Hart Benton of Missouri, but his moderation during the Missouri Compromise caused extremists in the legislature to change the name back to Hernando. DeSoto, now Brooksville, was the first county seat. The present boundaries of the county were set in 1887.

GARDEN GROVE

Location:Broad Street (US 41) on the Northeast Corner of Stromberg Avenue
County: Hernando
City: Brooksville
Description: Side One: Garden Grove was carved out of the Chocochatti Hammock, first inhabited by the Upper Creek Nation and then by pioneer families such as the Hopes and Crums. The area remained largely undeveloped up to the 1920s. By that time, the Florida Land Boom, which started in West Palm Beach and Miami, had spread to the west coast of Florida. Many real estate companies were created and bought large tracts of land with the intention of luring new residents and businesses, along with investors interested in land speculation. Developments such as Hickory Hill, Russell-Hale Heights, Mundon Hill Farms, Dixie Acres, Nobleton, Mountain Park, and Masaryktown sprang up from 1924 through 1926 in Hernando County. One such enterprise was Garden Grove, platted in 1924 and surveyed by G.D. and H.D. Mendenhall, Civil Engineers. Garden Grove originally contained some 13,000 acres with plans for over 1,600 residential, commercial, and small farm lots. It was bounded by the Tampa Northern Railroad on the east and bisected by a portion of the first state road, No. 5 (later US 41) on the west. Plans included a city square and lakeside park, as well as a grand main street called Station Boulevard leading to the train depot. Side Two: Advertisements in newspapers promised a holiday atmosphere and described an idyllic environment. A mobile and newly affluent middle class with leisure time sought to speculate and turn investments into quick profits, often quadrupling them within a year. As a large influx of new residents was expected, the county built roads to Garden Grove from Spring Lake and Aripeka. A bus route from Tampa to Garden Grove began along with passenger train service. By 1926, some of the planned roads were laid out and a number of homes constructed. The Methodist-Episcopal Church South became the first house of worship. A one-room school was built, and operated until 1948. Such speculation, however, was unsustainable and the real estate bubble burst in the mid-1920s, just as Garden Grove was beginning to grow. The company sold back some properties to their original owners for pennies on the dollar. The Garden Grove corporation became inactive in 1936. It was not until the 1950s that development in the area resumed with new home and road construction, along with the donation of land by the Crum family for the Garden Grove Baptist Church.
Sponsors: The Historic Hernando Preservation Society, Roger Carlton Sherman, The Apsley Trust

1885 TRAIN DEPOT

Location:70 Russell Street
County: Hernando
City: Brooksville
Description: Side One: In 1885, Brooksville had a population of 500. Residents depended on horse-drawn wagons and stagecoaches to transport goods and passengers to the outside world. Four innovative businessmen formed the Brooksville Railroad Association and paid the Florida Southern Railway Company $20,000 to bring the railroad to Brooksville. The 120x21-foot train depot, made from local cypress, cedar, and yellow pine, included a 40-foot covered back dock and a telegraph office. At first, one railroad track reached Brooksville. The tracks grew to occupy both sides of the building. In 1892, the Henry Plant Railroad System acquired the Florida Southern Railway. Over the years, various railroads owned the depot until use faded away. By 1971, all tracks were gone, and the last owner, CSX, closed the building. The empty depot deteriorated for over twenty years. Homeless people used the back dock as a sleeping platform. In 1986, the Hernando County Historical Museum Association bought the land for $12,600. CSX donated the 101-year-old building for use as a museum. Restoration was completed by volunteers, community organizations, and grants. After years of hard work, the 1885 Train Depot Museum opened for the public to enjoy in 1992. Side Two: The arrival of the railroad to the isolated town of Brooksville changed everything. Racially segregated during the Jim Crow era, the depot became a hub of activity for blacks and whites alike. Farmers, businesses, and residents relied on the railroad. The market for local products such as lumber, turpentine, citrus, phosphate, even livestock expanded, resulting in more wealth for the community. Merchandise like ready-made clothing, chinaware, furniture, medicines, books, and magazines reached the town. People mimicked the fashions they saw in the magazines. Books aided in the education of children. Mail arrived in a matter of days, not weeks. The railroad created good jobs. A need for hotels, boarding houses, and restaurants developed. Women and children could travel unescorted on the train to visit family. A trip to the Withlacoochee River to swim and picnic became a popular day excursion for locals. They rode “The Brooksville Short,” the train running 10 miles between Brooksville and the town of Croom, near the river. By 1933, automobiles took the place of passenger train service. Freight hauling continued until the late 1960s, when the tracks were removed. The 1885 Train Depot endures as a historical museum.

BROOKSVILLE ARMY AIRFIELD GUNNERY BACKSTOP

Location:Aviation Loop Drive
County: Hernando
City: Brooksville
Description: Side One: At the beginning of World War II, a group of Hernando County leaders met with U.S. Senator Claude Pepper and expressed a desire to have a military airfield built in the county. In November 1942, the Brooksville Army Airfield consisting of 2,230 acres opened as the Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics (AAFSAT). Young men from the 1st, 5th, 99th, and 340th Bombardment Squadrons trained to drop bombs on the enemy. The sky above Brooksville filled with bombers – B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator, B-25 Mitchell, and B-26 Marauder. Only a concrete backstop or bunker approximately 25 feet by 100 feet remains from the World War II airfield. The gunnery backstop containing targets, railroad ties, and some sand served both to align the fifty caliber machine guns mounted on the bombers and as a site for target practice. The trainees fired the guns from bombers chained to the ground a hundred yards away. This system was called a Boresight Range. The holes made by the bullets can still be seen in the steel support beam along the top of the concrete. At the end of the war, in 1945, the United States government donated the airfield to Brooksville. Side Two: In 1940, the population of the little town of Brooksville hovered around 5,000. After the Brooksville Army Airfield opened in 1942, young men in uniform doubled that population. The flyboys filled the void created by local men leaving to fight in the war far from Brooksville. The military presence transformed a slow-paced agricultural community into a social epicenter. The airfield became a new source of employment for the locals and expanded the customer base for businesses. Young daredevil pilots controlled the best machines in the air. One day planes from the Zephyrhills airfield buzzed downtown Brooksville. Pilots from Brooksville bombed the Zephyrhills airfield with sacks of flour in retaliation. After the war, the beautiful Florida weather enticed many of the Army fliers to come back. They married Brooksville ladies, and settled in the town. The end of the war meant the end of the Brooksville Army Airfield and the birth of the Brooksville Municipal Airport in 1947. In 1961, it became the Hernando County Airport. In March 2013, the name changed to Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport and Technology Center.

BAYPORT IN THE CIVIL WAR/ BATTLE OF BAYPORT

Location:4140 Cortez Boulevard
County: Hernando
City: Weeki Wachee
Description: Side One: Bayport was a shallow-water gulf port town in the 1850s. The town was designated the Hernando County Seat and a port of delivery by Congress in 1854. Before the Civil War, the port shipped lumber cut from locally grown cedar trees, which was widely used to make pencils. By 1861, the town consisted of approximately 40 houses, a customs house, warehouses, and a wharf. The plantations and ranches surrounding Bayport supplied cattle, natural resources such as turpentine from native longleaf pine trees, and cypress and pine lumber. Salt made from sea water in evaporation ponds, along with cotton and corn, helped support the Confederate fighting forces. The Union blockade of Confederate ports forced blockade runners to use smaller and more innocuous ports such as Bayport. As the Civil War progressed, Bayport became a haven for blockade runners operating between Florida’s gulf coast and Cuba, providing numerous critical war commodities for the Confederate war effort. Between 1862 and 1865, vessels belonging to the Union’s East Gulf Coast Blockading Squadron intercepted eleven blockade runners near Bayport. Side Two: Two attacks targeted Bayport in 1863. The first attack, on April 2nd, used seven boats from the Union warships St. Lawrence, Sagamore, and Fort Henry. They advanced to within 400 yards of Bayport under difficult conditions. The Confederates hid four of six blockade runners up a nearby creek. Union forces found the schooner, Helen, captured its crew and set it afire. Confederates burned the sixth vessel, a large schooner loaded with cotton that was anchored in the harbor and ready for sea. The Union boats withdrew from the battle with disabled guns. On September 14, a Union squadron consisting of the warships James Battle, Two Sisters, Annie, and two boats from the Fort Henry targeted a British side-wheel steamer flying a French flag. Confederates burned the steamer and a nearby warehouse and the Union boats withdrew. The Florida Public Archaeology Network and Hernando Historic Preservation Society in 2010 located mid-19th century ship remains, possibly related to these battles. The Gulf Archaeology Research Institute in 2014-15 found the original harbor and Confederate positions north of Bayport County Park.
Sponsors: Hernado County Environmentally Sensitive Lands Program, Historic Hernando Preservation Society, Inc., Hernando Historical Museum Association, Inc., Florida Public Archaeology Network, Gulf Arhcaeology Research Institute

TOWN OF CENTRALIA

Location:Southwest of Commercial Way (US-19) at Centralia Road
County: Hernando
City: Weeki Wachee
Description: Side One: This site was once the location of one of Florida's largest lumber mills. As demand for insect and rot resistant cypress increased, the J.C. Turner Lumber Company began the logging of over 15,000 acres of Red Tidewater Cypress, cedar and pine in coastal Hernando County. The Turner Company financed the construction of the mill in 1910. It was known locally as the Tidewater Cypress Mill. Eighteen miles of narrow-gauge tram lines were laid through the swamp to connect the mill and logging areas to the Tampa Northern Railroad. Laborers used steam-powered skidders to transport cut logs onto railroad cars. The logs were then dumped in a pond near the sawmills. The large double-banded saws, powered by electricity generated from four steam boilers, could cut 100,000 board feet each day. The finished wood was stacked in a 160-acre drying yard for up to four years. The dried wood was sent to the planing mill to become roof shingles, lath, and construction lumber. The finished lumber was sold locally, or transported sixteen miles by rail to Brooksville, where it continued to the port in Tampa and was loaded onto ships headed to the company's wholesale distribution yard on the Hudson River in New York. Side Two: Located a few miles north of Weeki Wachee, the "boom town" of Centralia sprang up to support the 1,200 mill workers and their families. The wealth of timber seemed inexhaustible, luring men and industry from all corners of the earth. A post office opened in 1910 followed by other businesses, including a general store, drugstore, Mrs. Varn's Centralia Hotel, the Hungry None Restaurant, and a Greek bakery. The general store, run by George Gamble, boasted more stock than any store in larger towns like Jacksonville or Tampa. Centralia offered other amenities such as a resident doctor and dentist, schoolhouse, and community church offering Catholic and Protestant services. There were no saloons, however, as the mill's general manager, Edgar A. Roberts, forbade drinking. Soda pop was the drink of choice. The trees were exhausted by 1917, and the mill shut down soon after. The town struggled along for a few more years, but was mostly abandoned by the 1920s. Only the foundations of this once mighty mill remain. The Turner company reseeded the land with slash pines in the 1960s. Purchased in 1985 by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the land became part of the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge.
Sponsors: Historic Hernando Preservation Society, Mr. William Rosst, Archaeologist and Engineer

RICHLOAM

Location:38294 Richloam Clay Sink Road
County: Hernando
City: Webster
Description: This is the site of the former Schroder Land and Timber Company (SLTC) clubhouse. John Schroder, owner of the SLTC, purchased large tracts of land in Hernando and Pasco counties, including the area later known as Richloam. Built around 1916, the clubhouse served as both the company headquarters and the home of its foreman, Lucius Sidney “Sid” Brinson. While SLTC used much of its land for logging and turpentine production, other parts were sold to prospective farmers. The company brought buyers to the area on a train, nicknamed “The Goat,” and the clubhouse included a demonstration farm to showcase local crops. In 1926, SLTC sold the clubhouse and most of its land in the area to the Richloam Land Company (RLC). Hoping to take advantage of the Florida Land Boom, RLC continued to sell lots to new farmers, but had limited success. In 1936, as part of the U.S. Land Resettlement Program, the federal government acquired the land in Richloam from the SLTC, RLC, and other private owners. Some land owners resisted resettlement. The Works Progress Administration began replanting previously clear cut pine trees. In 1954, the State of Florida purchased the Richloam land and incorporated it into the Withlacoochee State Forest.
Sponsors: Eric & Donna Burkes, Historic Hernando Preservation Society

MASARYKTOWN

Location:398 Broad Street
County: Hernando
City: Masaryktown
Description: In 1924-26, a group of Slovak and czech immigrants moved down from New York and Pennsylvania to establish a farming community in Florida, and bought about 10,000 acres in Hernando County. They founded a town here, which they named after Thomas G Masaryk (1850-1937), "founding father" and first president of the independent republic of Czechoslovakia, formed in 1918 with the help of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson. They named the town's streets for American presidents and for Slovak and Czech patriots and writers who contributed to the independence movement. Initial attempts at growing citrus and vegetables failed, but eventually a thriving egg poultry farming community developed. Slovak cultural traditions were maintained for more than one half century. The building on this sit was erected in 1925 as the "Masaryk Hotel" for initial housing of newly arrived settlers, and retained that name until 1997.
Sponsors: Masaryktown Board of Directors and the Florida Department of State

CHOCOCHATTI

Location:
County: Hernando
City: Brooksville
Description: The first colony of Muskogee-speaking Upper Creek Indians from Alabama was established nearby in 1767. British surveyor/naturalist Bernard Romans identified the settlement as “New Yufala, planted in a beautiful and fertile plain.” It later became known as Tcuko tcati, or “Chocochatti,” meaning “Red House” or “Red Town.” It was here that the Upper Creek Indians were transformed into Florida Seminoles. The Chocochatti Seminoles were prosperous commercial deer hunters, traders, farmers, and cattlemen. Chocochatti town and prairie was their home for nearly 70 years. The Brooksville region, historically known as the Big Hammock, possessed rich soils for their crops, an abundance of game, and prairies ideal for grazing cattle. Turbulent times came with war in the early 1800s, culminating with the passage of the Indian Removal Act of 1830. By 1836, the Chocochatti Seminoles, under the leadership of Fuche Luste Hadjo, “Black Dirt,” chose to emigrate to present-day Oklahoma, at the outbreak of the Second Seminole War. Others chose to resist, eventually being forced into South Florida, where they prosper today as an unconquered people, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, whose character speaks volumes to humankind.
Sponsors: The Seminole Tribe of Florida, Chairman James E. Billie, Historic Hernando Preservation Society, and the Florida Department of State

THE BAYPORT AREA BEFORE HUMAN OCCUPATION/BAYPORT'S FIRST PEOPLE

Location:4140 Cortez Boulevard
County: Hernando
City: Weeki Wachee
Description: Side One: The fossilized remains of many prehistoric animals and plants are buried in the Bayport area. During the Eocene Period, 45 million years ago (MYA), the Gulf covered this region. Local Ocala limestone deposits contain marine remains of shells, plants, and mammal bones, including those of early shark toothed whales, now-extinct sea boas, and sea turtles. By the late Oligocene Period, 30 MYA, the shallow sea over west Florida began to recede, and land animals and plants began to live in the area. During the Early Miocene Period, 23-10 MYA, vast forests of conifers and deciduous trees supported giant pigs, rhinoceroses, and small camels. Fossils of small rodents, carnivores, and early horses have been found in sinkholes near Brooksville. In the Late Miocene Period, 10-4.5 MYA, the fossil record shows that many species of the 3-toed horse were hunted by false saber toothed cats and bone eating dogs. Sea levels were lower during the Ice Age, 1.5 MYA-13,000 YA, and the Gulf’s coast receded to 70 miles west of Bayport. Large mammals, such as mammoths, mastodons, ground sloths, and saber tooth cats roamed these coastal lowlands. Their fossilized remains have been found in Weeki Wachee Springs. Side Two: The first people who arrived in the Bayport area around 13,000 years ago are called Paleo- Indians. The Bayport area was much cooler and drier then, and the Gulf of Mexico was 200 feet lower. Paleo-Indians used large spears with stone points to hunt mammoth and mastodon. By 9,000 years ago the climate had become warmer and sea levels rose. This change led the Archaic Period people to pursue a hunting and gathering life style. These people also used stemmed spear points for hunting, but also gathered shellfish and caught fish in nets and traps. By 2,500 years ago the Deptford Culture people living around Bayport lived in small settlements along the Gulf. They used shell tools and their diets relied heavily on marine resources. A Bayport burial mound excavated in the late 19th century contained artifacts that dated from the Weeden Island Culture 1,100-1,700 years ago. Evidence of the Safety Harbor Culture people dating from 1,000 to 450 years ago was found within a burial mound at Weeki Wachee Spring and contained early Spanish Contact Period artifacts. These native people were living around Bayport during the expeditions led by Panfilo de Narvaez in 1528 and Hernando de Soto in 1539.
Sponsors: Hernando County Environmentally Sensitive Lands Program, Historic Hernando Preservation Society, Inc., Henando Historical Museum Association, Inc., Florida Public Archaeology Network, Gulf Archaeology Research Institute, and the Florida Department of State

BAYPORT'S EARLY HISTORIC PERIOD/POST CIVIL WAR ERA

Location:4140 Cortez Boulevard
County: Hernando
City: Weeki Wachee
Description: Side One: During the First Spanish Period (1565-1763) Florida served as a military defense post. In 1763, under British control, agricultural commerce became important. Control of Florida returned to Spain in 1783. In 1818, Andrew Jackson mounted a campaign against the Seminole Indians in North Florida that helped the United States secure Florida from Spain in 1821 and pushed the Indians south. The Second Seminole War (1835-1842) forced the Indians out of Central Florida, and the Florida Armed Occupation Act of 1842 opened the area to settlement. John Parsons, a war veteran from New Hampshire, built a large house in 1852 that became a post office and general store. He also constructed a causeway, a wharf, a custom house, and a light house. In partnership with David Levy Yulee, Parsons brought goods from Brooksville by wagon for shipment out of Bayport that were then transported by railroad from Cedar Key to Fernandina Beach. Major exports were cotton, produce, and timber. During the Civil War, Bayport exported salt and beef for Confederate troops, and was under attack by Union forces. Bayport served as the Hernando County seat from 1854 to 1856. Side Two: Bayport had to be largely rebuilt after the Civil War. The Eberhard Faber Pencil Company of New York acquired 40 acres of land in Bayport in 1866. Cedar trees were cut and floated down the Weeki Wachee River to Bayport for shipment to Cedar Key. Bayport continued to be a major port of export until 1885, when Brooksville acquired its first railroad spur. By then, the area had been featured in nationally circulated travel guides and was a popular haven for fishermen, boaters, and sportsmen. John Parsons’ home became the Bayport Hotel following his death in 1888, and for many years after 1909 was managed by Frances Goethe. She and her son Henry operated a commercial fishing operation that shipped fish from Bayport to Centralia, a nearby lumber town with a railroad spur to Brooksville. The hotel ceased operations and burned in 1942. During Prohibition, Bayport’s remote location gave rise to bootlegging operations. During World War II, a radar installation was in use for bombing practice by planes from MacDill Air Force Base. A former bird rack rookery, built and used to collect dung from cormorant birds for fertilizer production, was used for target practice by the Army Air Corps.
Sponsors: Hernando County Environmentally Sensitive Lands Program, Historic Hernando Preservation Society, Inc., Henando Historical Museum Association, Inc., Florida Public Archaeology Network, Gulf Archaeology Research Institute, and the Florida Department of State

RICHLOAM GENERAL STORE AND POST OFFICE

Location:38219 Richloam Clay Sink Road
County: Hernando
City: Webster
Description: In 1921, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) decided to relocate its depot in Riverland to Richloam. Soon after, in 1922, Postmaster Lucius Sidney “Sid” Brinson moved the Riverland Post Office to the growing community of Richloam and opened a general store. The 1920s were a chaotic time in Richloam. In 1926, Pasco County Deputy Sheriff William O’Berry was shot and killed east of the store while attempting to arrest Charles Davis, a worker at the local turpentine still, over the theft of a dog. In January 1928, the store was robbed and burnt, likely from arson, but was rebuilt soon after in February of that same year. The store and post office continued to operate until the late 1930s, when the Great Depression forced the ACL to close the depot. In 1936, Brinson closed the store and post office and relocated to Sarasota. He rented the building as a residence to the Mills family until the 1950s. After sitting vacant until 1973, Brinson’s nephew, John Brinson, acquired the property. John Brinson’s son, Eric Burkes, renovated the general store and reopened it in 2016. This general store was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017, and is the only remaining building from the Richloam community.
Sponsors: Eric and Donna Burkes

Highlands

HENDRICKS FIELD MEMORIAL PARK

Location:Sebring Regional Airport and Sebring International Raceway
County: Highlands
City: Sebring
Description: This original 72’ flagpole at the Sebring International Raceway marks the geographic center of Hendricks Field, a United States Army Air Force (USAAF) base that operated under the jurisdiction of the 76th Flying Training Wing from 1942-1945. Construction of the base began in July 1941, and it was named in honor of First Lieutenant Laird W. Hendricks in January 1942. Hendricks was a native Floridian and graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, who had been killed while training with the Royal Air Force in England before the United States entered World War II. The first B-17 Flying Fortress arrived at the base in January and Hendricks Field grew rapidly to accommodate the several thousand soldiers to be trained as combat crews, ground support personnel, and in other jobs essential to the war effort. Many Hendricks Field graduates paid the ultimate sacrifice in the European and Pacific fronts. The base was deactivated in January 1946, following the end of World War II. The airfield was turned over to the City of Sebring in May 1946, to become the Sebring Air Terminal. This site has been designated Hendricks Field Memorial Park to honor those who served here.
Sponsors: Sebring International Raceway, Sebring Regional Airport, City of Sebring, Hendricks Field Memorial Park

ARCHIBOLD BIOLOGICAL STATION AT RED HILL

Location:123 Main Dr. near Archibold Rd.
County: Highlands
City: Venus
Description: These buildings were designed and built during 1930-1935 by Alexander Blair for the Red Hill Estate of John A. Roebling II, son of Washington A. Roebling, who built the Brooklyn Bridge. The industrial vernacular buildings (structures meant to house industrial activities) were constructed of poured concrete to withstand hurricanes and the humid sub-tropical conditions. The largest building, with its distinctive saw-tooth roof, features an original seven-unit storehouse and attached two-story residence. Other buildings include the garage, generator building, and the deep-well pump house. In 1941, Roebling donated the buildings and surrounding estate to Richard Archbold (1907-1976), a famous aviator, explorer and patron of science. Here he founded Archbold Biological Station, a world-renowned facility dedicated to ecological research and conservation. The Roebling buildings were converted to laboratories and offices. The Station manages a 9,000-acre preserve of international conservation importance, and harboring the Florida scrub, a globally threatened ecosystem. Archbold Biological Station at Red Hill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007, for its historical significance in architecture, science, and conservation.
Sponsors: The Archibold Biological Station and the Florida Department of State

THE LORIDA SCHOOL HOUSE

Location:1957 Blessings Avenue
County: Highlands
City: Lorida
Description: The first school house in the Lorida community, the Sunnyland School, was built on this site in 1925. A 1933 hurricane destroyed the school, and the Civilian Conservation Corps rebuilt it using the original plans and identical materials. The school reopened from April 1934 until early 1956 for grades one through eight, and later kindergarten. The Rev. Joseph Reish was the principal and his wife, Margaret, was a teacher. The school term was six months long with four teachers and about 80 students. During the Great Depression, an outdoor community canning kitchen was built behind the school house. This four-room vernacular school house was built of cedar and pine on a brick pier foundation. It exhibits a low-pitched hip roof with exposed clipped rafter ends, and was covered with diamond-shaped, tin shingles. The floors are varnished wood with a recessed front entrance. The building has remained essentially unchanged. The community restored the school house in 1976 as a project for the United States Bicentennial. Over the years, it served as a place for the community to gather for a variety of purposes and represents one of the few remaining rural school houses in Florida.

FORT BASINGER

Location:U.S. 98,west side of Kissimmee River Bridge.
County: Highlands
City: Fort Basinger
Description: Col. Zachary Taylor had Fort Basinger built in 1837, during the Seminole Wars, on the Kissimmee River 17 miles above its mouth. It was a small stockade which served as a temporary fort and supply station on the line of forts extending from Tampa to Lake Okeechobee. Named for Lt. William E. Basinger of the 2nd Artillery, who was killed in Dade's Massacre, the fort was abandoned at the end of the Indian wars.

Hillsborough

CELI'S EXPEDITION AND SURVEY OF THE HILLSBOROUGH RIVER APRIL 24-27, 1757

Location:Behind Curtis Hixon Hall on River Walk, downtown Tampa
County: Hillsborough
City: Tampa
Description: Don Francisco Maria Celi, Pilot of the Spanish Royal Fleet, and crew, entered the river, naming it Rio de San Julian y Arriaga. They halted at "El Salto" - The Waterfall in the Hillsborough State Park. Near the present dam they erected a cross in a pine forest, their "El Pinal de la Cruz de Santa Teresa." This is the earliest known recorded exploration of this historic river.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in Cooperation with Hillsborough County Historical Commission

EL CENTRO ASTURIANO DE TAMPA

Location:1913 Nebraska Avenue
County: Hillsborough
City: Tampa
Description: Spanish immigrants from the province of Asturias formed the Centro Asturiano de Tampa in 1902 as a mutual aid society dedicated to meeting the recreational, social and medical needs of its members. In an effort to broaden the concept of cooperative medicine, the club operated a hospital, El Sanatorio del Centro Asturiano, until its closing in 1988. The society built the present three-story yellow brick and stone building on the corner of Palm and Nebraska Avenues in 1914 after a fire destroyed the original club house building. Designed in the Neo-Classical style, the building features stylized classical columns and a sweeping stone staircase leading to the main entrance. Major interior spaces include a grand theater, ballroom, and cantina with a 50-foot onyx bar. With a membership open to all Latins, El Centro Asturiano quickly became the center of Spanish theater and opera hosting some of the finest opera performers in the nation. The National Register of Historic Places listed the Centro Asturiano building in 1974.
Sponsors: HISTORIC TAMPA/HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PRESERVATION BOARD AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

CIRCULO CUBANO (CUBAN CLUB)

Location:2010 Avenida Republica de Cuba
County: Hillsborough
City: Tampa
Description: Late 19th and early 20th century Cuban immigration to the United States was impressive for the craft talents brought to the country. Along with their Spanish counterparts, skilled Cuban cigar makers made Tampa’s hand-rolled cigars world famous. As early as 1899 Cuban immigrants formed recreational societies with varying degrees of success, and in 1902, Cuban workers founded El Circulo Cubano as a mutual aid society to bind all Cuban residents of Tampa into a fraternal group, to offer assistance and help to the sick. When fire destroyed the first clubhouse in 1916, members immediately initiated plans for its replacement. The present four-story, yellow brick building with Neo-Classical design elements sits on the original site at 14th Street and 10th Avenue. Constructed in 1917, the building contained a theater, pharmacy, library, ballroom, and cantina. Imported tile, stained glass windows and elaborately carved scraffito spandrels decorated the structure. The ballroom ceiling displayed elaborate murals. The clubhouse provided an elegant gathering place for members and served as a unifying force in the Cuban community. The National Register of Historic Places listed El Circulo Cubano in 1972.
Sponsors: HISTORIC TAMPA/HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PRESERVATION BOARD AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

CENTRO ESPANOL De TAMPA

Location:E. 7th Avenue in plaza at N 16th St.
County: Hillsborough
City: Tampa
Description: Chartered on September 7, 1891, El Centro Espanol was the first Latin club organized in Ybor City. As a mutual aid society, it provided early Spanish immigrants with a framework by which they maintained their identity and culture while supplying social privileges and death and injury benefits. Financed by stock pledges of $10 each by the original 186 Charter Members, the society opened the first club building in June 1892 on land purchased by Ignacio Haya at 16th Street and 7th Avenue. The membership soon outgrew the original building. By 1909 club officers embarked on a building campaign to build two new clubhouses, one in Ybor City and one to accommodate members in West Tampa. Completed in 1912, El Centro Espanol de Tampa sits on the site of the original structure on 7th Avenue. The long two-story rectangular building houses a cantina and ballroom at its south end separated by a foyer and stair hall from the theater at its north end. The parapet of the stage house steps above the roof line of the main building at the north end of the site. The red brick edifice reflects the French Renaissance Revival style with Moorish and Spanish influence. In 1988 the Department of the Interior designated El Centro Espanol de Tampa a National Historic Landmark.
Sponsors: HISTORIC TAMPA/HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PRESERVATION BOARD AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

GERMAN-AMERICAN CLUB

Location:2106 Nebraska Avenue
County: Hillsborough
City: Tampa
Description: Organized in 1901, the German-American Club was one of the few non-Latin ethnic clubs in Tampa. Club members laid the cornerstone for a building on the northeast corner of Nebraska Avenue and 11th Street on February 23, 1908, followed by a grand opening on January 1, 1909. Fine classical details and proportions marked the three-story building, with concrete bock molded to appear as tooled stone masonry. With a stage for speakers or theatrical productions, a swimming pool and a bowling alley, the building served Tampa’s German and Jewish population until its sale in 1919. From 1919 to 1924, it housed Tampa’s Labor Temple Association. The Young Men’s Hebrew Association bought the building in 1924 and remained until 1944. Focusing on education and recreation for Tampa’s Jewish community, the association held gym, art, and music classes, and outdoor sports and leisure activities. Various groups including an insurance company and the Hispanic organization, Los Caballeros de la Luz, occupied the building after 1944.
Sponsors: TAMPA/HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PRESERVATION BOARD AND THE FLORIDA DEPARATMENT OF STATE

IL CIMITERO DELL’UNIONE ITALIANA

Location:26th St. & 23rd Ave.
County: Hillsborough
City: Tampa
Description: L’Unione Italiana, founded in 1894 in Ybor City, institutionalized the Italian funeral in Tampa when in 1896 it purchased this property from the prominent African-American Armwood family and dedicated it as a cemetery. The first Italians were buried here in 1893. Also buried here is Blanche Armwood (1890-1939), a nationally known educator. The Italian cemetery includes a parcel belonging to the Societa de Mutuo Soccorso (Mutual Aid Society). Ceramic photographs on grave markers and tombstones inscribed in Sicilian and Italian pay homage to Sicily, where the stonecutters perfected their craft in granite and marble. A cherished set of rituals governed the Italian funeral. Hundreds of people walked in a cortege, often pausing for a final tribute in front of the deceased’s house and the Italian Club where flags of Italy and the United States stood at half mast. A brass band led them to the cemetery followed by family and paesani (countrymen). This ritual celebrated the decedent’s service to the community. In the early years, each club member contributed one dollar to the bereaved family. Later, the club established a $300 survivor benefit.
Sponsors: THE ITALIAN CLUB CEMETERY, INC. AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

L'UNIONE ITALIANA (ITALIAN CLUB)

Location:1731 7th Avenue
County: Hillsborough
City: Tampa
Description: The nucleus of Tampa’s Italian colony arrived from New Orleans and Sicily in 1887. Founded in 1894, the primary purpose of L’Unione Italiana was to promote social and fraternal exchange among its members, and to provide medical benefits and burial expenses for its members. Health care benefits provided by Ybor City’s social clubs represent early examples of America’s health maintenance organizations and one of the oldest examples of cooperative medicine in the country. L’Unione Italiana is considered the forerunner of more than 1,400 Italian mutual aid societies founded in the United States. In 1914 fire destroyed the first club house built on the northwest corner of Seventh Avenue and Eighteenth Street. By 1918 the Society built the present three-story Neoclassical building across 7th Avenue from the original site at a cost of $80,000. The structure embraces the Italo-Greco tradition embodied in the ancient Greek temples found in the province of Agrigento, Sicily. Its theatre, ballroom, library and cantina were always beehives of activity. It stands today as a source of pride and commitment to early Italian immigrants.
Sponsors: HISTORIC TAMPA/HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PRESERVATION BOARD AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

OLD PEOPLES HOME

Location:1203 E. 22nd Ave Tampa, FL
County: Hillsborough
City: Tampa
Description: Opened in 1924, The Old People’s Home was the largest publicly supported home for the elderly in Tampa and represented a major civic achievement. An all-woman Board of Managers founded the Home and the original by-laws stated that men could serve only as Trustees or Advisors. Designed and built by architect, A.H. Johnson (1857-1925), it was built on land donated by Peter O. Knight. The building is masonry vernacular with elements of the Colonial Revival style on its main façade. The Tampa Tribune stated: “The building contains, besides the many bedrooms, four sun parlors, dining room, reception room and kitchen on the first floor, two large airy wards, an infirmary and baths on the second floor and a laundry in the basement. It is equipped with elevators and refrigerating plant, faucets of ice water in the upstairs halls and infirmary, and running water in every bedroom.” The site includes Sarah Knight Park, named for Knight’s mother, and features a canopy of oak trees, gazebos, picnic benches and a shuffleboard court. The Old People’s Home continues to operate as a non-profit agency providing a caring home environment for elderly Tampa residents. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.
Sponsors: THE HOME ASSOCIATION, INC. AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

RUSKIN COLLEGE PRESIDENT'S HOME

Location:S.R. 674 and U.S. 41
County: Hillsborough
City: Ruskin
Description: Ruskin College opened in 1912 as a coeducational industrial and liberal arts college. It was located on part of a large tract of land purchased by Dr. George McA. Miller beginning in 1907 for the purpose of establishing a cooperative college and a planned community modelled on the philosphy of British social thinker, John Ruskin. Ruskin believed in making education abailable for everyone. Dr. Miller had previously established two other Ruskinian colleges in the mid-West and was devoted to the educational principle of combining intellectual endeavors with manual labor. His wife, Adeline Dickman Miller, designed the Swiss chalet style structure located near this marker. It was constructed in 1914 and was the only one of Ruskin College's original buildings to survive a fire in 1919. By that time the cooperative college had declined due to loss of students during World War I. In 1940, the Miller House was deeded by that family to the Ruskin Woman's Club. This structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. It remains a symbol of the utopian origins of the community of Ruskin.
Sponsors: sponsored by the Ruskin woman's club in cooperation with department of state

SOCIEDAD LA UNION MARTI-MACEO

Location:1226 7th Avenue
County: Hillsborough
City: Tampa
Description: Afro-Cuban cigar makers founded this society in 1900 as Los Libres Pensadores de Marti y Maceo. Founders had been members of El Club Nacional Cubano, an organization of Black and White Cubans involved in Cuban independence. Afro-Cubans were forced to withdraw in response to racial segregation. Ruperto Pedroso, well-known Afro-Cuban patriot, was among the 23 original founders. Meetings of the organization began in the parlor of Pedroso’s boardinghouse at 13th Street and 8th Avenue (present site of Marti Park). In 1904, medical benefits were added when the club merged with La Union, resulting in the new name, La Union Marti-Maceo. In 1909, members completed construction of a two-story club house at 11th Street and 6th Avenue. With an average membership of about 300, the club offered full medical benefits and a stipend for sick members, as well as social, cultural and educational activities. During the depression of the 1930s, many Afro-Cubans left Tampa. Membership declined and benefits were reduced, but the club continued in operation. In 1965, Urban Renewal demolished the original building, and the members moved to the present location at 7th Avenue and 13th Street. By the late 1960s, there were few members left and it appeared that the organization would soon cease to exist. However, in the early 1970s, a large number of people who had left Ybor City as children during the depression returned as retirees. The size increased to over 100 members, reviving the organization.
Sponsors: HISTORIC TAMPA/HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PRESERVATION BOARD AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

TAMPA AS PORT OF EMBARKATION FOR SPANISH AMERICAN WAR

Location:Corner of West Shore Boulevard and Interbay Boulev
County: Hillsborough
City: Tampa
Description: From April to June, 1898, Tampa served as port of embarkation for U.S. Troops on their way to Cuba. Some 30,000 troops arrived in Tampa and 16,000 embarked from Port Tampa on June 7. The Tampa Bay Hotel was headquarters for the force's leaders including General Miles and Shafter and Colonel "Teddy" Roosevelt. The city also swarmed with visiting civilians including author Richard Harding Davis and Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross.

TAMPA BAY HOTEL

Location:West Kennedy Boulevard, University of Tampa Campus
County: Hillsborough
City: Tampa
Description: Henry B. Plant built this ornate Moorish structure at a cost of $3 million. Opened in 1891, it became the social and cultural center of early Tampa. During the Spanish American War it was headquarters for troops going to Cuba and house such visitors as Col. Theodore Roosevelt, Clara Barton, Richard Harding Davis and Gen. Nelson Miles. Purchased by the City of Tampa in 1905, it has served as the main building of the University of Tampa since 1933.

TAMPA UNION STATION

Location:601 Nebraska
County: Hillsborough
City: Tampa
Description: By 1902, the Seaboard Air Line [SAL] was formed and the Atlantic Coast Line [ACL] had taken over the rail system of Henry B. Plant. Tampa Union Station (TUS), built in 1912, was designed by architect J.F. Leitner in Italian Renaissance style, and served both railroads. The companies contributed $250,000 to build the station, which was managed by the Tampa Union Station Company. During the Depression, America’s passenger railroad earnings fell by half. Higher revenues during World War II were offset by the costs of overworking their stock to meet war needs. To increase profits, they reinvested in sleeker, more modern rolling stock, resulting in the Streamliner Era. Notable trains that served TUS then included the ACL’s West Coast Champion, South Wind, the Southland and the SAL’s Silver Meteor, Silver Star and Sunland. In 1971, Amtrak began operating the nation s passenger rail services and today runs trains out of Tampa Union Station. In 1991, the non-profit Tampa Union Station Preservation & Redevelopment, Inc. purchased the 1.97-acre terminal and baggage building, renovating in it 1998. Ownership was transferred to the City of Tampa in 1999. The station is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sponsors: TAMPA UNION STATION PRESERVATION & REDEVELOPMENT, INC. AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

THE FOUNDING OF THE CIGAR INDUSTRY IN TAMPA

Location:Corner of 9th Avenue and 14th Street, Ybor City.
County: Hillsborough
City: Tampa
Description: In 1886 two cigar factories were completed at Tampa signaling the founding of the industry in the area. Pioneer manufacturer was Vincente Martinez Ybor, a native of Spain, who had made cigars at Havana and Key West. Ybor's move to Tampa was prompted by better transportation and favorable terms offered by Tampa's Board of Trade. Due to the efforts of Ybor and his associates, Tampa became a world tobacco manufacturing center.
Sponsors: In Cooperation with Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce

W.T. EDWARDS HOSPITAL COMPLEX

Location:4014 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
County: Hillsborough
City: Tampa
Description: The W.T. Edwards Hospital, erected in 1952, was one of three tuberculosis (TB) hospitals built in Florida after World War II, and was funded by a state cigarette tax and federal monies. The other hospitals were in Tallahassee and Lantana. The complex included 10 buildings, six of which were particularly significant: the hospital, laboratory, employee housing, laundry and heating plant, nurses’ quarters, and state medical director’s residence. The hospital, designed by Charles Kuhn, was a significant example of the International Style popular in the post-war years. It was a long, narrow, concrete building with many windows, designed to provide interior air circulation and sunlight. The buildings were steam heated, and air conditioned except in the patients’ rooms. At the time, air conditioning was thought to be unhealthy for TB patients. The Tampa hospital was the only facility in the state to treat children with TB and to be equipped to admit patients under Florida’s compulsory isolation law, which provided that, for public safety, those who refused treatment due to religious beliefs could be confined and treated against their will. With the decline in the occurrence of TB, the hospital closed in 1974.
Sponsors: HILLSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

RIDGEWOOD CEMETERY

Location:6815 N 56th Street
County: Hillsborough
City: Tampa
Description: In 1933, the City of Tampa bought a 40-acre parcel at this location, later setting aside five acres for a pauper’s cemetery to bury indigent residents. In 1942, the City of Tampa named the cemetery Ridgewood, and it was actively used between 1942 and 1954 as a burial ground for African American and indigent families in Tampa. The cemetery remained mostly undisturbed until the City sold the land to investors, who then sold it to the School Board of Hillsborough County in 1959. In 1960, King High School was opened on the north end of the property, opposite the cemetery. In 2019, Tampa resident Ray Reed shared records with the school district of a possible cemetery at that site. Historical records vary, but indicate that between 250 and 268 burials occurred at Ridgewood. As many as 77 of those burials were infants or small children. Scans done by ground penetrating radar show 145 burials still intact in the south area of the school’s property. Every record discovered indicates all burials were done in the same small area – taking up about one acre. Following an investigation, legal authority was turned back over to the school district. A memorial, designed by Jerel McCants, was completed in 2022.

FRANCISCAN CENTER, FOUNDED IN 1970

Location:3010 N Perry Avenue
County: Hillsborough
City: Tampa
Description: Side One: The Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, New York, came to Florida in the 1930s. They founded hospitals in Miami, West Palm Beach, St. Petersburg, and Tampa, including St. Anthony’s in St. Petersburg and St. Joseph’s in Tampa. The Franciscan Center’s story began in the 1960s when Joseph Miyares, a Tampa attorney, got to know the Sisters at St. Joseph’s. He was so impressed with their dedication and hospitality that he donated this Riverside Heights property, over 8 acres, to them. He initially suggested the site as a new location for St. Joseph’s Hospital, which was originally located near Ybor City at E. 7th Avenue and N. Morgan Street. At that time, the local Provincial, Sister Lucian Walsh, OSF, recognized the property’s outstanding natural beauty here along the Hillsborough River, and recommended building a retreat center. Sister Lucian initiated the clearing and development of the land, and erected a sea wall. Sister Lucian’s vision was realized in October 1970, when the Franciscan Center opened as a mission for the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany. Welcoming to people of all faiths, the center evolved into an oasis for private reflection, retreats, spiritual direction, and hospitality. Side Two: Since opening, the center has welcomed tens of thousands of people. The building can host approximately 80 guests at a time, with over 40 bedrooms and meeting spaces, and it remains wonderfully preserved in time. Throughout its history, the center has regularly hosted retreats with different themes for people of all walks of life. In addition to the center staff, renowned speakers have lead retreats. Among them have been Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, Henri Nouwen, Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ, Sister Briege McKenna, OSC, Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, and Richard Rohr, OFM. The Sabbath House was once a pavilion by the river where dances for young people were held during the 1940s and 1950s. To bridge the past and the present, volunteers and staff collaborated with the University of South Florida’s School of Architecture and Community Design to design and build a new riverside pavilion. The Franciscan Sisters of Allegany who served as the center’s leaders throughout the years are Sister Lucian Walsh, Sister Marion Fanelle, Sister Theresa Collins, Sister Margaret Mary Kimmins, Sister Mary McNally, Sister Cathy Cahill, and Sister Anne Dougherty.

BING ROOMING HOUSE

Location:205 South Allen Street
County: Hillsborough
City: Plant City
Description: The Bing Rooming House was built in 1928, during the period of Plant City's railroad expansion. This two-story, thirteen-room house is a good example of Frame Vernacular construction, typical of that period, and is decorated with intricate mill work and original wooden beaded-paneled walls. Located in the historically black Lincoln Park neighborhood, locally known as "the Bottom," the Bing House was constructed by the Carey and Walters Company. It was built for Elijah L. Bing Sr. (1872-1955), and his wife Janie Wheeler Bing (1889-1984). Elijah moved to Plant City around 1908 and married Janie in 1917. Anchoring the Laura Street African American Business District, Janie operated the rooming house until 1975, providing overnight accommodations during the era of segregation for various black professionals, including doctors, teachers, entertainers, and Negro League baseball players. The Bings’ descendants deeded the house to the Improvement League of Plant City Community Development Corporation in 1999. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002, and was restored with the direct support of the City of Plant City, citizens of Plant City, and Florida Division of Historical Resources.
Sponsors: Improvement League of Plant City Community Development Corporation

TAMPA CONFEDERATE SALT WORKS

Location:5620 West Cypress Street
County: Hillsborough
City: Tampa
Description: Side One: Salt was an essential commodity during the Civil War because it was required for the preservation of meat and fish. When the Confederate states no longer had access to vital sources of salt in West Virginia and Louisiana, southerners compensated by boiling salt-rich seawater until all that was left was the precious residue. Florida became the region’s most important source of salt because of its expansive seashore with uncounted bays, coves, and easily concealed locations for primitive salt "factories." It has been estimated that by 1863, Florida's major salt works produced as much as 7,500 bushels each day. The New York Herald on January 5, 1864, noted "Salt works are as plentiful in Florida as blackbirds in a rice field." Salt production was so important that the Union naval attacks on salt works changed from raids of opportunity to fully-planned attacks in an effort to disrupt supplies carried by southern blockade runners. Side Two: Tampa was the southernmost location of Gulf coast salt production because some Floridians in the sparsely populated area south of Tampa had Union sympathies. Moreover, the coast south of Tampa was subject to shore patrols from Union naval ships stationed in the Florida Keys. Perhaps the most well-known incident involving Tampa salt production took place in the fall of 1864. The Spanish-born patriarch of one of Tampa's pioneer families was alone tending a salt boiler on Frazier’s Beach. Joseph Robles spotted a Union landing party from the USS Nita and USS Hendrick Hudson approaching. Robles, armed only with a double-barreled rifle, hid in an abandoned steam boiler and fired upon the party. Most of the landing party retreated to the craft and departed, leaving eight sailors behind. They surrendered to Robles, who marched them to Tampa while guarding them with his empty rifle. This replica salt boiler stands as a reminder of the importance of a simple "cottage" industry, operated by as many as 2,500 civilians, to the southern war effort.
Sponsors: City of Tampa, The United Daughters of the Confederacy Tampa Chapter 113

YBOR CITY HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:1200 Block of E. 7th Ave
County: Hillsborough
City: Tampa
Description: Vicente Martinez-Ybor, a wealthy Spanish Cigar manufacturer from New York and Key West, began development of Ybor City in 1885. On April 12,1886, 500 Cuban cigar makers boarded the sidewheeler Hutchinson in Key West and sailed to Tampa. Over 3,000 workers arrived by the end of 1886. Cigar factories and home construction flourished and business thrived. Ybor City became known as the "Cigar Capital of the World". The Ybor City Historic District includes more than 1,300 buildings, nearly a thousand of which are Historic. The buildings include the largest collection of cigar factories and related industrial structures in the United States; a major collection of commercial and commercial-residential structures; a group of ethnic clubhouses; and historic worker housing, many structures, built between 1886 and World War 1, display Spanish and Cuban influences, such as wrought-iron balconies, even though many architects in the area were "Anglos". The Ybor City Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. For its importance in the Nation's Immigration Movement. The National Park Service declared Ybor City a National Historic Landmark District in 1990.
Sponsors: Sponsored by City Of Tampa Ybor City Development Corporation and Florida Department of State, Sandra B. Wortham, Secretary Of State.

PERRY HARVEY, SR., PARK SKATEBOARD BOWL

Location:900 East Scott Street
County: Hillsborough
City: Tampa
Description: Under Mayor William Poe’s direction, the Perry Harvey, Sr., Park Skateboard Bowl opened in 1979 as part of a recreational park for the Central Park Village community. As Florida’s first municipal ride-at-your-own-risk skateboard facility, it offered the public a free opportunity to experience the emerging sport of skateboarding. Built on city planner Joel Jackson’s original idea, it was designed in the sport’s early “surf-style” and featured a “snake run” down into a bowl where skaters were tested by a series of large humps called “moguls.” Often called the “Bro Bowl,” a reflection of its diverse urban setting, it was revered by area skaters, drew riders globally, and was popularized in mass media with a documentary and popular video game. In 2013, it became the first skateboarding structure listed in the National Register of Historic Places because of its role in the sport’s development, influence on skate culture, and architectural significance as one of the last remaining “Golden Age” skate parks. Before being demolished in 2015 as part of the area’s redevelopment, the original bowl was scanned using laser imaging technology so a near identical copy could be replicated within the park’s expanded skate facility.
Sponsors: City of Tampa

Holmes

HOLMES COUNTY

Location:Virginia and Oklahoma Streets, on courthouse groun
County: Holmes
City: Bonifay
Description: Holmes County, noted for agriculture and timber, was created in 1848. The first county seat was at Hewett's Bluff, later known as Bear Pen. Cerro Gordo and Westville also served as county seat. Bonifay, the present site, was selected in 1905. Controversy surrounds the county's name. One claim credits a North Carolinian name Holmes who settled in the area around 1830. Another contends it was named for an Indian chief who had been given the English name of Holmes.

KEITH CABIN

Location:1320 C.R. 179
County: Holmes
City: Pittman
Description: In 1880, William Thomas Keith homesteaded ten acres upon which this house stands. In 1886 he filed a homestead entry with the U. S. Public Land Office and in the fall of that year, built this cabin that became home for himself, his wife, mother, and eight children. It became the focus of a cotton and tobacco farm that eventually grew to more than 190 acres. By 1893, improvements included a plaza, smokehouse, corn crib, enclosed shed rooms, and a well. The Keith Cabin was originally built as a one room, Louisiana Roof style split log structure with a wraparound porch, a fireplace, and a separate kitchen. This style of architecture is a rare form of 19th century construction found only in the Gulf States from east Texas to South Georgia. It is characterized by a front and rear porch formed by long logs that extend beyond the main block of the house at each gable end to support the broad roof overhangs. Keith served with the Confederate Army and was an accomplished farmer, lumberjack, mail carrier, store merchant, and medical practitioner. His life and home are excellent examples of the rural lifestyle of early Holmes County and Northwest Florida. The Keith Cabin is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sponsors: THE HOLMES COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Indian River

BIRTHPLACE FOR EQUAL SUFFRAGE FOR WOMEN IN FLORIDA

Location:On Broadway, block #99; lots 12-14
County: Indian River
City: Fellsmere
Description: “The population of Fellsmere is of a high type of intelligence, with lofty ideals and wise execution. Progressive in all things, perhaps no better indication of the fact may be given than the unanimous vote of the town granting unrestricted suffrage to women.” Fellsmere Tribune, March 8, 1916. At a February 1915 meeting at the Dixie Theater, Fellsmere citizens accepted the articles of incorporation unanimously. The charter included a unique proposal that women be granted full and equal privilege for suffrage in municipal elections. Local bills seldom received close scrutiny from legislators, and the equal suffrage provision went unnoticed. In signing the act that created the town of Fellsmere, Governor Park Trammell, in effect, gave women the right to vote in its municipal elections. In the June 19, 1915 city election, Mrs. Zena M. Dreier was the first woman to cast a ballot in Fellsmere, in all of Florida, and south of the Mason-Dixon Line. The town residents took much pride in this unique woman’s right, and urged neighboring municipalities to follow the ‘Fellsmere Way’ to equal suffrage. In 1919, a U.S. Constitutional amendment granted suffrage to women. But history will note that Fellsmere led the way.
Sponsors: THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR WOMEN--INDIAN RIVER AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

CITY OF VERO BEACH

Location:Corner of 21st Street and 16th Ave
County: Indian River
City: Vero Beach
Description: The pattern of community development which occurred in Vero Beach provides insight into some important aspects of Florida's history. Although the coastal waters in the region attracted fishermen, settlement of this area did not occur until the 1880's. during that decade, the problem of lack of transportation which had deterred settlers was solved by railroad construction. In 1891, a post office named Vero was established at the home of Henry Gifford who had settled on the site in 1888. When the railroad was extended south to Lake Worth in 1894, a depot was built at Vero. With the railroad came tourism and a growing interest in the area. At that time, large scale drainage of swamp land such as that which surrounded Vero was being undertaken in Florida. An example of the way in which investors took advantage of the newly recognized potential of swampy areas may be found in the creation of the Indian River Farms Company. In 1909, Herman T. Zeuch of Davenport, Iowa visited the Vero area. He saw land that could be drained and sold to citrus farmers and cattle raisers. A corporation, the Indian River Farms Company, was chartered in 1912 with stockholders who were chiefly residents of Zeuch's home town. In 1913, the town of Vero was platted at the Company's direction. In 1915, the Vero Woman's Club was founded, an act which signified the vitality of the new community. A clubhouse, located near this marker, was built the next year on land donated by the Indian River Farms Company. The planned drainage program was completed in 1917. In that year, maintenance and extension of the drainage area was given over to the State of Florida. The name of the community was changed to Vero Beach in 1925, when the town became the county seat of newly created IndianRriver County. The Indian River Farms company was dissolved in 1936. Vero Beach has remained the center of this productive citrus growing region.
Sponsors: Sponsored by vero beach woman's club in cooperation with department of state

FELLSMERE GRADE

Location:Co. Rd. 507, near road to Goodwin Wildlife Mangement Area, Fellsmere Grade
County: Indian River
City: Fellsmere
Description: Fellsmere, the northernmost town in St. Lucie County in 1919, had a population of over 800 people. The county built the first public road to cross the St. Johns River marsh in St. Lucie County (now Indian River County). Promote as the Fellsmere-Tampa cross state road, this road allowed travel between the interior and the coast. From 1919 until the 1940's, this road served as an important transportation route from Fellsmere, across the river to Kenansville, the sawmill at Holopaw, and the cattle markets of Kissimmee, but it never reached Tampa. During these decades it became a state road (SSR 170) and provided a corridor to Central Florida and a recreational access to the St. Johns River marshes. The town of Fellsmere was dependent on the sportsmen attracted to these resources. In the late 1940's the bridges burned across the river and the Fellsmere Grade ended in the marsh six miles from this site. Today this road serves the public as a recreational access.
Sponsors: THE ST. JOHNS RIVER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

RIOMAR CLUBHOUSE - SAINT EDWARDS SCHOOL

Location:2225 Club Drive
County: Indian River
City: Vero Beach
Description: The Riomar Club chose this site for its clubhouse which was completed and opened in 1930. Ladies were attired in flowing formal gowns and the men in strikingly-starched white linen suits. A center for social activities for the area, the club drew many permanent residents and winter visitors to Vero Beach. The building is a Spanish-design clubhouse reminiscent of the style of Palm Beach. The exterior is stucco with interior pecky cypress beams. Purchased in 1965 for the purpose of starting an independent school, affiliated with the Episcopal Church, Saint Edward's School opened with 33 students in Grades 5-8. In 1972, the Upper School campus was opened on A-1-A south of here, and the Riomar building continued to house Grades Kindergarten through Grade 6, adding Pre-Kindergarten in 1983. The building was renovated in 1988 with the exterior maintaining the original character. On November 3, 1988, Bishop William Folwell dedicated the newly renovated building, and with his pastoral staff he marked the threshold with the sign of the cross and gave a blessing.
Sponsors: Saint Edward's School in Cooperation with the Florida Department of State

SEBASTIAN

Location:U.S. 1 at Sebastian Inlet
County: Indian River
City: Sebastian
Description: Settled in the 1870's, Sebastian became an important trading and fishing center during the era of the river steamers. To improve commerce and fishing, pioneers in 1886 attempted unsuccessfully to link the ocean with the river via the Sebastian Inlet. A channel was successfully cut in 1895, but a storm filled the inlet with sand shortly afterwards. In 1921, it was reopened only to be closed again by erosion. Jetties were constructed later to protect the channel permanently.

SITE OF FORT VINTON

Location:S.R. 60 and S.R. 609 intersection, near I95 west o
County: Indian River
City: Vero Beach
Description: A few miles southwest of this marker is the site of Fort Vinton. As white settlers moved into Florida, demands increased for the removal of the Seminole Indians to a western reservation. The Seminoles did not wish to leave, and in 1835 the conflict known as the Second Seminole war began. The 1838-39 campaign of that war was planned with the major objective of driving Indians away from settled areas and into the southern part of Florida. New posts were to be built where needed and others, such as Fort Pierce, were to be reoccupied. Supply outposts were needed for field campaigns, and early in April, 1839, such a post, called Fort or Post No. 2, was constructed about twenty miles northwest of Fort Pierce. This fortification was abandoned by or before 1842, when hostilities ended. Early in 1850, when another concerted effort to force the remnants of the Seminoles to emigrate got underway, it was reactivated as Fort Vinton. The post was named for Captain John R. Vinton, who had served in the area during the earlier conflict and had died in the Mexican War. Fort Vinton, an outpost of Fort Capron at Indian River Inlet, was soon abandoned (May, 1850) and is not known to have played a role in the hostilities of the later 1850's.
Sponsors: sponsored by treasure coast chapter national society daughters of the american revolution in cooperation with department of state

SITE OF SURVIVORS' AND SALVAGERS' CAMP - THE 1715 FLEET

Location:south of Sebastin Inlet State Recreation Area on A
County: Indian River
City: Orchid Island
Description: Late in July, 1715, a hurricane destroyed a fleet of eleven or possibly twelve homeward bound merchant ships carrying cargoes of gold and silver coinage and other valuable items from the American colonies to Spain. About 1500 men, women, and children who survived the disaster and reached the shore made their camp along the barrier island near the place where the fleet's flagship had sunk. Governor General Corcoles sent a relief party composed chiefly of Indian auxiliaries from St. Augustine to provide subsistence for the survivors. These auxiliaries also gave protection and aid to the salvagers who used the campsite while working to recover the valuable cargo from the sunken vessels. Archaeological work at the site revealed that the salvagers seem to have erected some temporary structuresfor use as storehouses for the recovered gold and silver. While the salvage operation was in process, Henry Jennings, an English pirate, sailed to the site, drove off the guards and seized a large quantity of the recovered coins which he carried away to Port Royal, Jamaica. But the great majority of the treasure was safely regained and moved to Havana by the Spanish salvagers.
Sponsors: Sponsored by treasure coast chapter nsdar in cooperation with department of state

VETERANS MEMORIAL ISLAND SANCTUARY

Location:Near Riverside Park
County: Indian River
City: Vero Beach
Description: River travel was vital to the early human activity of Florida and the Indian River area. In the early 1900s, efforts began to dredge the Indian River. By the 1930s, the U.S. Corps of Engineers routinely maintained this channel called the Intracoastal Waterway. After World War II the channel was once again slated for dredging and Alex MacWilliam, Sr., a veteran and member of the Florida Legislature, proposed a special project and persuaded the federal government to realign the existing Vero Beach channel to make way for a modern drawbridge (the first Merrill P. Barber Bridge) and to create a memorial island with the surplus dredging material. Lest We Forget are the words used in the dedication of this island on May 3, 1964. This one man and hundreds of citizens in Indian River County did not forget and 17 years later created Veterans Memorial Island Sanctuary. The Vero Beach Beautification Society and the Garden Club coordinated the beautification of the property. Today the Stars and Stripes wave proudly over this Island Sanctuary which can be seen from the deep channel of the Intracoastal Waterway and the two modern bridges now spanning the Indian River.
Sponsors: THE INDIAN RIVER COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, THE VETERANS MEMORIAL ISLAND SANCTUARY ADVISORY COMMITTEE,AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

GIFFORD HIGH SCHOOL SUNDIAL LANDMARK

Location:4530 28th Court
County: Indian River
City: Vero Beach
Description: In 1892, William Edward Geoffrey, an African American man from Darlington, South Carolina, came to work on the Florida East Coast Railroad in Gifford. The town’s first school was built in 1898, but only served white children. In 1901, Geoffrey purchased eighty acres of land in Gifford, and donated a portion for a park and the construction of a black school. Named the Gifford School, the small building was located at 38th Lane, east of what is now US Highway 1. The school originally taught students in first through sixth grades. Older students had to travel to Fort Pierce to attend high school. In 1938, the Gifford School expanded to include a high school. In 1952, the Indian River County School Board funded the construction of a new high school building at 45th Street and 28th Court. Following the integration of Indian River County schools in 1969, Gifford High School graduated its last class and became a middle school. The original façade is now part of the Gifford Middle School campus. This sundial was presented as a gift from the Class of 1964 upon their graduation. This façade and sundial are the last material remnants of the original Gifford High School.
Sponsors: Gifford High School Alumni and Friends Association, Gifford Community Cultural and Resource Center, Gifford Historic Museum, Dr. MLK, Jr. Committee, Gifford Progressive Civic League, Indian River County Historical Society

VERO BEACH RAILWAY STATION

Location:2336 14th Avenue
County: Indian River
City: Vero Beach
Description: In 1893, Henry Flagler’s railroad arrived in Sebastian, and reached Ft. Pierce in 1894, bypassing the tiny community of Vero. Flagler renamed his railroad the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) in 1895. Because of agricultural growth in the area, Flagler returned and built the Vero Railway Station, which was a stop on the FEC by 1903. “Beach” was added to the city and station names in 1925. During the 1920s and the Great Depression, the community of Vero Beach continued to grow, and it doubled in size after World War II. Agriculture, especially citrus growing, kept the freight platform busy, but the Vero Beach Station closed when passenger service was suspended in the late 1960s. The passenger station was acquired from the FEC by the Indian River County Historical Society and moved to a city-owned parcel in Pocahontas Park, northwest of the original site, in 1984. This parcel had been deed restricted for the relocation of the station sixty years prior. The station is used as an exhibit center for Indian River County history, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. It remains important to Vero Beach.
Sponsors: Indian River CountyHistorical Society, Tourist Development Council of Indian River County

HISTORIC HALLSTROM FARMSTEAD

Location:1726 Southwest Old Dixie Highway
County: Indian River
City: Vero Beach
Description: In the early 1900s, Swedish immigrant and horticulturalist Axel Hallstrom sought the warm climate of Florida for his wife’s health and moved to this area to grow tropical trees and fruits. He first planted pineapples on his new farmstead, in the area known as the Golden Ridge, but gradually converted the plantation into a citrus grove. By 1918, Hallstrom had completed his brick home. In the 1930s, he became director of the St. Lucie County Bank and kept it open during the Great Depression. Due to his dedication and support of Swedish-American relations during the 1930s and through World War II, the King of Sweden awarded Hallstrom the Royal Order of Vasa in 1958. Hallstrom’s only child, Ruth, continued her father’s legacy of involvement in the community. She traveled by boat from Oslo, Florida, up the Indian River to teach in a one-room school house in Orchid. Upon her death in 1999, Ruth bequeathed the house to the Indian River Historical Society, and in 2002, the Hallstrom House was listed on the National Register of Historical Places. In 2015, pineapple slips from some of Hallstrom’s original plants came home to the Golden Ridge, and were replanted on the Hallstrom Farmstead.
Sponsors: The Indian River County Historical Society, Tourist Development County of Indian River

QUAY/WINTER BEACH BRIDGE ROAD

Location:69th Street (mainland) to Winter Beach Bridge Road (barrier isalnd/Orchid Island) to A1A
County: Indian River
City: Indian River Shores
Description: In the early 20th century, the Indian River was a highway for settlers and tourists. There were few roads, and no bridges from the mainland to the barrier islands in the Indian River County area. In 1923, a road with bridges was opened, crossing the river at the Narrows. The road ran from Quay (later renamed Winter Beach) eastward to Hole-in-the-Wall Island, across the southern tip of Pine Island, and over the main channel to join Jungle Trail on Orchid Island. Across the narrow road and rickety bridges, developers and tourists came looking to build winter homes with access to the Atlantic beaches. In addition, settlers on Orchid Island sent their winter vegetables and world-famous citrus back to the mainland to be loaded on to the Florida East Coast Railway. At the Winter Beach Bridge’s eastern terminus is Bridge Tender Park, the former site of the bridge tender’s home. The tender’s job was to open the metal swing span over the main channel for boats traveling up and down the river. After World War II, the Winter Beach Bridge burned, and the metal span was removed, leaving only the pilings. Winter Beach Road and its bridge alignments are listed as one of Indian River County’s Scenic and Historic Roads.
Sponsors: The Indian River County Historical Society, Tourist Development County of Indian River, and the Florida Department of State

WINTER BEACH PIONEER CEMETERY

Location:44th Court between 67th Street and 71st Street
County: Indian River
City: Winter Beach
Description: Even before Florida became a state in 1845, the Indian River region was attracting pioneer settlers. These were mostly farmers seeking land to grow winter crops such as beans, cabbage, and tomatoes. They later become famous for growing pineapples and citrus. Communities grew these crops on the barrier island, Orchid Island, on the western shore of the Indian River, and the sandy dunes of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge. Woodley, established in 1893, was one of these communities. By the 1900s, it had grown and changed its name to Quay. During Florida’s “Roaring 1920s,” the name was changed again to Winter Beach. Since the community’s origin, citizens have donated land for communal needs, most notably a cemetery. Since the dune line of the Atlantic Coast Ridge reminded many settlers of the hills and mountains of their previous homes, the ridge was chosen as a location for this cemetery. In 1896, the cemetery was officially assigned to the Woodley Trustees, which later became the Winter Beach Cemetery Association. The Winter Beach Cemetery is the final resting place for the community’s original settlers and their descendants.

TREASURE HAMMOCK RANCH FARMSTEAD AND COW PENS

Location:8005 37 Street
County: Indian River
City: Vero Beach
Description: Treasure Hammock Ranch was established in 1943 by Indian River County pioneer Waldo E. Sexton, who arrived in 1913. The ranch and surrounding lands comprise headwaters of the Sebastian River set in a Chapter 298 Drainage District by the Florida Legislature in 1927. The east portion of the ranch was broken out of the original Kenmore Cattle Company of Gilbert Barkoskie, Hubert Graves, Prescott Gardner, and Sexton when the partnership was dissolved. The bridge, barn, cattle pens, weigh scales, dipping vat, and one-of-a-kind wooden squeeze chute were all built with vernacular materials and workmanship, and remain in their original state. Since its inception, the ranch has been a source of feeder calves and seed-stock. Originally devoted to breeding dwarf Guinea cattle, derived from European strains, and Brahman cattle, the ranch produced a small, thrifty hybrid for Florida's subtropical conditions. It evolved toward modern production standards and in 1953, became a founding member of the Florida Beef Cattle Improvement Association. Herds of the ranch are still driven on the historic Ranch Road (now 82nd Ave.) as was customary for decades. The farmstead was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.

LAURA (RIDING) JACKSON HOMEPLACE

Location:6155 College Lane
County: Indian River
City: Vero Beach
Description: Laura Reichenthal (1901-1991) was born in New York City and studied at Cornell University. During the 1920s and 1930s, under the pen name Laura Riding, she became a renowned author. She moved to Europe in 1926 to collaborate with British poet and novelist Robert Graves on various publishing activities. During her time abroad, she produced 27 books of poetry, short stories, literary criticism, and social commentary. After returning to the U.S. in 1939, she abandoned poetry, and embarked upon a comprehensive study of language. In 1941, she married Time magazine poetry critic Schuyler Jackson, who joined her in this work. The couple settled in Wabasso, Florida, in 1943, and restored this small frame home that was originally located on an 11-acre citrus grove. Built of Florida pine circa 1910, the house is an excellent example of Florida cracker architecture, with raised floors, a metal roof, deep porches, and large windows for cross-ventilation. After her husband’s death in 1968, she continued to live and work here until her own death. The house was moved to this site in 2019 by the Laura (Riding) Jackson Foundation to serve as a focal point for the study of literature, history, architecture, and the environment.

A.B. MICHAEL (WABASSO) BRIDGE

Location:County Road 510
County: Indian River
City: Wabasso
Description: Two Dollar Bluff, prominently featured on the U.S. Geodetic Map of 1887, was considered a navigational aid for ships on the Indian River. Located on property owned by settler and citrus grower A.B. Michael, this bluff was an Ais Indian midden and became the site for the Michael Family dock. By 1927, archeological materials in the midden, including shell, pottery shards, and bones, were almost gone, taken for use as road material. The dock was replaced with a narrow, wooden bridge with a metal swing span that crossed to the community of Orchid. This bridge allowed the Indian River citrus to travel from the Orchid Island groves to the railroad, and it opened up the northern part of Indian River County to tourism and land development. During World War II, the bridge was limited to those who lived on the island, and the bridge tender was tasked with checking the credentials of those who crossed. In 1970, the old bridge was replaced with a causeway, a high-arch bridge over the main channel, and named the Wabasso Bridge. In 2020, it was renamed the A.B. Michael Bridge. This bridge leads directly to the beaches of the Treasure Coast where remnants of the 1715 Spanish Silver Fleet are still found.

OSCEOLA PARK HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:Bounded by 20th Street, 20th Avenue, 18th Street, 23rd Avenue
County: Indian River
City: Vero Beach
Description: Osceola Park was one of the first residential subdivisions added to the town of Vero Beach, and contains the city’s largest concentration of early 20th century buildings. In 1915 and 1917, the Indian River Farms Company, who had platted the original town of Vero in 1913, hired chief engineer William H. Kimball to develop plans for the subdivisions of Little Acre Farms and Osceola Park Homesites. Located west of Vero, the Little Acre Farms subdivision consisted of one-acre lots that provided enough land for a home, a vegetable garden, and some livestock. In contrast, Osceola Park was laid out following a traditional grid pattern of streets, some using American Indian names such as Osceola, Tom Tiger, and Tallahassee. Osceola Park was developed for Vero’s first residents, and the neighborhood became a fashionable residential district where some of the town’s most prominent citizens lived. The district developed between 1915 and 1958, and includes houses that represent the architectural tastes and changes in construction technology over four decades. The approximately forty-acre Osceola Park Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.
Sponsors: Indian River Historical Society, City of Vero Beach, Osceola Park Neighborhood Association, Tourist Development Council of Indian River County

McKEE JUNGLE GARDENS

Location:350 U.S. 1
County: Indian River
City: Vero Beach
Description: This is the original site of McKee Jungle Gardens, one of Florida's earliest tourist attractions. McKee Gardens was founded in 1932 by Vero Beach pioneer Waldo Sexton and Cleveland industrialist Arthur G. McKee. They engaged William Lyman Phillips, a landscape architect who designed Fairchild Tropical Gardens and Bok Tower Gardens, to enhance and develop the 80 acres of dense tropical vegetation. The gardens contained a collection of native and imported tropical plants, an aviary, resident monkeys, and an alligator named "Ole Mac." One of the most impressive components of Phillips' design was the magnificent Cathedral of Palms, a colossal stand of more than 300 royal palms planted in precise rows. At its height of popularity the garden attracted 100,000 visitors annually, but closed in 1976, unable to compete with the allure of new theme parks nearby. Most of the acreage became a golf course and condominiums. The remaining 18 acres, now known as McKee Botanical Garden, were saved from destruction by the Indian River Land Trust and the citizens of Indian River County, and serves as an example of environmental stewardship and horticultural inspiration. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places-January 1998
Sponsors: Sponsored by the Indian River Land Trust Indian River County Historical Society Indian River County Tourist Development Council and The Florida Department of State

THE BRIDGES

Location:2 Royal Palm Pointe City Park
County: Indian River
City: Vero Beach
Description: A parade of Model T automobiles crossed the first bridge to span the Indian River on Labor Day 1920. This made Vero the first community with a bridge to Orchid Island. Made of sabal palm pilings and rough-cut planking, it began on the mainland side from a causeway created from dredged fill, and curved in the middle where the bridge tender’s house was located. The bridge tender would open the metal swing span by hand for boat traffic. The tolls varied from $.05 for pedestrians to $.10 for a horse to $.35 for a two-ton delivery truck. In the 1950s, after successful lobbying from Florida State Senator Merrill P. Barber, a new bridge was constructed using an extension of the dredged-fill causeway for its bridgehead. The Merrill P. Barber Bridge was designed in the Mid-Century Modern style, and had a steel bascule span with a booth for the bridge tender. In the 1990s, a new mainland approach was established to the north and the Barber bridge was replaced with a concrete arch bridge. This second Barber bridge is fixed, and is tall enough that the Atlantic Ocean can be seen clearly to the east. The old causeway and bridgehead became Royal Palm Pointe, a residential and commercial corridor with a city park on the river.
Sponsors: The Indian River County Historical Society, Tourist Development County of Indian River

FRANK AND STELLA HEISER HOUSE

Location:11055 138th Avenue
County: Indian River
City: Fellsmere
Description: Side One: Frank William Heiser was born in Lafayette, Indiana, in 1892. He was orphaned at age 14 and later dropped out of school. In 1911, Heiser bought a 20-acre farm in Fellsmere and moved to the area in 1912. He married Fellsmere Sales Company secretary Stella Mounger in 1915. Local builders, Shupe and Shafer, constructed this single-story, 1,440 square foot, bungalow-style house that featured five rooms and five gables. In 1918, the Heisers had a daughter, Lois, their only child. Frank Heiser, a member of numerous Fellsmere business associations, saw opportunity in the nutrient-rich muck fields west of the town. In 1923, he organized the Standard Agricultural Chemical Company, later named the Ammoniated Products Company (APC) in 1924. To process the muck into fertilizer base, APC built the Broadmoor Muck Plant five miles west of town. In 1925, Heiser became General Manager of the Trans Florida Central Railroad and President of the Fellsmere Drainage District, a position he held until 1946. In 1926, Heiser became APC’s General Manager and the company became the single largest landowner in Indian River County. High shipping costs forced the company out of business and the plant closed. Side Two: In 1927, Heiser planted his first test crop of sugar cane in Fellmere’s muck lands. After that crop’s success, he planted 100 acres in 1929. Heiser’s next goal was to build a sugar mill. He traveled between Fellsmere and New York City by train during 1930 and 1931 to secure financing, raising $1 million. Heiser founded the Fellsmere Sugar Company in 1931. The mill was built west of Fellsmere in 1932 using materials from the muck plant and a Louisiana sugar mill. By 1933, the Fellsmere Sugar Mill produced 2 million pounds of raw sugar and employed 225 people. From 1935 to 1937, he converted the company into a cooperative, the Fellsmere Sugar Producer’s Association, and added a sugar refinery. In 1936, the refinery, the first in Florida, could produce up to 150,000 pounds of refined sugar daily, labeled “Florida Crystals.” Challenges plagued the cooperative, and in 1943, Heiser and the other members sold it to Puerto Rican sugar producers. The Heisers left Fellsmere and moved to Jacksonville, though Frank returned periodically. Frank died in Jacksonville in 1961, followed by Stella in 1976. An unsung hero of Fellsmere, Heiser and his company saved the town from total economic collapse during the Great Depression.
Sponsors: Patricia and Cornelius du Plessis, Owners and Restorers of the Frank and Stella Heiser House, Fellsmere Historian Richard B. Votapka and Wife Linda

BASEBALL AND DODGERTOWN

Location:4000 26th Street
County: Indian River
City: Vero Beach
Description: Dodgertown was the spring training facility of the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers. Originally part of a World War II Naval Air Station, Dodgertown became the spring training home of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1948, when local business leader Bud Holman convinced the Dodgers to set up a spring training facility in Vero Beach. Here, Dodger President Branch Rickey sought to create a “baseball campus” where players could live and play together. Dodgertown was the South’s first racially integrated spring training camp, where 600-plus players from the Brooklyn Dodgers 26 minor league teams played. Hall of Fame players Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella were among the first African American players to train here. In 1953, Dodger President Walter O’Malley privately built the 6,500-seat Holman Stadium, a state-of-the-art ball park at Dodgertown. During its history, 6 World Championships and 14 National League Pennant-winning teams played at Dodgertown. In 2001, the Dodgers sold Dodgertown to Indian River County, then leased it back until 2008, when their spring training facilities moved west to Arizona. In 2012, the O’Malley family stepped up to manage historic Dodgertown as a year-round multi-sports complex.
Sponsors: Indian River County Historical Society, Tourist Development Council of Indian River County and the Florida Department of State

ROSELAND

Location:12973 Bay Street
County: Indian River
City: Vero Beach
Description: The Ays Indians lived along the confluence of the St. Sebastian and the Indian River (Rio d’ays) when the Spanish arrived in the 1500s. For hundreds of years after that, settlements in the Indian River area were restricted to the coastal areas where citrus, pineapples, and fishing were the primary industries. In 1816, George Fleming, an Irishman who had served in the army of Spanish Florida, received a large land grant on both sides of the St. Sebastian River. This grant was important in the growth of the area. Roseland’s first citizen was Dempsey Cain, who settled on the north side of the river in 1877. Cain is credited with naming the community on the south side of the river Roseland after the wild roses that grew there in abundance. As more settlers arrived, a post office was built in 1892, and in 1893, a depot and water tower were constructed for Henry Flagler’s East Coast Railway. In 1910, the A.A. Berry Land Development Company purchased the remnants of the old Fleming land grant. The original Berry Land Office Building still stands in Roseland, as does the 1926 Roseland Community Center, built of lumber salvaged from the first bridge to cross the St. Sebastian River.
Sponsors: Indian River County Historical Society, Tourist Development Council of Indian River County and the Florida Department of State

US-1 TEE-BEAM BRIDGE IN INDIAN RIVER COUNTY

Location:US 1 Over Old Dixie Highway and FEC Railway
County: Indian River
City: Vero Beach
Description: The tee-beam bridge at this location carried traffic southbound on US-1 over the Florida East Coast Railway and Old Dixie Highway beginning in 1927. The tee-beam design, constructed from cast-in-place concrete beams and reinforced steel running lengthwise along the bottom, was one of the most popular bridge types in the 1920s and 1930s. The Florida State Road Department was authorized in 1923 to complete a system of roads designated by the state legislature to help encourage tourism, which included the construction of US-1 as a major north-south route through Florida. This tee-beam bridge was the first US-1 bridge constructed by the Florida State Road Department in Indian River County. It was the second of six bridges built in the 1920s along US-1 in Florida. The durable tee-beam bridge was easy and cost-effective to build. This bridge was also important for its great length for a tee-beam bridge, which totaled 288 feet. The bridge at this location was a significant example from the 1920s, a decade from which historic bridges are increasingly rare. It was replaced in 2014.
Sponsors: Florida Department of Transportation

FELLSMERE UNION CHURCH

Location:12 North Hickory St
County: Indian River
City: Fellsmere
Description: Side 1: Fellsmere Union Church, located at 12 North Hickory Street, is the first and oldest church in the City of Fellsmere. The Reverend James A. Liggitt, Pastor of the Presbyterian Church of London, Ohio, and a property owner in Fellsmere, was quoted in his sermonette in the July 25, 1912 edition of the Fellsmere Farmer as saying there was “a strong sentiment among residents of Fellsmere, Florida for a church unity organization – a Union Church or amalgamation of religious bodies which in their present segregated state make it necessary to maintain countless churches and pastors.” At the time, the Union Church movement was spreading across the United States and Canada. The Reverend Fletcher D. Baker, Doctor of Divinity, who later became the first minister of the Fellsmere Union Church, arrived in Fellsmere in October 1912, at age 68, and built a cottage at the corner of New York Avenue and Orange Street. Unfortunately, his wife, Ella Vanarsdel Baker, died the month before at age 65. Rev. Baker was born in Indiana and later moved to Illinois, where he served in the Union Army as a private during the Civil War, from 1862 to 1865, and fought at Gettysburg. He was ordained as a Methodist Episcopal minister in 1871. Side 2: On December 12, 1912, Baker, along with R.A. Conkling, Fellsmere Farms Company Demonstration Farm Superintendent, and Victor J. Hadin, local builder, were appointed to a committee to consider forming a Union Church. By January 23, 1913, there were at least 24 donors to the church, including the Fellsmere Farms Company. In a letter dated January 14, 1913, General Manager Ernest H. Every stated that the Fellsmere Farms Company donated Lots 10 to 17 in Block 77 to the Union Church. The order for lumber was placed by February 6, 1913, and the original one-story wood frame 40' x 60' building with a 10' x 10' square bell tower was constructed by Victor J. Hadin over the next three months. On Sunday, May 4, 1913, the Fellsmere Union Church opened its doors for its first non-denominational worship service. In August, the church was lighted with electricity. By 1914, church membership totaled 101, and in 1920, the church was incorporated. On January 6, 1926, the congregation voted to change the name of the church to the Fellsmere Community Church, and it was incorporated by this name on September 14, 1953, by church member Ernest H. Everett
Sponsors: The Indian River County Historical Society, The City of Fellsmere, and the Florida Department of State

ALLEN CHAPEL AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Location:6425 85th Street
County: Indian River
City: Wabasso
Description: Beulah African Methodist Episcopal Church was the first house of worship in Wabasso to be affiliated with a national congregation. Its founders settled here in the early 1900s as laborers in agriculture, lumber, turpentine, and construction, the industries that formed the county’s early economy. Many congregants soon became successful entrepreneurs and property owners, including John Knowles, Sam Caswell, and Thomas Jackson – the three men who donated this land as a site for the church and school. The original sanctuary was built in 1916. It served as a classroom, as well, until the congregation’s commitment to education drew the attention of the Julius Rosenwald Fund. The school fund provided the seed money for Douglas Elementary School, built on this same donated tract in 1927. The teaching, spiritual inspiration, and fellowship fostered by these parishioners helped them defy racial barriers. Members became civic leaders, medical professionals, NASA engineers, business owners, educators, citrus growers, and decorated military veterans. The church was renamed Allen Chapel AME Church in 1943. This sanctuary, dedicated in 1957, is the third to be built on this site.
Sponsors: Indian River Historical Society

VERO BEACH CITY HALL

Location:1053 20th Place
County: Indian River
City: Vero Beach
Description: Vero’s first town hall building was located at the southeast corner of the original 1913 town plat, west of the Florida East Coast Railway tracks along Osceola Boulevard, later State Road 60. Designed by John Sherwood in the Spanish Mission Revival style, it was completed in 1924. Although described as “the grandest building in Vero,” the interior space was limited. By 1925, Vero had expanded its city limits to the Indian River and the barrier island. After amending its name to Vero Beach, the growing city needed a new city hall building, but it took nearly 40 years for that to occur. In 1962, the city council contracted W. G. Taylor, a local architect, and Hensick and Son, a local builder, to construct this new city hall. The mid-Century Modern building features a flat roof line, walls of glass, climate control, and a unique drive-up window for payment of utility and tax bills. Conveniently located on the first floor, the city council chamber had plentiful seating and an audio system. Ironically, the new location selected to accommodate the new city hall and police department buildings was originally part of the Henry Gifford homestead where the name Vero was first used for a post office in 1891.
Sponsors: The Indian River Historical Society, The City of Vero Beach Historical Commission

THE MARIAN FELL LIBRARY

Location:65 North Cypress Street
County: Indian River
City: Fellsmere
Description: The Merian Fell Library, the oldest library in Indian River County, opened its doors to the public on May 1, 1915 at 63 North Cypress Street, Fellsmere, Florida. Construction of the library was made possible by Marian Fell, daughter of Edward Nelson Fell (the founder of Fellsmere) through royalties she received from translating literary works of Russian author and playwright Ashton Chekov. Born in 1886, Marian Fell was educated in private schools in the United States, Paris, and Russia. Between 1912 and 1916, Saribner's published five of Marian Fell's translations, some of the first Russian literature to appear in English. The Fell family is believed to have resided directly across the street from the library, at 88 Cypress Street, from 1915 to 1917. North of the library were two grass tennis courts belonging to the Fellsmere Tennis Association, where the 1916 Fell Cup was held. The Fell Library is typical of many architecturally modest library buildings constructed in small Florida towns during the early twentieth century, and has been used for readings, recitals, meetings, social events, and children's programs since it opened. The library is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Sponsors: Indian River Country Historical Society The Mary Carter Memorial Fund The Fellsmere Community Redevelopment Agency and the Florida Department of State

THE FELLSMERE RAILROAD

Location:South Carolina Ave and N. Broadway St.
County: Indian River
City: Fellsmere
Description: The standard-gauge Fellsmere Railroad was completed in 1910 with 60 lb. rail to replace the old Sebastian & Cincinnatus narrow-gauge railroad built between Sebastian and Fellsmere. The Fellsmere Farms Company used the 10 mile long railroad from September 1910 until May 1, 1911 for carrying logs to the Florida East Coast Railway in Sebastian and for transporting supplies, materials, equipment, and heavy machinery used for excavating drainage canals to Fellsmere. The railroad officially opened to the public on May 1, 1911, and ran four passenger trains daily with only two on Sunday, to and from Sebastian and Fellsmere. On January 23, 1913 the 12’ x 32’ Fellsmere Depot was opened for service, with Edward Nelson Fell, the founder of Fellsmere, purchasing the first ticket. The depot was built on the South side of the mainline north of the intersection of Broadway and South Carolina Ave. By April 1915, the railroad was extended another 6 miles west of Fellsmere to Broadmoor (a now non-existent town), In June 2, 1924 the Trans-Florida Central railroad (dubbed the “Dinky Line”) took over railroad operations. On November 30, 1952, the railroad officially ceased operations after 42 years of service.
Sponsors: Sponsored by the Indian River Historical Society, The Fellsmere Community Redevelopment Agency, and The Florida Department of State.

U.S. NAVAL STATION, VERO BEACH WORLD WAR II

Location:Vero Beach Municipal Airport
County: Indian River
City: Vero Beach
Description: Site of the Main Hanger and Control Tower of the Vero Beach Naval Air Station (NAS) that was commissioned on 24 November 1942 to provide Navy and Marine flight training base for over 2700 men 300 WAVES and women Marines. The previously city-owned airport expanded from 100 acres to 2500 acres and contained self-supporting facilities for a population equal to the size of Vero Beach. The purpose of the NAS was constantly revised from originally training dive-bomber pilots to daytime pilots and ultimately to nighttime fighter pilots. Ingenuity of the maintenance crews was required to keep planes operational due to the shortage of repair parts. Almost 200 men received training on the Brewster SB2A Buccaneer and 1400 men on the Grumman F4F Wildcat, F6F Hellcat, F7F Tigercat. Although extensive safety procedures were established, records show over 100 lives were lost in flight training accidents. Training diminished after VJ Day (14 August 1945), but as of 2 September 1945, records show 237,102 hours of flight time had been provided since the first flight in December 1942. The Vero Beach NAS was placed in caretaker status in June 1946 and deeded back to the city.
Sponsors: the Indian River County Historical Society, the City of Vero Beach and the Florida Department of State

THE FELLSMERE PUBLIC SCHOOL

Location:22 S Orange St
County: Indian River
City: Fellsmere
Description: The Fellsmere Public School, the first masonry school building in what is now Indian River County, was constructed during 1915 and 1916 at 22 South Orange Street. The 22,680 square foot, two-story school with a raised basement was designated by Frederick Homer Trimble, a former Methodist missionary architect who had worked in Fuzhou, China. Trimble, who began his architectural career in the United State in 1915 with the Fellsmere School, designed several building in Fellsmere and Vero Beach, and over 150 buildings in South Florida. Trimble also designed the first buildings at Florida Southern College in Lakeland. The bid to construct the school was awarded to Arthur F. Sanders, a Fellsmere contractor, on May 4, 1915 by the St. Lucie County School Board. Trimble donated the plans for the Fellsmere school but was paid $100 per month to oversee its construction. The school's construction was delayed for several months before funding was obtained from the sale of bonds. By September 1915 Sanders' crews had constructed the Fellsmere Short Line Railroad from the Fellsmere Farms Railroad north of South Carolina Avenue down to the center of Cypress Street to the school site. A special railcar build tin Palatka was used to haul materials to the school on 4x4 heart-of-pine rails spiked to 2x8 crossties. Work began on the school's foundation in October 1915, and was completed in mid-November 1915. On January 31, 1916, the school's cornerstone was laid under the direction of the Grand Masonic Lodge. The Fellsmere, Public School was completed the same year at a cost of $40,000. The school's doors opened to 136 students on October 2, 1916. Principal Anderson A. Price, Assistant Principal Ina C. Elder, and five women teachers, Miss Jesse M. Hunter (the first teacher in Fellsmere, 1912), Miss Neva M. Hunter, Mrs. A.A. (Lula) Price, Miss Ethel Jones, and Miss Agnes Helseth provided instruction for grades 1-12. The Fellsmere School is the oldest public school building in Indian River County, and remained active as a school until 1964. It was later used as the Fellsmere City Hall and Police Station. It is the birthplace of the annual Fellsmere Frogleg Festival. In 2010, the City of Fellsmere restored the school for use as a Cit Hall/Government Center/Boys and Girls Club at a cost of $3.060,000. On October 19, 2010, the Fellsmere Public School building was once again re-opened to the public.
Sponsors: City of Fellsmere, Indian River County Historical Society and the Florida Department of State

Jackson

THE WEST END COMMUNITY

Location:Intersection of Borden Street and Highway 90/ Lafayette Street
County: Jackson
City: Marianna
Description: As early as 1825, African Americans settled in the Jackson County area. After 1865, interconnected communities developed their own infrastructure including cemeteries, schools, and churches. From these communities, a large population came together on a 563 acre parcel, later named West End, near downtown Marianna. It was bordered by Borden Street, Lafayette Street, Pennsylvania Avenue, and South Street. Home styles included shotgun, block types, and brick ranch. Over the years, the West End community grew from hundreds to over a thousand. Farming and sharecropping were originally the main sources of income, but later residents also held teaching and governmental jobs. A renaissance period in the late 19th and early 20th centuries brought the construction of new schools and churches, coupled with thriving, minority-owned businesses. Historic institutions in the West End were St. James A.M.E. Church, St. Luke Baptist Church, Gilmore Academy, and Jackson County Training School. Involvement in city government remained important and five city mayors hailed from West End between the 1980s and 2016. The community's maxim evolved from the Akan word, Sankofa, meaning "learn from our past, going into the future."
Sponsors: Saint James AME Church, Castoria S. Borders Family, Johney Baker, Sr. and Carrie Ephraim Baker Family, Maggie Pender Atwater Family, Evelyn P. and Chalmers Wilson Jr. Family, C. Wilson III, The Chipola Historical Trust, The City of Marianna

BATTLE OF MARIANNA

Location:U.S.90(E. Lafayette) & S.R.167(S. Jefferson) at Co
County: Jackson
City: Marianna
Description: On September 27, 1864, Gen Asboth's force of 700 Federal calvary from Pensacola arrived in the Marianna area to forage and secure Negro recruits. Confederate forces of a few hundred home guardsmen barricaded the streets of Marianna and withstood the first assault but Confederate casualties were 26, Federal about 55. Marianna was spared, but St. Luke's Church, situated in the middle of the battle, was burned.

GENERAL ANDREW JACKSON IN FLORIDA - 1818

Location:Florida Caverns State Park, near boat/canoe launch
County: Jackson
City: Marianna
Description: American desire for the acquisition of Florida grew after 1800 as U.S. frontiers expanded. Border incidents provided motivation for General Andrew Jackson's 1818 expedition against Florida's Seminole Indians. Jackson's army destroyed Indian stronghold in the Apalachee Region. On May 11, 1818, during a 12 day march from Fort Gadsden on the lower Apalachicola River to the Escambia River, Jackson crossed the Chipola River's Natural Bridge near here. Pensacola surrendered to Jackson later that month. This foray into Spanish territory created serious repercussions at home and abroad but paved the way for U.S. acquisition of Florida from Spain.
Sponsors: sponsored by the florida state society, united states daughters of 1812, through the courtesy of mrs. esther a. poppell, colonel william carroll lee chapter, in cooperation with the departmetn of state

GILMORE ACADEMY

Location:2871 Orange St.
County: Jackson
City: Marianna
Description: In 1922, Robert T. Gilmore (1879-1948), born in Monticello, founded Gilmore Academy, one of Jackson County’s first African-American high schools. Trustees of Marianna’s African-American community purchased this three-acre site in 1907 and raised $2,500 of the $4,500 needed to qualify for a Rosenwald Fund grant to build a two-story, limestone, six-teacher school. Created by philanthropist Julius Rosenwald (1862-1932) and educator Booker T. Washington (1856-1915), the fund financed the building of 5,395 schools between 1912 and 1932 to address the dismal state of education for southern blacks. After graduating its first class in 1931, the Academy was renamed Jackson County Training School (J.C.T.S.) As enrollment grew, grades 1-6 moved to the nearby Baptist Academy. In 1952, 85 years after the Colored School Society petitioned the state to build a school for newly freed slaves, the County built an elementary school on South Street. A high school was built on the same site in 1956, and Gilmore Academy closed. In 1970, 16 years after desegregation, J.C.T.S. became Marianna Middle School. Although the schools were separate and unequal, principals, faculty and staff helped thousands of students become productive citizens.
Sponsors: BY THE GILMORE ACADEMY-JACKSON COUNTY TRAINING SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, INC. AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

JACKSON COUNTY

Location:U.S. 90, on Courthouse grounds.
County: Jackson
City: Marianna
Description: On August 12, 1822, the year after the United States received possession of the Floridas, an Act of the Territorial Legislative Council divided West Florida into two counties - Jackson and Escambia. At that time, Jackson County included all territory between the Choctawhatchee and Suwannee Rivers, and area which now encompasses land in seventeen North Florida Counties. Jackson County is named in honor of Andrew Jackson, Governor of the Territories of East and West Florida. The county seat is Marianna, incorporated November 5, 1828.
Sponsors: Jackson County Historical Commission in Cooperation with Department of State

SAINT LUKE BAPTIST CHURCH

Location:4476 Jackson St.
County: Jackson
City: Marianna
Description: This African-American church was founded under a brush arbor on the banks of the Chipola River in August, 1867 under the leadership of Rev. Samuel Brown. Shortly after organizing, one of the members who owned a blacksmith shop allowed his shop to be used as the first permanent home of the Saint Luke Baptist Church. In 1890, Rev. William King and congregation selected the present site and a wooden structure was erected. The years that followed were glorious years for the members of Saint Luke and the surrounding area. The church was used for religious and educational purposes. In 1921, under the leadership of Rev. King David Britt (1882 – 1959), the present brick structure was erected. The church was completed under the leadership of Rev. L. C. Herring, Rev. L. B. Brown, and Rev. Dr. A. H. Parker (1907 – 1995). The design of the building follows the Gothic Revival Style with its pointed, arch leaded stained glass windows and towers on either side of the central nave. The church is located on one of the highest points in central Marianna. Even though the building was vacated by the congregation in 1984, it continues to be a main focal point in Marianna.
Sponsors: THE SAINT LUKE BAPTIST CHURCH AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

SYLVANIA PLANTATION

Location:on C.R.164, 4.2 miles E. of its intersection with
County: Jackson
City: Marianna
Description: Near this site stood "Sylvania", the plantation home of John Milton, Florida's Civil War governor, who settled in Jackson County in 1845. Milton's holdings consisted of 2,600 acres, a manor house, a school and family chapel, barns, blacksmith shop, and quarters for 50 slaves. Chief crops were cotton and corn. Here Gov. Milton, exhausted by his labors for the Confederate cause, took his life at the end of the war.

WHEN THE LIGHTS CAME ON

Location:5282 Peanut Rd.
County: Jackson
City: Graceville
Description: On May 30, 1936 President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945) signed into law the Rural Electrification Act which, 19 months later, would allow for the formation of West Florida Electric Cooperative (WFEC) and supply electricity for several hundred rural Graceville area residents. This federal act created the Rural Electrification Administration (REA), a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which provided low interest loans to rural groups desiring to form their own electric cooperatives. On December 10, 1937, over 700 rural residents around Graceville joined together and formed WFEC. They borrowed $194,000 from REA to finance construction of the initial lines, related equipment and office facility. The first office was located in Marianna in 1938. In 1939 the office was moved from Marianna to Graceville and electricity came to these rural residents during that year. WFEC purchased this property in 1946 where the building now stands. Construction began on the building in 1948, and WFEC opened for business here in 1949. Over the years WFEC has expanded this building to its present configuration. This structure is a symbol of progress and a testament to those determined rural residents who, through electricity, helped bring this area into the modern age of the 20th century and provided a better quality of life for many.
Sponsors: THE WEST FLORIDA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Jefferson

JEFFERSON COUNTY SESQUICENTENNIAL

Location:U. S. 19 & U. S. 90 on Courthouse lawn.
County: Jefferson
City: Monticello
Description: When Florida's Territorial Legislative Council established Jefferson County in January, 1827, settlers from the seaboard states already had begun to develop cotton plantations in this area. In December, 1827, the county seat received the name Monticello in honor of Thomas Jefferson's famous Virginia home. Jefferson County provided many of territorial Florida's most prominent leaders, including representatives to Congress and the Legislative Council, territorial judges, and the state's first elected governor, William D. Moseley. Jefferson County citizens were instrumental in establishing the Democratic party in Florida and in attaining statehood in 1845. As southerners who advocated states' rights and opposed the abolition of slavery, they took leading roles in Florida's 1861 secession from the Union and in the military service of the Confederacy. For decades after the Civil War, Jefferson County reflected north Florida's economic changes and problems, attaining prominence in agriculture and related light industries. In more recent times, the county has continued its significant participation in Florida's development in the political and agricultural arenas.
Sponsors: sponsored by jefferson county historical association in cooperation with department of state

LAMONT COMMUNITY

Location:Lot east of post office
County: Jefferson
City: Lamont
Description: Lamont began existence in 1848 when a U.S. post office was established at Beasley’s Store, which also served as a horse changing station on the stagecoach line between Tallahassee and St. Augustine. After the Civil War, the small settlement that had grown up in the area was known locally by the unusual name of “Lick Skillet” and as McCane’s Store. By the time its name was officially changed to Lamont in 1885, the town had grown to 180 residents, with two general stores, two grist mills and three churches. The community thrived briefly after the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad built a line through the town in 1926. The town’s residents worked in sawmills and turpentine stills, grew pecans and processed watermelon seeds for planting. With the onset of the Great Depression in the 1930s, the town’s industries failed and many residents were forced to move away. Today Lamont’s past is reflected by a former post office, built c. 1910, and several historic churches and houses.
Sponsors: THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

MONTICELLO COTTON MILL

Location:U.S. Hwy. 90 East at Monticello
County: Jefferson
City: Monticello
Description: Built on this site by General William Bailey in 1851, the mill was one of the first industrial experiments in Florida. It contained 1,500 spindles and forty looms and employed sixty-five white laborers. During the War Between the States he kept his products 50 percent below prevailing market prices, incurring an estimated $300,000 personal loss. Because of his patriotism, the mill was one of the few not commandeered by the Confederates. The enterprise collapsed during reconstruction.

ROSEWOOD

Location:U.S. 19 between St. Joe and Morris Rd.
County: Jefferson
City: Capps
Description: This excellent example of a "Carpenter Classic" style farmhouse was probably built c. 1836 for Burwell McBride shortly after he moved to Jefferson County from South Carolina. He was the grandfather of Margaret McBride who married Asa May, a wealthy cotton planter. Asa and his wife received the house and land from Margaret's father in 1848. May was one of the wealthiest planters in North Florida, at one time owning more than 3,000 acres of land in Jefferson County alone. Rosewood was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
Sponsors: Florida Department of State

THE TOWN OF MONTICELLO

Location:U. S. 19, on grounds of Post Office.
County: Jefferson
City: Monticello
Description: Jefferson County became Territorial Florida's 13th county in January, 1827. In December of that year, the town of Monticello, named in honor of Thomas Jefferson's famous Virginia home, was laid out and lots began to be sold. During the 1830s and 1840s, Monticello developed into the social, governmental, and economic center of Jefferson County. Post- Civil War fires destroyed most of the early commercial buildings, but a number of dwellings erected during those years survive. After the Civil War, economic adversity delayed further construction in Monticello until the 1880s. Most downtown commercial buildings date from the last quarter of the 19th century. The Monticello Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, contains over forty buildings dating from the 19th century. These structures reflect the typical development of a North Florida town of the period. Unlike other Florida towns of the same era, 19th century Monticello remains largely intact. The town provides fine examples of Greek Revival, Classic Revival, and Stick style architecture.
Sponsors: sponsored by the jefferson county historical association in cooperation with department of state

THE GIRARDEAU HOUSE

Location:950 E. Washington Street
County: Jefferson
City: Monticello
Description: Built in 1890, John Howard Girardeau and his wife, Agnes, constructed this Folk Victorian style house for their large family of 11 children. It faces north toward Dogwood Street. Girardeau planted 46 oaks along the street, which provided a grand tree-lined entrance at the front his original 10-acre homestead from Marvin Street and east for several blocks. The house retains its original footprint, with modern plumbing and electricity added early in its history. Wrapping both the northeast and northwest sides, large verandas on both floors of the north side of the house allowed for many rooms to open outdoors. The two single-story extensions on the south side served as a kitchen to the west and an enclosed well house to the east. Unanticipated development to the south and the construction of U.S. Highway 90 changed the house’s orientation, and created the illusion that its southern side was the front. Girardeau’s work in horticulture, particularly with pecans and pears, made him an important member of the community. As Superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools, he oversaw the construction of the county’s first two African American schools. He also served as the headmaster of Monticello Academy.

ELIZABETH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Location:Grooverville Rd. near Rains Rd
County: Jefferson
City: Monticello
Description: The Elizabeth School, a three-room, vernacular shingle-clad building , was a school for black students on Groover Road in 1938 and was funded by parents and the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Miles Edward Groover (1887- 1966) and his wife, Daisy Black Groover (1889-1984) donated two acres of land to the Jefferson Co. Board of Public Instruction, now the Jefferson Co. Public School District. Groover, who began teaching public school in 1902, is listed in the 1915 Florida Education Directory as principal at a monthly salary of $20. The Groover’s daughter, Doris Groover Herring (1918-2006), also taught at the school. Daisy’s sister, Mamie Black Scott (1892-1970), was district supervisor of Negro Schools and later Supervisor of Negro Education (1927-1962). Her salary was provided by the Anna T. Jeanes Foundation. (Anna T. Jeanes had set aside one million dollars to fund a program for fostering education in small, African-American rural schools.) Three teachers staffed the school, one as both principal and teacher. The school once educated students in 12 grades, but when student transportation began in 1949, grades included only 1-6 and continued until it closed in 1964.
Sponsors: SPONSORED BY THE JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

HOWARD ACADEMY ELEMENTARY AND JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL (LATER HOWARD ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL) SECOND STREET

Location:1145 2nd Street
County: Jefferson
City: Monticello
Description: This historic marker recognizes Howard Academy Elementary/Junior High School, which eventually became Howard Academy High School. In 1957, the first phase of Howard Academy Elementary and Junior High School was constructed on Second Street. The school operated as an elementary and junior high school until 1961, when the facility was expanded to accommodate Black students in Grades 1-12. The establishment of this school resulted the closure of many of the two-and three-room schools in rural areas. In addition, children had better and safer accommodations, including a spacious library, work areas for specialty classes, such as home economics and choral music, facilities that were not always available at the school on Chestnut Street. The new school also had a gymnasium and football field. The combining of grades did not impact the school’s administration since Eddie L. Simpkins and George W. Pittman continued in their roles as principal and assistant principal, respectively. When the district implemented its desegregation plan in the 1970-71 academic year, the Howard Academy High School site became the district’s only middle school—Howard Middle School.
Sponsors: JEFFERSON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT THE JEFFERSON COUNTY RETIRED EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

HOWARD ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL-CHESNUT STREET

Location:Mamie Scott Dr. Near Cypress St.
County: Jefferson
City: Monticello
Description: Howard Academy High School’s Building 1 opened on Chestnut Street in 1936 with one structure containing several classrooms. In 1940, a similar, second building was constructed and financed by the county, parents and The Julius Rosenwald Fund. Rosenwald, President of Sears, Roebuck and Co., donated funds to build thousands of schools, shops, and teachers’ homes in the South. With the construction of Building 2, Building 1 was used as the elementary and junior high school and Building 2 served as the senior high school. Howard Academy was the first official high school for African-American students in the county. This was true until a combination elementary and junior high school was built on Second Street in 1957. The Chestnut Street location served grades 9-12 students until 1961 when the elementary/junior high school on Second Street was expanded for students in all 12 grades. After 1961 the Chestnut Street Buildings were not used for several years. However when schools were integrated in the early 1970’s, the Chestnut site again served elementary students until the elementary school could be built. Currently, Building 2 is leased to the Boys and Girls Club; Building 1 is a storage space for the school district.
Sponsors: SPONSORED BY THE JEFFERSON COUNTY THE JEFFERSON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Lafayette

LAFAYETTE COUNTY

Location:Lafayette U.S. 27 between Fletcher St. and Monroe St. on courthouse lawn.
County: Lafayette
City: Mayo
Description: Lafayette County was created December 23, 1856, from Madison County. The county was named in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, the French citizen who rendered invaluable assistance to the Colonies during the Revolutionary War. The famed Suwannee River forms the entire eastern boundary of the county. The county courts first met at the house of Ariel Jones near Fayetteville. The county seat was moved from New Troy to Mayo in 1893. Dixie County was created from the lower part of the county in 1921.
Sponsors: Sponsored by lafayette county development authority in cooperation withdepartment of state

MAYO, COUNTY SEAT OF LAFAYETTE COUNTY

Location:Lafayette County Courthouse grounds
County: Lafayette
City: Mayo
Description: Established in 1874 by John B. Whitfield, Mayo was named in honor of James M. Mayo, a colonel in the Confederate Army and father of Nathan Mayo, who served as State Commissioner of Agriculture from 1923 to 1960. Mayo became the county seat of Lafayette County in 1892, after the courthouse in the previous county seat at New Troy was destroyed by fire. A two-story wood frame courthouse was completed in 1894 but was moved in 1907 to its current site at the corner of Fletcher and Bloxham Streets to make way for the present Classical Revival style courthouse which was completed in 1909. A small commercial district in the vicinity of the courthouses is noted for its historic turn-of-the-century architecture.
Sponsors: Florida Department of State

Lake

FORT BUTLER

Location:two miles west of St. Johns River Bridge, S.R. 40
County: Lake
City: Astor
Description: Located on the west bank of the St. Johns, Ft. Butler was built in 1838 during the Seminole Wars. It consisted of a crude log stockade and barracks for the garrison. The Fort was one of the military installations designed to protect the St. Johns River, which served as an important artery of communication with the garrisons in central Florida. On the opposite bank, near the frontier settlement of Volusia, stood Ft. Call.

FORT MASON

Location:Larkin Park, Hwy. 19
County: Lake
City: Umatilla
Description: During the Second Seminole War (1835-1842), troops under the command of Brig. Gen. Abraham Eustis left Volusia County headed toward the Withlacoochee River as part of a military action in response to the December 28, 1835 massacre of Major Francis L. Dade and his command near Bushnell. In March 1836 the troops camped nearby while a bridge was constructed over the Ocklawaha to the west. They built a fortified stockade about one mile south of this location, on the east side of Smith Lake. It was named Fort Mason, most likely to honor Lt. Col. Pierce Mason Butler who led the expedition and after whom Fort Butler, near Astor, was also named. After hostilities ended, Fort Mason became a supply base to support and encourage settlement in the area, which would later become Lake County. With the coming of the railroad in the1880s, a town on the north shore of Lake Eustis took its name from Fort Mason.
Sponsors: LAKE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

HOLY TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Location:on Spring Lake Road north of Fruitland Park.
County: Lake
City: Fruitland Park
Description: Founded in 1886 by a group of young English men who came to this area to plant citrus groves, this church was opened in December, 1888. Earlier services were held at a barn on nearby Lake Geneva, midway between Fruitland Park and Chetwynd, a town two miles north of here no longer in existence. Despite severe economic and population losses following the freezes of 1894-95, this church remained open, and in 1976 descendants of the founders were still active in the congregation. The lych gate, rare in Florida, was added in 1889. The edifice is an unspoiled example of "carpenter gothic" architecture. In 1975, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sponsors: sponsored by holy trinity episcopal church in cooperation with department of state

JOHN P. DONNELLY HOUSE

Location:Donnelly St. between 5th & 6th Ave.
County: Lake
City: Mount Dora
Description: John P. Donnelly, a native of Pittsburg, came to Mount Dora in 1879. In 1881, he married Annie McDonald Stone, a prominent landholder in the community. Successful in a number of real estate and business ventures, Donnelly built this imposing Queen Anne style house in 1893. He was among the founders of the local yacht club, and served as the city's first mayor in 1910. In 1924, he sold the land for the park named for his wife, who had died in 1908. He died in 1930. The Donnelly House, now owned by Mount Dora Lodge #238, F&AM, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on April 4, 1975.
Sponsors: Mount Dora Lodge No. 238, F. & A.M. in Cooperation with the Florida Department of State

MILNER-ROSENWALD ACADEMY

Location:1560 N. Highland St.
County: Lake
City: Mount Dora
Description: Milner-Rosenwald Academy served African-American school children from 1926 to 1962. When fire destroyed the old school in 1922, parents and community leaders, led by Mamie Lee Gilbert (1886-1976) and Lula Butler, raised money for a new one. Seed money came from the Rosenwald Foundation, founded in 1913 by philanthropist Julius Rosenwald (1862-1932) to build black schools in the South. Matching funds came from Rev. Duncan C. Milner (1841-1928), Mount Dora, committed foe of racial injustice. Despite the inequity of segregation, Milner-Rosenwald was a source of community pride. Its graduates were leaders, scholars, writers and contributing members of society. Many today remember favorite teachers and activities--the marching band, the glee club, the Maypole Festival, the state championship girls' basketball team. As enrollment grew, a new Milner-Rosenwald Academy was built, at 1250 Grant Ave. The old academy housed the community's first kindergarten, the East Town branch library, the youth center and, later, the Head Start program. After integration in 1970 the Milner-Rosenwald Academy was renamed Mount Dora Middle School and the name Milner-Rosenwald Academy became a cherished part of Mount Dora's history.
Sponsors: THE NORTHEAST BLACK HISTORY COMMITTEE AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

VILLA CITY

Location:Lake Emma Road, 3 miles north of Groveland
County: Lake
City: Groveland
Description: On this site in 1885, George Thomas King, founder of Villa City, built an estate that was the showplace of the area. By 1895, the town had a post office, school, church, hotel, photographic studio, dispensary and 35 homes. The citrus based community flourished until the Big Freeze of 1894-95. A warm spell, after a devastating Dec. 29 freeze, filled the trees with sap. Snow then fell in the evening of Feb. 7, 1895. The frozen trees exploded when the warming sun returned. Their hopes and dreams broken, the settlers left. The last original house, the Gano House, was demolished in 1968, but the beauty of the area remains.
Sponsors: VILLA CITY HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

WITHERSPOON LODGE OF FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS, No. 111

Location:Corner of Grant Ave. and N. Clayton St.
County: Lake
City: Mount Dora
Description: The Witherspoon Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, No. 111, is one of Florida’s oldest functioning African American lodges. Established in 1898, it followed the tradition of Prince Hall (1735-1807), who opposed racial oppression in Colonial New England and founded the first African American Lodge in the United States. The Witherspoon Lodge bought this frame vernacular style building in 1903 and has met here since then. Masonic rites require that meetings be held on the second floor. The building also houses the Order of the Eastern Star, the Masonic women’s auxiliary. The Masons, the world’s largest fraternal organization, are committed to community service, mutual aid and the pursuit of free thought. In Mount Dora, the Witherspoon Lodge has provided help and shelter to various community organizations. In 1922, fire destroyed the city’s one-room segregated school for African-American children (Public School No. 66, first established in 1886). The Witherspoon Building served as a schoolhouse until the construction of the Milner-Rosenwald Academy in 1925. The Witherspoon Building has also served as the temporary assembly place for two churches, the Weaver Memorial Church of Christ and the Holiness Church
Sponsors: WITHERSPOON LODGE OF FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS, NO. 111 AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

THE CASINO

Location:604 W. Berckman Street
County: Lake
City: Fruitland Park
Description: In 1914, George T. Clark built a community center for the residents of Fruitland Park on the property of his Gardenia Hotel. Known locally as the Casino, the building was designed in the Frame Vernacular style with wood-framed construction, a metal roof, a wide porch, low eaves, and a breezeway. When completed, it contained a large stage and ladies' and men's dressing rooms, each with their own bathroom. The Casino also featured amenities such as running water, electric lights, and steam heat. It began serving as a meeting place for civic organizations such as the Fruitland Park Improvement Association and Fruitland Park Chamber of Commerce. During World War I, women and school children met there to knit mufflers, sweaters, and socks for servicemen. In 1920, William G. Dwight and his wife, Minnie, purchased the building from Clark. The building continued to host social functions and serve as a meeting space for various community organizations. William Dwight died in 1930, and Minnie maintained ownership of the Casino until 1950, when she donated it to the City of Fruitland Park. The Casino was listed on the National Register of Historical Places in 2015, but was razed in 2017.

HARPER HOUSE

Location:17408 East Porter Avenue
County: Lake
City: Montverde
Description: Built in the late 1870s, this house is the oldest building in Montverde. Pioneer merchant and citrus grower Reuben Wyatt Harper purchased it in 1891 after moving to Lake County from Alabama. At first, Harper ran a store and the town’s first post office out of the building, but after his marriage to Mary Jane McQuaig in 1892, he converted it into their residence. The house is a fine example of the adaptability of Frame Vernacular architecture. It was the home of a large, three-generation family. The two-story addition on the west side became a dining room on the first floor and an upstairs bedroom for Harper's father. Part of the porch was enclosed for Harper's office, and the screened sleeping porch in the rear accommodated the eight Harper children. In addition to the house, Harper owned other real estate in Montverde and helped stimulate agriculture and business along the western shore of Lake Apopka. He donated land to bring the Tavares and Gulf Railroad to Montverde, and in 1912, aided in the founding of the Montverde Industrial School, later renamed the Montverde Academy. Harper was designated a Great Floridian 2000, and the Harper House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
Sponsors: The Harper Family

MONTVERDE ACADEMY

Location:17235 7th Street
County: Lake
City: Montverde
Description: Montverde Academy was founded by Hermon Palestine Carpenter in 1912 as the Montverde Industrial School for students of limited means. A native of Boyle County, Kentucky, Carpenter (1877-1958) came to Florida in 1912 and decided to found a school at Montverde. Carpenter, like many educational reformers of the time, believed that there was a need for a “practical” type of education and established his school with the purpose of training boys and girls both in the classroom and in a trade. The school held its first day of classes on September 23, 1912, in a two-room building. Students were expected to attend classes and work on campus in various capacities, such as tending the school farm, or working in the school's broom factory or cannery to help pay their tuition. Over time, Montverde Academy slowly phased out the work requirement as it grew in recognition as a boarding and day school. In 1921, the school became known as the Montverde School, and in 1962 was renamed the Montverde Academy. It is now a prominent college preparatory boarding and day school.
Sponsors: Montverde Academy and the Florida Department of State

BIRTH OF THE FLORIDA TRAIL

Location:Clearwater Recreation Area in the Ocala National Forest
County: Lake
City: Paisley
Description: On October 29, 1966, Jim Kern, founder of the Florida Trail Association, and like-minded hiking enthusiasts began building the Florida Trail at the entrance to Clearwater Lake Recreation Area in the Ocala National Forest. The first 26-mile section, completed in 1969, extended northwest through the forest from here to State Road 40. In 1983, the Florida Trail earned Congressional recognition, and was designated the Florida National Scenic Trail under the National Trails System Act of 1968. The Florida Trail is one of eleven National Scenic Trails and one of three contained within a single state. As of the 50th anniversary of the trail in 2016, more than 1000 miles of continuous trail have been completed through the efforts of many volunteers. The trail spans the length of the state from Big Cypress National Preserve in South Florida to Gulf Islands National Seashore in the Panhandle, with a spur trail into Alabama, connecting it to a national trail network from Florida to the Canadian border. Each year many thousands of Floridians and visitors from around the world discover the "real Florida" while walking this footpath that passes through the state's varied ecosystems.
Sponsors: Florida Trail Association

Lee

BONITA SPRINGS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Location:10701 Dean Street
County: Lee
City: Bonita Springs
Description: This school contains two historic building and is a rare example of a historical school that continues to serve its original function. The rural village of Bonita Springs, originally called Survey, grew during the Florida Land Boom of the 1920s and this brick structure replaced the previous one-room schoolhouses. The original three-room school was built in 1921 and the first principal was Miss Alma McDonald. A local contractor utilized local oak and cypress lumber to complete the masonry vernacular structure. The school expanded in 1927 by adding a two-story building with auditorium. The addition features the Mediterranean Revival architectural style common from 1915-1930, and is a combination of Spanish, Italian, Moorish and Byzantine influences. In the early 1940s the two buildings were united and a cafeteria was an integral part of the community for generations. The school was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999, the first property in Bonita Springs to be so listed.
Sponsors: Sponsored by the City of Bonita Springs and the Florida Department of State.

'TWEEN WATERS INN

Location:15951 Captiva Drive
County: Lee
City: Captiva
Description: ‘Tween Waters Inn was established on Captiva Island by F. Bowman and Grace B. Price in 1931. They started the inn with a single building and expanded it over the next 30 years, adding guest cottages, a marina, and other buildings as they built their remote tourist destination into a favorite winter resort for wealthy northerners. Bowman Price provided guided fishing trips for guests and Grace Price offered entertainment and dining in the inn’s Old Captiva House. The inn’s visitors included Anne Morrow Lindbergh, wife of famed aviator Charles Lindbergh, who drew inspiration from Captiva for her bestselling book Gift from the Sea (1955) and J.N. “Ding” Darling, a conversationist and renowned editorial cartoonist who won Pulitzer prizes in 1924 and 43. Darling wrote and drew while staying at “Tween Waters Inn for seven winter seasons between 1935-36 and 1941-42. He also helped to establish Sanibel National Wildlife Refuge, which was named in his honor in 1967. In 1976, Tween Waters Inn was purchased by Rochester Resorts, Inc/, which restored its historic cottages for the inn’s continued use as a resort. ‘Tween Waters Inn was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.
Sponsors: Sponsored by ‘Tween Waters Inn and the Florida Department of State

THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF BOCA GRANDE

Location:421 4th Street West
County: Lee
City: Boca Grande
Description: The First Baptist Church of Boca Grande is the oldest church building on Gasparilla Island and housed one of the island’s two oldest congregations. In the early 1900s, phosphate companies decided to use the port of Boca Grande as a primary shipping point. The Seaboard Airline Railroad laid track to the southernmost tip of the island, and soon the island’s population grew enough to support a ministry. In 1909, the First Baptist Church was organized. At first, services were held outdoors conducted by circuit riding preachers twice a month. Between 1911 and 1912, a building committee was organized. Construction of the church was funded by a loan from the Florida Southern Baptist Missions Board and by congregational donations. In 1915, the church, an example of balloon-frame Carpenter Gothic style architecture, was completed. The Seaboard railroad donated a locomotive’s bell for the church that is still in use today. In 1928, the building was enlarged to accommodate Sunday school classrooms, and in 1934, a parsonage was built as a residence for a full-time pastor. In 2009, the First Baptist Church celebrated its 100th anniversary and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Sponsors: The First Baptist Church of Boca Grande and the Florida Department of State

IWO JIMA MONUMENT

Location:2101 SE 23rd Terrace
County: Lee
City: Cape Coral
Description: Side 1: This monument immortalizes the famous photograph taken by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal during the American victory over Japan on the island of Iwo Jima on February 23, 1945. One of the most iconic images of World War II, the photograph depicts 5 U.S. Marines and a Navy Corpsman raising the American Flag atop Mt. Suribachi. After the brutal 36-day battle, Navy Admiral Chester Nimitz, said that on Iwo Jima “Uncommon valor was a common virtue.” Of the 27 Congressional Medals of Honor awarded to U.S. armed forces who fought on Iwo Jima, 22 were awarded to Marines, and to Navy personnel, 5 of them corpsmen. Fourteen medals were awarded posthumously. The U.S. suffered 26,038 casualties in the battle including 6,821 dead. Of the 22,785 Japanese soldiers defending Iwo Jima, only 1,083 survived. The airfields captured on Iwo Jima served as vital assets to the American war effort, providing emergency bases for B-29 bombers returning from missions over Japan. The monument captures the emotional impact of the event, and honors the courage and sacrifice made by the participating U.S. Marine and Naval forces. Side 2: This monument was crafted by Felix de Weldon, sculptor of the national Iwo Jima Memorial statue in Arlington, Virginia. De Weldon created two larger than life-sized monuments to travel with the 7th War Bond Tour of 1945. The third and last cast from the original mold was commissioned in 1964 by Cape Coral developers, the Rosen Brothers, and dedicated in 1965. Originally located at Tarpon Point’s Rose Garden, this monument served as a promotional tool to drive real estate sales in Cape Coral during the 1960s. In the 1970s, the Rosen Brothers fell into bankruptcy and the Rose Garden was abandoned. Many of the exhibits and gardens were later vandalized and damaged by neglect. In 1980, Michael Geml, Vice President of North First Bank hired de Weldon to restore and move the monument to the bank's Cape Coral property where it stood until 1997. The monument was restored a second time by the Lee County Marine Corps League Detachment following its relocation to ECO Park Preserve in 1997. A third major restoration was completed in 2011. A source of pride for Cape Coral, this monument is the only one of de Weldon’s originals in civilian possession.
Sponsors: City of Cape Coral

CAPTIVA SCHOOL AND CHAPEL-BY-THE-SEA

Location:11580 Chapin Lane
County: Lee
City: Captiva
Description: The building now known as the Captiva Chapel-by-the-Sea was built in 1901 as a one-room schoolhouse by the Lee County Board of Public Instruction. William Binder, the first settler to establish a homestead on Captiva, donated the land. As it was the first school on Captiva, students from the island, nearby Sanibel, and Buck Key attended classes here. Area families also used the space as their primary house of worship. A new schoolhouse was erected in 1918, and the Captiva School closed. In 1921, the Methodist Church purchased the building for use as a mission church. A separate minister’s study was built in 1926 to replace a structure destroyed by the Great Miami Hurricane. The Captiva Civic Association, by agreement with the Methodist Church, took over operation of the building in 1947. The Methodist Church deeded the property in 1954 to Captiva Chapel-by-the-Sea, which manages and operates it as an interdenominational church. The parsonage building was designed by noted architect Leon R. Levy, and built in 1965. This 1901 building remains the oldest school house in Lee County on its original site and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.
Sponsors: Captiva Chapel-By-The-Sea, The Captiva Historical Society

HISTORIC CAPTIVA CEMETERY

Location:11580 Chapin Lane
County: Lee
City: Captiva
Description: The Captiva Cemetery is closely associated with the history of Captiva Island. It served as a pioneer cemetery, and contains the graves of many of the island’s earliest settlers. The land for the cemetery was part of a homestead established by William Binder in 1888. The first interment was the unnamed stillborn daughter of Herbert and Hattie Brainerd in 1897, and a second stillborn daughter was buried in 1899. In 1900, Binder sold the parcel where the infants were buried to the Brainerds’ ten year old daughter, Ann, in exchange for a gold coin she received as a birthday gift from her grandmother. Ann died a year later from tetanus after stepping on a rusty nail. She was interred with her sisters. Other pioneers are buried here, including the original homesteader William Binder, who died in 1932 and was buried in the Brainerd family plot. The graves of two Confederate veterans, George Washington Carter and Henry P. Knowles, are also here. Hattie Brainerd retained ownership until she deeded it to the Methodist Church in 1936. The church deeded the cemetery in 1954 to Captiva Chapel-by-the-Sea, which maintains it to the present day. The cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.
Sponsors: Captiva Chapel-By-The-Sea, The Captiva Historical Society

WILLIAMS ACADEMY

Location:1936 Henderson Avenue
County: Lee
City: Fort Myers
Description: Williams Academy, originally located between Lemon Street and Anderson Avenue (later MLK Boulevard), was built in 1913. Named for J. S. Williams, the Lee County Supervisor of Colored Schools, it was Lee County's first government-funded school for black students, and served students from Lee County and Punta Gorda, Charlotte County. In the 1930s, fire destroyed the second floor, and in 1937, the remaining building was moved to the African American Dunbar High School campus on Blount Street. The school was renamed Williams Primary School and served grades 1-2. In 1942, the school added two new classrooms, classes expanded to include grades 4-9, and the Williams Academy name was restored. In 1958, the original Williams building was dismantled and the 1942 addition was relocated elsewhere on the Dunbar campus. The addition served as a band room, daycare facility, and storage room. In 1994, the building was slated for demolition until the Lee County Black History Society successfully requested that the city give it to the organization. The building was relocated to Roberto Clemente Park in 1995, and reopened as the Williams Academy Black History Museum.
Sponsors: Lee County Black History Society and the Florida Department of State

BUCKINGHAM ARMY AIR FIELD GUNNERY RANGES

Location:South of SR 82, between Griffin Road/Ray Avenue South and Homestead Road South
County: Lee
City: Lehigh Acres
Description: During World War II, nearly 50,000 soldiers earned their wings as aerial gunners at the Buckingham Army Air Field’s (BAAF) Flexible Gunnery School. As one of only six gunnery schools in the United States, BAAF was in operation from 1942 until the end of the war in 1945. At the ranges once located near here, south of State Road 82, trainees were taught the skills needed to protect American bomber planes from enemy attack. Soldiers first learned how to shoot at moving targets from a moving platform. Enclosed in a spinning turret mounted to a truck, the men fired machine guns at unmanned jeeps carrying large white cloth targets that drove along a track inside the range. After ground training, the soldiers practiced firing from aircraft at targets towed by other aircraft. This training provided the soldiers with the skills and knowledge needed to man the many turret and window machine guns on B-17 and B-24 bombers, and successfully defend those bombers in both Europe and the Pacific. These gunnery ranges were an important part of the Buckingham Army Air Field and Florida’s role in training the military personnel who served protecting our nation.
Sponsors: Lennar Homes, LLC

"IN THE NAME OF HUMANITY" - Koresh

Location:Koreshan State Park
County: Lee
City: Estero
Description: Dr. Cyrus Read Teed, Founder of the Koreshan Unity and President of the Koreshan University of Chicago, established in 1892 his "College of Life" in Estero, Florida, as a cooperative community in the spirit of Christ's teaching. "We live inside the World," the Koreshans believe, as the Earth is the Universe, with life and the celestial bodies and spheres manifest inside the World. Measurements of the concave curvature of the Earth were derived by the Koreshan Geodetic Staff in 1897 at Naples. In "The Cellular Cosmogony" by Koresh, Universology is explained. This and other books, magazines, and newspapers were printed in the Guiding Star Publishing House at Estero. Through the Koreshan Nursery the garden came to fame for its subtropical plant life. Mechanics, arts, and music were taught, and sports cultivated. In 1961 the Koreshan Unity corporation deeded 305 acres of their landholdings to the State of Florida as "a gift to the people".
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in Cooperation with The Florida Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc.

ARMY POST FT. MYERS

Location:S.R. 80 downtown Fort Myers
County: Lee
City: Fort Myers
Description: Post Fort Myers was established 14 February 1850 with 116 men and officers. Winfield Scott Hancock, Q.M. Captain was assigned in 1856. During the last years of the Seminole War there were 835 personnel in residence. The fort was deactivated in 1858, then reactivated in 1863 during the War Between the States. The long pier was near present day Hendry Street; the hospital was west of Fowler. The riverfront officers quarters were where Bay Street is now.
Sponsors: sponsored by nicholas meriwether chapter national society colonial dames xvii century in cooperation with florida department of state

BILLY BOWLEGS

Location:951 Marsh Ave Billy Bowlegs Park (see comments)
County: Lee
City: Fort Myers
Description: Seminole Chief Billy Bowlegs refused to move West in 1842 following the Second Seminole War. An 1853 State law making Indian residence illegal caused increased pressure against the Seminoles in the Big Cypress Swamp. In December, 1855, army surveyors from Fort Myers injured crops of Bowleg's plantation. This began the Third Seminole War often called the Billy Bowlegs War. He surrendered after three years when his people were promised financial aid. In March, 1858, Bowlegs and 165 Seminoles left peacefully for Oklahoma.

EDISON & FORD WINTER ESTATES

Location:2350 McGregor Blvd.
County: Lee
City: Fort Myers
Description: In 1885 world-famous inventor Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) first visited Fort Myers. In 1886 he built his winter home, “Seminole Lodge,” a second home for a friend/partner, and a laboratory. He brought his bride, Mina Miller Edison (1865-1947), to honeymoon and vacation here in 1886. The homes were designed by Edison and pre-cut by two firms in Maine and shipped to Fort Myers. In 1916 industrialist Henry Ford (1863-1947) purchased the estate next door, “The Mangoes,” in order to spend more time with his good friend and mentor, Thomas Edison. These two prominent figures vacationed here until Edison’s death in 1931, and Mina continued to vacation here until 1947. The City of Fort Myers purchased the Ford estate in 1988 as an addition to the Edison Historical Site. Mina generously deeded the estate to the City of Fort Myers for $1.00. In her dedication ceremony on March 6, 1947, she stated: “My faith and belief in the sincerity of the people of Fort Myers prompts me to make this sacred spot a gift to you and posterity as a Sanctuary and Botanical Park in the memory of my honored and revered husband, Thomas A. Edison, who so thoroughly believed in the future of Fort Myers.”
Sponsors: CITY OF FORT MYERS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

FIRST STREET, FORT MYERS

Location:First Street,between Hendry and Jackson St.
County: Lee
City: Fort Myers
Description: The post-Civil War era brought South Florida its first wave of settlers. In 1866, Manual A. Gonzalez and Joseph Vivas took up residence at recently abandoned Fort Myers. Arrival of other settlers led to the establishment in 1876 of a post office. First Street, delineated in the original 1876 town plan occupied a central position in community development. By 1901, frame buildings housing stores and offices lined downtown First Street. Banks, a theatre, a church, a school, and the Keystone Hotel, which first welcomed Thomas Edison in 1886, occupied locations along its route. Railroad construction and tourism, twin forces for growth in late 19th century Florida, contributed to community expansion. The paving of First Street to ease the way for tourists and automobiles and the construction of "modern" buildings replacing many frame structures reflected early 20th century attitudes among many Floridians. Electrification of the city street lights in the early 1920s symbolized the onset of Florida's Boom Period, an era of rapid growth especially significant in South Florida history. Fort Myers' palm-lined First Street has continued to embody the appeal of sub-tropical Florida.
Sponsors: sponsored by nicholas meriwether chapter, national society colonial dames xvii century in cooperation with department of state

FORT MYERS

Location:1st Street & Jackson Street on grounds of Federal
County: Lee
City: Fort Myers
Description: In this vicinity, Caloosa Indian villages were located in ancient times. Around this site, in the Seminole War of 1841-1842, a fort was established and named for Lieutenant John Harvie. The fort was reestablished in 1850 and named Fort Myers, honoring Lieutenant Abraham C. Myers. This Seminole War ended in 1858. During the War Between the States, Fort Myers was once more re-activated as a base to round up wild cattle to supply beef to Federal gunboats patrolling the Gulf off Sanibel.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in Cooperation with the Southwest Florida Historical Society

GASPARILLA INN & CLUB

Location:E. Railroad Ave. Between 7th and 5th St.
County: Lee
City: Boca Grande
Description: The Gasparilla Inn, built by the Boca Grande Land Company, subsidiary of a national phosphate company that was an early major island land holder, opened in 1911. Under the leadership of company principal, Peter Bradley (1850-1933), the hotel provided an upscale winter destination for wealthy guests. Tampa architect Frances Kennard (1865-c. 1938) assisted in the hotel’s 1912 enlargement and again in 1915 when its size doubled. The grounds were landscaped by the nationally known landscape firm, the Olmsted Brothers, and included a bath house, band shell, greenhouse, tennis courts, golf course and staff dormitories. A New York firm decorated the interior with furnishings purchased in Philadelphia. The Inn drew wealthy fishermen and industry tycoons such as J.P. Morgan and Henry DuPont who enjoyed the Inn’s seclusion and impeccable service. In 1930, Florida land baron Barron Collier (1873-1939) purchased the hotel, adding a grand new entrance, an 18-hole golf course and several cottages. By the 1960s, the Inn’s condition had declined. Longtime Gasparilla Island resident and champion, Bayard Sharp (1913-2002), purchased the property, restored it and added modern amenities to ensure that the Inn’s traditions would continue.
Sponsors: THE SHARP FAMILY, THE BOCA GRANDE HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

HARNEY'S POINT

Location:2051 Cape Coral Pkwy E
County: Lee
City: Cape Coral
Description: Near here on the Caloosahatchee River a band of 160 Indians attacked the Fort and Trading Post at four o'clock on the morning of July 23, 1839. In the raid led by Chief Chekaika of the Spanish Indians, thirteen soldiers died and fourteen, including Col. William S. Harney in command of operations, escaped down river. A year later Col. Harney returned and destroyed Chekaika in the Everglades.

MILITARY CEMETERY

Location:Corner of Fowler St. and 2nd St.
County: Lee
City: Fort Myers
Description: During the Seminole Wars, this was the site of a military cemetery for soldiers of Fort Harvie, 1841-42, and Fort Myers, 1850-58. The cemetery was located outside the breastworks of the respective forts which were in the vicinity of the present Federal Building in downtown Fort Myers. When Fowler Street was cut through, the graves were moved to the civilian cemetery on Michigan Avenue.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in Cooperation with the Southwest Florida Historical Society

SANIBEL LIGHTHOUSE

Location:Lighthouse Park on Lighthouse Road at Island's S.
County: Lee
City: Sanibel Island
Description: The first permanent English-speaking settlers on Sanibel Island arrived from New York in 1833 as part of a colony planned by land investors. Although that settlement was short-lived, the initial colonists petitioned the U.S. government for the construction of a lighthouse on the island. No action was taken on that proposal at the time. By the late 1870's, seagoing commerce in the area had increased in volume. The U.S. Lighthouse Bureau took the initiative in requesting funds for a lighthouse for Sanibel Island, and in 1884, construction of the tower began. The station was lighted for the first time in August, 1884. The significance of the Sanibel Lighthouse lies in the regular and reliable service it has provided for travellers along Florida's West Coast. Since 1950, the U.S. Coast Guard property at the lighthouse has been a wildlife refuge.
Sponsors: Sponsored by nicholas meriwether chapter n.s. colonial dames xvii century in cooperation with department of state

THE ATTACK ON FORT MYERS

Location:2031 Jackson Street, Southwest Florida Museum of History
County: Lee
City: Fort Myers
Description: In December 1863, the Army post of Fort Myers, inactive since 1858, was reoccupied. The fort served as a supply depot for the Federal blockade squadron. Troops from the fort often raided Confederate supply depots in the state's interior, since Florida beef fed the Confederate army. To discourage these raids, Confederate Major William Footman led 275 men of Florida's "Cow Cavalry" from Fort Thompson (LaBelle) to the very gates of Fort Myers. Shortly after noon of February 20, 1865, Major Footman approached the fort under a flag of truce and gave the Federals 20 minutes to surrender. After Captain James Doyle, commander of the garrison which consisted of the Union 2nd Florida Cavalry, the 110th New York Infantry, and the 2nd U.S. Colored Infantry, refused, the Confederates bombarded the fort with their field piece. They were answered by Fort Myers' three cannons. The cannonade and musketry continued until after nightfall, when Footman and his Confederates withdrew under cover of darkness. Casualties on both sides were light.
Sponsors: sponsored by col. abraham c. myers camp #1322 sons of confederate veterans in cooperation with department of state

Leon

BATTLE OF NATURAL BRIDGE - March 6, 1865

Location:Natural Bridge Historic Site, Natural Bridge
County: Leon
City: South of Tallahassee
Description: Site of decisive repulse of Federal forces by Confederate Militia in joint U.S. Army and Navy Operation to take St. Marks. The Army landing at lighthouse was prevented from getting to rear of St. Marks by Confederate opposition at Newport and Natural Bridge. The Federal Flotilla ran aground during ascent of River: it did not reach St. Marks. Their next objective would have been Tallahassee. Federals (Number = 893*, Killed = 21, Wounded = 89, Missing = 148), Confederate (Number = 595, Killed = 3, Wounded = 23, Missing = 0). COMMANDERS: Brig. Gen. William Miller – Confederates, Commander R.W. Shutelt – U.S. Navy, Brig. Gen. John Newton – U.S. Army. *Of Whom 500 Were Reported To Have Been At Natural Bridge
Sponsors: Florida Department of State

BELLE VUE

Location:No longer exists
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Home of Prince and Princess Achille Murat, it was named for a hotel in Brussels where they spent many happy days. Prince Murat was the son of the King of Naples and nephew of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. Princess Murat was the great grandniece of George Washington. Built about 1831 by Samual Duval, nephew of Governor Duval, for his bride Ellen Willis, sister of the Princess, it was later owned by Governor Bloxham.

BELLE VUE - HOME OF THE PRINCESS MURAT

Location:Rankin Avenue on grounds of Tallahassee Museum of History & Natural Science
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Former home of Catherine Daingerfield Willis, great-grandniece of George Washington and widow of Archille Murat, Prince of Naples and nephew of Napoleon. During the Second French Empire she was recognized as a princess and financially assisted by Napoleon III, whose court she visited. She lived in this house from 1854 until shortly before her death, on August 6, 1867. The house, moved to this site in 1967 from its original location on the Jackson Bluff Road, is an excellent example of indigenous Southern architecture.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in Cooperation with Murat House Association, Inc.

CAPITOL OF FLORIDA

Location:Monroe St. and Apalachee Parkway, on Capitol groun
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: The Capitol site was selected before Tallahassee was founded. Three log buildings housed the government in 1824. A wing of the permanent Capitol, financed by sale of city lots, was built in 1826 but was later torn down. Another building was completed in 1845. Added in 1902 were the Capitol dome and the north and south extensions. The east and west wings were dedicated in 1922, the north wing in 1937, and the south wing in 1947.

CHAIRES HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:Intersection of N/S Co. Rd. 154 Y E/W Co. Rd. 54
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: The community of Chaires was established in the 1820s during Florida’s Territorial Period (1821-1845). The community is named after Green Hill Chaires, who, along with his two brothers, Benjamin and Thomas Peter, came from Georgia and established vast plantations in Eastern Leon County. Chaires’ plantation eventually grew to 20,000 acres with a home on Lake Lafayette. It was later destroyed and his wife, two of his children and several of his slaves were massacred in 1839 during the Second Seminole Indian War (1835-1842). He then built a house called Evergreen and his brother, Thomas Peter, built a house called Woodlawn. In 1851, Green Chaires built the state’s first plank road, which connected upland plantations to the Gulf Coast shipping communities of Newport and St. Marks. The establishment of Railroad Station #1 in 1857 and the Chaires Post Office in 1858 contributed to the sense of community. By the turn of the century, Chaires was the commercial hub for the area, with a cotton gin and packinghouse, public schools, stores and churches. Today, Chaires retains much of its turn-of-the-century character. In December 2000, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sponsors: THE LEON COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERSS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

DALE MABRY FIELD

Location:Tallahassee, Appleyard Drive
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: In October 1940, hundreds of laborers began clearing swampland for temporary quarters for Dale Mabry Army Air Base, named in honor of a young Tallahassee dirigible pilot who died in 1922 after serving in World War I. In 1941, America entered World War II. The need for a place to train pilots prompted the federal government to set a 90-day completion deadline. Eventually, the base became a nearly self-sufficient city, with several runways, barracks, officers’ quarters, mess hall, hangers, a hospital, a church and a bowling alley. Some sections of the base’s asphalt runway are still visible, as are several concrete tie-down pads. Over 8,000 pilots from Europe, China and the United States trained here in P-39s, P-40s, P-47s and P-51s. This marker is at the edge of the NW/SE runway near the point where planes took off or landed. Over a dozen pilots died in accidents while learning how to fire at targets such as a giant, plywood “bull’s eye” at Alligator Point to the south. During 1943, 79,000 family members came to Tallahassee, then a town of 16,000, to visit pilots-in-training. The base was deactivated in 1945 and served as a commercial airport until 1961, when Tallahassee Regional Airport opened.
Sponsors: TALLAHASSEE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

DE SOTO WINTER ENCAMPMENT SITE 1539-1540

Location:De Soto State Park, De Soto Drive
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: In 1539, a Spanish expeditionary force led by Hernando De Soto landed in the Tampa Bay area. Nearly 600 heavily armed adventurers traveled more than 4000 miles from Florida to Mexico intending to explore and control the Southeast of North America. The route of de Soto has always been uncertain, including the location of the village of Anhaica, the first winter encampment. The place was thought to be in the vicinity of present day Tallahassee, but no physical evidence had ever been found. Calvin Jones’ chance discovery of 16th century Spanish artifacts in 1987 settled the argument. Jones, a state archaeologist, led a team of amateurs and professionals in an excavation which recovered more than 40,000 artifacts. The evidence includes links of chain mail armor, copper coins, the iron tip of a crossbow bolt, Spanish olive jar shards, and glass trade beads. The team also found the jaw bone of a pig. Pigs were not native to the New World and historical documents confirm that the expedition brought swine. These finds provided the physical evidence the 1539-40 winter encampment, the first confirmed de Soto site in North America. From this location, the de Soto expedition traveled northward and westward making the first European contact with many native societies. Within two centuries, most of the southeastern native cultures were greatly diminished by the affects of European contact and settlement.
Sponsors: THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

EASTERN BOUNDARY OF LAFAYETTE LAND GRANT n.e. corner 3 mi. north s.e. corner 3 mi. south

Location:No longer exists U.S. 90 near Lafayette Vineyards
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Side 1: During the American War of Independence, the Marquis de Lafayette came from France to the United States to offer not only his personal services as a major general in the Continental Army but also some $200,000 of his private fortune to the American cause. A few years after his return to France, General Lafayette met with personal difficulties during the French Revolution which left him in dire financial circumstances. In gratitude for General Lafayette's generous aid during the American Revolutionary War, the U.S. Congress granted the French hero approximately $24,000 in 1794 and later, in 1803, some land in Louisiana. In 1824, Lafayette returned to America for a visit. Because he was still in financial difficulty, an appeal was made to the American nation for more assistance. The Congress and people of the United States remembered their debt to this man and recognized his continued support of the new Republic during recent decades. Therefore, he was presented with another $200,000 and an entire township (thirty-six square miles) of land to be selected at his discretion. Side 2: General Lafayette decided upon land near this Tallahassee home of his new friend, Richard K. Call, Florida's delegate to the U.S. Congress. Col. John McKee of Alabama, an experienced land buyer, was delegated to travel to Florida and select a township. On July 4, 1825, President John Quincy Adams signed a warrant granting to Lafayette the chosen township, which lay adjacent to the new town of Tallahassee. It was bounded on two sides by the recently surveyed prime meridian and base line and was termed Township One North, Range One East. General Lafayette never visited his land in Florida. By 1855, all the land included in the Lafayette Township (over 23,000 acres) had been sold to individual buyers.

FIRST CHRISTMAS SERVICE

Location:North of Tallahassee off U.S. 27 near Lake Jackson
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: In this vicinity was the Indian village of Anhayea. Here the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto and his men spent the fall and winter of 1539-40. Since twelve priests accompanied the Spaniards, it is probable that the first Christmas service in the United States was celebrated here.
Sponsors: In Cooperation with Leon County Commissioners

FLORIDA A & M UNIVERSITY

Location:S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. at Lee Hall
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Founded in 1887 as the State Normal College for Colored Students, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) is the only historically state supported educational facility for African Americans in Florida. It has always been co-educational. In 1890, the second Morrill Act was passed. This enabled the school to become the Black Land Grant College for the State of Florida. In 1891, the college was moved from its original location west of town to its present location, which was once the site of “Highwood,” Territorial Governor W.P. Duval’s slave plantation. It is on one of the highest hills in Tallahassee. The school was known as Florida A & M College from 1909 until 1953, when it attained university status. On May 6, 1996, the historic Florida A and M College campus was listed in the National Register of Historic Places based on the school’s historic significance and the architectural style of its buildings. The designation also recognized the national achievements and contributions of FAMU students, alumni, faculty and staff. In 1997, in national competition, FAMU was named “College of the Year” in Time Magazine’s Princeton Review.
Sponsors: The Black Archives, Research Center and Museum at FAMU and the Florida Department of State

GOVERNOR W.D. BLOXHAM HOUSE

Location:410 North Calhoun Street
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Side 1: This Federal-style building was constructed in 1844 by Richard A. Shine, a prominent builder and mason who constructed the south wing of Florida’s Capitol in 1845. In 1881, Mary C. Bloxham, Governor Bloxham’s wife, acquired the property. Governor Bloxham, the owner of a plantation west of Tallahassee, used the house as a town residence during his two terms as governor, 1881-1885 and 1897-1901. The house was used by Governor Edward A. Perry, 1885-1889. In 1911, when Governor Bloxham died, Gertrude M. Bloxham, his second wife, became its owner and in 1913 sold it. A number of ownerships and uses followed, including as a rooming house and hotel. In 1977, the Florida Heritage Foundation purchased the property and developed plans for restoration of the house, but was unable to raise sufficient funds. In 1979, one of its members, Frances Cushing Ervin, purchased the property and restored the house to its original architectural style and elegance. Side 2: Governor Bloxham’s career of public service was extensive and included representing Leon County in the Florida House of Representatives, serving as Florida’s Secretary of State and Comptroller and as United States Surveyor-General for Florida. He was a popular war veteran, having organized an infantry company in Leon County in 1862 and served as its commander throughout the Civil War. Governor Bloxham, Florida’s first native-born governor, is remembered for founding the Florida Normal and Agricultural College for Colored Students, now Florida A & M University, and for restoring to fiscal solvency Florida’s Internal Improvement Trust Fund by selling four million acres in the Everglades. He was governor during the Spanish-American War when Florida served as a principle staging area and its ports were major embarkation points for United States military activities in Cuba.
Sponsors: THE TALLAHASSEE TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION

JACKSONVILLE, PENSACOLA AND MOBILE RAILROAD

Location:918 Railroad Ave.
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: The Jacksonville, Pensacola and Mobile Railroad Company Freight Depot, built in 1858, is one of the oldest railroad buildings in Florida and the oldest still used as a passenger rail station. The one-story depot was built when Tallahassee was the center of Florida’s cotton trade. By 1885 the two-story addition was added. Middle Florida (now North Florida), with its rich agriculture lands, grew rapidly in the 19th century. By 1890, Leon County was the top producer of livestock, sweet potatoes, corn and cotton in the state. With cotton in great demand, Tallahassee was the region’s commercial hub, shipping 16,686 bales of ginned cotton in 1860. Wagons brought the cotton from local plantations to be processed. It then went by rail to the coast for shipping. A new rail line between Pensacola and Jacksonville provided access to ports and made transporting both freight and passengers easier. In 1905 a passenger station was built across from the original one. It was used continuously until 1971 when, for the first time in 113 years, passenger service ended. Tallahassee was a freight only stop until 1992 when passenger services resumed, with the old freight depot used as the passenger station.

JOHN W. MARTIN HOUSE

Location:1001 DeSoto Drive
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: John Martin was born in Plainfield, Marion County, Florida on June 21, 1884. He was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1914. He joined the Democratic Party and toured the state making speeches in support of President Woodrow Wilson before and during World War I. From 1917 until 1923 Martin served three terms as Mayor of Jacksonville. In 1924 he ran and was elected Florida’s 24th Governor, serving from January 1925 until January 1929, during the height and collapse of the Florida Real Estate Boom. Martin was the first candidate to solicit the women’s vote. At the bottom of his political advertisements was the phrase “The Ladies are Especially Invited.” During his administration he proposed a change in the state constutitujion to allow the state to provide direct assistance to public elementary schools. This was ratified by the voters in 1926. Wildlife conservation programs were also begun in the state, with the restocking of quail and deer and the establishment of fish hatcheries. Martin’s house, called Apalachee,” was constructed in the early 1930’s on his 27 acres. It is of the Georgian Revival style. In 1941, Martin sold the property to local developers who incorporated all but approximately six acres into a new subdivision called Governor’s Park. Martin moved back to Jacksonville where he lived until his death in January 1958.
Sponsors: THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

KNOTT HOUSE

Location:301 E. Park Ave.
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Evidence points to George Proctor, a free black man, as the probable builder of this structure in 1843.The house was a wedding gift for Catherine Gamble, the bride of attorney Thomas Hagner. In 1865 the house was used as a temporary Union Headquarters by Brigadier General McCook. On May 20, 1865, McCook read the Emancipation Proclamation from the front steps of the house, declaring freedom for all slaves in the Florida Panhandle. After the Civil War a locally prominent physician, George Betton, bought the house, bringing with him a young buggy driver named William Gunn, a former slave. When Gunn expressed an interest in learning medicine, Betton funded his study at medical school and helped him establish a practice in Tallahassee. Gunn became Florida’s first black physician. In 1928 the Knott family acquired the house, had the front columns added and lived here until 1985. William Knott served the State of Florida for over 40 years as its first State Tax Auditor, as Comptroller, and Treasurer. His wife Luella Knott was an artist, musician, and poet. She named hr home “ The House That Rhymes,” and filled it with Victorian era furnishings. Almost every piece is adorned with a poem narrating history and moral lessons, written with charm and wit. Luella was also a political activist. The sale of alcohol was banned in the state’s capital for over fifty years, in part because of Mrs. Knott’s involvement with the temperance movement.
Sponsors: THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

LEON COUNTY

Location:301 South Monroe St. In front of County Courthouse
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Originally part of Escambia and later Gadsden Counties, Leon was created by the territorial legislature in 1824. Named for Juan Ponce de Leon, discoverer of Florida, it became antebellum Florida's most prosperous and populous county, Cotton thrived in its fertile soil. Tallahassee, the county seat, has been the state capital since 1824. It is the home of Florida State University (1857) and Florida A&M University (1887).
Sponsors: In Cooperation with Leon County Commissioners

LEWIS BANK

Location:South Monroe St. at the Lewis State Bank Bldg.
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Founded in 1856 by B.C. Lewis as a private banking business, the oldest bank in Florida has grown with the city and section, in size and services rendered. Since its founding, sons have followed fathers in the profession.
Sponsors: In Cooperation with Lewis State Bank

MISSION SAN LUIS

Location:2020 Mission Road
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Mission San Luis, established by Spanish members of the Order of Friars Minor (the Franciscans), served the Apalachee Indians located in present day Leon and Jefferson Counties. Its name may have been a tribute to Luis Horruytiner, the governor who began the mission effort. San Luis was established shortly after 1633 at Xinayca near the present State Capitol and the Hernando de Soto winter campsite of 1539-40. The mission was moved in 1656 to Talimali, an important Apalachee town. For three generations, Mission San Luis was the religious and military administrative center for the Apalachee region. In addition to 1500 Apalachees, the Mission was home to the Deputy Governor, soldiers, friars and Spanish settlers. On July 31,1704, two days before Colonel James Moore and a column of Carolina militiamen and Creek warriors reached Talimali, the mission, town and fort were evacuated and burned to keep the enemy from using them. Colonel Moore destroyed many mission villages and enslaved thousands, forever ending Apalachee’s Fransiscan missions. Apalachee descendants now live in Louisiana and remain Roman Catholic. The State of Florida purchased the Mission San Luis site in 1983 to protect it for future generations.
Sponsors: THE COLONIAL DAMES

NORTHERN BOUNDARY OF LAFAYETTE LAND GRANT n.w. corner2.3 mi. west n.e. corner 3.7 mi. east

Location:U.S. 319 (see comments)
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Side 1: During the American War of Independence, the Marquis de Lafayette came from France to the United States to offer not only his personal services as a major general in the Continental Army but also some $200,000 of his private fortune to the American cause. A few years after his return to France, General Lafayette met with personal difficulties during the French Revolution which left him in dire financial circumstances. In gratitude for General Lafayette's generous aid during the American Revolutionary War, the U.S. Congress granted the French hero approximately $24,000 in 1794 and later, in 1803, some land in Louisiana. In 1824, Lafayette returned to America for a visit. Because he was still in financial difficulty, an appeal was made to the American nation for more assistance. The Congress and people of the United States remembered their debt to this man and recognized his continued support of the new Republic during recent decades. Therefore, he was presented with another $200,000 and an entire township (thirty-six square miles) of land to be selected at his discretion. Side 2: General Lafayette decided upon land near this Tallahassee home of his new friend, Richard K. Call, Florida's delegate to the U.S. Congress. Col. John McKee of Alabama, an experienced land buyer, was delegated to travel to Florida and select a township. On July 4, 1825, President John Quincy Adams signed a warrant granting to Lafayette the chosen township, which lay adjacent to the new town of Tallahassee. It was bounded on two sides by the recently surveyed prime meridian and base line and was termed Township One North, Range One East. General Lafayette never visited his land in Florida. By 1855, all the land included in the Lafayette Township (over 23,000 acres) had been sold to individual buyers.

OLD CAPITOL OF FLORIDA

Location:400 S. Monroe St. In front of Old Capitol
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: The first two sessions of the territorial legislature were held at St. Augustine and Pensacola. The hazards of traveling between cities 400 miles apart prompted legislators in 1824 to locate a new capital at Tallahassee, between the two cities. Log buildings that housed the government made way in 1826 for a two-story masonry structure. This was succeeded in 1845 by what is now the core of the present historic capitol. A dome and wings were added in 1902, and further additions made in 1923, 1936 and 1947. The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and restored to its 1902 appearance in 1982.
Sponsors: Florida Department of State

OLD CITY CEMETERY

Location:Old City Cemetery between Call St. & Park Ave.
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: The present boundaries of the Old City Cemetery were established by the Florida Territorial Council in 1829. Many pioneers and their slaves are buried here, although some early Tallahasseans were buried several hundred feet east of this site. The cemetery also contains graves of Confederate and Federal troops (white and Negro), some of the fatalities from the Battle of Natural Bridge, 1865, which marked the end of the ill-fated Northern attempt to seize the capital during the War Between the States.
Sponsors: In Cooperation With Anna Jackson Chapter UDC No. 224, Susan Bradford Eppes Chapter C of CO No. 26

OLD FORT BRADEN SCHOOL

Location:1500 Blountstown Hwy.
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Fort Braden was established in 1839 as a military outpost during the Second Seminole War (1835-1842). At the end of the war the fort was abandoned, but the small farming community that had developed nearby continued. A school in the Fort Braden area was first mentioned in an 1847 Tallahassee Floridian article reporting tax collections at the Fort Braden schoolhouse. Early education in rural Leon County was provided at small, one-room schools. The education these schools offered was inferior to that of urban areas. Yet over the next 80 years, many of these schools were built in Fort Braden and around the county. Consolidation of the schools was proposed at the turn of the 20th century, but did not start until the 1920s when motorized school buses and improved roadways made it possible to transport students to a centralized location. In 1926, the four-classroom Fort Braden School was constructed, featuring an inset entrance and double doors with molded accents. The school served as an education facility and community center for the next 66 years until 1993 when the new Fort Braden School replaced it. Today, the Old Fort Braden School continues to serve the citizens of Fort Braden as a community center.
Sponsors: LEON COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

OLD PISGAH

Location:on CR-151 (Moccasin Gap Road).
County: Leon
City: North of Tallahassee
Description: Side 1: Missionaries sent by the South Carolina Conference of theMethodist Episcopal Church held services for the Centreville community settlers at this site in the early 1820's. John Slade, known as the "Father of Methodism in Florida," organized the "Society" at Pisgah on May 3, 1830, with thirty-four charter members. During the Ante-Bellum period, Pisgah became one of the leading churches in Middle Florida. Charter members Jacob Felkel and his wife Rose Anne deeded seven acres to the church's trustees on December 12, 1858, for $125.00. Under the leadership of presiding elder Simon Peter Richardson and the pastor, Robert Hudson Howren, the present building was erected at that time at a cost of $5,200. Side 2: Pisgah is one of the oldest remaining church structures in Florida. Architecturally significant, it is representative of early church design. Special features include hand-hewn box pews and galleries lighted by clerestory windows. The new sanctuary was dedicated on May 1, 1859, by the Reverend Richardson, who returned in 1863 to serve as pastor. While at Pisgah he was elected Captain of the Centreville "Old Guard" the local home defense unit. Pisgah has served as a cultural center for the community hosting political rallies, temperance meetings, musical programs and lectures as well as religious services. Since 1924, an annual homecoming has been observed on the first Sunday in May with state-wide educational, political, or religious leaders conducting the service.
Sponsors: Sponsored by Old Pisgah United Methodist Church In Cooperation With Department of State

PLANTATION CEMETERY AT BETTON HILLS

Location:Betton Rd. between Trescott Dr. and W Randolph Cir.
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: The site is all that remains of a much larger cemetery for African Americans dating from the pre-Civil War era through the 1940s. It was the main burial ground for black slaves and servants from the Betton Plantation as well as other surrounding plantations. The plantation system grew in North Florida as cotton plantations to the north depleted their soil from overuse. Prominent early plantations in this region included Goodwood, Waverly, and Live Oak. Turbett Betton was a prominent Tallahassee merchant who purchased roughly 1,200 acres from the Lafayette estate, lying between Thomasville and Centerville Roads. Shortly after Betton’s death in 1863, the land was purchased by Guy Winthrop. The emancipation of the slaves ruined the cotton industry and many planters turned their land into quail hunting plantations. In 1945, the Winthrop family began subdividing the property for a new housing community called Betton Hills. Henry Watson, buried at the back of the lot with his wife, was one of Winthrop’s servants. However, most of the burials were marked with a simple wooden cross or flowers, and so no longer remain. Evidence of a burial site is marked by elongated depressions in the earth covered with altered vegetation.
Sponsors: Betton Hills Neighborhood Association and the Florida Department of State

PRINCE AND PRINCESS MURAT

Location:on Call Street, St.John's Episcopal Cemetery.
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Prince Achille Murat was the nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte and the son of General Jochaim Murat, King of Naples. He settled in Florida in 1825, and as attorney, county judge, and director of Tallahassee's Union Bank, he played an active role in public life. Princess Catherine Willis Murat was the great grandneice of George Washington. Their plantations, "Lipona" and "Econchatti," were centers of social activity. Twin marble obelisks mark their graves in St. John's Episcopal Cemetery. The Murat seal is on the surrounding wall.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials In Cooperation With Florida Society Colonial Dames XVII Century

SAINT CLEMENT'S CHAPEL CHURCH OF THE ADVENT

Location:Piedmont Drive
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Built in the town of Lloyd in 1890, this Episcopal chapel was dedicated as St. Clement's Church on June 14, 1895, by Edwin Gardner Weed, 3rd Bishop of Florida. William Betton of Tallahassee designed and built the structure at a cost of $3,500. The furnishings are the original ones, including the pine pews and reed organ. The Bishop's Chair, oldest in Florida, dates from 1838 and is the only one in existence that the first five Bishops of Florida all used. The chapel was moved to this site and rededicated on November 29, 1959, by Edward Hamilton West, 5th Bishop of Florida.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in Cooperation with the Church of the Advent

SELECTION OF FLORIDA'S CAPITAL

Location:Tallahassee, Monroe and Apalachee Parkway on Capit
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Under Spanish rule Pensacola was the capital of West Florida, while East Florida's capital was St. Augustine. In 1821 the U.S. took possession and in 1822 William P. Duval succeeded Andrew Jackson as territorial governor. Dr. William H. Simmons, St. Augustine, and John Lee Williams, Pensacola, were appointed to select a central location for a capital. They explored the area around St. Marks and chose the old Indian village, Tallahassee. Shortly thereafter, the land was surveyed and the town incorporated.

SOUTHERN BOUNDARY OF LAFAYETTE LAND GRANT s.w. corner 1.4 mi. west s.e. corner 4.6 mi east

Location:Apalachee Parkway
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Side 1: During the American War of Independence, the Marquis de Lafayette came from France to the United States to offer not only his personal services as a major general in the Continental Army but also some $200,000 of his private fortune to the American cause. A few years after his return to France, General Lafayette met with personal difficulties during the French Revolution which left him in dire financial circumstances. In gratitude for General Lafayette's generous aid during the American Revolutionary War, the U.S. Congress granted the French hero approximately $24,000 in 1794 and later, in 1803, some land in Louisiana. In 1824, Lafayette returned to America for a visit. Because he was still in financial difficulty, an appeal was made to the American nation for more assistance. The Congress and people of the United States remembered their debt to this man and recognized his continued support of the new Republic during recent decades. Therefore, he was presented with another $200,000 and an entire township (thirty-six square miles) of land to be selected at his discretion. Side 2: General Lafayette decided upon land near this Tallahassee home of his new friend, Richard K. Call, Florida's delegate to the U.S. Congress. Col. John McKee of Alabama, an experienced land buyer, was delegated to travel to Florida and select a township. On July 4, 1825, President John Quincy Adams signed a warrant granting to Lafayette the chosen township, which lay adjacent to the new town of Tallahassee. It was bounded on two sides by the recently surveyed prime meridian and base line and was termed Township One North, Range One East. General Lafayette never visited his land in Florida. By 1855, all the land included in the Lafayette Township (over 23,000 acres) had been sold to individual buyers.

TALLAHASSEE, CAPITAL OF FLORIDA

Location:S.R. 263, Municipal Airport Tallahassee
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: DeSoto wintered here (1539-40). In 1633, the Spaniards established a chain of forts and missions to convert Apalache Indians. These were destroyed by the British in 1704 and the area reverted to wilderness. This site was selected as the capital of the Territory of Florida in 1824, and Congress granted Lafayette a township for his service during the Revolution. Tallahassee became the antebellum center of the Florida cotton belt and was the only Confederate capital east of the Mississippi not taken in the War. It is the home of Florida State University (1857) and Florida A.&M. University (1887).

THE APALACHEE MISSIONS

Location:San Luis city park.
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: From 1633 until 1704, Franciscan monks established and operated a chain of missions and attempted to convert Florida Indians to Christianity. Apalachee missions also served as Spanish Florida's western defense network. In 1633, about 10,000 Indians lived in Apalachee Province: present-day Jefferson, Leon, and Wakulla counties. There were eighteen Franciscan missions in Apalachee Province, though all did not exist at the same time. Each mission had two principal structures, a church and a convent, which were constructed of a wooden framework plastered with clay. The mission buildings were constructed by local Indian labor. A priest served each mission, and soldiers were garrisoned at the nearby fort of San Luis de Talimali. In 1704, Colonel James Moore led a force of 1,500 whites and Yamassee Indians from the British colony of South Carolina into Apalachee Province. This army killed several priests, destroyed their missions, and enslaved many Indians. Few people remained in the area after Moore's raid, and Spain soon abandoned her province of Apalachee.
Sponsors: sponsored by department of state

THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS

Location:West end of Copeland Street, Westcott Building,
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: The Florida State University campus is the oldest continuously used site of higher education in the state of Florida. In 1851, the Florida Legislature authorized the establishment of two state seminaries, on east and one west of the Suwannee River. Eager to attract the western seminary, the city of Tallahassee, under the leadership of Intendent (Mayor) Francis Eppes, offered to donate four city lots on which to locate the school and provide $2,000 a year for its operation. The site chosen for the new institution was the crest of "Gallows Hill," located about a half mile west of the center of town. The West Florida Seminary opened in 1857, the first classes being held in a wood frame building erected by the city. Eppes, the grandson of Thomas Jefferson, served for eight years as president of the seminary's governing board. In 1901, the name of the school was changed to Florida State College and in 1909 it became the Florida State College for Women. The Florida Legislature transformed the college into a fully coeducational institution in 1947, creating The Florida State University.
Sponsors: florida heritage landmarksponsored by the florida state universityand florida department of statesandra b. mortham, secretary of state

THE FORT WALTON CULTURE

Location:No longer exists
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Seven hundred years ago, the rolling country around Tallahassee was the seat of one of the most advanced Indian cultures of Eastern North America. The society was organized into classes, the highest of which consisted of chiefs and their families. The main chief lived at the place now called Lake Jackson Indian Mounds. Less important chiefs lived at smaller sites, one of which was located directly across the lake from here on Rollins Point. The Indians constructed large flat-topped earthen mounds at places like these, then built their important structures on top. The ordinary people in society were farmers, who grew corn, beans, and squash. They lived in houses near their fields, but they visited the chiefs from time to time in order to participate in religious ceremonies and to donate food or labor. The Indians of this area traded with people as far away as the Great Lakes. Chiefs used some trade items, such as embossed copper plates and carved shell pendants, as badges of office. The descendants of these people still lived nearby and called themselves Apalachee when Desoto passed through this area in 1539.
Sponsors: sponsored by department of state

THE JOHN GILMORE RILEY HOUSE

Location:419 E. Jefferson St.
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: John Gilmore Riley was born in 1857, the son of Sarah and James Riley. He was not formally educated, but was instructed by his Aunt Henrietta. Riley became principal of Lincoln Academy, Tallahassee’s first local high school for African Americans in 1893 and served until retiring in 1926. He was a life-long member of St. James CME Church and Grand High Priest of the Royal Arch Masons of Florida. He owned a significant amount of property in Tallahassee near the Capitol Center. Riley died in 1954, the same year that the Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court decision was rendered. Records indicate that the site on which the Riley House sits was sold to John Gilmore Riley by Aaron Levy on August 17, 1885 for $125. The two-story wood fame house was built in 1890. It was the home for the Riley family until 1973 when they sold it to the City of Tallahassee. The house was placed on t he National Register of Historic Places in 1978, and was restored with joint funding from the City of Tallahassee and the Department of the Interior. In 1982 the Florida NAACP partnered with the Riley Foundation to purchase the house.
Sponsors: THE JOHN G. RILEY FOUNDATION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

THE MISSION OF SAN PEDRO Y SAN PABLO DE PATALE

Location:North CR-158 at the site of the Patale Mission.
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Side 1: In 1633, the province of Apalachee in Spanish Florida received its first full-time resident missionaries. The Franciscan Mission of San Pedro y San Pablo de Patale which was located about one hundred yards north of this marker was one of the first missions with a resident priest to be established in the region after that date. Like other Spanish missions in Florida, this outpost of Spanish domination was designed to convert and "civilize" the Indians. It also served as a center for the civil and military authority of Spain on the frontier. Archeological investigations at the site in 1971 revealed the structural remains of the mission church and other buildings and a cemetery for the burial of Christians containing some 64 graves. Side 2: The mission of Patale evidently continued as an important segment of the mission system until its destruction in June, 1704. By that time, the colonial rivalry between Spain and England had become very keen. In 1703-1704, Colonel James Moore of South Carolina led an English expedition to destroy the Spanish Apalachee missions. On June 23, 1704, Patale was attacked and captured by the English who then used the mission as a base of operations. A counterattack by the Spanish and their Indian allies in July resulted in another victory for the English. After this, the Patale mission site seems to have been abandoned. But during the decades of its existence, it played an integral part in the military, political, and religious background of the Tallahassee area.
Sponsors: Sponsored by Fred O. Dickinson, Jr. In Cooperation With Department of State

THE TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT

Location:No longer exists-replaced with F-298
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Established March 3, 1905, by John G. Collins as "The Weekly True Democrat." Milton A. Smith bought the paper in 1908. On April 6, 1915, he made it "The Daily Democrat." Lloyd C. Griscom, became owner in 1929. It was purchased by Knight Newspapers, Inc., March 1, 1965. This, its third plant, was occupied in 1968. Earlier ones: 115 South Adams and 100 East Call. Tallahassee's first newspaper was the "Florida Intelligencer", founded February 19, 1825, nine months before city was incorporated. The Capital never has been without an alert, vigorous press. Vol. 1, No. 1 of The "True Democrat" explained the name showed dedication to "true and tried doctrines of The Old Time Democracy ... as distinguished from ... mischievous fads and fallacies of the day."
Sponsors: The Tallahassee Democrat in Cooperation with Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

THE TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT

Location:Magnolia Drive in front of the Tall. Democrat Bldg
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Florida's capital has never been without an alert, vigorous press. Tallahassee's first newspaper, the Florida Intelligencer, was founded on February 19, 1825, nine months before the city was incorporated. The Tallahassee Democrat traces its ancestry to March 3, 1905, when John G. Collins founded his Weekly True Democrat. He explained the name showed dedication to "true and tried doctrines of the Old Time Democracyàas distinguished fromàmischievousàfads and fallacies of the day." Collins sold the newspaper to Milton A. Smith in 1908. On April 6, 1915, Smith changed its name to the Daily Democrat. Lloyd C. Griscom became owner in 1929, and Knight Newspapers, Inc., purchased it on March 1, 1965. The structure you see is the newspaper's third plant, opened in May, 1968. Earlier plants were located at 115 S. Adams and 100 E. Call St.
Sponsors: sponsored by the tallahassee democrat in cooperation with department of state

UNION BANK

Location:Apalachee Pkwy near Monroe
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Built circa 1830 for William Williams and owned briefly by Benjamin Chaires, the Union Bank Building was the probable site of two earlier banks. Their charters were purchased by the Union Bank, created February 13, 1833, by the Territorial Council and formally opened January 16, 1835, with John G. Gamble as president. It was capitalized at $1,000,000 and became territorial Florida's major bank. The Panic of 1837, Indian wars, and unsound banking practices led to its closing in 1843. It was purchased by William Bailey and Isaac Mitchell in 1847, then after the Civil War by the Freedmen's Bank. Its later uses were as a church and the site of various business enterprises.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in Cooperation with Florida Federation of Garden Clubs, Incorporated

VILLAGE OF MICCOSUKEE

Location:Veterans Memorial Pkwy between Cromartie Rd. and Murray Ln.
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: In 1778 the British mapped this once thriving community, originally called Mikasuki, with sixty houses, a square, 28 families and 70 gunmen. The village was first settled by Native Americans of Creek descent who were often in armed conflict with white settlers. In 1818 Andrew Jackson and his men invaded, defeating the forces of village leader Kinhagee. Most of the Native Americans fled, but the area’s fertile soil drew settlers and the area was soon resettled. A U.S. Post Office was built in 1831, as were churches, schools, and general stores. The town became a prime location for some of the area’s largest cotton plantations. After the Civil War, agriculture remained the mainstay, and by 1887 a railroad served the community. In the 1890s, wealthy northern industrialists began purchasing large tracts of land to use as winter quail hunting estates, taking thousands of acres of land out of agricultural production. Yet the community continued to thrive until the boll weevil insect infestation of 1916 and the Great Depression (1929-1935) destroyed Leon County’s agricultural base. The rail line ceased operations by the mid-1940s, leaving the Miccosukee community of today rich in turn-of-the-century charm.
Sponsors: LEON COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

ANTONIO PROCTOR, GEORGE PROCTOR, JOHN PROCTOR

Location:400 West Park Avenue
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Side One: Antonio (Toney) Proctor, born Antonio Propinos circa 1743 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, was enslaved as a child. During the American Revolution, he was a body servant to a British army officer. He later worked in St. Augustine for Panton, Leslie, and Co., and served in St. Augustine’s black militia. During the War of 1812, Antonio aided Spain and for his service, was granted his freedom and 185 acres of land by virtue of a royal order from the king of Spain in 1816. Following the United States’ acquisition of Florida, he worked as an Indian interpreter for the United States Government. After Antonio helped negotiate the Treaty of Moultrie Creek and the Treaty of Payne’s Landing, Territorial Governor William DuVal stated, “Proctor’s skills proved indispensable. His services were invaluable to the United States at a period when no other person could have preserved the peace of the country.” Born circa 1805, Antonio’s son George was an architect, and began his career in Tallahassee in 1829. He left a tangible legacy as an entrepreneur and home builder for prominent Tallahassee citizens, including the Rutgers House, Randall Lewis House, Knott House, and Chaires House. In 1830, Antonio joined him in Tallahassee. Side Two: In 1839, George married Nancy, an enslaved woman. In 1844, one of their sons, John, was born in Tallahassee. During the 1849 Gold Rush, George went to California with several Tallahassee businessmen. Settling in Sonora in 1850, he purchased properties, became a landlord, and worked as a newspaper agent for the San Francisco Elevator. George’s zeal for racial equality was echoed in an editorial he wrote for the paper, stating “Let us be men.” While George was in California, Antonio’s remarkable life ended in Tallahassee at the supposed age of 112 on June 16, 1855. George died in California in 1868. During Reconstruction, John worked as a teacher, election supervisor, and customs superintendent at St. Mark’s port. He served in the Florida Legislature, first as a Representative from 1873-75, and 1879, then as a Senator in 1883 and 1885. When some politicians tried to sell West Florida to Alabama, John was instrumental in resisting the sale. John died in Tallahassee on December 15, 1944, and is buried here. By doing great things during extraordinary times, three generations of Proctor men have earned a place in history.
Sponsors: Jacqueline Proctor Ervingm Maggie Beth McGrotha

1963 CIVIL RIGHTS PROTEST JAIL OVERFLOW SITE

Location:441 East Paul Russell Road
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Side One: Throughout the 1950s-1970s, large-scale, nonviolent demonstrations by audacious students attending Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), Florida State University, and the University of Florida, as well as local high school students and Leon County residents, played important roles in the dangerous fight for racial equality. Hundreds of students were arrested in 1960 for participating in sit-in demonstrations at the Woolworth’s and McCrory’s lunch counters in Tallahassee. Priscilla and Patricia Stephens, FAMU students and founding members of Tallahassee’s Congress of Racial Equality (CORE); siblings John and Barbara Broxton; William Larkins; Angela Nance; Merritt Spaulding; Clement Carney; and high schooler Henry Steele chose to serve a 60-day jail sentence instead of posting bail, staging America’s first student-led jail-in protest. Three years of constant protest ensued. From September 14-16, 1963, over 350 demonstrators, mostly FAMU students, were arrested for mass picketing, trespassing, and disturbing the peace. On September 14th, 200 students picketed the segregated Florida Theatre. Police arrested 157. Later that evening, about 100 protesters gathered at the county jail and 91 were arrested. Side Two: The jail overflowed as arrest numbers swelled to 248. Covered quarters at the Leon County Fairgrounds, normally used for cattle and other animals, were converted to temporary jails. On September 15th, 250 FAMU students, led by ministers C.K. Steele, David Brooks, and E.G. Evans, resumed protesting at the county jail downtown. No arrests were made. On September 16th, some 250 students protested at the jail again, and 100 were arrested. Besides imprisonment, Civil Rights foot soldiers and student leaders such as Reuben Kenon, Calvin Bess, Roosevelt Holloman, John Due, Julius Hamilton, FAMU Student Government Association President Prince McIntosh, and many others suffered arrest records, threats, physical attacks, school suspensions, and delayed graduations. Most students remained in the crowded, unsanitary fairground facilities for many days, and slept on floors with blankets provided by jail officials. Black and white citizens, FAMU employees, CORE, NAACP, and the Inter-Civic Council raised money for bails, fines, and attorney fees. The Leon County Fairgrounds is a historic site of the Civil Rights Movement because of its significance in one of Florida’s and the nation’s largest student-led, jail-in demonstrations.
Sponsors: Leon County Commission, Commission Bill Proctor, Florida A&M University, The Carrie Meek-James N. Eaton Southeastern Regional Black Archives

SITE OF THE PITTMAN BOARDING HOUSE/ WILLIE AND CARRIE PITTMAN

Location:1447 South Bronough Street
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Side One: In 1947, Willie and Carrie Pittman purchased this lot at 1447 South Bronough Street from Fred and Clara Carrol for the price of $10. Soon after, the Pittmans built a two-story, 13-room, wood-frame house on the property. The house served as a temporary home for scores of female African American students unable to attain dormitory rooms at Florida A&M College (University). Students occupied the seven bedrooms on the upper level of the house, while Pittman, his wife, and their children occupied the six bedrooms on the lower level. From the late 1940s to the late 1960s, the house was known by the college community and area residents as the "Pittman Boarding House." Mere steps away from FAMC/FAMU, the home was a symbol of ingenuity, creative economics, pride, and prosperity to area residents. It was one of over 50 businesses owned and operated by African Americans in the once bustling neighborhood called “Allen Subdivision." The house was the childhood home of Florida’s first female African American State Senator, Carrie Pittman Meek, the youngest of the Pittmans' twelve children. Meek attributed much of her success to her parents' determination to send her to college and ensure a better life for all their children. Side Two: Willie Pittman's mother was born a slave and lived for over 100 years. In 1908, Pittman married Carrie Tansy Green in Lilly, Georgia. They rented a three-bedroom farmhouse in Lilly, near the fields where Pittman worked as a sharecropper. By 1914, the couple had moved to Tallahassee. Due to Jim Crow era prejudice, they experienced racial discrimination and financial difficulty. Following construction of their home in the late 1940s, Willie maintained properties for Fred Carrol. Carrie managed the boarding house. Known locally as "Mama Carrie" or "Big Mama," she made all of her children's clothes, and ran a home laundry for white families. With Willie and her children, Carrie maintained a vegetable garden and raised chickens on the property. The children also kept the front dirt yard swept and clean. Carrie sold cakes and preserved fruits and vegetables from the family garden. Carrie was a devout congregant of the Philadelphia Primitive Baptist Church, and often fed the hungry nearby. In 1955, Willie died in a car accident in Tallahassee, and Carrie died in 1966 in Miami. The Pittmans’ determination to ensure a better future for their children, their collective skills and ingenuity was noteworthy.
Sponsors: South Bronough Street Neighborhood Association

FLORIDA SUPREME COURT BUILDING/ HISTORIC EVENTS AND LANDMARK CASES

Location:500 S. Duval Street
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Side One: From 1845-1912, justices on the Florida Supreme Court met in two locations in the Old Capitol Building. In 1912, the court moved into the Whitfield Building, named for long-serving Supreme Court Justice James Whitfield, which it shared with the Florida Railroad Commission until 1949. The Whitfield Building was demolished in 1978 to expand the Capitol complex. In order to modernize the court, a new Supreme Court Building was planned. Completed in 1948, this building was the fourth meeting place of the Florida Supreme Court. It featured elements of Jeffersonian Greek Revival style architecture, most notably the dome, and was the second building in Tallahassee to be fully air-conditioned. Considered expensive at the time, it cost $1.7 million to construct, which stirred public controversy. During the dedication ceremony on December 29, 1948, a time capsule containing historical documents and photographs was deposited in the cornerstone. It is marked "1948" in the lower right front corner. In 1949, the court moved into the building, which also housed the State Library and Archives until 1976. The building doubled in size in 1990 with the addition of two new wings that were built as part of extensive renovations. Side Two: Since moving to its current location in 1949, the Florida Supreme Court has been the scene of several significant events, including the investitures of Florida’s first African American, Hispanic, and female justices. From this location, justices have made decisions in landmark cases that include the Virgil Hawkins law school integration and Groveland Four wrongful conviction cases during the 1940s-1960s, the Gideon v. Wainwright right-to-counsel case in 1961, and the Terri Schiavo right-to-die case in 2004. The court issued an opinion in 1979 that allowed cameras in Florida courtrooms, and began live broadcasts of oral arguments in 1997. Many high-profile cases have been heard in the courtroom, but none more so than the disputed presidential election cases in the fall of 2000, known as Bush v. Gore. The courtroom was the scene of two historic oral arguments, on November 20 and December 7, 2000. A mesmerized world watched as lawyers argued over how to decide who would become the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush or Albert Gore, Jr. These two presidential election cases were the first appellate court oral arguments in U.S. history broadcast live in their entirety to a global audience.

MUNREE (FLEISCHMANN) CEMETERY OF WELAUNEE PLANTATION

Location:Edenfield Road
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Munree Cemetery was created in the early 1900s as a burial place for African Americans who lived and worked on plantations in the Welaunee area. The exact origin of the name is unknown, but may have originated from Monrief, the name of a former nearby plantation. In 1912, a New York businessman, Udo Fleischmann, acquired the Welaunee Plantation property and converted it into a bird-hunting preserve. As part of the purchase, Fleischmann acquired the land for this cemetery. The last recorded burial is dated 1946, and in 1948, Fleischmann no longer allowed the land to be used as a cemetery. Over the years following its closure, the cemetery became overgrown and details regarding its boundaries were lost. Fearing that the cemetery would be lost due to development, concerned members of the local African American community formed the Munree Cemetery Foundation in 2009 to purchase the property. They partnered with Leon County officials to survey and restore the cemetery. In 2012, archaeological investigations revealed at least 250 burials. Many graves were unmarked. To help identify them, archaeologists employed remote-sensing methods, including Ground Penetrating Radar and Human Remains Detection dogs.

HOUSTOUN PLANTATION CEMETERY

Location:Wooded area of Capital City Country Club, just off of Country Club Drive
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: This 19th century cemetery is one of many known abandoned cemeteries in Florida. Before 1900, 80 to 100 enslaved and formerly enslaved persons are believed to have been buried here, many of them children and post-Civil War workers. Though visible in the 1920s, the burial ground was later lost, and in the 1970s was rediscovered by state archaeologists. In 2019, archaeological research led to the identification of 23 likely unmarked graves and 14 more possible graves. Edward Houstoun’s plantation that originated in the 1830s included this cemetery. Enslaved people made up three-fourths of Leon County residents in 1860, 78 of whom were owned by Houstoun. His family farmed this area until 1906. Early 20th century residents of suburbs built around a new 9-hole golf course near this site remembered overgrown graves. Some were decorated with carved wooden crosses. Others were planted with lilies and ligustrums. The cemetery is nearly a mile from the Houstoun house site and rests on a hilltop, characteristics typical of plantation cemeteries for enslaved people in the American South. It has been within the boundaries of the golf course since the 1930s when the course was expanded to 18 holes.

TRINITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Location:120 W. Park Avenue
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Methodists formed Tallahassee's first religious organization, which later became Trinity United Methodist Church. They first met in the Myers home on September 28, 1824. Of the ten attendees, six were white and four were black. A city block, at the corner of Bronough Street and Park Avenue, was reserved for the Methodists, and in 1825 a modest wooden church was built on that site. In 1826, part of the ceremony for the laying of the Florida capitol’s cornerstone was held there. Trinity acquired property in 1853 for African American congregants on Bronough Street, and later constructed a church building that ultimately became St. James Colored Methodist Church. In 1840, Trinity built a second church at this current site, and a third in 1893. Trinity built this church building, their fourth, in 1964. It was designed in the Colonial Revival Style by Philadelphia architect A. Hansel Fink, and included two sets of stained glass windows by the Willet Studio of Philadelphia. North of the sanctuary is the 1949 education building that provided a kindergarten program before such programs were offered in public schools. The church also began a weekday preschool in 1973, and later, a Lay Academy for adult education.

JAKE GAITHER GOLF COURSE

Location:801 Bragg Drive
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: The City of Tallahassee owns and operates the Jake Gaither Golf Course. The picturesque 9-hole course sits on 120 acres on the city’s south side. It opened on Dec. 14, 1956, during the era of racial segregation, to give African Americans a place to play. Many Black golfers had learned the game by serving as caddies at Capital City Country Club, Tallahassee’s only golf course at the time. One golfer recalled, “We could caddy there, but we couldn’t play.” The Tallahassee City Commission named the course for Alonzo S. “Jake” Gaither, a well-known citizen and legendary head football coach at Florida A&M University (FAMU). In the 1960s, it was the home course of the FAMU Golf Team. Black golfers from the course’s early years, known as “Legends of the Links,” taught and mentored women and kids to grow access and interest in the sport. The City completed a modernization of the course in 2022, while maintaining many of the historically significant elements. On August 9, 2022, Jake Gaither Golf Course was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the official list of the nation's historic sites worthy of preservation. The Jake Gaither Golf Course stands as a pillar of the community and a course for everyone.

MAJOR GENERAL DAVID LANG

Location:Old City Cemetery
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: David Lang was born on May 9, 1838 in Camden County, Georgia. After graduating from the Georgia Military Academy in 1857, he moved to Florida and worked as a surveyor for Suwannee County. At the outbreak of the Civil War he enlisted as a private and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel of the 8th Florida Infantry. He commanded the Florida Brigade (2nd, 5th, and 8th regiments) at the battle of Gettysburg, PA, (July 1-3, 1863), including Pickett's Charge, where the brigade suffered 43% casualties. Lang surrendered at Appomattox with the brigade. After the war he married Mary Campbell, with whom he had four children. He worked as a civil engineer before being appointed Adjutant General of the State Militia (1885-1894). When Florida got a new constitution in 1885, Lang asked the legislature for changes in militia law, including increased funding for training camps, provided U.S. Army pay scales for militiamen on active duty and established tougher controls over militia units. He established the Florida State Troops as the official State military force and organized the first statewide summer encampment. After serving as the private secretary for Governors Mitchell and Bloxham, Lang died on December 13, 1917.
Sponsors: Florida National Guard, the Department of Military Affairs, and the Florida Department of State.

THE UNION BANK OF FLORIDA

Location:On Appalachee Pkwy near Monroe St.
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Completed in 1841, the Union Bank is Florida's oldest surviving bank building. The business was chartered in 1833 as a planter's bank from which plantation owners could borrow against their land and slave holdings. The bank operated in a private house called "The Columns" until 1841. With John Gamble as its first and only president, it served as Florida's major territorial bank. The bank failed in 1843 because of crop failures, the Second Seminole War, and unsound banking practices. After remaining unused for nearly 25 years, the building reopened in 1868 as the National Freedman's Saving and Trust Company, serving emancipated slaves and refugees. Starting in 1874, the building functioned in a variety of ways -- as a church, shoe factory, beauty shop, and dance studio. Originally located near the southwest corner of Adams Street and Park Avenue, the structure was moved to this site in 1971. The Union Bank building was restored and opened to the public as a museum in 1984.
Sponsors: The Union Bank Restoration Committee and the Museum of Florida History

OLD BRADFORDVILLE SCHOOL HOUSE

Location:3439 Bradfordville Rd.
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: The Bradfordville School is a one-room school house built c. 1884-1893, where many generations of children, in elementary to eighth grade classes, received their primary education. It is an example of one-room schools once scattered throughout the area that gave rural children educational opportunities that would otherwise not have been available. The school is a wood frame vernacular structure with a whitewash exterior. The majority of the windows are six over six double hung sash wood. Now gone are two outbuildings used as restroom--one for girls and one for boys. The school was originally located at the intersection of Thomasville and Bradfordville Roads on property owned by the Lester family. In 1906 it was purchased by the Leon County Board of Public Instruction for the sum of $1.00. Declining attendance forced its closure in 1930. In 1940 ownership was transferred to the Leon County Commission. The building has been moved twice in an attempt to preserve it. The first move was in 1997 when a road expansion was planned for Thomasville Road. The second was in 2005 when the land was sold and it was moved to its present site. The building is currently used as a community center under the management of Leon County.
Sponsors: THE LEON COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

FLORIDA A & M UNIVERSITY

Location:FAMU way and Railroad Ave.
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Founded in 1887 as the State Normal College for Colored Students, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) is the only historically state supported educational facility for African Americans in Florida. It has always been co-educational. In 1890, the second Morrill Act was passed. This enabled the school to become the Black Land Grant College for the State of Florida. In 1891, the college was moved from its original location west of town to its present location, which was once the site of “Highwood,” Territorial Governor W.P. Duval’s slave plantation. It is on one of the highest hills in Tallahassee. The school was known as Florida A & M College from 1909 until 1953, when it attained university status. On May 6, 1996, the historic Florida A and M College campus was listed in the National Register of Historic Places based on the school’s historic significance and the architectural style of its buildings. The designation also recognized the national achievements and contributions of FAMU students, alumni, faculty and staff. In 1997, in national competition, FAMU was named “College of the Year” in Time Magazine’s Princeton Review.
Sponsors: The Black Archives, Research Center and Museum at FAMU and the Florida Department of State

ERNO DOHNANYI RESIDENCE

Location:568 Beverly Court
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Side One: This brick home built in 1928 belonged to the renowned Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and professor, Ernő Dohnányi. Born in 1877, Dohnányi grew up in Pozsony, now Bratislava. At age 11, he gave his first public performance. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music in Budapest, where he earned recognition all over Europe including from legendary composer Johannes Brahms. During the early 20th century, Dohnányi taught and performed internationally before returning to Budapest in 1915. While there, he held numerous prestigious positions including Director of the Philharmonic Orchestra Society, and Chief Director of the Academy of Music. He fled Hungary in 1944. Political fallout following the end of World War II in 1945 severely damaged Dohnányi’s reputation. In 1949, he accepted an offer to teach at Florida State University from Dr. Karl Kuersteiner, Dean of the School of Music. Dohnányi and his wife, Ilona, moved into this house in 1951. In Tallahassee, he continued to compose and produced many of his most significant works, including his Stabat Mater and American Rhapsody. Thirty years after his death in 1960, the Hungarian government awarded Dohnányi the Kossuth Prize, their highest civilian honor. Side Two: E házban élt Dohnányi Ernő, magyar zeneszerző, zongoraművész és karmester. Dohnányi 1877-ben született, Pozsonyban nevelkedett. Első nyilvános koncertjét 11 évesen adta. Később a budapesti Magyar Királyi Zeneakadémián tanult, tehetségét Johannes Brahms is méltatta. Európa-szerte ismert muzsikussá vált. A 20. század elején a világ számos országában fellépett és tanított, majd 1915-ben visszatért Budapestre. Itt a város zenei életének irányítójaként a Zeneakadémia főigazgatója és a Filharmóniai Társaság zenekarának elnökkarnagya lett. Hazáját 1944-ben el kellett hagynia. A II. világháborút követő politikai fordulat kikezdte hírnevét. 1949-ben elfogadta Dr. Karl Kuersteiner, a Floridai Egyetem Zenei fakultása dékánjának felkérését, és az egyetem professzora lett. 1951-ben feleségével, Ilonával ebbe a házba költözött. Dohnányi Tallahassee-ben folytatta alkotói munkásságát, több jelentős műve is itt született, köztük a Stabat mater és az Amerikai rapszódia. Harminc évvel 1960-ban bekövetkezett halála után a Magyar Állam Kossuth-díjjal tüntette ki.
Sponsors: Government of Hungary, Hungarian Academy of Sciences

CHANDLER'S TOURIST CAMP 1925-1929

Location:300 South Adams Street
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: In 1915, construction began on the Dixie Highway system that linked Florida with the Midwest via highways running from Michigan through Tallahassee along Old St. Augustine Road toward Miami. In the 1920s, the number of auto tourists visiting Florida increased dramatically. Roadside accommodations and inexpensive lodging were very limited. Some early auto tourists, later called Tin Can Tourists, modified their automobiles to provide sleeping quarters, kitchen equipment, and barrels of water as they traveled to what were then remote locations. Gilbert S. Chandler, Sr., an asparagus farmer from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and a pioneer of the tourist camp industry in Florida, leased seven acres of city land south of the Capitol on Adams Street to begin an auto camp in 1925. Chandler’s camp consisted of a store, a laundry, a community center, a bathhouse, and three tiny tourist cabins with electricity and homemade furniture. As auto tourism continued to grow, Chandler’s Tourist Camp moved to Lake Ella in 1929 to take advantage of tourist traffic on the Old Spanish Trail that linked Florida to California. The vacated city property became the Ben Bridges ball field before state buildings were built there in the 1960s.
Sponsors: The Family of Gilbert S. Chandler, Sr., The Family of O.I. Gramling, Sr., Deborah Desilets, In Memory of Harvey A. "Coach" Desilets

MYERS PARK HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:Myers Park on the north and northwest, County Club drive on the east, Magnolia Drive on the south, and South Gadsden and South Meridian Streets on the west
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Side 1: The Myers Park Historic District is near the remains of Hernando De Soto’s winter encampment (1539-40) in the Apalachee capital of Anhaica, and was the site of the 17th century Spanish mission La Purificación de Tama. The residential district includes Country Club Estates, parts of Woodland Drives and other subdivisions, Chapman Pond, Old Fort Park, Myers Park, and the Capital City Country Club and golf course. Reflective of the early 20th century City Beautiful Movement, the suburban setting and municipal green spaces create a park-like environment that has been home to civic and business leaders, Florida Supreme Court justices, cabinet members, state employees, college faculty and administrators, doctors, lawyers, and local officials. The low density neighborhood was carved largely from Lakeland Plantation, owned by the Edward Houston family. A portion of that land had belonged to Florida’s first territorial governor, William Pope DuVal, whose home was near the modern tennis courts in Myers Park. Other acreage is from the Flavius and Lula Coles Farm, whose house from the late 19th century still stands on Oakland Avenue. Side 2: Twentieth century development began in 1926 on the former Houston plantation in Country Club Estates. The planned suburb, with curvilinear streets and irregular lot shapes, is north of Palmer Avenue and between South Meridian Street and Golf Terrace Drive, which overlooked a nine-hole golf course. The green space of Myers Park, established in 1925, and the golf course were advertised as permanent assets. Developer R. H. Gibson gave free lots to the first four persons who agreed to build houses that cost at least $5,000. Among them were E. Peck Greene, a state chemist and landscape enthusiast, and Dexter Lowry, a former mayor and state senator who was president of the Capital City First National Bank. William G. Dodd, a dean at Florida State College for Women (FSCW), and his wife Josie built the fifth house in 1928, and others followed. George Perkins opened Woodland Drives east of the newly expanded municipal golf course and country club in the late 1930s. Early residents remembered living at the edge of the city, out in the country in the woods, with an easy commute to downtown Tallahassee and to FSCW, now Florida State University. The City of Tallahassee designated the area a local historic district in 2001.
Sponsors: The City of Tallahassee, Tallahassee Trust for Historic Preservation

THE TAYLOR HOUSE

Location:442 West Georgia Street
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Built in 1894 by Lewis Washington Taylor and Lucretia McPherson Taylor, the Taylor House is located in Frenchtown, one of Tallahassee’s most historic neighborhoods. Settled by freed slaves after the Civil War, it quickly became a vibrant African-American area. Lewis (1865-1931) was an educator, tutor for white children, civic/religious leader, businessman, and landowner. Lucretia, a cook and seamstress, was born into slavery in Tallahassee on May 19, 1865, the day before the Emancipation Proclamation was read downtown. The Taylors married in 1887. They had 13 children, 11 of whom survived and became educators. Lewis bought the site of the Taylor House in 1893 from Fannie and Simuel Butler. Family members lived here until 1977. In 1995, the house was saved from demolition by Aquilina Howell (1917-2000), a granddaughter of the Taylors and the first woman Assistant Superintendent of Leon County Schools. She is credited with easing the integration of local schools in the 1960s and early 1970s. In 2001, with the aid of the Tallahassee Urban League and Lucille Alexander, a noted nurse and professor and Howell’s sister, the house was restored and became a museum.
Sponsors: Maggie Lewis Butler, Ernest Ferrell, Curtis Taylor,Scott Maddox, Delaitre Hollinger, Patricia Branton, and the Florida Department of State

THE GROVE

Location:North Adams Street
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Richard Keith Call (1792-1862) and his wife Mary Kirkman Call (1801-1836) purchased the original 640 acres of property at “The Grove” in 1825. Call, a protégé of Andrew Jackson, served as Florida’s first delegate to Congress and as its third and fifth territorial governor. Between 1825 and 1832, he designed and constructed The Grove’s two-story Greek Revival style mansion using African-American slave labor. After Call’s death, female descendants of the Call family led The Grove through a period of resourceful and innovative ownership, using the property at various times as an art and dance studio, a silkworm farm, and a boarding house and hotel. Thomas “LeRoy” Collins (1909-1991) and Mary Call Darby Collins (1911-2009) purchased The Grove in 1940. Under their stewardship over the next seven decades, the Collins family helped to preserve The Grove, today one of Florida’s oldest surviving 19th century estates. During Collins’ tenure as Florida’s 33rd governor (1955-1961), The Grove served as the Executive Residence while a new Governor’s mansion was constructed. In 1985, the family deeded The Grove to the State of Florida for use as a historic house museum.
Sponsors: The Florida Department of State

THE "LURAVILLE LOCAMOTIVE"

Location:3125 Conner Blvd
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Its specific identity lost to time and the Suwannee River, the Luraville Locomotive is one of the nation's oldest "iron horse" steam locomotives. Most likely built between 1850 and 1855, the oft-modified 10-ton wood-burning American 4-0-0 steam locomotive played a role in Florida's early logging history. At one time the engine may have sported a cowcatcher and perhaps was used to pull passenger cars. It became a tram engine c. 1890 and was used to haul logs for the Bache Brothers Lumber Company to its sawmill near Luraville, Suwannee County. The locomotive's working career ended sometime around 1900 when the engine sank to the bottom of the Suwannee River while being loaded onto a barge at or near the Live Oak and Gulf Railroad's Suwannee River terminus at Peck. In 1979, a team headed by Luraville resident James Lancaster hoisted the remains of the locomotive and two sets of iron wheels from the river bottom. The locomotive was subsequently purchased and presented to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for safekeeping and preservation. The partially restored engine now rests in front of a load of bald cypress logs, a fitting monument to an important era in Florida's history.
Sponsors: Sponsored by the Florida Society of American Foresters The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Florida Division of Forestry The generosity of Pat and Peggy Goyke and The Florida Department of State

Map of Natural Bridge Battle Site

Location:Natural Bridge Rd near River Run Trail
County: Leon
City: Woodville
Description: Map of Battlesite

WEST CAMPUS OF THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY - TALLAHASSEE BRANCH OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

Location:Intersection of Mabry St and Ridgeway St
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: After World War II, many veterans returning to Florida sought a college education through the GI Bill. The all-male University of Florida (UF) experienced record enrollment as thousands of veterans applied to the university. Unable to accommodate all of the students, UF asked the veterans if some would be willing to attend the Florida State College for Women (FSCW) in Tallahassee. In September 1946, the Florida Legislature authorized the opening of the Tallahassee Branch of the University of Florida (TBUF). This was the first time male students attended FSCW since the school became a women’s institution in 1905. To house the more than 500 male students, FSCW purchased land and buildings west of the main campus. This area had been the location of Dale Mabry Field, the city’s first airport and a World War II Army Air Corp training field. Former barracks and officers’ headquarters were converted into student housing, classrooms, and other administrative buildings for the expanded campus. One year later, FSCW became the coeducational Florida State University (FSU), which continued to use the “West Campus” to accommodate the university’s students.
Sponsors: The Florida State University Emeritus Alumni Society and the Florida Department of State

WILHELMINA JAKES AND CARRIE PATTERSON: INITIATORS OF THE TALLAHASSEE BUS BOYCOTT

Location:On the campus of Florida A&M University
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: On May 26, 1956, two Florida A&M University (FAMU) students, Wilhelmina Jakes and Carrie Patterson boarded a crowded Tallahassee city bus and sat in the only seats available, in the front next to a white female passenger. The bus driver ordered them to the back of the bus, but they refused. Outraged, the driver pulled the bus over and called the police. The two students were arrested and charged with “placing themselves in a position to incite a riot.” The next night a cross was burned on their lawn. In response, FAMU students, led by SGA President Brodes Hartley, held a mass meeting and voted to stop riding city buses. This sparked the ten-month-long Tallahassee Bus Boycott, the second major successful economic protest of the Civil Rights Movement. Other citizens embraced the boycott. Local religious leaders and community members founded the Inter-Civic Council (ICC) and elected Rev. C.K. Steele, pastor of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, as president. The ICC expanded the boycott, which ended in March 1957. Months of defiant walking, carpooling and legal battles and the fortitude of Jakes, Patterson and other FAMU Freedom Fighters, helped sustain America’s promise of equal rights and justice for all citizens.
Sponsors: FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITYAND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

LEON HIGH SCHOOL

Location:550 East Tennessee Street
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: The first Leon Academy opened in 1827, three years after Tallahassee's founding, and operated until the mid-1840s. In 1869, the Leon County Board of Public Instruction established separate schools for whites and blacks. In 1871, the county opened the Leon Academy as a public school for whites and, in 1885, constructed a two-story brick building on Tennessee Street between Duval and Bronough streets. The Board of Public Instruction passed a resolution in 1903 establishing a 12-grade high school known as Leon Graded and High School. A new school was dedicated on Park Avenue in 1911. On March 27, 1927, the Board of Public Instruction purchased 31.7 acres of McDougal Pasture for $22,000. Efforts by Mode L. Stone, Tallahassee's supervising principal of public schools, and a 1935 bond referendum and a loan from the Emergency Administration of Public Works led to the construction of the present school in 1936. Architect M. Leo Elliott designed the Mediterranean Revival/Italian Renaissance style building with its distinctive barrel tile roof with wide eaves and decorative rafter tails. The school had 50 classrooms, a cafeteria, kitchen, library and an auditorium. The new Leon High School was dedicated on May 28, 1937.
Sponsors: Sponsored by the Leon High School Foundation and the Florida Department of State

HICKORY HILL CEMETERY OF WELAUNEE PLANTATION

Location:Miccosukee Greenway
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Hickory Hill Cemetery is the main burial ground for African-American families that lived and worked on Welaunee Plantation. Welaunee was established by Udo Fleischmann, a banker and sportsman and member of the Fleischmann baking goods manuafacturing family from New York, and his wife Jeanne Kerr Fleischmann, who donated land for the cemetery. The Fleischmanns began leasing and purchasing former antebellum cotton plantation land in Leon County during the first two decades of the 20th Century. Tenant farming was common in Leon County for more than half a century, but had collapsed by 1950 when many tenant farmers began to leave as land was sold or used for quail hunting. Hickory Hill Cemetery reflects the ethnic backgrounds, religious beliefs, and settlement patterns of the black community of Welaunee Plantation, and includes grave markers dating from 1919 to 1947. For instance, Mason jars may sometimes be found at the graves of members of the Masonic order. Other folk practices include graves marked with pieces of iron, a wagon axle, or a simple glass container. Hand-fashioned markers can be found on the western side of the cemetery.
Sponsors: Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church, New Zion Primitive Baptist Church, Testerina Primitive Baptist Church, The Trust for Public Land and the Florida Department of State

FLORIDA A & M UNIVERISTY

Location:Intersection of W. Palmer and S. Adams St.
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Founded in 1887 as the State Normal College for Colored Students, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) is the only historically state supported educational facility for African Americans in Florida. It has always been co-educational. In 1890, the second Morrill Act was passed. This enabled the school to become the Black Land Grant College for the State of Florida. In 1891, the college was moved from its original location west of town to its present location, which was once the site of “Highwood,” Territorial Governor W.P. Duval’s slave plantation. It is on one of the highest hills in Tallahassee. The school was known as Florida A & M College from 1909 until 1953, when it attained university status. On May 6, 1996, the historic Florida A and M College campus was listed in the National Register of Historic Places based on the school’s historic significance and the architectural style of its buildings. The designation also recognized the national achievements and contributions of FAMU students, alumni, faculty and staff. In 1997, in national competition, FAMU was named “College of the Year” in Time Magazine’s Princeton Review.
Sponsors: The Black Archives, Research Center and Museum at FAMU and the Florida Department of State

CAPITAL CITY COUNTRY CLUB

Location:1601 Golf Terrace Drive
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: After purchasing this land in 1912, George B. Perkins organized a golf club here. Perkins hired professional golf expert H. H. Barker to lay out the club’s scenic 9-hole course, which was completed in 1914. The Tallahassee Country Club, organized at The Grove in 1908, incorporated and purchased the golf course from Perkins in 1924. The club gave the property to the City of Tallahassee in 1935, stipulating that the city would improve and maintain it. That year, the city received a federal Works Progress Administration grant to expand the course to 18 holes. One of America’s foremost golf course architects, Albert W. Tillinghast, reviewed and commented on the expansion plans. Tillinghast designed some of the best golf courses in the United States, and is in the World Golf Hall of Fame. His feedback influenced the redesign of the entire course, and the Tallahassee Municipal Golf Course was completed within a few years. In a controversial decision in 1956, the city leased the golf course back to the Tallahassee Country Club, which then assigned their lease to the newly chartered Capital City Country Club. The golf course is in the Myers Park Historic District and on the Florida Historic Golf Trail.
Sponsors: Capital City Country Club, Integrity Golf Company, Jay Revell

KNOTT HOUSE (REVISED)

Location:301 E. Park Ave.
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: This house was constructed in 1843, probably by George Proctor, a free black builder. Attorney Thomas Hagner and his bride Catherine Gamble became the home's first residents the following year. Immediately after the Civil War ended, Union Brigadier General Edward M. McCook used the house as his temporary headquarters when he occupied Tallahassee. On May 20, 1865, McCook declared the Emancipation Proclamation to be in effect, thereby announcing freedom for all enslaved persons in the greater Tallahassee region. In 1883, a prominent local physcian, Dr. George Betton, bought the house where he maintained an office. In 1928, the Knott family acquired the house, added the large columns in front along with other renovations, and lived here until 1985. William Knott served the State of Florida for more than forty years as tax auditor, comptroller, and state treasurer. His wife Luella was a musician, a poet, and an advocate for social causes. Their home bcause known as "The House That Rhymes" because she adorned its Victorian-era furnishings with her poems that blended history and moral lessons with charm and wit.
Sponsors: Florida Department of State

TOWLE HOUSE

Location:517 North Calhoun Street
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Built in 1847, this was the home of Simon Towle, a member of the Whig Party who served as Tallahassee mayor and state comptroller. The house features Classical Revival elements with a symmetrical facade and two-story columned portico. A gothic influence appears in the decorative exterior trim. Richard Whitaker, a cotton planter, bought the house in 1854 and expanded it to include the second story and the columned front porch. During the 20th century, ownership changed several times. By 1906, the house was owned by Sallie Blake, an administrator at the Florida State College for Women (now Florida State University). It was sold to Nathaniel Brewer in 1922 and then to Malcolm Yancy in 1942, when Yancy was the Tallahassee city manager. Yancy reportedly discovered Confederate money in the ceiling. Lucille Givhan bought the house in 1968, and it was vacated in 1974. The building was renovated in 1976 for use by the Florida Democratic Party Executive Committee as their headquarters until 2002. Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, PA purchased the property, carefully restored the house, and received honorable mention for their work from the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation, Inc.
Sponsors: Searcy Denny Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, P.A.

THE FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL (1911-1971)

Location:1700 Lee Hall Drive
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: The first healthcare facility built in Florida for African-Americans was the Florida A&M College (FAMC) Hospital, known as the Florida A&M University (FAMU) Hospital after 1953. The school’s original two-story, 19-bed wooden sanitarium was built in 1911 (since demolished), and provided medical care to patients of all races living in Leon and surrounding counties. It was supervised by Jennie Virginia Hilyer, RN, a graduate of Freedmen’s Hospital in Washington, D.C., later renamed Howard University Hospital. In 1926, Leonard H.B. Foote, MD, a graduate of Howard University Medical School, became hospital administrator. Foote established FAMC’s School of Nursing in 1936, the first baccalaureate nursing program in Florida. He led a 10-year campaign to construct a new modern brick hospital, which opened in 1950. As a major medical center, the hospital provided clinical training for students and opportunities for research. After the withdrawal of federal and state support, the doors of the historic hospital closed on December 12, 1971. Today, the hospital’s legacy continues through Florida A&M University’s School of Nursing, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and School of Allied Health Sciences.
Sponsors: Florida A&M University, the Meek Eaton Black Archives and Museum, and the Florida Department of State

WOMAN'S CLUB OF TALLAHASSEE

Location:1513 Cristobal Drive
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: The Woman’s Club of Tallahassee was founded in 1903 by Miss Anna Chairs and other prominent Tallahassee women. The club helped Tallahassee’s less fortunate citizens, and in 1910 was instrumental in securing funding for building the first Leon High School. It endorsed the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote in 1920. The club supported the Girl Scouts and the 4-H Club during the 1920s, and fought against poverty during the Great Depression. During World War II, the clubhouse was operated by the Red Cross to roll bandages and participate in other activities which furthered the war effort. Since the 1950s, the Woman’s Club has been the site of many functions in support of a variety of charitable causes, as well as countless social events. The Mediterranean Revival style clubhouse, which became Tallahassee’s unofficial civic and entertainment center after 1927, was designed by E.D. Fitchner of Louisville, Kentucky. It is located in the Los Robles subdivision, a planned Mediterranean Revival style development. Only the development’s entry arch and the clubhouse were actually designed in this architectural style. The Woman’s Club of Tallahassee was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.
Sponsors: Ajax Construction Company, Benson's Heating and Air Conditioning Company, Charlene Hogan, Sue Tully and the Florida Department of State

MISSION SAN DAMIAN DE ESCAMBE

Location:x
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee vicinity
Description: Side one: Between 1560 and 1700, more than 100 Spanish missions were established between St. Augustine and Tallahassee. These missions were used to convert the Indians to Christianity and to employ their labor to support Spanish settlement. In 1633, Spanish Florida’s Apalachee Province, situated roughly between the Aucilla and Ochlockonee rivers, received its first full-time resident Spanish missionaries. Mission San Damián de Escambé, also known as Cupaica, was located in this vicinity. Among the earliest Spanish missions to the Apalachee Indians, San Damián was also the westernmost mission in Apalachee Province. It was established in 1639 within the Apalachee village of Cupaica after its chief was baptized at St. Augustine. San Damián was a large settlement, growing from 900 people in 1675, to 2,000 residents by 1689. Side Two: By 1700, the colonial rivalry between Spain and England had greatly intensified. In 1704, Colonel James Moore, of South Carolina, led a force of English raiders and allied Creek Indians to destroy the Spanish missions located across northern Florida. In late June of that year, they destroyed San Damián. Most of its villagers survived by seeking refuge in the fort at Mission San Luis de Talimali, which was “within cannon shot” of San Damián. Apalachee Indians from both missions San Luis and San Damián emigrated to Pensacola and Mobile. In 1968, a state archaeologist, B. Calvin Jones, identified the archaeological remains of San Damián near this marker. The site was purchased by the State of Florida in 1972. Mission San Luis, located nearby, is a National Historic Landmark, and is open to the public.
Sponsors: The Florida Department of State

COACH ALONZO "JAKE" GAITHER HOME

Location:212 Young Street
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: This brick house was the home of legendary Florida A&M University (FAMU) football coach Alonzo “Jake” Gaither and his wife, Sadie, a FAMU English professor. The couple regularly hosted sports and public figures from the 1950s-1960s, including Florida governors. The Gaither residence also served as a second home for many FAMU football players. Jake Gaither’s career at FAMU spanned 1937-1973, with 24 years (1945-1969) as head football coach. He held one of the best records in the history of American college football with 203 wins, 36 losses, and 4 ties. Gaither, in his own words, conditioned his players to be “mobile, agile, and hostile.” He and his loyal coaching staff produced 36 All-Americans and 42 of “Jake’s Boys” played in the National Football League. He was a coach, teacher, mentor, father figure, and friend to his players and students. Using sports to champion civil rights, Gaither advised state and local leaders on racial matters. The award-winning coach was inducted into the National Football Hall of Fame in 1975. In Tallahassee, a gymnasium, golf course, recreational center, and neighborhood are named in his honor. Gaither’s epic life and legacy enshrined forever in this home, makes him an American hero.
Sponsors: Cornelius and Reche Jones, The Meek-Eaton Black Archives Research Center and Museum, Niki P. Joyce, Latanya White, The City of Tallahassee, The Florida A&M University Foundation, Inc.

GIBBS COTTAGE

Location:South Adams Street
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Gibbs Cottage, a one-and-a-half-story frame vernacular residence constructed in1894, was home to The Honorable Thomas Van Renssalaer Gibbs. His father, Jonathan Clarkson Gibbs, served in the Florida cabinet during Reconstruction. This cottage is a prime example of the architecture used for upper-class African-American homes during the post-Reconstruction period. Thomas Gibbs served in the Florida legislature from 1884-1887 and helped sponsor a bill that created the State Normal College for Colored Students, present-day Florida A&M University (FAMU). In 1887 Gibbs, as vice president, and Attorney Thomas De Saille Tucker, as president, co-founded the school. When the college moved to the former location of Highwood Plantation in 1891, Gibbs purchased land at the corner of Martin Luther King Blvd. and Palmer Street. He built this home and lived there with his wife, Alice Menard Gibbs, who also taught at the school, and their six children. Alice died on October 23, 1898, and Thomas died soon after on the 31st. Following their deaths, the cottage was sold several times until finally acquired by FAMU in 1929, which served as housing for married FAMU faculty. The cottage is the oldest wooden building on FAMU campus.
Sponsors: Florida A&M University, The Florida Conference of Black State Legislators, The Meek-Eaton Black Archives Research Center and Museum

CARNEGIE LIBRARY AT FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY

Location:445 Gamble Street
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Built in 1908 with funds donated by industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, this was the first Carnegie Library built on a Black Land-Grant college campus. Nathan Young, President of the State Normal College for Colored Students, with cooperation from the school’s alumni association, obtained a $10,000 donation from Carnegie to construct the library. A 1905 fire had destroyed Duval Hall, the college’s main academic building and original library. Carnegie Library, stocked with donations from alumni, was the first brick veneer building on this campus at the former location of Highwood Plantation. It was also the first building with indoor plumbing and electricity. During the 1950s and 1960s, the library served as an art gallery and education facility. In 1970, it became a religious center. In 1976, Florida A&M University President Benjamin Perry, Jr., designated it as the home of the Black Archives Research Center and Museum. In 1978, under the museum’s founding director, Dr. James N. Eaton, Sr., the library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2006, an addition to Carnegie Library was named in honor of Dr. Eaton and U.S. Representative Carrie Meek.
Sponsors: Florida A&M University, The Meek-Eaton Black Archives Research Center and Museum

LUCY MOTEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Location:1493 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard South
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Lucy Moten School was built in 1932 at Florida A&M University’s (FAMU) with support from the Julius Rosenwald Fund and General Education Board. For more than 70 years, the school served as a training facility for African-American educators. The one-story brick building was designed in the Colonial Revival style. In 1935, FAMU President J.R.E. Lee, Sr., named the school in honor of Washington D.C. Miner Training School for Teachers principal, Lucy Ellen Moten (1851-1933), a protégé of Frederick Douglass. A Howard University graduate (1870), she was a pioneer of the “normal school” teacher training method during the early 20th century. Moten received her medical degree from Howard University in 1897. Her contributions as an educator and physician earned her national acclaim. In 1953, FAMU’s Lucy Moten School was placed under the College of Education as part of the FAMU High Developmental Research School (FAMU DRS) comprising grades K-12. In 2008, a new FAMU DRS was built on campus. The original Lucy Moten Elementary School building continues to be used by FAMU.
Sponsors: Florida A&M University, The FAMU Development Research School, The Meek-Eaton Black Archives Research Center and Museum

ORIGINAL LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL

Location:438 West Brevard
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Lincoln School served as the primary public education institution for African Americans in Leon County from 1869 to 1969. Established in 1869 as one of only two Freedman’s Bureau schools in Florida to educate newly freed slaves, it was named after President Abraham Lincoln. The first school building, located at the corner of Lafayette and Copeland streets, burned down in 1872. When the second building, located at the corner of Copeland Street and Park Avenue, was transferred to the Florida State College for Women in 1906, a new wood frame school was built at this site in Frenchtown, a well-established African American area. In 1929, the building was replaced by the present brick one, with some funding from the Julius Rosenwald Foundation. As Lincoln High School, it offered a high school curriculum, vocational training, night school, and GED program. Students came from more than 40 schools in rural Leon County and surrounding areas. They either roomed in town or walked for miles to Lincoln. There were no buses for African American students until the 1950s. The Lincoln High School name was transferred to the site of Griffin Middle School for two years, which allowed students to receive Lincoln diplomas until 1969.
Sponsors: City of Tallahassee

RUTGERS HOUSE/ TALLAHASSEE GARDEN CLUB CENTER

Location:507 North Calhoun Street
County: Leon
City: Tallahassee
Description: Side One: This house was built by George Proctor, a free African American, in 1848 for City Councilman and Territorial Treasurer Henry Rutgers. The doors and woodwork were fashioned from mahogany, and other lumber was hand-hewn from native trees. Bricks came from a local kiln. The house's Georgian architecture features a double-pile center hall plan with tripartite front windows. A parterre garden design, popular in the 1800s, featured beds lined with boxwood. The grounds contained a smokehouse, outdoor kitchen, large carriage house, and pasture for livestock. Two rooms were added in the late 1800s. Erastus Clark bought the house from the Rutgers family in 1893, and his descendants occupied the home until the 1950s. An indoor kitchen and wainscoting were added in 1926. The original property stretched from McDaniel Street and Meridian Road to the present half-city block. The Tallahassee Garden Club purchased the property in 1954. The Rutgers House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 as a contributing property in the Calhoun Street Historic District. The house is also a contributing property in the Tallahassee-Leon County Register of Historic Places’ Calhoun Street Special Character District. Side Two: The Tallahassee Garden Club was founded on October 26, 1926. The first president was Florida State College for Women botany professor Dr. L. S. Barber. A constitution and by-laws were drafted in 1930 that outlined the purposes of the club: "To encourage garden planting and culture in Tallahassee, To promote co-operative gardening, To encourage city beautification through all available agencies, To aid in the protection of wild flowers and shrubs, To study in all its aspects the fine art of gardening, and to encourage the dissemination of same." The slogan "This is Our City, Let's Beautify It" was adopted. Much of the club’s community service included school and roadway plantings, protection and promotion of wildflower growth, educational speakers, decorations for civic organizations, flower shows, youth gardening, Blue Star Markers, and aiding the city and state in an anti-litter campaign. Originally, the ladies met in the homes of members. The club purchased the Rutgers House in 1954 to use as a clubhouse. Since then, the Tallahassee Garden Club has preserved the house’s historical authenticity and used it as a space to host community events.
Sponsors: The Families of Robert A. and David F. Lee, In Memory of Edna Eubanks Lee, Member of Tallahassee Garden Club, Dogwood Circle, from 1945-2003

Levy

Dr. JAMES M. JACKSON HOME

Location:650 Oak Street
County: Levy
City: Bronson
Description: Constructed in the 1880s, this frame vernacular building was the residence of Dr. James Middleton Jackson and his wife, Mary Glenn (née Shands). Around 1846, the Jackson and Shands families migrated to Hamilton County, Florida, from Chester County, South Carolina. Jackson graduated from the Medical College of New Orleans (now Tulane University), and the couple married in 1858. Jackson enlisted in the Confederate Army in 1863 to serve as a surgeon in Captain E.J. Lutterloh’s company. In 1866, their son, James M. Jackson Jr, was born in White Springs, and the family moved to Bronson shortly thereafter. For more than 50 years, Dr. Jackson cared for the people of Levy County, not only as their physician, but also as a member of the Levy County School Board and County Commission. Mary came from a family who worked long and hard to bring health care to north central Florida. James Jr followed in his father's footsteps and graduated from Bellevue Hospital Medical College in New York. He set up practice in Miami in 1896, and upon his death in 1924, Miami City Hospital was renamed Jackson Memorial Hospital in his honor. The Jackson home was relocated to this site in 1998, and serves as the Town Hall of Bronson.

PAT-MAC LOCOMOTIVE/ GULF HAMMOCK AS A COMPANY TOWN

Location:5230 Southeast Highway US 19
County: Levy
City: Gulf Hammock
Description: Side One: The Grove-Dowling company used five locomotives, four large locomotive cranes, two log loaders, and one skidder machine for logging. One locomotive, No. 2411, was a 2-8-0 steam engine built in November 1915 by the Vulcan Iron Works of Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. The locomotive was originally purchased by the Gulf Pine Lumber Company of Pasco County and labeled No. 3. The engine was sold to Grove-Dowling prior to 1927 and moved to Gulf Hammock. As the Great Depression set in across the nation, the Grove-Dowling Hardwood Company went into receivership on March 3, 1930, and their holdings were acquired by the Robinson Land & Lumber Company of Alabama. The Robinson company was owned by A.M. McInnis, W.H. Paterson, and J.J. McIntosh. In 1937, the company was renamed the Paterson-McInnis Lumber Company (Pat-Mac). In 1956, the saw mill was destroyed by fire. On October 18, 1969, Georgia-Pacific deeded land to the Levy County Board of County Commissioners, which established a wayside park. Pat-Mac donated the Vulcan locomotive No. 2411 to the Florida Department of Transportation for display. By Resolution, dated February 4, 1992, ownership of the locomotive passed to the Levy County Board of County Commissioners. Side Two: In June 1926, the Grove-Dowling Hardwood Company was formed. The lumber company was a partnership of E.W. Grove, Sr., and brothers William H. and James H. Dowling. The Dowling Brothers moved their lumber business from Odessa, Pasco County to Gulf Hammock, Levy County. With Grove's capital, they purchased 250,000 acres of land in Levy County abundant with cypress, hardwood, and virgin pine. The Grove-Dowling company, which employed more than four hundred men, expanded Gulf Hammock in the area west of this marker. To house the workers and their families, the company built more than 150 homes and cottages. All the houses and buildings were equipped with lights, running water, and a state-approved sewage system. The company town also boasted a complete lighting system, power plant, department store, and modern hospital. New lumber mills with large machinery were built and included a modern machine shop to repair locomotives. The main saw mill cut 100,000 feet of lumber each day. There also was a planing mill, twelve dry kilns, and a cooling shed that would hold one million feet of rough lumber. The crate mill turned out 8,000 baskets or hampers per day, making it among the largest crate factories in the South.
Sponsors: Florida Department of Transportation, Levy County Board of County Commissioners, Levy County Historical Society, Inc.

ATLANTIC TO GULF RAILROAD

Location:S.R. 24 in Cedar Key at a wayside park.
County: Levy
City: Cedar Key
Description: Florida was provided with its first cross-state railroad in 1861 when the Florida Railroad Company line reached Cedar Key. Overcoming early financial troubles, the line had begun construction from Fernandina, on the Atlantic, in 1856, but building was intermittent. It had been incorporated in 1853 with David L. Yulee as president. The railroad received land grants from Federal and State governments.

JOHN MUIR AT CEDAR KEY

Location:12231 S.W. 166th Court, State Museum at Cedar Key
County: Levy
City: Cedar Key
Description: John Muir, noted naturalist and conservation leader, spent several months in Florida in 1867. He arrived at Cedar Key in October, seven weeks after setting out from Indiana on a "thousand-mile walk to the Gulf." Muir's journal account of his adventure, which was published in 1916, two years after his death, includes interesting glimpses of the quality of life in the post-Civil War south. "The traces of war," he wrote, "are not only apparent on the broken fields, mills, and woods ruthlessly slaughtered, but also on the countenances of the people." Florida deeply impressed the twenty-nine year old Muir. He remembered the "watery and vine-tied" land where "the streams are still young," which he had seen and sampled on his way from Fernandina. It was while recovering from a bout with malaria in Cedar Key that Muir first expressed his belief that nature was valuable for its own sake, not only because it was useful for man. This principle guided John Muir throughout his life. In early 1868, he left Cedar Key and eventually settled in California, where he helped establish the Yosemite National Park and, in 1892, the Sierra Club, which became one of our nation's best known environmental organizations.
Sponsors: sponsored by florida chapter of the sierra clubin cooperation with department of state

ROSEWOOD, FLORIDA

Location:State Road 24, Rosewood
County: Levy
City: Rosewood
Description: Side 1: Racial violence erupted in the small and quiet Rosewood community January 1-7, 1923. Rosewood, a predominantly colored community, was home to the Bradley, Carrier, Carter, Goins, and Hall families, among others. Residents supported a school taught by Mahulda “Gussie” Brown Carrier, three churches, and a Masonic lodge. Many of them owned their homes, some were business owners, and others worked in nearby Sumner and at the Cummer Lumber Mill. This quiet life came to an end on January 1, 1923, when a white Sumner woman accused a black man of assaulting her. In the search for her alleged attacker, whites terrorized and killed Rosewood residents. In the days of fear and violence that followed, many Rosewood citizens sought refuge in the nearby woods. White merchant John M. Wright and other courageous whites sheltered some of the fleeing men, women and children. Whites burned Rosewood and looted livestock and property; two were killed while attacking a home. Five blacks also lost their lives: Sam Carter, who was tortured for information and shot to death on January 1; Sarah Carrier; Lexie Gordon; James Carrier; and Mingo Williams. Those who survived were forever scarred. Side 2: Haunted by what had happened, Rosewood residents took a vow of silence, lived in fear and never returned to claim their property. That silence was broken seventy-one years later. In 1994 survivors, including Minnie Lee Langley, Arnett Turner Goins, and Wilson Hall, filed a claims bill in the Florida Legislature. A Special Master, an expert appointed by the Speaker of the House, ruled that the state had a “moral obligation” to compensate survivors for the loss of property, violation of constitutional rights, and mental anguish. On May 4, 1994, Governor Lawton Chiles signed a $2.1 million compensation bill. Nine survivors received $150,000 each for mental anguish, and a state university scholarship fund was established for the families of Rosewood and their descendants. A fund was also established to compensate those Rosewood families who could demonstrate property loss. This Historic Marker was dedicated by Governor Jeb Bush in May, 2004.
Sponsors: THE REAL ROSEWOOD FOUNDATION, INC. AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

THE CEDAR KEYS: PENCILS, LUMBER, PALM FIBER AND BRUSHES

Location:947 3rd. St., corner 3rd & G Sts.
County: Levy
City: Cedar Key
Description: Side 1: Harvesting redcedars (a form of juniper) for pencil manufacturing, along with pines and baldcypress for lumber, was of great importance to the Cedar Keys and the early development of North Florida in the late 1800s and early 1900s. In 1849, German entrepreneur J. Eberhard Faber (1830-1884) arrived in New York hunting splinter-free wood for pencils. He found abundant redcedar in Florida’s Gulf Hammock/Waccasassa Bay area between the Suwannee and Withlacoochee Rivers. He bought land and timber, floated logs to the Keys, and shipped logs to the family factory in Germany. In 1858, Faber built a slat mill on Atsena Otie (Depot Key), directly south of this location, and shipped slats instead of logs. In 1862, he built the Faber pencil factory on New York’s East River (near the current site of the United Nations) and supplied it with slats from his Cedar Keys mill, a practice facilitated by the 1861 completion of David Levy Yulee's (1810-1886) Florida Railroad connecting the Keys and Fernandina Beach. Side 2: The Eagle Pencil Company followed Faber’s lead, building its New York factory in 1868 and supplying it with redcedar slats from its own mill built on this site in 1876. This industry flourished on the Cedar Keys until the local resources were depleted and the slat mills were destroyed by a hurricane in 1896. Augmenting Cedar Key’s redcedar-for- pencils industry of the era were other forest-based products. Yellow pine and baldcypress lumber was milled on the Keys by Suwannee Lumber and Fenimore Steam and Planing mills on Atsena Otie and Way Key, respectively . Cabbage (sabal) palms were harvested and used for dock pilings locally and as far away as Key West. Later (1910-1952), the Standard Manufacturing Company developed a process, established a mill, and produced brush fibers and Donax® whisk brushes from young cabbage palms. Palm fibers were shipped nationwide and as far as Canada, Germany, and Australia. The rich and diverse forest resources of the Cedar Keys and surrounding area, and the entrepreneurial energy of many were central to the settlement and development of the “Cedar Keys.” They provided homes and livelihood for thousands, products needed and enjoyed around the world, and a proud legacy for Florida.
Sponsors: FLORIDA SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FORRESTERS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Liberty

TORREYA TREE

Location:Torreya State Park
County: Liberty
City: Rock Bluff
Description: In this vicinity on the Apalachicola River, Hardy Bryan Croom, pioneer Florida planter and botanist, discovered one of the rarest of coniferous trees, Torreya taxifolia circa 1835, and named it for Dr. John Torrey, prominent American botanist. Only four other species exist, but they are in the widely separated areas of China, Japan, and California. Croom's promising botanical career ended in 1837 when he perished in the wreck of the steamship "Home" off Cape Hatteras.

Madison

CAPTAIN RICHARD G. BRADFORD

Location:SW corner of Range & Basin Streets, in front of Co
County: Madison
City: Madison
Description: Captain Richard G. Bradford of Madison was killed October 9, 1861, during the Battle of Santa Rosa Island. This battle was fought in an attempt to capture Fort Pickens which protected Pensacola Harbor. Bradford was the first Confederate officer from Florida to die in the War Between the States. In his honor the Legislature voted to change the name of New River County to Bradford County. Gov. John Milton signed the law December 6, 1861.

CITY OF MADISON - frontier newtown or madison courthouse

Location:South Rutledge at South Horry on City Hall grounds
County: Madison
City: Madison
Description: Madison was founded on land secured from Madison C. Livingston, May 2, 1838, and established as the county seat after its removal from San Pedro. An early political center, it was along the escape route of Confederate Secretary of War John C. Breckenridge in 1865. The town played a prominent role in the development of tobacco, livestock raising, and conservation in North Florida. Home of the North Florida Junior College, the area's economy is based on agriculture and industry.
Sponsors: The Madison City Commission in Cooperation with Department of State

DIAL-GOZA HOUSE

Location:105 NE. Marion St.
County: Madison
City: Madison
Description: This late Victorian mansion was built c. 1880 for Major William H. Dial (1830-1905), a Confederate veteran of the Civil War. Dial was a surveyor who moved from South Carolina to Madison, Florida in the 1850s. This house is one of the finest examples of the Italianate style in north Florida. The building features bay windows, a roof cupola and an unusual bow porch on the main facade. It is lavishly decorated with bracketed cornices, window pediments and other distinctive late 19th century millwork. The house was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
Sponsors: Florida Department of State

DREW MANSION SITE / THE TOWN OF ELLAVILLE

Location:Vicinity of Suwannee River State Park on U.S. 90,
County: Madison
City: near Ellaville
Description: Side 1: Located approximately one-half mile to the northwest is the site of the Drew Mansion, home of George F. Drew, Governor of Florida during the difficult period of readjustment following Civil War Reconstruction, 1877-1881. Built in the late 1860's, the two story mansion with it's beautiful color-matched oak parquet floors was surrounded by formal gardens and was one of the first homes in the area to have modern facilities. This once elegant landmark of Florida's past was destroyed by fire in 1970. Side 2: Closely related to the career of Governor George F. Drew was the sawmill and manufacturing complex of Ellaville, established by Drew in the mid-1860's. The present Route 90 led through this town of several hundred people. The ruins of the sawmill are on the west bank of the Withlacoochee River near its confluence with the Suwannee. Ellaville flourished as long as Yellow Pine lasted. It declined after 1900 and ceased to exist when the Post Office closed in 1942.
Sponsors: The Family of Robert L. Millinor in Cooperation with Department of State

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH 1898 SANCTUARY

Location:Orange & Pickney Streets.
County: Madison
City: Madison
Description: This structure represents an adaptation of the Queen Anne style of architecture to local ecclesiastical needs and traditional building materials. Both the stimulus for constructing a new sanctuary and the idea for its basic design are attributed to the Reverend Stephen Crockett, an Englishman who served as pastor at the time. Crockett's design is unusual for the time and place; however, its most unusual facet remains hidden until the visitor enters: the interior plan is octagonal. The sanctuary was moved to this location in 1956. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
Sponsors: sponsored by first baptist church, madison, florida in cooperation with department of state

JOHN C. McGEHEE

Location:C.R. 158 southwest of Madison in the Oakland Cemetary
County: Madison
City: Madison
Description: Migrating from South Carolina, John Charles McGehee settled in this area of Madison County in the early 1830's. Shortly after his arrival, McGehee began acquiring property. By the outbreak of the Civil War his holdings consisted of nearly three thousand acres. In addition to his agricultural interests, McGehee was a shareholder in the Union Bank of Tallahassee. In 1838 McGehee was appointed to the St. Joseph Convention which drafted Florida's first Constitution. McGehee was nominated to serve as Judge of the Court of Madison County in 1841. As a wealthy slave owner, McGehee became involved in the Southern Rights Association, an organization which opposed federal interference with the rights of the States. A fervent secessionist, McGehee was elected permanent chairman of the Secession Convention which voted 62 to 7 to take Florida out of the Union. After the Civil War, McGehee was involved in railroad construction until his death in 1881. Judge McGehee was buried in the Oakland Cemetery located near the site of this marker.
Sponsors: Sponsored by madison county historical society in cooperation with department of state

JOHN HICKS AND HICKSTOWN

Location:on U.S. 90 West of Madison
County: Madison
City: Madison
Description: The Miccosukee Indian chief, John Hicks (English name for Tuckose Emathla) was a prominent Indian leader in the period between the First and Second Seminole Wars (1818-1835). It is believed that after General Andrew Jackson destroyed the Miccosukee towns to the west of here in the 1818 campaign against the Seminoles, John Hicks relocated his village near this site. This village, Hicks Town, was evacuated by the Indians by 1826 as Seminoles were removed to a central Florida reservation. John Hicks died in the winter of 1833-34 after a decade as a major spokesman for his people in treaty councils in which important decisions about the future of the Seminoles were made. White settlers occupied the site in the late 1820's, and in 1830, Hickstown Post Office was established. By the late 1830's, the village had disappeared as a center of population due to the Second Seminole War and the creation of an official Madison County seat at San Pedro.
Sponsors: Sponsored by The Madison County Commission In Cooperation With Department of State

MADISON OAK RIDGE CEMETERY

Location:601 N.W. Washington Street.
County: Madison
City: Madison
Description: An early community cemetery, Oak Ridge presents a profile of North Florida history. Located on approximately eleven acres, the cemetery was established on land donated by two pioneer citizens. Buried here are : William Archer Hammerly, Master Builder; Angus Paterson, former mayor of Madison and delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1885; Cary Augustus Hardee, Governor of Florida; Colin P. Kelly, Jr., World War II hero; and 31 Confederate Soldiers killed at the Battle of Olustee.
Sponsors: T.J. Beggs, Jr., and Sons in Cooperation with Department of State, Bureau of Historic Sites and Properties

PIONEER HICKSTOWN BAPTIST CHURCH - FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF MADISON

Location:On Base St. between Orange and Meeting St.
County: Madison
City: Madison
Description: Begun here for God's glory in 1835, the church was named Madison Baptist Church in 1854 and received its present name in 1922. Founders were Abraham Moseley and R.J. Mays. Early pastors were B. Fiddler, W.B. Cooper, H.Z. Ardis, and first deacon Elisha Smith. The Florida Baptist Convention formed the State Board of Missions here December, 1880. Members were S.B.Thomas, Sr., J.M. Beggs, B.F. Wardlaw, C.W. Stephens, J.F.B. Mays, W.W. Hall, C.V. Waugh, T.E. Langley and W.N. Chaudoin.
Sponsors: The First Baptist Church of Madison in Cooperation with Department of State, Bureau of Historic Preservation

SITE OF SAN PEDRO - SPANISH MISSION AND FIRST COUNTY SEAT OF MADISON COUNTY

Location:on S.R. 360, near junction with S.R. 14.
County: Madison
City: South of Madison
Description: In the mid 1600's San Pedro de Potohiriba, a Spanish mission, was established in this area on the Old Spanish Trail. The first courthouse of Madison County was erected at San Pedro, the county seat from 1828 to 1838. San Pedro, located about ten miles south of the present town of Madison, was on a post road from Tallahassee to Jacksonville. In 1833 the first post office was established with Archibald McNeil serving as postmaster.
Sponsors: The San Pedro Bay Sportsman Club in Cooperation with Department of State, Bureau of Historic Sites and Properties

ST. JOHNS SEMINARY OF LEARNING

Location:202 North Duval Street.
County: Madison
City: Madison
Description: Madison Lodge Number 11, F.& A.M. founded the St. Johns Seminary of Learning on the southwest corner of this block in 1850. This institution became the basis for Madison High School in 1886. W.B. Cates established the Florida Normal Institute here as part of Madison High School in 1907. The building adjacent to this marker was the dormitory of the Florida Normal Institute. The Institute trained many teachers for all of Florida before closing in 1927.
Sponsors: Madison Lodge Number 11, Free and Accepted Masons in Cooperation with Department of State, Bureau of Historic Preservation

THE FLORIDA MANUFACTURING COMPANY - world's largest sea island cotton processing plant

Location:900 South Range Street.
County: Madison
City: Madison
Description: Captain John L. Inglis began in this area The Florida Manufacturing Company in 1874. This plant ginned as many as ten thousand bales of Sea Island Long Staple Cotton in one year. The thread was widely used for general purposes and making English broadcloth. The plant was acquired by J.& P. Coats in 1890. The compression of seed was added later to ginning and baling of cotton. Activities ended with the coming of the Mexican Boll Weevil in 1916. This warehouse is the only remaining building of the manufacturing complex.
Sponsors: Coats & Clark Inc. in Cooperation with Department of State, Bureau of Historic Preservation

THE FOUR FREEDOMS MONUMENT

Location:Four Freedoms Park, Corner of Base & Range St.
County: Madison
City: Madison
Description: The Four Freedoms were stated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his Annual Message to Congress, January 6, 1941. Freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear everywhere in the world, became the ideals of American policy. The memorial, symbolizing these aspirations of mankind, was designed by Walter Russell, given by Women's National Institute, and dedicated to the memory of World War II hero, Captain Colin P. Kelly, Jr., June 14, 1944.
Sponsors: Madison County Memorial Post No. 68, The American Legion in Cooperation with Department of State, Bureau of Historic Preservation

THE TOWN OF GREENVILLE (frontier sandy ford)

Location:one block south of U.S. 90 in front of Baptist Chu
County: Madison
City: Greenville
Description: Begun as Sandy Ford, 1850, Samuel Williams was the first postmaster in 1854. Called Station 5 on the Pensacola-Georgia R.R., the name Greenville, for Greenville, S.C., came in the 1860's. Elijah Hays helped its expansion after 1876. Incorporated in 1907, W.D. Griffin was the first mayor. An orange producing center prior to 1895, its chief supports now are timber, cattle, and flue-cured tobacco.
Sponsors: The Town Council of Greenville in Cooperation with Department of State, Bureau of Historic Sites and Properties

THE WARDLAW-SMITH HOUSE

Location:U.S. 90 (Base and Washington Streets).
County: Madison
City: Madison
Description: The Wardlaw-Smith House was erected in the early 1860's for Benjamin F. Wardlaw, a prominent local citizen. Following the Civil War Battle of Olustee in February, 1864, it served as a Confederate hospital. This fine example of Greek Revival architecture was acquired in 1871 by Chandler Holmes Smith in whose family it remained for a century. The architectural significance of the Wardlaw-Smith House has been recorded by the Historic American Buildings Survey and it is listed in the prestigious National Register of Historic Places.
Sponsors: The Madison Rotary Club in Cooperation with Department of State

W.T. DAVIS BUILDING

Location:196 South Range Street
County: Madison
City: Madison
Description: Built in 1892 by William Turner (W.T.) Davis, this building is one of the few remaining buildings in Florida covered with a galvanized sheet metal façade, in this example produced by the Mesker Brothers Iron Works of St. Louis, Missouri. This use of sheet metal for architectural ornamentation replaced iron as the metal of choice for most architectural work by the 1870s. Stronger than iron, it could be rolled and stamped into large ornamental sheets. Galvanized sheet metal was a great choice for small communities like Madison. The building's second floor served the Madison community as an opera house and a center for entertainment and social events from 1892 to 1910. The building also housed small businesses and the law offices of W. T. Davis's son, Charles Edgar Davis, and grandson, William Turner Davis. These two men were the only father and son who served as president of the Florida State Senate: Charles Edgar in 1915 and William Turner in 1955. This grand old building now serves as The Treasures of Madison County Museum, and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.
Sponsors: Treasures of Madison County, Inc., Madison County Tourist Development

SUWANNEE RIVER JUNIOR COLLEGE

Location:CR-350A between SW atwater Dr. and SW. Christmas Tree Dr.
County: Madison
City: Madison
Description: Florida's modern commuinty college system partially owes it development to a statewide system of 12 all-black junior colleges that developed a parallel to a system of white junior colleges during the era of segeration. These institutions were very important for a generation of black Floridians whose access to higher education was limited because of segeration and economic hurdles. Established in 1959, Suwannee River Junior College (SRJC) provided the black residents of north florida and south Georgia with post-secondary level educational and cultural enrichment opportunities. Like most other black community college insitutions founded in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the college had a short life span, lasting only seven years. The Suwannee River Junior College is the first college of any in Florida to have a female president. Jenyethel Merritt, a fixture in the local educational establishment, served as president of SRJC for five of the college's seven years. The college closed its doors in 1966, merging with formerly all-white North Florida Junior College.
Sponsors: Madison County Board of Commissioners and The Florida Department of State

RAY CHARLES CHILDHOOD HOME

Location:443 SW Ray Charles Avenue
County: Madison
City: Greenville
Description: This house is a reconstruction of the home where musician Ray Charles (1930-2004) lived with his mother, Aretha Williams, and adopted grandmother, Margaret "Muh" Robinson. Shortly after his birth in 1930 until about the age of five. "RC," as Ray was known by his friends, recieved his first piano instruction from Wiley Pitman, owner of the nearby Red Wing Cafe. Ray and his mother later moved into a small house behind the cafe. At age seven, Ray's sight failed and he was sent to the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine. The modest wood frame vernacular house he grew up in was probably constructed in the 1920s. It had no electricity or indoor plumbing. Meals were prepared on a wood-burning stove. A fireplace in one of the four small rooms provided warmth, and open windows and doors allowed breezes to cool the house. Because of advanced deterioration, the abandoned house was scheduled for demolition. In 2006, the Town of Greenville purchased the structure to preserve the memory of Ray Charles. With a grant for the Florida Bureau of Historic Preservation, the Town completed the reconstruction of the house in 2008.
Sponsors: The Town of Greenville and the Florida Department of State

ST. MARY'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Location:140 North Horry Street
County: Madison
City: Madison
Description: The congregation of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church was organized in 1859, but the parish became dormant during the Civil War when services were held irregularly. Twenty years later, on July 6, 1879, the congregation appointed a committee to coordinate fund raising to build a church. The church’s cornerstone was laid on August 1, 1879; and the completed church was consecrated by the second bishop of the Diocese of Florida, John Freeman Young, on May 1, 1883. St. Mary’s Episcopal Church is a good example of the Carpenter Gothic architectural style and is one of the oldest such churches in Florida. Carpenter Gothic architecture is an adaptation of the Gothic Revival style, which was popularized in the U.S. by architect Richard Upjohn. Bishop Young was a confidant of Upjohn, and he advocated the construction of Carpenter Gothic style churches around Florida. St. Mary’s Church is distinguished by a steep roof, scissor trusses, pointed arch windows and doors, and decorative stained glass. The only additions to the church since its construction have been air conditioning, memorials, and a parish hall extension. St. Mary’s Episcopal Church was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
Sponsors: St. Mary's and the Florida Department of State

Manatee

THE ISLAND PLAYHOUSE

Location:10005 Gulf Drive
County: Manatee
City: Anna Maria
Description: The Island Playhouse is one of the oldest buildings on Anna Maria Island. The simple frame vernacular building was once the home of William H. Gillett and was originally located in the Town of Parrish in Manatee County. In 1912, it was barged down the Manatee River in two sections to Tampa Bay and then to Anna Maria Island. In its new location, the building was first used as a tourist center by the Anna Maria Beach Development Company, which promoted the island community by offering steamship tours to prospective residents. Following the City of Anna Maria’s incorporation in 1923, the building was used for city offices, church facilities, classrooms, and as a social hall for World War II soldiers. Since 1949 the building has served as the Island Playhouse, and offers theatrical productions to the community’s residents and visitors.
Sponsors: The Anna Maria Island Preservation Trust, Inc. and the Florida Department of State

WEST BRADENTON WOMAN'S CLUB AND 13TH AVENUE YOUTH CENTER

Location:201 13th Avenue West
County: Manatee
City: Bradenton
Description: The West Bradenton Woman’s Club and the 13th Avenue Youth Center occupied this site for much of the 20th century. Together, these institutions served as the educational, recreational, cultural, and social hub of the African American community in Bradenton from 1935-2010. The Woman’s Club was formed in 1911, in a time when women throughout the U.S. were organizing similar clubs to provide services to their communities in the absence of public programs. In 1935, the Club moved to this city-owned site, which was used as play space for African American children. Local residents Minnie L. and G.D. Rogers were close friends with educational and civil rights leader Mary McLeod Bethune, who was allied with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Bethune was also affiliated with the National Youth Administration (NYA). The NYA provided jobs and funding to expand the Club’s building and to construct the recreation center that became the Youth Center. The center was a gathering place for sporting and social events; the site of nursery schools, day care, and after-school programs; a drug prevention program; and music and cultural events.
Sponsors: Central Community Redevelopment Agency and the Florida Department of State

ADAMS AND ROGERS CEMETERIES

Location:400 43rd Street Northwest
County: Manatee
City: Bradenton
Description: Adams Cemetery, once known as the Fogartyville Colored Cemetery, began in 1896 when William H. and Eliza Atzeroth Forgarty donated four acres of land to the community for use as a public cemetery. The cemetery’s earliest marker is the final resting place of Josephine P. Alston (1883-1901). In 1922, after all the cemetery lots had been sold, its trustees bought an additional four acres of land, of which a portion was set aside for those unable to purchase a burial plot. This area was referred to as the Adams Section, and it is still used occasionally for burials. Rogers Cemetery adjoins the Adams Cemetery, and was used as a burying ground for African American residents of Manatee County beginning in the mid-1800s. The cemetery is named for Garfield and Minnie L. Rogers. Garfield Rogers spearheaded the Civil Rights movement locally and was instrumental in establishing the first school for African American students in Manatee County. Recognizing the need for a final resting place for those who could not afford it, the Rogers family donated or sold burial sites to persons of limited means up to 1967. In 1988, both cemeteries came under the care of Manatee County as abandoned cemeteries.
Sponsors: Manatee County Government and the Florida Department of State

OLD MEMPHIS CEMETERY

Location:202 25th Street West
County: Manatee
City: Bradenton
Description: Palmetto’s historic Memphis neighborhood was originally plotted in 1904 by Robert F. Willis who sold lots to “a number of very desirable people” who built homes in what he named the “Town of Memphis” after his hometown in Tennessee. In 1911, Willis sold a section of the neighborhood between 2nd and 4th avenues to Isaac E. Barwick, who renamed his section New Memphis in 1912 and sold lots to residents. The earliest marked grave in the Old Memphis Cemetery dates to 1907. The earliest known official document related to the cemetery is a deed dated January 12, 1923, which shows that Fred Kermode and his wife Emma sold this parcel to the Trustees of the Memphis Cemetery Committee. It became the final resting place of many African Americans, many of whom cultivated tomato, celery, cabbage, and citrus crops in the area’s truck farming fields, groves, and packing houses. By 1977, Old Memphis Cemetery was full, and in 1988 it came under the care of Manatee County as an abandoned cemetery. Following its closure, the New Memphis Cemetery was begun and is now used as a public cemetery for those who cannot afford a burial plot.
Sponsors: Manatee County Government and the Florida Department of State

9TH AVENUE BRIDGE WEST

Location:9th Avenue at Wares Creek
County: Manatee
City: Bradenton
Description: At this location over Wares Creek once stood one of the oldest concrete arch deck bridges in the State of Florida. Designed by noted local civil engineer Freeman H. Horton, the former 9th Avenue West bridge was constructed during World War II by the Bradenton Public Works Department using federal funds. The bridge was a relatively late example of a concrete arch deck bridge, a structurally more complex design than girder or slab construction. The 36.4-foot long bridge linked the Ballard Park neighborhood abutting Wares Creek, and served a vital role in providing safe, convenient east-west travel within the city. In addition to being well-known for his bridge design, Horton also holds the distinction of being the first Manatee High School alumnus to graduate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In his design for the 9th Avenue West Bridge, Horton used an unusual zigzag handrail that is found on only one other Florida bridge, the 7th Avenue West Bridge over Wares Creek, which he also designed. When the 9th Avenue West Bridge was replaced in 2012, its distinctive original handrail was preserved and incorporated into the design of the new bridge.
Sponsors: The City of Bradenton and the Florida Department of State

THE ANNA MARIA CITY PIER

Location:S. Bay Blvd. at City Pier
County: Manatee
City: Anna Maria
Description: Built in 1911, the Anna Maria City Pier welcomed visitors and residents to the island city arriving by steamship. The 776-foot-long pier accommodated paddle wheelers such as the Favorite and the Mistletoe prior to the construction of the first bridge from the mainland in 1922. The pier was commissioned by the Anna Maria Beach Company and was the brainchild of “Will” Bean, whose father homesteaded a large tract of land in 1893, and Charles Roser. Roser is credited by some with having developed the recipe (or baking process) for the famous Fig Newton cookie which he sold c. 1898 to the National Biscuit Company, now Nabisco. Bean and Roser built Anna Maria’s first church and bathhouse in 1913 on the Gulf of Mexico, along with cottages for their families and others. In a building barged down from Parrish, the city’s early promoters handed out flashy brochures of a young lady wearing a short dress, high heels, pearls, and holding a fishing pole reading “Anna Maria Beach, Florida’s Famous Year-round Resort.” Some of the island city’s first buildings survive today on Pine Avenue, a heritage area made possible by the construction of the Anna Maria City Pier over 100 years ago.
Sponsors: The Anna Maria Island Preservation Trust, Inc. and the Florida Department of State

"BEAN'S POINT" / EARLY LEGEND

Location:310 North Bay Boulevard in Bayfront Park.
County: Manatee
City: Anna Maria Island
Description: Side 1: In May 1894, Anna Maria Island's first modern-day pioneer-George Emerson Bean-took up a homestead, signed by President Wm. McKinley, that embraced the island's entire north point. Other daring settlers, such as Samuel C. Cobb and John R. Jones, came shortly after, clearing the island's dense jungle to build homes. In 1913, George W. Bean, son of Anna Maria's first pioneer, founded the Anna Maria Development Company. This opened the island to its expansion as a uniquely appealing summer and winter resort for visitors as well as year round home for an increasing number of residents from almost every state of the union. Side 2: Earliest known dwellers of Anna Maria Island were Indians of the Timucuan Tribe, whose burial mounds, filled with tribal artifacts, were found years later. According to tradition, Ponce de Leon in 1513 visited this key (then joined to what is now Longboat Key) and in honor of his sponsor King Charles II, gave the island his queen's name. In 1539, Hernando DeSoto is said to have made his first new world landing near here. Replenishing his ships' water casks, the explorer then passed around Anna Maria's north point and sailed to the Manatee River, launching his historic expedition to the Mississippi River.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in Cooperation with Manatee County Historical Society

ATZEROTH HOME SITE

Location:728 Bay Shore Drive
County: Manatee
City: Terra Ceia Island
Description: Side 1: This is the home site of Joe and Madam Joe Atzeroth, first permanent settlers of Terra Ceia Island. With their daughter Eliza, a physician friend, and dog Bonaparte, they arrive via Tampa April 12, 1843. Living first in a tent, then a palmetto thatched hut, they finally built a two-room log cabin. They grew tobacco and vegetables and sold them to the garrison at Ft. Brooke (Tampa). In 1880 Madam Joe received a $10 award for growing the first pound of coffee in this country. Side 2: Terra Ceia Island was a dense jungle when the Atzeroths arrived to homestead 160 acres. Panthers and other wild animals abounded. Their log house was built of split cedar planks and moss and clay filled the cracks. The doors and glazed windows were imported from New Orleans. The family survived the many harsh rigors of frontier life. Mr. Joe participated in the 3rd Seminole War and Civil War. After his death in 1871, Madam Joe moved to Fogartyville.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

BRADEN CASTLE RUINS

Location:Braden Castle Drive and Plaza St. E.
County: Manatee
City: Bradenton
Description: Dr. Joseph Addison Braden, physician and native Virginian, came from Tallahassee to the Manatee River in the early 1840's. By 1850 he had acquired approximately 900 acres of land and built a steam operated sugar and grist mill. In that year using slave labor and local materials he constructed his "Castle" - a large two story structure. The walls were poured "tabby" composed of lime, sand, crushed shells, and water. In February 1856 the "Castle" was attacked unsuccessfully by Seminoles. Later abandoned it was destroyed by a woods fire in 1903. The ruins were purchased by the Camping Tourist of America in 1924.
Sponsors: The Manatee County Historical Society in Cooperation with Department of State

BRADENTON DEPOT

Location:426 Manatee Ave. West
County: Manatee
City: Bradenton
Description: The Atlantic Coastline Railroad Company Passenger and Freight Depot Bradentown Florida, built c. 1925, became the Bradenton Depot when Bradentown dropped the w from its name. The historical significance on local and state levels was tremendous as its completion created a terminus of rail, road and water travel in Southwest Florida, connecting freight shipments from the piers on the Manatee River and shipping of agricultural products north, along with bringing passengers and tourists south during the expansion boom. The depot served the area from the time of the economic boom, through the depression, up to and including the great Florida growth period. Its era of significance was from 1925 to 1952. The 9,000-square-foot Mission/Spanish Colonial Style Revival building was constructed at a cost of approximately $80,000 and still stands on its original location. The building fell into disrepair in the 1990s, with the roof falling in and facing condemnation. It was purchased by Daniel B. Pope, M.D., of Bradenton. With a great love of railroad tradition, he brought the depot back to its original glory with red tiled roof, and white stucco trimmed in red brick.
Sponsors: THE BRADENTON DEPOT INVESTMENT COMPANY AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

FIRST MANATEE COUNTY COURTHOUSE / MANATEE METHODIST CHURCH-ESTABLISHED 1849

Location:1404 Manatee Ave. E. in Manatee Historical Park
County: Manatee
City: Bradenton
Description: Side 1: Manatee County was created by legislative action signed January 9, 1855, from Hillsborough, St. Lucie, and Monroe Counties. Five years later, in 1860, Josiah Gates and Mary, his wife, deeded to Manatee County a parcel of land located here to be the county seat and a courthouse built thereon. The building was completed the same year at a cost of $700 and served as a courthouse and school until 1866 when the county seat was moved to Pine Level. Side 2: Oldest church of any denomination south of Tampa on Florida's west coast. Lot located here was sold to John W. Curry, Ezekiel Clazier and James G. Cooper in 1866 for the Manatee Methodist Church. It is believed that the church ownership of this represents the longest private ownership of land in Manatee County.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in Cooperation with Manatee County Historical Society

FIRST SETTLER'S HOMESITE

Location:105 15th St. E., on grounds of Meadowbrook Manor,
County: Manatee
City: Bradenton
Description: Side 1: Located a few yards from this spot near the banks of the Manatee River is the site of the log home of Josiah Gates. Gates was the first Anglo-American settler in the entire Manatee area which at that time extended southward to the Caloosahatchee River and eastward to the Kissimmee River. After the Second Seminole War, the Armed Occupation Act of August 4, 1842, opened Central Florida to American settlers. Gates, a native of South Carolina, moved his family here from Fort Brook (Tampa) early in 1843. Side 2: In 1851, Josiah Gates replaced his first dwelling with a twenty room, three story frame home located a few yards further back from the river on this same site. The "Gates House" served newly arrived settlers and visitors as a hotel in the wilderness. Josiah Gates became a prosperous farmer as well as a successful innkeeper. He was also active in local government after Manatee County was created in 1855. He died in 1871. Neither of the two structures built by Josiah Gates is still standing.
Sponsors: sponsored by Manatee County Historical Society In cooperation with department of state

GAMBLE MANSION AND PLANTATION

Location:U.S. 301 on grounds of the Gamble Plantation State
County: Manatee
City: Ellenton
Description: Side 1: At the close of the Seminole War in 1842, this frontier was opened to settlement. Major Robert Gamble and other sugar planters soon located along the rich Manatee River valley, and by 1845 a dozen plantations were producing for the New Orleans market. The Gamble Mansion, built principally of native materials, 1845-1850, is an outstanding example of antebellum construction and stands today as a monument to pioneer ingenuity and craftsmanship. The plantation included 3500 acres, numerous outbuildings, slave quarters, and wharf from which sugar and molasses were shipped by schooner and steamboat. Side 2: The Gamble sugar mill, one of the South's largest, was destroyed by Union raiders in 1864. Ruins are located 1/2 mile north on State Road 683. During the Civil War the mansion was the home of Captain Archibald McNeill, famous Confederate blockade runner. Judah P. Benjamin, Confederate Secretary of State, took refuge here during May 1865 while making his escape from Federal troops following defeat of the Confederacy. The mansion was rescued from decay in 1923 by the Judah P. Benjamin Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in Cooperation with the Judah P. Benjamin Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy

GAMBLE SUGAR CANE MILL

Location:S.R. 683 (Ellenton Gillette Road)
County: Manatee
City: Ellenton
Description: In 1842, as the Second Seminole War drew to a conclusion, Major Robert Gamble, Jr. established a sugar cane plantation along the banks of the Manatee River, as did others including Hector and Joseph Braden, William Craig and William Wyatt. By 1850 Major Gamble's plantation included over 3,000 acres of land, one hundred slaves, and a sugar mill that housed the best sugar processing machinery then available in the south. During the 1840's and early 1850's, Gamble was the leading producer of sugar and molasses in Florida. Falling prices and steadily mounting debts finally forced Major Gamble to sell the plantation to two Louisiana planters in 1858. With the outbreak of the Civil War, these men terminated their operation, and after selling most of the slaves and machinery, they abandoned the plantation. In 1873, the Mansion and approximately 3,000 acres of land were purchased at public auction by George Patten but the sugar mill was not restored to operation at this or any subsequent time.
Sponsors: Sponsored by The Manatee County Historical Society In Cooperation With The Department of State

GILLETTE COMMUNITY

Location:3301 Moccasin Wallow Road
County: Manatee
City: Gillette
Description: This area, known originally as Frog Creek, received its first American settlers before the Civil War. Many of them came from Alabama, northern Florida, and Georgia. Among the Georgians was Daniel Gillett, who brought his family to Frog Creek in the late 1840s. Like many other area pioneers, Gillett raised cattle and citrus. He and his descendants were so closely identified with the Frog Creek settlement that it became known as Gillette, and a post office bearing that name existed here from 1895 to 1910. Benevolence, a Baptist church, formed the stable institutional backbone of the community. Formally organized in 1868, Benevolence loaned its facilities to other religious and secular groups in the area, emphasizing frontier cooperation rather than competition, and provided inspiration and leadership to nearby Baptist and other congregations. Gillette First Baptist Church is the present - day successor to Benevolence. Gillette has been known through the years as an agricultural community, producing winter vegetables, cattle, and citrus.
Sponsors: sponsored by gillette go getters 4-h club in cooperation with department of state

MAJOR ADAMS CEMETERY

Location:Corner of 3rd St. W. and 9th Ave W.
County: Manatee
City: Bradenton
Description: This plot was donated by Major Alden Joseph Adams to the village of Manatee in 1892 "to be used as a burying ground forever." It was first called New Cemetery. Members of pioneer families, including Major Adams, are interred here. The property is now owned by the City of Bradenton. Major Adams moved into this area in 1876, and his homesite was on the Manatee River a few blocks northeast of here.
Sponsors: Erected by the Judah P. Benjamin Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy and Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

MANATEE BURYING GROUND

Location:15th St. East and 6th Ave E.
County: Manatee
City: Bradenton
Description: This is one of the oldest organized burying grounds on the Gulf Coast of Florida. The property was deeded on May 30, 1850, and since 1892 only immediate members of families already interred here can be buried in the cemetery. The property is now owned by the City of Bradenton. Buried in this cemetery are members of Florida pioneer families, soldiers of the Seminole Indian Wars, and of the Confederate and Union forces. Numbered among them are three members of the Florida Secession Convention-Ezekiel Glazier, James G. Cooper, and Dr. John C. Pelot, temporary Chairman of the Convention-and Brig. Gen. John Riggin, aide to General Ulysses S. Grant.
Sponsors: Erected by the Judah P. Benjamin Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy and Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

MANATEE MINERAL SPRING

Location:14th Street East between 2nd Ave E and 4th Ave E.
County: Manatee
City: Bradenton
Description: Here flowed a spring which had been used by Indians and was found by Manatee's first white settler, Josiah Gates, who settled nearby in January 1842. It served Branch Fort, when the early settlers camped nearby for protection from the Seminole raid of 1856. During this encampment, the first child born (March 4, 1856) was Furman Chairs Whitaker, who became Manatee County's first native born doctor, practicing here from 1896, until shortly before his death in 1945. In the early 1900's the spring became the center of a small park which included a picnic pavilion.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in Cooperation with Manatee County Historical Society

PALMA SOLA

Location:Riverview Boulevard at boat ramp east of the end of 59th St.
County: Manatee
City: Palma Sola
Description: In 1868, firearms manufacturer James Warner moved his family from Springfield, Massachusetts, to Manatee County, where he hoped to regain his health. He built a home on the shore of the Manatee River about half a mile east of this marker. The Warners were among the earliest northern families to settle in this area after the Civil War: Warner's Bayou bears their name. James Warner died about a year after his arrival, leaving his wife, Eleanor, and several children. In 1884, a son, Warburton S. Warner, founded a town, Palma Sola, on a portion of the family homestead. He promoted it as "the youngest and largest town in Florida made up largely of New England people, where no liquor is sold." The name "Palma Sola" commemorated a single tall date palm that dominated the skyline on Snead Island, directly across the river from McNeil Point. The central section of town, which consisted of a huge sawmill and the homes of the men who operated it, was located on the point. The town also boasted the two-story Palma Sola Hotel, a general store said to be the largest between Cedar Keys and Key West, a long wharf, and an ice house large enough to hold a schooner-load of New England pond ice. Large quantities of pine and cypress lumber were shipped to New England, and the Palma Sola area also achieved some note as a shipping point for produce and livestock. Warburton Warner's hopes for Palma Sola were never completely fulfilled. He sought to sell land in an area extending from the Manatee River southward to Sarasota Bay, and from the range line starting at Shaw's Point, eastward to today's 34th Street, at prices ranging from five to twenty dollars per acre. Palma Sola grew and prospered for a time but began a gradual decline after the sawmill was destroyed by fire. Palma Sola's former central section is now a residential area. Warburton Warner's home, "Sans Terre," still stands on the shore of the Manatee River a short distance to the east, a reminder of Manatee County's pioneer days.
Sponsors: sponsored by manatee county historical society in cooperation with department of state

PALMETTO

Location:Riverside Drive West
County: Manatee
City: Palmetto
Description: Side 1: S.S. Lamb came here with his family from Mississippi in a covered wagon and barouche and purchased this property on February 3, 1868. Lamb laid out and named Palmetto. The Lamb home, which stood about 100 yards west of here, was built by Juliann (Madam Joe) Atzeroth, who acquired the property in 1850. A log cabin under the six oaks about sixty yards southwest of the house was used as a store by Madam Joe. It later became Palmetto's first public school, and the first religious services were held there. The first post office, established September 15, 1873 stood at 319 Ninth Avenue. Side 2: The first shipping dock was built at the foot of Ninth Avenue by Joel Hendrix several years after he came here in 1871. The narrow-gauge Palmetto Terminal Railroad was built in 1895 to haul produce from farms northwest of town to the dock. When the locomotive broke down, a flat car with canopy was pulled on the track by four horses. The town's first three stores stood just east of Ninth Avenue on Riverside Drive. The city was incorporated in June 1893. P.S. Harllee was the first mayor. Manatee County State Bank, the county's first, was established in 1899 at the northeast corner of this block in Palmetto's first brick building.
Sponsors: Manatee County Historical Society and Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

PALMETTO BAPTIST CHURCH / DR. M.B. HARRISON

Location:11th Ave. W. between 5th and 4th St. W.
County: Manatee
City: Palmetto
Description: Side 1: The Palmetto Baptist Church was organized on January 5, 1892, and a few months later its first building was erected on this site. The Reverend R.H. Whitehead, under whose leadership the church was constituted, became its first pastor. Dr. M.B. Harrison and W.H. Harrison were elected deacons. They also were named trustees, together with John W. Mitchell, M.C.Davis, and W.M. Rowlett. There were 22 charter members, 18 of who transferred from the Benevolence Baptist Church, then located on Frog Creek several miles north of Ellenton. The original frame structure was replaced by the present brick building in 1926. Side 2: Micajah Berry Harrison (1844-1912) was a native of Greenville County, South Carolina. He served 4 years in Hampton's Cavalry, CSA, and took part in 29 battles. He was a graduate of the South Carolina Medical College. Dr. Harrison moved to Alachua County, Florida, in 1875, to Oak Hill (Parrish) in 1880, and to Palmetto in 1889. He bought the house across the street in 1890, and resided there until his death. He was the first doctor on the north side of the river, the first Worshipful Master of the Palmetto Masonic Lodge, and President of the first Palmetto City Council.
Sponsors: First Baptist Church of Palmetto in Cooperation with Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

PASSAGE KEY - GATEWAY TO HISTORIC TAMPA BAY

Location:North Bay Blvd in Bay Front Park.
County: Manatee
City: Anna Maria Island
Description: Less than a mile to the north lies Passage Key, marking the southerly entrance into Tampa Bay. Since Ponce de Leon explored this coast in 1513, this island has served to guide ships into the great bay beyond, called by early Spanish explorers "Bahia del Espiritu Santo." After being named "Isla de San Francisco y Leon" by the Spanish in 1757, and renamed "Burnaby Island" by the English in 1765, it was later called "Pollux Key," corresponding with the name "Castor Key" given to nearby Egmont Key. The island finally became known as "Cayo del Paseje" in 1783, during the second Spanish occupation. This is the origin of today's name - Passage Key. Formerly much larger than it is today, the island contained a fresh water lake surrounded by large trees. During the early 1830's Passage Key was the site of a fishing "rancho" operated by Baltimore sea captain, William Bunce. The island was later a haven for refugees seeking safety from marauding Indian war parties. The fresh water lake, probably spring fed, was a watering station for coastal voyagers. In 1836, the U.S. Schooner Grampus and Revenue Cutters Washington and Jefferson anchored close ashore while their guns and shore parties protected settlers from the Indians. Passage Key was designated a migratory bird refuge by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1905. The island thereafter served for a time as the home of Captain Asa N. Pillsbury, Jr., a National Audubon Society warden, who in 1910 reported 102 species of birds sighted on the island. Captain Pillsbury remained warden of the island until 1921 when, during the night of October 25-26, the island disappeared under a hurricane-spawned tidal wave. Since then the island has gradually re-emerged and is once again a sea bird sanctuary, having been declared a part of the National Wilderness Preservation System by the U.S. Department of Interior.
Sponsors: sponsored by florida maritime historical socciety, inc. dewey a. dye, jr. in cooperation with department of state

THE TOWN OF RYE

Location:905 Rye Wilderness Trail
County: Manatee
City: Parrish
Description: Side One: Rye was once a thriving settlement along the Manatee River named after Erasmus Rye, who moved to the area in the mid-1840s from Hanover County, Virginia. In 1861, Erasmus married Mary Lucebia Williams, whose family owned the largest homestead in the area. In 1862, Erasmus joined the Confederate Army, and his absence interrupted his and Mary’s plans to homestead in nearby Oak Knoll. Mary went to live with her parents, and remained in the area. During this time, Mary and Erasmus’ daughter, Mollie, was born. In 1863, Erasmus was taken prisoner of war by the Union Army in the aftermath of the Battle of Missionary Ridge in Tennessee. Two years later, when the war was over, Erasmus was freed during a prisoner exchange in New Orleans. Erasmus returned to his wife's family homestead along the Manatee River. In 1878, Erasmus, his son William Rye, and local carpenter Levi Thomas built a wood-framed, Cracker-Vernacular style home beside a clear stream, later known as the Rye Branch. In the years that followed, small logging, citrus, and turpentine industries grew around the Rye homestead. Side Two: The developing Rye community was difficult to reach by road; residents had to use the Manatee River as the primary means of travel and trade. For a time, Rye was the primary river crossing for residents traveling to the county seat at Pine Level, in present-day DeSoto County. In 1879, the Manatee County Commission allocated $150 for the construction of the first bridge across the Manatee River at Rye. In 1910, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredged the Manatee River, allowing steamships access to the Rye settlement. During this time, the community flourished, reaching its peak of 72 families with a general store, a post office, a sawmill, and a school. However, as travel by train and car became popular in the early 20th century, steamship lines serving the Rye community started to close. Once again isolated, the town of Rye began to shrink. By 1929, the post office closed its doors and many families moved away. In 1988, the last remaining building, the Rye family cabin, was destroyed by a suspicious fire. The Rye family cemetery is all that remains today of this historic river community.

Marion

FORT KING

Location:S.E. 39th Avenue (Fort King Road), Ocala.
County: Marion
City: Ocala
Description: On a nearby knoll stood Fort King, important military outpost during the removal of the Florida Indians. Adjacent to a Seminole Agency established in 1825, it was named for Col. William King and first occupied in 1827. Outside its stockade, on December 28, 1835, warriors led by Osceola ambushed and killed Gen. Wiley Thompson and four others. On this same day, troops marching to the fort's relief perished in the Dade Massacre. In 1844, after the Seminole War ended, Fort King became the temporary seat of newly created Marion County.

MARSHALL PLANTATION SITE

Location:NE 7th St. CR 314 on w. side Ocklawaha River
County: Marion
City: Ocala
Description: A short distance north of here stood the sugar plantation of Jehu Foster Marshall, established in 1855. At the start of the Civil War in 1861, Marshall was named a colonel in the Confederate Army and soon commanded one of General Wade Hampton’s infantry units, the 1st South Carolina Rifles. Colonel Marshall was killed during the Second Battle of Manassas in August 1862. The plantation continued in operation under the supervision of his widow, Elizabeth Anne DeBrull Marshall, until March 10, 1865, when Union troops staged a surprise raid. The Marshall Plantation and the sugar mill were burned to the ground. The raid was conducted by elements of the 3rd United States Colored Infantry, led by the black Sergeant Major Henry James. The Ocala Home Guard pursued the Union force and during the running battle, two of the home guard members were killed. After crossing the Ocklawaha River, the raiders set fire to the bridge. Company H, 2nd Florida Cavalry, lead by Captain J.J. Dickison, encamped at nearby Silver Springs, soon gave chase and succeeded in driving the Union troops into St. Augustine, and reclaiming all property seized during the raid.
Sponsors: MARION COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

OCALA DEMANDS

Location:S.E. First Avenue, City Park Square in Ocala.
County: Marion
City: Ocala
Description: In December, 1890, Ocala was host to a meeting of the National Farmers' Alliance. Sessions, attended by 88 delegates and hundreds of visitors, were held at the Opera House and the Semi-Tropical Exposition Building. A state-wide agricultural exposition was held in conjunction with the meeting. The delegates adopted the famous "Ocala Demands", a platform outlining political and economic reforms considered necessary by the Alliance.

SITE OF THE DISCOVERY OF PHOSPHATE IN FLORIDA

Location:County Road 40, between Kennesaw and Vogt Spings Rd.
County: Marion
City: Dunnellon
Description: One block to the south is the site of the discovery of hard rock phosphate in Florida by Albertus Vogt in 1889. It made Dunnellon a boom town and first center of the industry. The Tiger Rag, Early Bird and Eagle mines were among the most valuable. The Marion County Phosphate Co. was the first to operate extensively. Phosphates are still mined in the area, but since 1900 the center of production has shifted elsewhere.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in Cooperation with Dunnellon Garden Club

THE OLD COURTHOUSE SQUARE

Location:The city block bordered on the north by Silver Springs Blvd., on the east by SE 1st Ave., on the south by SE 1st Street and on the west by S. Magnolia Avenue.
County: Marion
City: Ocala
Description: Designated as a Public Square in the original Ocala plat of 1846, this location was the site of Marion County’s first permanent courthouse built in 1851. It was a two-story frame building of Colonial design. The second courthouse was erected on this site in 1884, a two-story brick cube. Public dissatisfaction caused a third courthouse with more adequate space to be built in 1906. It was of Roman design with a clock dome and veneered walls of Indiana sandstone. In 1965, when public efforts to save it failed, it was demolished. This site was given by Marion County to the City of Ocala in a property exchange, becoming a city park, thus retaining its function as a Public Square as planned by the city’s founders.
Sponsors: THE MARION COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

MARION COUNTY CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL MARKER

Location:Veteran's Memorial Park
County: Marion
City: Ocala
Description: On May 1, 1908, the John J. Dickison Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) dedicated this monument to honor the Confederate dead. To erect the monument, the UDC collected $1,500 from its members, schoolchildren (donating pennies), and the general public. The namesake of the UDC chapter, Captain J. J. Dickison, was a Marion County resident who served as a captain in the Second Florida Cavalry during the Civil War. Confederate monuments such as this were erected throughout the South after the war. The granite-tiered monument was fabricated by the McNeel Marble Works of Marietta, Georgia, a nationally-recognized manufacturer of marble stonework and large funerary art and memorials in the early twentieth century. It stands 23 feet high and is topped by a carved marble Confederate soldier locally referred to as “Johnny Reb.” Moved several times during its history due to expansions of the Marion County Courthouse, the monument found a permanent home at this location in 2010.
Sponsors: The Marion County Historical Commission, The Marion County Board of County Commissioners, and the Florida Department of State

AMERICAN NATIONAL THRIFT ASSOCIATION

Location:Southwest Broadway and Pine Street
County: Marion
City: Ocala
Description: In 1905, Dr. Richard Samuel Hughes II graduated from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, the second oldest African American medical school in the country. After moving to Ocala in 1908, Dr. Hughes helped form the American National Thrift Association (ANTA), a benevolent organization that offered prepaid health care plans, pensions, and other services to African Americans unable to get conventional health insurance. By 1925, ANTA converted the Savoy Hotel into a 50-bed hospital operated by Dr. Hughes and his nursing staff. White physicians from Munroe Memorial Hospital, including E.G. Peeks Sr., Thomas Wallis, and H.F. Watt, assisted Dr. Hughes by volunteering time. The ANTA hospital served the medical needs of African American communities in Marion County and surrounding areas, from Chiefland to Fort Myers. Dr. Hughes, along with other prominent physicians and surgeons from Meharry Medical College, conducted annual, week-long surgical clinics that provided African American patients with medical treatment and surgical procedures. Dr. Hughes died in 1943 and the hospital closed soon after, but his contributions are regarded as a significant advancement in healthcare access for Ocala’s black community.
Sponsors: Dr. R.S. Hughes Family

PARADISE PARK AT SILVER SPRINGS

Location:5656 E. Silver Springs Blvd.
County: Marion
City: Ocala
Description: Paradise Park was a theme park for African Americans established in 1949 by Carl Ray and W.M. “Shorty” Davidson, the owners of nearby Silver Springs. The park was located on the south side of the Silver River, about 1/2 mile away from Silver Springs. Because of segregation, African Americans were barred from Silver Springs, but at Paradise Park guests could enjoy similar attractions such as glass-bottomed boat rides and river cruises. From 1949 to 1967, Eddie Leroy Vereen, a former boat captain, managed the tropical setting and employed many of his own family members in the running of the park. Guests could also swim in the 100-foot crescent-shaped white sand beach, purchase souvenirs from the gift shop, have their picture taken by legendary underwater photographer Bruce Mozert, and visit animal exhibits and shows. Paradise Park was regarded by civic, business, and religious leaders throughout the nation as the finest park built specifically for African Americans. As one of three major Florida beaches that catered to African Americans, this park drew about 100,000 visitors a year. Paradise Park closed in 1969 as a result of integration.
Sponsors: The Felburn Foundation, Silver River Museum, Cynthia A. Wilson-Graham, Friends of Silver Springs State Park

Martin

BETTY MAE TIGER JUMPER

Location:
County: Martin
City: Indiantown
Description: Born in 1923, Betty Mae Tiger Jumper was the first Chairwoman of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, elected in 1967. She spent her early life with parents, Ada Tiger and Abe Partan, at a Seminole camp in Indiantown. Tribal medicine men threatened to put Jumper to death because her father was white. “I was a half breed. An evil one,” she explained. To protect their children, the family relocated to a reservation in Dania. Segregation laws barred Seminoles from attending Florida schools. At age fourteen, Jumper was sent to an Indian boarding school in Cherokee, North Carolina. She was the first Florida Seminole to learn to read and write English, and the first to graduate from high school. She graduated from nursing school in Oklahoma in 1946, and spent 40 years improving and modernizing healthcare for the Seminole community. She cofounded the Seminole News in 1956, the Tribe's first newspaper. In 1994, Florida State University awarded Jumper an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters. A gifted Tribal storyteller, Jumper authored And With the Wagon Came God’s Word, Legends of the Seminole, and a memoir with Patsy West, A Seminole Legend. In 2011, at age 88, Betty Mae Tiger Jumper walked on, leaving an enduring legacy.
Sponsors: GFWC Woman's Club of Stuart

MOUNT ELIZABETH MOUND

Location:1707 NE Indian River Drive
County: Martin
City: Jensen Beach
Description: Mount Elizabeth Mound was constructed approximately 4,000 years ago during the Late Archaic Period by Florida bands who selected this site for a ceremonial shell midden-mound. It was occupied 4,000-800 years ago by ancient peoples who first subsisted by hunting large land animals, and then later on a diet of smaller animals and shellfish as they established villages and towns along waterways where fresh water was available. The abundant shells that make up a large part of the mound were harvested from the nearby Indian River Lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean. This site is the southernmost evidence of fiber-tempered pottery along Florida’s east coast. After European contact, these and most Florida natives died of disease or war with Creeks, and their British allies. After Florida was transferred from Spanish to British control in 1763, these remaining Native Floridians were given the option of staying in Florida or going to Cuba. They chose to go to Cuba and boarded a ship in Biscayne Bay in the fall of 1763, thus ending the history of a proud people who had lived here for 5,000 years.
Sponsors: SEAFAS in Memory of Sarah McKeige, Founder, and the Florida Department of State

THE GOLDEN GATE BUILDING

Location:3225 Southeast Dixie Highway
County: Martin
City: Stuart
Description: Side One: Built in 1925 by R. L. Robb Construction Co. for the Golden Gate Development Company, this building is one of Martin County’s most distinctive historical structures. The two-story, trapezoidal building was designed in the Mission/Mediterranean Revival style, and featured interlocking hollow clay tile. The words “GOLDEN GATE” appear in raised stucco on the facade. The elaborate roof line, with clay barrel tiles and decorative brackets, contains a parapet topped with spindles and an inset for a bell. The arched main-entrance doors are flanked by pilasters with composite order capitals. The pilasters support a second story wrought iron balconet. The building originally served as the office for the Golden Gate Development Co. In 1926, the post office for Port Sewall moved in, and when Port Sewall incorporated in 1927, the building became the town hall. Following the dissolution of the Golden Gate Development Company in 1940, the building was sold to the Church of God at Port Sewall. In 1952, it became the residence of renowned artist of Seminole culture James Hutchinson and his family. In 2011, Hutchinson was inducted into the Florida Artist Hall of Fame, and his artwork remains on the walls in the stairwell. Side Two: Ownership of the building again changed several times, and it was vacant after 1959. Under threat of demolition by neglect, the Golden Gate Neighborhood Advisory Committee requested that Martin County purchase the building in 2002. Restoration began shortly thereafter with contributions from Martin County and the Community Development Agency, and historic preservation grant funds from the Florida Department of State. The 2004-2005 stabilization included the installation of interior metal studs for wall support, new trusses, and a new roof. Replacement windows and doors, stucco repairs, and exterior painting were completed in 2007. The Friends of the Historic Golden Gate Community, Inc. was formed in 2008 to support its completion. Martin County leased the building to House of Hope Inc., who managed the interior finishing, and the addition of restrooms and an elevator. They transformed the building into the Golden Gate Enrichment Center. The Golden Gate Building was listed on the Martin County Historic Register in 2006 and on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017. Constructed as a showcase for the Golden Gate development, it continues to serve as an important symbol of the neighborhood.
Sponsors: The Friends of the Historic Golden Gate Community, The Martin County Community Redevelopment Agency, the Golden Gate Neighborhood Advisory Committee

CAMP MURPHY SITE

Location:JONATHAN DICKINSON STATE PARK
County: Martin
City: Hobe Sound
Description: In 1942 the federal government opened Camp Murphy. It was the home of the Southern Signal Corps School during World War II and served as a U.S Army base for instruction in radar operation in the early course of the war. The post was named in honor of Lieutenant Colonel William Herbert Murphy, a pioneer in the development of radio beams and equipment for military aircraft. Camp Murphy consisted of 11,364 acres and accommodated 854 officers and 5,752 enlisted men. The camp had close to 1000 buildings that included a bank, movie theater, church, and bowling alley. Camp Murphy was officially decommissioned in 1944 and used for migrant housing during the fall and winter of 1945. Buildings not already dismantled after the camp’s deactivation were sold and carted away beginning in 1946. On June 9, 1947, the property was transferred from the U.S Government to the State of Florida for a State Park. In 1950 Jonathan Dickinson State Park opened to the public.
Sponsors: THE FRIENDS OF JONATHAN DICKINSON STATE PARK AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

JONATHAN DICKINSON SHIPWRECK

Location:Jonathan Dickinson State Park, at park entrance of
County: Martin
City: Hobe Sound
Description: Three miles to the east on Sept. 23, 1696, the British barkentine Reformation foundered off Jupiter Island. The 24 survivors included a party of Quakers bound from Jamaica to Pennsylvania. Leader of the Quakers was Jonathan Dickinson who described the trials of the group in his book, "God's Protecting Providence", the first account of Indians on the southeast coast. Attacked by Indians and driven northward, the party arrived at St. Augustine in November, 1696.
Sponsors: In Cooperation with Jonathan Dickinson Chapter D.A.R.

JUPITER INDIANTOWN ROAD

Location:Old SR 29 & SR 76 north
County: Martin
City: Stuart
Description: From 1900 until the late 1950s, the Jupiter Indiantown Road connected the communities of Jupiter and Indiantown, giving residents access to resources. Dade County governed the area in 1899, when the new road was cut. In Indiantown about that time, brothers Joe and Dessie Bowers developed citrus groves and ran a trading post exchanging goods for hides with the Seminoles. Transportation of goods on the 16-mile road took two days by oxcart. The road was improved in 1912 using mules to haul shell rock from Jupiter. Around 1916 the St. Lucie Canal intersected the road near Indiantown. A hand winched ferry provided cross passage until a one-lane turning bridge was built in 1927. Homesteads, cattle ranches, and later the Davis and Jenkins sawmill were established along the road. Also known as the Jupiter Grade Road, the Jupiter Okeechobee Road and the Central Dixie Highway, in 1936 it became State Road 29. By the late 1950s nearby paved highways replaced the historic dirt road. In 1993 the road was declared a Scenic By-Way by Martin and Palm Beach Counties.
Sponsors: THE MARTIN COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

STUART WELCOME ARCH

Location:SR 707 between Myrtle & Marion Aves.
County: Martin
City: Stuart
Description: This Mediterranean Revival style monument typical of the pre-Depression Florida Boom was designed by Nat C. Hodgdon of Pfeiffer and O’Reilly Architects, constructed by A. L. Doenges and completed on February 20, 1926. The arch was built to celebrate the creation of Martin County with Stuart as the county seat. This gateway greeted southbound travelers on the “Montreal to Miami” Dixie Highway (formerly A1A) with the bronze-lettered caption, “Stuart - Atlantic Gateway to the Gulf of Mexico,” a reference to the cross-state canal connecting Martin County to Florida’s west coast through Lake Okeechobee. Design and construction of the arch was funded through a Stuart Chamber of Commerce campaign organized by prominent leaders and supported by citizens of the City of Stuart and Jensen Beach. Continuous repair resulting from theft during the Depression, hurricane damage, natural deterioration, and vehicular accidents reflects this landmark’s significance in both the local and countywide communities. The gateway is currently known as the Rio-Jensen Arch, and its restoration is a goal in the Rio Community Redevelopment Plan adopted by Martin County in April, 2001.
Sponsors: THE MARTIN COUNTY COMMISSION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

TRAPPER NELSON INTERPRETIVE SITE

Location:John Dickenson State Park
County: Martin
City: Hobe Sound
Description: When he arrived from New Jersey in the early 1930s, Vincent Natulkiewicz, also known as Vince “Trapper” Nelson found the area still teeming with wildlife. For decades he lived off the land, supplementing his diet of raccoon, gopher tortoise, and opossum with fruit from his citrus grove. In addition to trapping he made his living by developing a business that he called “Trapper’s Zoo and Jungle Garden.” His docks, cages, cabins and shelters were hand made from pine trees. While he lived there, Trapper introduced hundreds of tourists and local visitors to the river’s mystery and beauty, building the image of Eden in South Florida. Trapper Nelson lived in his camp until his mysterious death in 1968. The Trapper Nelson Interpretive Site is a rare survivor of a formerly common building type, exemplary of a vanished occupation and lifestyle, enhanced by its location in equally rare pristine woodland. Trapper Nelson actively engaged in efforts to preserve the Loxahatchee River and to protect his ownership of large tracts along its banks. Trapper’s estate was sold by his family to a developer. The Florida Park Service acquired the estate through a land swap and maintains and protects the site for future generations to enjoy.
Sponsors: THE JONATHAN DICKINSON STATE PARK AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Miami-Dade

ALHAMBRA WATER TOWER

Location:Betweem Ferdinand St. and Alhambra Circle
County: Miami-Dade
City: Coral Gables
Description: This “lighthouse” which has never seen the sea, serves as a testament to Coral Gables’ early boom years, a time when everyday practical things could be turned into works of art. Built c. 1923, its design is credited to Denman Fink, artistic designer for Coral Gables. A steel tank was erected first, and then enclosed with a wood frame and reinforced concrete structure designed to resemble a lighthouse, thus concealing the less attractive water tank behind an aesthetically pleasing and architecturally playful face. Purchased by Consumers Water Company in 1926, the Alhambra Water Tower was part of the City’s domestic water supply system until 1931, when it was disconnected from the system and abandoned after the utility company started buying water from the City of Miami. In response to citizen outcry to save the tower from destruction in 1958, the City purchased it for a token sum, thus preserving this unique landmark. In 1993 the tower was extensively restored based upon 1924 photographs. The Alhambra Water Tower was listed in the Coral Gables Register of Historic Places in 1988.
Sponsors: City of Coral Gables

ARCH CREEK MILITARY TRAIL

Location:Old Dixie Hwy from 13980 Biscayne Blvd. to Arch Creek Park
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: The Arch Creek State Archaeological Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. It contains a portion of the Military Trail, a wagon road, built during the Third Seminole War (1855-1859) by the U.S. Army. In 1856 Captains Abner Doubleday (1819-1893) and John Brannan and their troops constructed part of the Military Trail between Fort Dallas on the Miami River and Fort Lauderdale. It later became a portion of the first county road in 1892, passing over the Natural Bridge and Arch Creek. In 1915 it was renamed Dixie Highway. The road was designated a local historic site on January 18, 1995.
Sponsors: CITY OF N. MIAMI BEACH, ARCH CREEK TRUST AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

CAPE FLORIDA LIGHTHOUSE

Location:Cape Florida State Recreation Area
County: Miami-Dade
City: Key Biscayne
Description: Cape Florida, the southern tip of Key Biscayne, was discovered by John Cabot in 1497, less than five years after Columbus first landed in the West Indies. Cabot continued his voyage into the Gulf of Mexico, but returned to Key Biscayne the following spring, and named it "The Cape of the End of April." Juan Ponce de Leon landed on the key in 1513, and christened it "Santa Marta." Its present name "Biscayne" is derived from the Indian word "Bischiyano" which meant "the favorite path of the rising moons." After the United States received Florida from Spain in 1821, and at the urging of the Navy, plans were drawn for a lighthouse on the tip of the Cape. The tower was completed December 17, 1825, and is one of the oldest structures in South Florida. In July of 1836, shortly after the beginning of the Second Seminole War, the lighthouse was attacked by Indians. John W.B. Thompson, the lighthouse keeper, was injured, and his Negro helper Tom was killed, before the arrival of a rescue ship. A temporary army post, Fort Bankhead, was established on the Cape in 1838, and became the headquarters of the 2nd Dragoons, commanded by Colonel William S. Harney, the "old Indian Fighter." At the same time, the key was a main base of the Navy's "Florida Squadron," under Lieutenant Commander John T. McLaughlin. The lighthouse was raised to its present height of 95 feet in 1855, but the light was wrecked by southern sympathizers in 1861, and was dark for the duration of the Civil War. It was restored in 1867, and guided ships through the dangerous reef waters until 1878, when it was extinguished for the final time. Larger ships needed a light further out at sea, and the new Fowey Rock light took its place.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

CORAL GABLES HOUSE

Location:907 Coral Way
County: Miami-Dade
City: Coral Gables
Description: In 1899, Dr. Solomon Merrick, a Massachusetts Congregational minister, purchased a 160-acre tract of land located near Miami. Rev. Merrick and his son, George, settled in a log cabin already standing on the property and planted grapefruit and vegetables on their land. The rest of the Merrick family soon came to live on the Florida property, which they called "Guavonia" after the fruit that grew there. They lived in a newly constructed frame house which was incorporated into the larger home, completed in 1906. Called "Coral Gables", this house was built of native limestone rock quarried from a nearby site, now Venetian Pool. As Merrick's crops prospered, more land was acquired, bringing the plantation to about 1,600 acres where George Merrick envisioned and later developed a new, Mediterranean-style community. It was named "Coral Gables", after the home. In 1966, W.L. Philbrick purchased the house, which had become known as Merrick Manor, and created the Merrick Manor Foundation to maintain the building as a historic site. In 1976, the Foundation donated this home to the people of Coral Gables. Merrick Manor, now known as Coral Gables House, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sponsors: sponsored by coral gables chapter daughters of the american revolution in cooperation with department of state

CORAL GABLES MERRICK HOUSE

Location:907 Coral Way
County: Miami-Dade
City: Coral Gables
Description: In July 1899, Congregational minister Solomon Greasley Merrick (1859-1911) and his wife Althea (1859-1937) purchased sight unseen the surrounding 160 acres for $1,100. Several months later, Merrick and his son George (1886-1942) came from Massachusetts to prepare an existing wooden cottage for the arrival of the family. Locals including Bahamians helped plant vegetables and grapefruit trees. The vegetables and existing guava trees were their only source of income until the grapefruit groves began to bear. In 1906 Althea designed a rock house including the original cottage that is still visible at the rear. Named “Coral Gables,” its limestone rock came from what is now the Venetian Pool. When his father died, George took over the groves, added land and dreamed of a planned community. It became a reality in 1921 when he sold the first lots. During the Depression, Ethel Merrick, George’s sister, made it a boarding house called Merrick Manor. Members of the Merrick family resided here until 1966, when W.L. Philbrick bought the home and created Merrick Manor Foundation to save it. The City of Coral Gables acquired and restored it in 1976. Coral Gables Merrick House is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Sponsors: Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution and the Florida Department of State

CORAL GABLES WATERWAY

Location:Roundabout near Cartagena Park.
County: Miami-Dade
City: Coral Gables
Description: When developer George Merrick (1886-1942) and the Coral Gables Corporation conceived the master plan for Coral Gables in the 1920s, the city's boundaries encompassed waterfront acreage allowing access to waterways. The original city boundaries went from Key Biscayne, south to Soldier Key and then back to the coastal wetlands called Chapman Field Park. Merrick's promotional brochures advertised his new city as "Forty Miles of Waterfront" offering a ride in a gondola (narrow boat with curved ends used on the canals in Venice) from the Biltmore Hotel to Tahiti Beach (now part of the Cocoplum neighborhood). Although his grand vision was not realized due to the 1926 land bust, the Coral Gables Waterway has endured. The eight-mile-long waterway cuts west from Biscayne Bay to the intersection at Cartagena Plaza, then curves north, paralleling Riviera Drive on its way to the Biltmore Golf Course. It also connects the waterway's western loop through the University of Miami campus and the Mahi Waterway. The Coral Gables Waterway today has rugged limestone that rises up to 20 feet or more to the crossing beneath the LeJeune Road Bridge.
Sponsors: FLORIDA SOCIETY CHILDREN OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION; THE MIAMI CHAPTER SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION; AND FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

GREAT MIAMI HURRICANE OF 1926

Location:100 NE 1st Ave.
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: On September 18, 1926, the Great Miami Hurricane swept across South Florida with estimated winds of 131-155 mph. Before the era of satellites and computer models, warnings for tropical cyclones were often inadequate. A storm warning from Washington was posted by the Miami Weather Bureau Office (located on the third floor of the Old U.S. Post Office and Courthouse Building from 1914 to 1929) at noon on September 17. A hurricane warning went up only as the winds were rising at 11:25 P.M. Weather instruments on the roof of the building blew away around 3:30 A.M. The eye of the hurricane reached the coast at 6:00 A.M., lasting about 35 minutes with a lowest pressure measured at 27.61 inches. The second part of the hurricane produced the strongest winds and the highest storm surge up to 10 feet that completely flooded Miami Beach and several blocks inland on the mainland, causing the deaths of many who mistakenly thought the storm was over. The storm killed more than 370, made more than 25,000 people homeless, and caused millions of dollars in damage in South Florida. It continued across the state and moved into the Gulf of Mexico near Fort Myers, making a second landfall west of Pensacola on September 20, 1926.
Sponsors: THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

HAULOVER BEACH SPORT FISHING DOCKS

Location:10800 Collins Ave.
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Side 1: The originally known Lighthouse Dock, once at this site, marked the beginnings of this area’s fame as a sportsman’s paradise. Folklore and history relate that a man named Baker (c. 1810) "hauled over" fishing boats from the bay to the ocean. In 1926, Captain Henry Jones (1883-1968) built the first dock with a permit from the War Department. By 1937-1939, the Lighthouse Restaurant and the Ocean Bay Trailer Park shared this property. These early docks served as the foundation of an international sport fishing tourist industry as charter boat fisherman searched for marlin, sailfish and other big-game fish in Miami's abundant Gulf Stream waters. Adjacent to these docks was an official weighing station of the Metropolitan Miami Fishing Tournament, the oldest and largest fishing contest in the world. Many record catches were certified here. Captains navigated their charters beneath the hazardous Haulover Bridge with its treacherous currents. They also contended with the threat of enemy submarines, just outside the Inlet, from 1942 to 1943. Some captains assumed duties as sub-spotters. A Coast Guard vessel was moored here during World War II to ensure civilian safety, making this a strategic military site at that time. Side 2: In 1944 the Lighthouse Dock became part of the Haulover Beach Park. The Dade County Parks Department assumed management and changed the name to Haulover Beach Docks. In 1951-1952 the docks were replaced by a marina, built farther to the north. Calling these docks home were the captains, their boats, and the only women working as mates for their husbands. The earliest pioneer captains at these docks were: Henry Jones, Henrietta; George Hamway, Popeye; Joe Reese, Ethel Lee; Slim Caraway (Marjorie) Lady Luck; John Sacon (nee Saconchik), Martha Mary; George Helker, Gremlin; Ralph Nemire (Iris), Seacomber; Harry Stone, Oke Doke; Ira Gregory, Lucky Strike; Elsworth Stone, Anhow; W.D. Murphy, Pat; Charles Smith (Mary), Interim; Harold Alford (Jeannette) Privateer; Otto Reichert, Restless; Robert Paterson, Huskee; Frank Kurek, Sportsman; Ernie Luebbers, Mystery; B.C. Millard, Surf King; and Paul Goerner, Vee Gee. Other individuals contributing to the success of the Haulover fishing fleet: Official Dock Photographer, Doris Barnes; Dock/Weigh Masters, Norton/Waggoner; and Taxidermist, Al Pflueger. They recorded the feats of tourists and such celebrities as Hollywood superstar Robert Mitchum and TV host Arthur Godfrey.
Sponsors: MIAMI-DADE PARK AND RECREATION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

MIAMI CITY CEMETERY

Location:1800 NE 2nd Ave
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: In 1897 Mrs. William Brickell sold this 10-acre “rocky wasteland” to the City of Miami for $750. At that time it was located one half mile north of the city limits on a narrow wagon track county road. The first burial, not recorded, was of an elderly black man on 14 July 1897. The first recorded burial was H. Graham Branscomb, a 23-year-old Englishman on 20 July 1897. From its inception it was subdivided with whites on the east end and the colored population on the west end. In 1915 the Beth David congregation began a Jewish section. Two other prominent sections are the circles: the first to Julia Tuttle, the “Mother of Miami” buried in 1898; the second, a memorial to the Confederate Dead erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Sixty-six Confederate and twenty-seven Union veterans are buried here. Other sections include a Catholic section, American Legion, Spanish American War, and two military sections along the north and south fence lines. Among the 9,000 burials are pioneer families such as the Burdines, Peacocks and Dr. James Jackson. This site has the only known five oolitic (limestone) gravestones worldwide. These and the unique tropical plants make this a tropical oasis.
Sponsors: SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS, DADE HERITAGE TRUST, COMMISSIONERS REGALDO,WINTON & TEELE AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

OLD CUTLER ROAD

Location:Entrance to Old Cutler Rd. south of Cartagena Plaz
County: Miami-Dade
City: Coral Gables
Description: Old Cutler Road owes its name to the former town of Cutler, founded by William Fuzzard and named for Dr. William Cutler of Massachusetts who visited the area about 1880 and encouraged Fuzzard and others to settle here. In the mid-1880's, Fuzzard cut a path from his plantation to Coconut Grove, 4.5 miles to the north. This path was gradually improved and by 1902, there was a road with a crushed rock surface extending six miles south of Cutler. Although the town of Cutler declined, the road remained important to the region. The present Cutler Road, which follows a somewhat altered course, was declared a State Historic Highway in May, 1874, by the Florida Legislature.
Sponsors: Sponsored by Department of State

OLD CUTLER ROAD FORMER SITE OF THE TOWN OF CUTLER

Location:Old Cutler Rd.
County: Miami-Dade
City: South of Coral Gables
Description: The Cutler area, once an Indian hunting ground, was the scene in 1838 of a Second Seminole War skirmish. In 1847, horticulturist Henry Perrine's heirs selected a township of land in the area as the location of the federal grant made to him. Colonization of the Perrine Grant proceeded slowly. John Addison, the first settler, arrived at the "Hunting Ground" c. 1866. Around 1880, Dr. William Cutler and William Fuzzard of Boston visited the area. Fuzzard soon returned to settle near Addison's Landing. He cut a path to Coconut Grove which later became the Cutler Road. By 1884, a post office named "Cutler" had been established. For twenty years the settlement grew to include stores and wharves. A hotel, Richmond Cottage, was also the home of S. H. Richmond, agent for the Perrine Grant after 1896. Cutler's economy was based on the cultivation and shipping of tomatoes, pineapples, and other fruit. When the Florida East Coast Railroad bypassed Cutler in 1903, the town began to die. In 1915, Cutler became part of the Charles Deering Estate. All buildings were torn down except Richmond Cottage, which was incorporated into the Deering home.
Sponsors: Sponsored by department of state

VAGABOND MOTEL

Location:7301 Biscayne Boulevard
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Constructed in 1953, the Vagabond Motel is a distinctive example of the evolution of modern architecture after World War II. It embodies the characteristics of Florida’s roadside motels catering to tourists arriving by car along main highways such as Biscayne Boulevard. Designed by Miami architect Robert Swartburg, the hotel exemplifies the Miami Modem (MiMo) architectural style that emerged as South Florida architects began to adapt postwar design and materials to Florida’s subtropical climate. Swartburg designed many other buildings in Miami and Miami Beach over his 35-year career. The popularity of the Vagabond and other nearby motels helped transform Biscayne Boulevard into a popular vacation destination, but over time, that popularity diminished. By the 1990s, the area had deteriorated. The community pushed for the preservation of the MiMo buildings. The City of Miami designated the Vagabond as a local historic site in 2003, and established a MiMo historic district in 2006. Several owners tried to restore the Vagabond to its former glory, but had little success until 2012. After its restoration, the Vagabond Motel reopened in 2014, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places that same year.

DAVID THOMAS KENNEDY PARK

Location:2400 S. Bayshore Drive
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Side One: David Thomas Kennedy (April 7, 1934 – Sept. 4, 2014) was an attorney and politician born in Baltimore, Maryland. He was elected to the City of Miami’s City Commission in 1961. Kennedy served as Mayor of Miami from 1969-1973. He enjoyed the outdoors and idolized 19th century American landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Kennedy envisioned a green city with parks along its shores highlighting Miami’s natural resources. This inspired Kennedy to create Bicentennial Park in downtown Miami from the Miami River to the Miami Herald site (I-395). Kennedy campaigned for the 1972 “Parks for People” bond program, which helped develop many of the city’s waterfront parks. “The David Kennedy Park encapsulates my father in a lot of ways,” said son David Kennedy, Jr. “He was a dog lover and the fact it’s a dog-friendly park is not coincidental. The park was closest to Dinner Key and one of the most used parks for fitness. And the beauty of South Florida, the oaks, the mangroves, being right there on the bay. That park encapsulates a lot of the spirit of my father.” Kennedy’s accomplishments were recognized in 1974 by his successor, Mayor Maurice Ferre, by naming this park in his honor. Side Two: Located on the shores of Biscayne Bay, the site of this park shows the natural beauty and geology of South Florida. The park is situated just below the Atlantic Coastal Ridge, a rocky geological outcrop that rises along the shores of southeast Florida. This topography can be seen along Bayshore Drive and Main Highway. The porous limestone rock ridge separated the coastal ecosystem from the Everglades ecosystem. The original coastal shoreline would have been covered in mangrove trees, similar to the center of this park. Biscayne Bay was a shallow, brackish body of water with natural fresh water springs bubbling through sea grass beds that both filtered the water and provided ecological habitat. The lush upland tropical vegetation drew many to Coconut Grove and inspired authors, photographers, environmental leaders, and others. Coconut Grove is characterized as one of the last places where glimpses of the original lush vegetation, rocky ridgeline, coral rock sinkholes, springs, and clear calm bay can be seen. This diversity is also shown in the people that inhabit this area. David Thomas Kennedy’s legacy endures in this park and its preservation of Miami’s natural coastline habitats.

TROPICAL PARK RACE TRACK

Location:7900 SW 40th Street
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Tropical Park’s historical significance stems from its location on the grounds of the former Tropical Park Race Track. As part of the Southern Florida circuit with Hialeah Park and Gulfstream Park, the Tropical Park horse racing track held the first meet of its season during the time when northern tracks were closed for the winter. The track opened in December 1931 and closed in January 1972. Miami-Dade County converted the land into a public park in 1979, and it became one of the county’s most popular recreational resources. Tropical Park remains one of south Florida’s premier showcase venues for equestrian events. In recognition of its historical ties to the horse racing industry, Tropical Park is the site of the Ronald Reagan Equestrian Center. Featuring two grass courses and three state-of-the-art arenas covered with steel roofs, Tropical Park’s Equestrian Center hosts national and international Paso Fino horse shows every year. These shows include the prestigious Spectrum International, hosted by the Florida Paso Fino Horse Association. The annual highlight of Tropical Park’s horse shows is the renowned Miami International Agriculture, Horse and Cattle Show, drawing over 50,000 attendees annually.

MIAMI SHORE VILLAGE

Location:10050 NE 2nd Avenue
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami Shores
Description: The Miami Shores subdivision was developed by the Shoreland Company as a part of the Florida land boom of the 1920s. At the time, the landscape consisted of piney woods, prairies, homesteads, and a pineapple plantation. They specified that homes were to be built in the Mediterranean Revival style of architecture in order to keep with the community’s theme of “America’s Mediterranean.” The company’s principal directors included Hugh M. Anderson, Roy C. Wright, and Ellen S. Harris, who hired prominent architects. A number of Miami Shores homes have been designated historic. The company named the development after a popular 1919 waltz by Victor Jacobi called, “On Miami Shore.” The Shoreland Company extended Biscayne Boulevard from Miami Shores to downtown Miami. In 1927, the company declared bankruptcy due to the South Florida real estate bust. Bessemer Properties, a subsidiary of the J. S. Phipps estate, took over the Shoreland Company’s holdings in 1928. The operations manager of Bessemer Properties, Roy C. Hawkins, led the effort to have the Florida legislature approve the charter for Miami Shores Village in 1931. Miami Shores Village was incorporated by the State of Florida on January 2, 1932.

THE MACFARLANE RANCH AND GOLDEN GATE SUBDIVISION

Location:The Macfarlane Homestead Subdivision is bounded by Oak Avenue on the north, Grand Avenue on the south, Brooker Street on the east, and U.S. 1 on the west. The Golden Gate Subdivision is bounded by Lejeune Road on the west, Grand Avenue and U.S. 1 on
County: Miami-Dade
City: Coral Gables
Description: Side One: This area, south of S. Dixie Highway (U.S. 1) and adjacent to the former Florida East Coast (FEC) Railway, comprises the MacFarlane Homestead and Golden Gate subdivisions. During segregation, these neighborhoods were home to many of Coral Gables’ African American residents. They came from the Bahamas and the southern United States during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Some black pioneers worked nearby in Coconut Grove, Miami, and Coral Gables. Others worked for notable local establishments, including the Peacock Inn, Deering Estate, and FEC Railway. They also assisted city founder George Merrick as he planned and built Coral Gables. The MacFarlane Homestead Subdivision is bounded by Oak Avenue on the north, Grand Avenue on the south, Brooker Street on the east, and U.S. 1 on the west. It was incorporated into Coral Gables in 1925, after the Coral Gables Securities Corporation purchased the land from the Flora MacFarlane estate. The Golden Gate Subdivision is bounded by Le Jeune Road on the west, Grand Avenue and U.S. 1 on the north, Grant Drive on the south, and Lincoln Drive on the east. Settlement in the neighborhood began in the early 1900s, but it was not annexed by Coral Gables until 1926. Side Two: The nearby Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church served as a focal point for the two subdivisions, and helped build a common community. The church’s five deacons all helped build houses for residents in both neighborhoods. In 1924, George Merrick donated 5 acres in Golden Gate for the construction of an African American elementary and junior high school, the Dade Training School. The same year, members of Macedonia Missionary Baptist helped found St. Mary’s Missionary Baptist Church, and held services in the school until 1926, when a permanent church building was constructed in MacFarlane Homestead. The school was renamed for black agriculturalist George Washington Carver in the 1940s and designated a local historic landmark in 1991. Residences in both subdivisions were built of Dade County Slash Pine, designed in the shotgun and bungalow styles common to the Bahamian islands. While only two of these Bahamian Vernacular houses remain in Golden Gate, there are many more in MacFarlane Homestead. Through the efforts of the Lola B. Walker Homeowners Association, the MacFarlane Homestead Subdivision received a local historic designation in 1989, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.

COCOANUT GROVE PARK

Location:3749-3701 Plaza Street
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: In 1910, Miami’s first registered architect, Walter C. DeGarmo, partnered with Franklin C. Bush and John C. Gramling to form the Cocoanut Grove Development Company. In 1911, the company platted the subdivision in the southern part of the town of Coconut Grove. Set amid a dense tropical hardwood hammock, Cocoanut Grove Park was located directly west of the bay front winter estates of industrialists William J. Matheson, John Bindley, and Arthur Curtiss James. According to promotional material, the development offered “the life of a country gentlemen, away from the hurly burly of the city.” Among its noted features was a plaza at the center. The company deeded three acres, along the aptly named Plaza Street, to Coconut Grove for a park “dedicated to the perpetual use of the public.” They envisioned a tropical garden and gathering spot for residents. Over the years, notable artists, writers, and politicians, such as U.S. Representative Ruth Bryan Owen, have lived in the neighborhood. Several of Cocoanut Grove Park’s original bungalows remain alongside homes designed by prominent architects, including Richard Kiehnel and Clinton McKenzie. Cocoanut Grove Park is one of the area’s oldest planned residential communities.

RMK MERRILL STEVENS SHIPYARD

Location:NW 12th Avenue and 11th Street
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: One of Florida’s most enduring businesses, RMK Merrill Stevens shipyard on the Miami River traces its beginnings to the Merrill brothers, James and Alexander, and Arthur Stevens. In 1885, they incorporated the Merrill-Stevens Engineering Co. in Jacksonville, a business that included ship repair. In the early 1920s, Merrill-Stevens purchased a boatyard on the north bank of the Miami River. A few years later, the facility was destroyed by the 1926 Great Miami hurricane, and was quickly rebuilt. During World War II, under the direction of Alec Balfe, Merrill-Stevens oversaw the conversion of hundreds of pleasure crafts into naval support vessels, receiving for its efforts the Army-Navy “E” Award for excellence. Following the war, the firm engaged in the repair and storage of vintage sailing ships, yachts of the rich and famous, vessels featured in movies, including military craft during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The 2008 Great Recession stalled the fortunes of Merrill-Stevens until it was purchased by prominent Turkish businessman and ardent sailor Rahmi M. Koc, who heavily invested in a new, state-of-the-art physical plant on the site of the old sheds on the north bank of the river.

TEA CHEST/ RALPH MUNROE

Location:3540 Main Highway
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Side One: The Tea Chest tea room was built by Ralph “Commodore” Munroe and his son, Wirth, circa 1920 for Munroe’s daughter, Patty (1900-1991), and her friend, Alice Ayars. Located across Main Highway from Munroe’s Barnacle estate, the pair operated this one-room cottage as a restaurant. Tucked into a leafy corner, the sturdy cement-block building was a favorite with tourists and residents alike. It offered afternoon teas and light fare. Ladies sipped tea and ate sandwiches with the crust sliced off. In addition, Patty and Alice also sold items from all over the country and abroad that were provided on consignment by friends. The tea room hosted distinguished visitors, including writer Mabel Loomis Todd, Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr, and his wife, Rachel. Alice later left Coconut Grove for a job in Ohio, and Patty briefly ran the Tea Chest by herself before selling it in 1927. The name changed to La Casita. It was sold again in 1969, and became the Taurus Restaurant. Considered among Miami’s oldest and most venerated establishments, it attracted artists, actors, and the typical bohemian locals. In 2006, as part of a major development, the owners restored the building to its original one-room design, and it reopened in 2009. Side Two: Ralph Middleton Munroe (1851-1933) grew up in Staten Island, New York. He studied drafting at Columbia University, but his passion was boating. He spent his spare time sailing, including summers in New England. In 1877, Munroe visited Florida and fell in love with Biscayne Bay's lush vegetation. He returned to New York in 1879 and married Eva Hewitt. When she became sick with tuberculosis in 1881, he knew exactly where they could live in the warm sun. Their daughter, Edith, stayed in New York with her grandmother. Tragically, both Eva and Edith died in 1882. In 1886, he bought 40 waterfront acres from John Frow for $400. In 1889, he designed and built a boat house, the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club, and his home, the Barnacle, in 1891. As early as 1890, he lobbied the federal and state governments to study the ecology of Biscayne Bay. His photographs of landscapes and pioneer life were widely published. Munroe married Jessie Wirth in 1894, and the couple had two children, Patty and Wirth. Munroe became a vocal opponent of Henry Flagler’s new railroad and the development taking place in 1920s. He fought for septic regulations and stopped a series of bridges that would have connected some of the islands off Key Biscayne.

JUDGE LAWSON EDWARD THOMAS LAW OFFICE

Location:1021 NW 2nd Avenue
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Lawson Edward (L.E.) Thomas (1898-1989) was born in Ocala. He attended Florida A&M College, and later the University of Michigan Law School. He moved to Miami in 1935, and made his first appearance in municipal court in 1937. As the first black attorney in Miami to present a case at trial, the bailiffs forced him to sit at the rear of the courtroom when he arrived to represent his client. Thomas refused, and instead left the courtroom until the judge was at the bench before returning to present the case. During the 1940s, Thomas was involved in multiple groundbreaking civil rights lawsuits. He fought for salary equalization for black teachers in Marion and Lake counties. Thomas led a protest in 1945 over the barring of African Americans from area beaches, which led to the creation of an all-black park on Virginia Key Beach. He also represented black defendants on behalf of the NAACP. In 1950, Thomas was appointed the first judge of the newly-created Negro Municipal Court in Miami, becoming the city’s first black judge, and the first in the South since Reconstruction. After his term, Thomas began his law practice in this office in the late 1950s, and served the Overtown community for nearly 30 years.

SOUTH RIVER DRIVE HISTORIC DISTRICT BOARDING HOUSES

Location:SR 968/ SW 1st Street and South River Drive
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: The South River Drive Historic District contains the oldest surviving Frame Vernacular boarding houses along the Miami River and illustrates the historic development of Miami beyond the downtown area and along the riverfront. Completed by 1915, during the era of segregation, the boarding houses mostly accommodated white tourists and potential new residents drawn to Miami’s tropical climate. This neighborhood was the first on the west side of the river. For this riverside area, access to the city’s growing downtown was crucial, and the completion of the SW 1st Street bascule bridge in 1929 was pivotal for the area’s development. As a convenience to the residents, walkways were constructed from the bridge to the 2nd stories of 3 boarding houses, creating a unique historic feature. This segment of the Miami River continued to function as a working waterfront well into the 21st century, shipping fresh Florida seafood to the Caribbean and other international markets. The historic district was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. Completed in 2021, the current SW 1st Street Bridge was designed so that the 1929 direct connection between the bridge and historic boarding houses could be reestablished.

MIAMI RIVER HISTORIC WORKING RIVERFRONT

Location:SR 968/ SW 1st Street and SW North River Drive
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Considered one of the oldest natural landmarks in southeast Florida, the Miami River evolved over thousands of years from a tidal channel into a freshwater stream that carried water from the Everglades in the west to Biscayne Bay in the east. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Miami River was developed into a working riverfront, although it was one of the nation’s shortest with a length of only 5.5 miles. Along the river, the Florida East Coast Railway built warehouses and docks to serve the area's growing commerce and trade; for example, winter vegetables came in by water and were shipped to the northern states on freight cars. Boat construction and repair was another booming business sector located along the river. The need to facilitate growth to the south and west of downtown Miami and accommodate the vital new commerce along the river resulted in the approval in 1926 of a $2.15-million bond that funded construction of four new moveable bridges over the Miami River, including the original SW 1st Street Bridge that was completed in 1929 at this location. The 1929 double-leaf bascule bridge was replaced by the current bridge in 2021.

MIAMI SHORES COMMUNITY CHURCH

Location:9823 NE 4th Avenue
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami Shores
Description: Miami Shores Community Church, a member of the United Church of Christ, is the oldest church in Miami Shores. The Shoreland Company, the developers of Miami Shores, built the building in 1925 as a pump house and fire station. The original Mediterranean Revival building was converted to a community house in 1930. The Community Church moved into the building in 1933 and purchased it in 1942. The church board and Rev. Donald Douds invited Rev. Edward T. Graham, a Black minister, to preach at the church for “Brotherhood Week” in February 1949. In segregated South Florida during the Jim Crow era, this created controversy, with threats of violence made against Rev. Douds and Rev. Graham. Two crosses were burned on the church grounds and another at Rev. Graham’s house in Miami. Rev. Graham later became a noted Civil Rights activist. Because of this incident, the City of Miami passed an ordinance banning the burning of crosses. In 1950, the church built the current sanctuary, adding a two-story secular school annex in 1953. The Community Church continues its commitment to social justice. In 2011, its congregation voted to become open and affirming, welcoming persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities.

LEMON CITY PHARMACY/ DR. DUPUIS OFFICE

Location:6005 Northeast 2nd Avenue
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Side One: Born in Newnansville, Florida, in 1875, Dr. John Gordon DuPuis moved to Lemon City after graduating from medical school at the University of Kentucky in 1898. He began his practice in a one-room frame building behind the Conolly Hotel. The building served as DuPuis’ office and as one of the first drug stores in south Florida. DuPuis was involved in larger Dade County medical affairs, including helping during a yellow fever outbreak in 1899. He worked with the local Seminoles in the early 1900s, who regarded him as a white medicine man. In 1902, DuPuis had a new office built on the corner of Lemon Avenue (NE 61st St.) and Rock Road (NE 2nd Ave.). It was the first concrete building constructed north of downtown Miami. It housed DuPuis’ office and drugstore on the first floor, and his family residence on the second. The building is an excellent example of a late 19th-early 20th century commercial structure and is one of the few examples of its type to survive in Miami. Although his family moved out of the building in 1925, the doctor continued to use the medical office to care for his patients. The building remained in the family after DuPuis’ death in 1955. Side Two: In addition to his medical practice, DuPuis was actively involved in the agricultural development of Dade County. He believed that pure fresh milk was necessary for good health, and kept a cow in the pasture across the street from his drug store. DuPuis was known for giving free milk to sick babies. In 1904, he bought several Dutch Belted cows and opened the White Belt Dairy west of Lemon City. The dairy quickly became one of the largest in Dade County, with 900 cows occupying 2,000 acres. The dairy was managed by DuPuis’ wife, Katherine, and later by his son, John, Jr. In addition to medicine and agriculture, DuPuis was deeply interested in education. He served as a school supervisor and chairman of the board of trustees of his district, both unpaid positions. As early as 1911, DuPuis pushed for a high school in Lemon City, one that focused on vocational training with an emphasis on agriculture. The new high school, named the Dade County Agricultural School, opened in 1915. The school received federal funding for its vocational program in 1917, and bought eighty acres of land for use as a school farm. The school was later renamed Edison Junior High.
Sponsors: Mayor Thomas Regalado, The City of Miami in Coordination with Alexander Adams

LEMON CITY LIBRARY

Location:412 Northeast 61st Street
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Side One: Lemon City’s first library started in the 1890s, in the local school, under the leadership of teacher Ada Merritt. She organized the Busy Bees of the Everglades, a club for young ladies focused on fundraising for the school library. Under Merritt, the school library amassed a collection of 400 books. Building on Merritt’s efforts, 13 prominent Lemon City women, including members of the local Village Improvement Association, met in the home of Cornelia Keys in 1902 and formed the Lemon City Library Association. Keys owned the Lemon City Hotel and was the mother of local landowner E.C. Harrington. Credited as the first librarian, Keys offered space in her home as a public reading room and invited donations from the community. Starting in 1902, the association began raising funds for the construction of a new library building. Completed in 1904, the original wood-frame library was located at this site. It was more like an auditorium, with a stage at one end, than a traditional library. Initial furnishings were sparse, consisting of tables, chairs, and bookcases brought from Keys’ home. The dedication was held in January 1905 and the association continued fundraising to pay the library’s remaining debts. Side Two: The City of Miami annexed Lemon City in 1925, and the independent community ceased to be. In 1942, the library joined the City of Miami Public Library System. The Lemon City Library and Improvement Association, in partnership with writer Joseph Faus, pushed for the construction of a new library branch in the 1950s. The new Lemon City library building was completed in 1963 at 640 NE 61st Street. The intention was to preserve the original library, but that plan changed when a fire in 1964 ruined much of the building’s interior. A Miami Herald news article published on September 16, 1964, said “the library was more than a reading place, it had a stage and a kitchen, and was used for a variety of community purposes ranging from supper socials, through political rallies and into church services. It’s humble, but it reminds a lot of people when all the lower half of southern Florida was young.” Following the fire, the original library was abandoned and eventually torn down. Although its original building is gone, the Lemon City Library continues to serve the community, operating out of the 1963 building as part of the Miami-Dade County Public Library System.
Sponsors: Mayor Thomas Regalado, The City of Miami in Coordination with Alexander Adams

FULFORD-BY-THE-SEA FOUNTAIN

Location:Intersection of NE 23rd Avenue and NE 172nd Street
County: Miami-Dade
City: North Miami Beach
Description: This fountain was built in 1925 during the Florida Land Boom, and marked the entrance to the Fulford-by-the-Sea subdivision, now the city of North Miami Beach. Constructed at a cost of $15,000, it was intended to be the first of five fountains that would mark the entrances to the subdivision. Designed in the Classical Revival Style, the fountain features distinctive unicorn figures and a tile mosaic dome. It was built from cast stone designed to simulate the look of natural cut stone blocks. The fountain stands 32 feet tall, one of the tallest in south Florida. The Great Miami Hurricane of 1926, a category four storm with winds over 130 mph, devastated south Florida, and caused approximately 350 deaths. The event scared future investors and stalled development of the area for many years. Though this fountain withstood the hurricane, the other planned fountains were never built. In 1983, the Fulford-by-the-Sea Fountain was designated as a historical site by Miami-Dade County, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010. The fountain is proudly featured in the city of North Miami Beach’s official seal, and is an irreplaceable symbol of its history.
Sponsors: City of North Miami Beach

PIONEER BOAT BUILDERS' SITE -- 1947

Location:975 North West 95th Street
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: For thousands of years most water crafts were built of wood. The first reinforced plastic fiberglass boats in the southeastern United States were conceived and built here in 1947. Two hundred feet north of this marker is the former home and workshop of Troy Wollard, where his shop building still stands. He was an outstanding shipwright who was instrumental in building the durable high-performing crafts with visionary pioneers Arthur H. Siegel (1924-2003) and Dudley Whitman. Challenger Marine Corporation produced its first boats at this location which was the beginning of the boating revolution. This small manufacturing venture changed the yachting world forever. The 18-foot runabout speedboats had inboard engines that could reach up to 50 miles per hour. They had monocoque (egg shape) construction with full-length stringers that supported the hull and engine. An outline of excess resin used to make these boats is still visible on the floor of the shop. This enterprise was one of the first in the nation to use fiberglass successfully and was the forerunner of an important industry eventually leading to the development of large luxury yachts and commercial vessels.
Sponsors: THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

THE CORAL GABLES GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB

Location:997 N Greenway Dr.
County: Miami-Dade
City: Coral Gables
Description: The Coral Gables Golf and Country Club and the Granada Golf Course, once the Merrick family’s vegetable field, were part of the original 1921 city plan by George Merrick and landscape architect, Frank Button. The golf course, designed by the nationally known team of Langford & Moreau, opened on January 15, 1923. Three months later, the clubhouse, designed by Hampton & Reimert, became Coral Gables’ first public building. The six original coral rock arches seen behind this marker reflect the Coral Gables Mediterranean style that helped set the tone for the City’s architecture. The Coral Gables Golf and Country Club quickly became the epicenter of the new community and played an important role in its development. Salesmen, including Merrick himself, entertained prospective buyers there and showed them home sites from its distinctive tower. Crowds flocked to the Club’s palm patio and danced to the nationally broadcast music of renowned bandleaders Jan Garber and Paul Whiteman. The Country Club of Coral Gables, as it is known today, received its charter on October 9, 1935. A devastating fire destroyed much of the building on July 11, 1983.
Sponsors: THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES, THE COUNTRY CLUB OF CORAL GABLES FOUNDATION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

THE PERRINE LAND GRANT

Location:U.S. 1 at 16165 S. Dixie Highway
County: Miami-Dade
City: Perrine
Description: In 1838, the United States Congress granted a township of land in the southern extremity of Florida to noted horticulturist Dr. Henry Perrine and his associates. This land was to be used in experiments aimed at introducing foreign tropical plants and seeds into Florida. Although Dr. Perrine did not select a township before his death in 1840, he indicated the area he preferred, and his family later selected the land which came to be called the Perrine Land Grant. Born in 1797, Henry Perrine was trained as a physician. During a visit to Cuba in 1826, he became interested in tropical plants which might be successfully introduced into the southern United States. As American consul in Campeche, Mexico (1827-1838), Dr. Perrine began to send Mexican plants to a friend on Indian Key in Florida and to seek government support for future agricultural experiments. Eager to find a way to utilize the tropical soils of the south, the leaders of Territorial Florida gave their support to Dr. Perrine in the efforts to obtain land for his project which culminated in the grant of 1838. Events of the Second Seminole War made it impossible for Dr. Perrine to settle on the Florida Mainland in 1838. He took his family to Indian Key to care for his plants and await the war's end. On August 7, 1840, Indians attacked the Key, killing Dr. Perrine and six others; his family escaped uninjured. Dr. Perrine deserves recognition as a pioneer whose efforts stimulated interest in tropical agriculture in Florida.
Sponsors: Sponsored by Perrine Cutler Ridge Rotary Club In Cooperation With Department of State

TROOP 7 LOG CABIN

Location:1107 S. Greenway Dr
County: Miami-Dade
City: Coral Gables
Description: When George Edgar Merrick (1886-1942) designed his idealistic City of Coral Gables in the early 1920s, he created a special area for scouts and built a rustic log cabin for his Troop 7 Boy Scouts on this site. Today, only the chimney remains. After the hurricane of 1926, Merrick’s Coral Gables Construction Company built the Troop 7 scout cabin largely from pine trees and telephone poles. Merrick deeded these two acres of land, now in the middle of the Granada Golf Course, to the scouts in perpetuity. Their first scoutmaster was Albert H. Bartle. As scoutmaster for the first three years, then a committee member, Mr. Bartle served Troop 7 for 16 years until 1938, setting the standard for excellence and longevity for others to follow. The old Troop 7 log cabin burned down on March 30, 1971, leaving only the chimney. The new building, finished in 1976, was dedicated to Scoutmaster Rex Hawkins, who kept the troop alive during the difficult WWII years when many adult leaders were away. The George Merrick Foundation continues to maintain the property, with help from the City of Coral Gables, the Kiwanis Club of Coral Gables and concerned citizens who appreciate the legacy of George Merrick’s scouting program.
Sponsors: THE GEORGE MERRICK FOUNDATION, INC. AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

TUTTLE HOME

Location:Storage
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: On this site stood the home of Miami pioneer, Mrs. Julia D. Tuttle. Mrs. Tuttle came to Miami in 1890 and was responsible for much of the city's early development. She encouraged the Florida East Coast Railway to extend its line to Miami. Her home was a two-story stone building, originally officers' quarters for old Fort Dallas, constructed in 1849 for use against the Indians. The building also served as Dade County's first courthouse.

VIRGINIA KEY BEACH STATE PARK

Location:Virginia Beach Drive, Virginia Key State Park
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Virginia Key Beach Park is an environmental and historic landmark on a barrier island in Miami. Its earliest recorded history is of an 1838 skirmish during the Second Seminole War in which three Seminoles were killed on this site. From the early 1900s onward, during the era of segregation laws, this location became a popular unofficial “Colored” recreation area known as “Bears Cut.” In response to a bold protest led by attorney Lawson E. Thomas and others demanding an officially designated beach, Virginia Key Beach opened for “the exclusive use of Negroes” on August 1, 1945. The new park, at first accessible only by boat, was an immediate success, attracting over 1,000 visitors on any given weekend. In addition to the baptisms and sunrise services which regularly took place, churches, organizations, and families gathered here for memorable picnics and social events. The park brought together all neighborhoods and social classes of the “Colored” community. By the early 1960s, another courageous protest brought segregation to an end. The beach park symbolizes the struggle of Black Miamians who persevered to bring about change for future generations.
Sponsors: THE CITY OF MIAMI PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

PROFESSOR CHARLES TORREY SIMPSON PARK

Location:5 Southwest 17th Road
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Side One: Charles Torrey Simpson was born on June 3, 1846, in Tiskilwa, Illinois. From a young age, Simpson had a love of nature. In his early life, Simpson worked as a farmer, miner, carpenter, and cowboy. During the Civil War, he served in the Union army under General William T. Sherman. In the 1880s, Simpson developed an extensive knowledge of mollusks and shells. He took his first trip to Florida in 1881 to collect shells along the west coast, near Bradenton. Simpson’s malacological expertise earned him a position at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC, in 1889. During his tenure, he traveled extensively to collect specimens, gave lectures, and helped classify over two thousand species of snails and mussels. He accomplished all of this with barely a high school education. In 1902, Simpson retired to South Florida with his second wife, Flora, and their children. He chose the Lemon City area due to its tropical climate, and purchased nine and half acres. In Florida, he wrote numerous books, articles, and essays on local flora. Due to his contributions, Simpson earned an honorary Side Two: In 1913, a group of Miami citizens helped preserve 5.5 acres of the Brickell hardwood hammock as Jungle Park. Much of the native plant life was replaced with exotic vegetation in 1919. After the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 ravaged the area, Simpson helped replant the area with native growth. In honor of his efforts and other accomplishments, the park was renamed in Simpson’s honor in 1927 and rededicated in 1931. Following Simpson’s death in 1932, the Miami Council of Garden Club Presidents raised funds to construct a garden center in his memory. In coordination with the City of Miami, the council acquired 3 acres adjacent to the park for the center. Completed in 1941, the center serves as community meeting space. There are 162 species of plants within the park, 96 of which are native. In addition, the park is home numerous threatened and endangered flora species. In 1996, the City of Miami undertook a project to remove the exotic species and return the hammock to a more natural state. Designated as a “Natural Forest Community,” the City of Miami has worked to preserve Simpson Park’s biodiversity and natural beauty.
Sponsors: Mayor Tomas Regalado, The City of Miami in Coordination with Alexander Adams

ELIZABETH VIRRICK PARK

Location:3255 Plaza Street
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Side One: Elizabeth Virrick was born in Winchester, Kentucky in 1897. After studying architecture and interior design at the University of Wisconsin and Columbia University, she moved to Miami with her husband in 1925. Virrick met Coconut Grove activist and black Episcopal preacher Theodore Gibson at a meeting of the Coconut Grove Civic Club in 1948, and it was there that she became aware of the poor living conditions for African Americans in Coconut Grove. To address this problem, Virrick cofounded, with Gibson, the Coconut Grove Citizens Committee for Slum Clearance. Virrick pushed for improved sanitation, access to running water, and garbage collection in Coconut Grove. By the early 1950s, Virrick was recognized as “Miami’s number one slum fighter.” In addition to her work in Coconut Grove, Virrick also crusaded to fight corruption in low income, African American neighborhoods, which included the unsuccessful lone opposition of the construction of I-95 through the Overtown area. She successfully fought against the extension of I-95 south into Coconut Grove along the US 1 corridor. Throughout the post-World War II era, Virrick sought to make sure urban renewal projects benefitted the community rather than the landlords. Side Two: By the 1960s, Virrick was deeply involved in President Lyndon B. Johnson’s "Great Society," a campaign for fair housing, increased job opportunities, and social service programs. Many Miamians agreed that for their city, Virrick "fired the first shots in the war on poverty." Virrick’s legacy of activism is honored in numerous places in Miami, including the Elizabeth Virrick Village public housing project, the Virrick Gym, and here, Elizabeth Virrick Park. This park was designed by architect Kenneth Treister on a 3.5-acre parcel on the border of the historic black and white sections of Coconut Grove. Treister worked in conjunction with Virrick and Miami City Commissioner Alice Wainwright to make the park a reality. The park opened in 1963, and by 1970 had a public pool. Treister assisted with design of a new community center as part of a larger restoration of Virrick Park in 2002. The center expanded in 2006 with the addition of a public library branch, also named for Virrick. This park continues to be a beloved community gathering place and a testament to Virrick’s accomplishments in Miami.
Sponsors: Mayor Tomas Regalado, The City of Miami in Coordination with Alexander Adams

ALICE WAINWRIGHT PARK

Location:2845 Brickell Avenue
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: In 1961, attorney Alice C. Wainwright became the first woman elected to the Miami City Commission. Four years later, she was Miami’s first woman vice-mayor. All her life, Wainwright was a fierce advocate for environmental issues, and worked alongside other South Florida environmentalists such as Marjory Stoneman Douglas. In 1969, Wainwright helped found the Friends of the Everglades, and wrote the organization’s charter. She was also the coordinator of the National Audubon Society’s southeast Florida chapter. Wainwright played a major role in numerous environmental actions in South Florida, including the acquisition of Big Cypress National Preserve and the extension of the Everglades National Park’s eastern boundary. This park was dedicated to Wainwright as part of the 4 million dollar “Parks for People” bond issued by the City of Miami in 1972. It was designated a nature preserve with the intent of protecting part of Miami’s natural landscape, a tropical hardwood hammock, in Wainwright’s honor. Other fragments of the once widespread native landscape, and plants can also be seen in Simpson Park and Sewell Park.
Sponsors: Mayor Tomas Regalado, The City of Miami in Coordination with Alexander Adams

DAVID THOMAS KENNEDY PARK

Location:2400 South Bayshore Drive
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: David Thomas Kennedy was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1934. After receiving degrees from Florida State University, Kennedy graduated from the University of Miami School of Law in 1958. He became involved in Miami city politics not long after, and was elected to the Miami City Commission in 1961. Kennedy served as mayor for the City of Miami from 1970-1973, and during his tenure, pushed for the development of new green spaces that highlighted Miami’s natural beauty. Kennedy loved the work of 19th Century American landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who co-designed urban parks such as Central Park in New York City, Elm Park in Worcester, Massachusetts, and Mount Royal Park in Montreal, Quebec. Kennedy campaigned for the “Parks for People” bond, approved by voters in 1972, that helped fund the development of city parks in Miami. Though he was a capable politician, scandal forced Kennedy out of government. Kennedy’s accomplishments were recognized by his successor, Mayor Maurice Ferré, with the dedication of this park named in his honor. This park represents Kennedy’s love of dogs, and vision of a green city.
Sponsors: Mayor Tomas Regalado, The City of Miami in Coordination with Alexander Adams

BAY SHORE PUMP HOUSE

Location:5808 NE 4th Court
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: James Hilliard Nunnally, owner of the Nunnally Candy Company in Atlanta, founded the Bay Shore Investment Company in 1922. During the Florida Land Boom, the company platted and developed a large bay-front tract. Since the new Bay Shore subdivision was located outside of the Miami city limits, the company had to provide its own basic amenities such as water, gas, electricity, telephone, street lights, and sewers. Built in 1923, this water pump house included an 8,000-gallon tank that could provide up to 32,000 gallons a day. Constructed out of native coral rock and Dade slash pine, it featured an arched, recessed cathedral entrance with heavy wooden doors and large iron-strap hinges. A sales brochure touted Bay Shore’s “ample supply of pure drinking water not dependent on the city supply.” In 1925, the City of Miami annexed the Bay Shore neighborhood, and the pump house was no longer needed. Though it briefly served as a private residence, the pump house deteriorated, and by 1990 it faced demolition. Starting in 1995, the combined efforts of the City of Miami, Dade Heritage Trust, and individual contributors helped save and restore the building.
Sponsors: The City of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado, The City of Miami in Coordination with Alexander Adams

DICE HOUSE

Location:1001 SW 82 Avenue
County: Miami-Dade
City: Kendall
Description: In 1916, David Brantley Dice and Jessie Van May Dice moved to the Kendall area from Little River in northern Miami. The couple purchased a tract of land from J.J. Hinson and established a farm. Later, they opened a small general store and lived above it until 1920, when they constructed this home. The Dices’ general store was the center of the small pioneer community as one of the few buildings with a telephone. This house represents one of the last remaining frame vernacular buildings in Kendall, and is a symbol of the simple life in early southern Miami-Dade County. It was designated as a historical site by Miami-Dade County in 1989. The house was severely damaged in 1992 during Hurricane Andrew, and deteriorated thereafter. In 2005, it came under threat of demolition. Through the combined efforts of the Dade Heritage Trust, the District County Commissioner, Miami-Dade County Office of Historic Preservation and local community advocates, it was saved. The house was relocated four blocks west from its original location at 9840 Southwest 77 Avenue to Continental Park. The house was then restored and converted into a community center.
Sponsors: Dade Heritage Trust, Miami-Dade County

HISTORIC NEGRO POLICE PRECINCT & COURTHOUSE MUSEUM- THE FIRST FIVE

Location:480 NW 11th Street
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: In 1944, the City of Miami hired its first five black police officers who were sworn in as "emergency patrolmen" to enforce the law in what was then called the Central Negro District. These stalwart men were Ralph White, Moody Hall, Clyde Lee, Edward Kimball, and John Miledge. By 1945, ten more officers were added. A precinct building was constructed in 1950, and served as a station house and courtroom. It was designed by Walter C. DeGarmo (1876-1951), one of Miami’s first and most prominent architects. Lawson E. Thomas, judge of the Negro Municipal Court, presided over the precinct’s courtroom. He was the first black judge elected in the South since Reconstruction, and Miami’s first black judge. In 1955, the City of Miami appointed its second black municipal judge, John Johnson. He presided alongside five Jewish judges, who had sacrificed their careers to serve at the “colored courthouse.” The Negro Precinct was unique because it was designed, devoted to, and operated as a segregated station house and court. There was no other known to exist in the country at that time. It served as a blueprint for community policing practices, and provided an opportunity for black defendants in Miami to receive proper due process.
Sponsors: City of Miami Retired Police Officers Community Benevolent Assocation, Miami Community Police Benevolent Association, Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency, H.T. Smith, esq, Chief Anita Najiy, Myhistorytour.com

MARJORY STONEMAN DOUGLAS

Location:3744 Stewart Avenue
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Side One: This cottage was home to author and environmentalist Marjory Stoneman Douglas. After graduating from Wellesley College in 1912, Marjory moved to Florida in 1915 and worked for her father, Frank Stoneman, at The Miami Herald. During this time, she wrote on various progressive issues such as women’s suffrage, racial injustice, and environmental conservation. In 1924, she purchased this Coconut Grove property for her new house, and contracted friend and architect George Hyde for the design. Some of Hyde’s previous work was in designing factories, and Marjory commented that her house “held up like a factory” after surviving the 1926 Miami Hurricane. The cottage was simple, consisting of a large main room for entertaining guests, and a single bedroom. Marjory viewed it more as a workshop for her writing than as a residence. She wrote numerous books in this house, including her seminal work, The Everglades: River of Grass, published in 1947. The Florida Department of Natural Resources purchased the property in 1992, though Marjory continued to live there until her death in 1998. Due to Marjory’s activism and work championing the preservation of the Everglades, her house was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2015. Side Two: Marjory Stoneman Douglas spent much of her life raising awareness regarding the importance of the Everglades. Starting in 1930, she played an instrumental role in the more than 15-year struggle for its preservation as a national park. Stoneman Douglas’ writing drew attention to the Everglades as a unique habitat for over 3,000 flora and fauna species and as a water source for South Florida residents. Her efforts were rewarded in 1947 when Everglades National Park was dedicated, but her work did not stop there. Development and exploitation were still threats to the wetlands, and Marjory continued writing to draw attention to these issues. In 1969, at age 79, Marjory founded the Friends of the Everglades. Through grassroots lobbying, Friends of the Everglades fought and successfully blocked the construction of a large jetport in the fragile wetlands. Stoneman Douglas and the Friends of the Everglades continues to fight many other environmental threats over the years. Among many awards and tributes for her work, Marjory was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1993 by President Bill Clinton at age 103. In 2012, the Florida Legislature voted to make April 7th Everglades Day in honor of Marjory Stoneman Douglas.
Sponsors: Friends of the Everglades, Founded in 1969 by Marjory Stoneman Douglas

GFWC COCO PLUM WOMAN'S CLUB

Location:1375 Sunset Drive
County: Miami-Dade
City: Coral Gables
Description: Side One: Pioneer women from distant urban areas were lonely and isolated in the pines and palmettos of South Florida. On February 14, 1912, six of them met at Eleanor Jordan’s home and founded the Coco Plum Thimble Club. "Mother" Jordan became the first president. Membership grew so rapidly that within a year a clubhouse was needed. Mary Dorn, the club’s second president, found five acres owned by the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) available for $150. The club had only $100 from events and 50-cent annual dues. Dorn wrote to James Ingraham at FEC, offering $100 and suggesting that a public building on the site would be an asset for Larkins. He replied, “The land will be yours.” With no money left for construction, the club issued scrip in $5 denominations, redeemable when the club had the funds. A simple frame clubhouse with wide porches was built on the Larkins Wagon Trail. In 1916, the club incorporated as the Woman’s Club of Larkins. In 1926, George Merrick’s Coral Gables Corporation was expanding and paid $100,000 for four of the five acres. Under the presidency of Carrie Ravlin, the present Mediterranean Revival clubhouse, designed by Howard & Early, was built in 1926 by the Knight Construction Company for $75,000. Side Two: For more than 100 years, the club has served as a community center and has been affiliated with larger associations, the Florida Federation of Women’s Clubs and the General Federation of Women’s Clubs. In 1926, the club’s name changed to Coco Plum Woman’s Club. Originally formed for social purposes, the club quickly adopted literary, scientific, and philanthropic goals. In 1915, Pollyanna was the start of a free library, ending in 1969 with 16,000 volumes that enriched the lives of mostly students, but also many adults. Starting in 1945, the club housed a kindergarten that ran for 26 years. During the summer of 1948, the club’s “Book Wagon” operated as the first traveling library in Florida. In the 1950s, the club was recognized for its community service three years in a row as one of the top 250 Honor Roll Clubs in the United States. The “Round the Clock” Civil Defense Program, held on September 16, 1957, brought county, state, and national recognition. The clubhouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. The mayor presented the club with a Key to the City of Coral Gables and a Proclamation in 2012, acknowledging a century of service and the women who brought the club to life.
Sponsors: The Board of Directors and Members of GFWC Coco Plum Woman's Club

LEMON CITY CEMETERY

Location:485 Northwest 71st Street
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Side One: By the 1870s, nearly 1,000 African Americans were living in and around the unincorporated community of Lemon City, located just north of the Miami city limits. Most of the black community were Bahamian immigrants who worked for the wealthier white families as farm laborers or domestic workers. From 1911 to 1935, black residents were interred in this small cemetery in simple wooden caskets with homemade markers. Lemon City existed as a self-sustained community, independent of Miami until its annexation in 1925. As Miami grew, property values rose, and new development encroached on Lemon City. In the face of development and a city government fueled by Jim Crow racial segregation, many African Americans families were forced out of the community. New laws created barriers that separated the white and black populations. As a result of these “color lines,” the cemetery was abandoned. It was not recorded on any plats or city documents, and the homemade markers deteriorated or were removed. The land was bought, sold, and developed several times afterwards but memories of this cemetery live on in Lemon City’s black community. Side Two: Although the YMCA stood on this site for many years, the cemetery surfaced only when the site was redeveloped again many decades later in April 2009. Human remains were unearthed during the excavation for deeper footings to build an adjacent affordable housing project. Local historians and others researched books and newspaper clippings, and interviewed elderly residents in search of leads about the old cemetery. Teresita DeVeaux, a 101-year-old Bahamian immigrant, revealed she had attended the funeral of Theophilus Clark who was supposedly buried in the cemetery. Genealogical records revealed the names of 523 African Americans buried in the Lemon City Cemetery. The 1925 and 1936 Hopkins maps identified the area as an unnamed cemetery, and 1948 and 1950 aerial photographs showed a vacant overgrown lot. In November 2009, the City of Miami’s Historic Preservation Board designated the cemetery as a local historic site. In 2011, the portion of the site that included the cemetery was preserved and dedicated as the Lemon City Cemetery Memorial Garden and Monument.
Sponsors: Mayor Tomas Regalado, The City of Miami in Coordination with Alexander Adams

JUDY NELSON DRUCKER, CULTURAL IMPRESARIA

Location:4144 Chase Avenue
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami Beach
Description: Judy Nelson Drucker was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1928 and moved to Miami Beach in 1941. Drucker established the Great Artists Series at Temple Beth Sholom under Rabbi Leon Kronish's guidance in 1967. Drucker was inspired musically by her mother, Lillian Nelson, a Metropolitan Opera singer, pianist, and teacher. As a child musical prodigy, Drucker studied piano at the New York College of Music and voice at the Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute of Music. She sang coloratura soprano with the Coral Gables Philharmonic Symphony, and performed on Broadway in New York City and with the Greater Miami Opera. Drucker's Great Artists Series was so successful that in the 1980s, she expanded the cultural series and formed the award-winning Concert Association of Florida (CAF). At the helm of CAF, she garnered international attention as a presenter of the world’s greatest classical music orchestras, conductors, soloists, opera stars, and ballet and dance companies. Judy Nelson Drucker’s many accolades include two honorary degrees: a Doctorate of Fine Arts from the International Fine Arts College and a Doctorate of Music from Florida International University. Her motto: “I need culture to live.”
Sponsors: Kristina and Mark Bryn and the Great Artist Series

MIAMI STADIUM

Location:2625 Northwest 10th Avenue
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Side One: On its opening night, August 31, 1949, Major League Baseball Commissioner Albert Benjamin “Happy” Chandler declared, “I know of no more beautiful ballpark anywhere than this new Miami Stadium.” From its iconic neon façade, on the corner of Northwest 10th Avenue and Northwest 23rd Street, to the signature cantilevered roof, Miami Stadium reflected a tropical version of International Style architecture. This marvel of modernism featured palm trees, a horseshoe-shaped grandstand, a press box, a private dugout club, light towers, and an electronic scoreboard. The stadium was designed by Nashville, Tennessee, firm Marr & Holman; built by Taylor Construction of Miami; and financed by Cuban politician Jose Aleman Sr. Over its forty-year history, Miami Stadium hosted Minor League, Negro League, and Spring Training baseball games, along with boxing matches, roller derby bouts, concerts, and more. In 1956, the original Miami Marlins were born in the stadium, and in 1987, the stadium was rededicated as “Bobby Maduro Miami Stadium” in honor of the late Cuban baseball entrepreneur. Miami Stadium held its last official spring training game on April 5, 1990, when the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Atlanta Braves 6-4. Side Two: The stadium was razed in 2001 to make way for the current Miami Stadium Apartments. Numerous organizations contributed to the rich baseball history of Miami Stadium including: the Miami Sun Sox of the Florida International League (1949-1954); Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League (1950-1957); Los Angeles Dodgers of the National League (1958); Baltimore Orioles of the American League (1959-1990); Miami Marlins of the International League (1956-1960); Miami Marlins & Miami Orioles of the Florida State League (1962-1988); Miami Amigos of the Inter-American League (1979); Gold Coast Suns of the Senior Professional Baseball Association (1989-1990), and Los Cubanitos, a youth team of Cuban exiles (1965-1975). During the stadium’s heyday, locals welcomed Baseball Hall of Famers and heroes such as Jackie Robinson, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, Warren Spahn, Satchel Paige, Roberto Clemente, Sandy Koufax, Sadaharu Oh, Earl Weaver, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Jim Palmer, Dennis Martinez, Cal Ripken Jr., Eddie Murray, Tony Pérez, Gary Carter, Rickey Henderson, and many more.
Sponsors: Abel Sanchez, Rolando Llanes of Civica Architecture Group, The Swezy Family, Friends of Miami Stadium

JULIA TUTTLE- MOTHER OF MIAMI

Location:
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Julia Tuttle arrived from Cleveland, Ohio, in 1891, a widow with two grown children. She bought 644 acres on the north bank of the Miami River, which included Fort Dallas. Her neighbors across the river were fellow early pioneers William and Mary Brickell. A visionary, Tuttle announced to a friend, “It is the dream of my life to see this wilderness turned into a prosperous country.” When the “Big Freezes” of December 24 and 28, 1894, and February 6, 1895, froze the orchards further north, Tuttle sent Florida East Coast Railway executive Henry Flagler orange blossoms and oranges to persuade him to bring his railroad south from Palm Beach to Biscayne Bay. In exchange, she provided Flagler with 100 acres of land for a railroad terminal and hotel, and 263 acres in alternate city blocks for the future city of Miami. The first train entered Miami on April 13, 1896, and the city was officially incorporated on July 28, 1896. By the end of 1896, Miami Avenue was lined with stores, and its first laundry, bakery, and dairy were reportedly started by Julia Tuttle. She resided in the remodeled officers’ quarters of Fort Dallas, located at this site. She died unexpectedly, at the age of 49, on September 14, 1898.

LINCOLN ROAD MALL

Location:400-1100 Lincoln Road
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami Beach
Description: Carl Fisher conceived of Lincoln Road as a Main Street for Miami Beach, and its construction began in 1914. It was promoted as the "Fifth Avenue of the South,” and flourished as a prominent shopping destination. By the late 1950s, however, Lincoln Road suffered from traffic congestion and increased competition. In a bold move to save their businesses, property owners contacted Morris Lapidus, architect of the Fontainebleau and Eden Roc hotels, to develop a new plan for the road. In an article published in 1960, Lapidus described his vision for Lincoln Road: "It will not just be a place of shopping. It will be a promenade where people can walk and see beautiful flowers and foliage, in addition to what they see in the store windows.” Completed and opened to the public in December 1960, the project was organized around a black and white “piano key-like” paved central spine interspersed with architectural follies, planting beds, and water features. The Lincoln Road Mall is regarded as one of the first instances in the United States where a major thoroughfare was closed to traffic and pedestrianized. It is the oldest pedestrian mall in Florida, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.
Sponsors: City of Miami Beach, and the Florida Department of State

EL JARDIN

Location:3747 Main Highway
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Side One: In the early 20th century, John Bindley (1846-1921), president of the Pittsburgh Steel Company, was among a wave of wealthy northern industrialists who built winter homes along the shore of Biscayne Bay. In 1917, he purchased this property, perched on an ancient ridge of oolitic limestone, for his daughter Adelaide Marie Bindley. Completed in 1919, the nine‐acre estate, El Jardin (The Garden), originally included a gatehouse, conservatory, carriage house, villa, boathouse, and numerous gardens. It was the site of many grand social and charitable functions. Following the Bindleys, real estate investor Albert J. Richey briefly owned the estate, which was later sold to Henry L. Doherty, founder of Cities Service Company (Citgo). In 1961, the Society of the Sacred Heart purchased El Jardin following two key events – an invitation from Bishop Coleman Carroll to open a school in the newly formed Diocese of Miami, and the forced closure of Sacred Heart schools in Cuba in the aftermath of the Cuban Revolution. Originally housed in the villa and carriage house, Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart, an all‐girls, Catholic, independent school, expanded over the years and added new structures to the historic property. Side Two: El Jardin is one of the earliest and best‐preserved examples of Mediterranean Revival architecture in South Florida. Richard Kiehnel (1870‐1944) of the prominent Pittsburgh firm of Kiehnel and Elliot designed El Jardin. He combined Spanish, Italian, and Moorish influences to help establish the Mediterranean Revival style, which would greatly influence the area’s architecture. Together with the fine craftsmanship of contractor John B. Orr (builder of James Deering’s Villa Vizcaya), Kiehnel conceived a home rich in ornamental detail and harmonious with the area’s tropical environment. The firm became a leading practitioner of the Mediterranean Revival style across South Florida. Kiehnel and Elliot’s local landmarks include renowned structures along Main Highway - the Coconut Grove Playhouse; Chabad of the Grove; and Second Church of Christ, Scientist - as well as many legacy buildings in Coral Gables and Miami. Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart is committed to the preservation of El Jardin. Through the adaptive use of its rooms, outbuildings, and grounds, the school has maintained the estate’s architectural beauty. El Jardin was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

NORTH SHORE HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:Collins Court and Ocean Terrace to the east, 87th Terrace to the north, Hawthorne Avenue and Crespi Boulevard to the west and 73rd Street to the south.
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami Beach
Description: The North Shore Historic District comprises one of the most intact and coherent concentrations of mid-20th century resort architecture in the Greater Miami area. Originally part of a natural barrier island, the North Shore area was platted with a continuous grid of streets with 50-foot wide lots by 1929. It was not until the massive post-World War II construction boom that most land was developed and that the district assumed its character. The district developed around garden-oriented apartment buildings adapted to both the narrow lot structure and local environmental conditions, using patios, loggias, flat roofs with broad overhanging eaves, exterior staircases, and catwalks. This local adaptation of the Mid-Century Modern style architecture has become widely recognized as “Miami Modern” (MiMo). The district’s MiMo architectural features emphasize futurism and modernity with acute angles, delta wings, pipe columns, sweeping curved walls, and soaring pylons. They convey an architectural sensibility characteristic of the middle class tropical resorts that flourished in North Beach. The North Shore Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.
Sponsors: The City of Miami Beach, and the Florida Department of State

NORMANDY ISLES HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:South Shore Drive and Normandy Shores Golf Course on the north, Indian Creek on the east, Biscayne Bay on the south and Rue Notre Dame and Ray Street on the west. Ci
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami Beach
Description: Henri Levy’s Normandy Beach Properties Corporation began development of the Normandy Isles in 1926, prior to that year’s real estate bust. The site comprised 450 acres on two natural mangrove islands in Biscayne Bay. The French-themed subdivision was designed to honor Levy’s homeland. It was an exception to the common grid plan that characterizes most of North Beach, and is a fine example of the City Beautiful movement. In the center of the district, Vendome Plaza forms a triangular area with the Vendome Fountain at its center. Built in 1926, the elaborate water feature is one of Miami Beach’s most important early works of civic art, and is commonly referred to as the Normandy Fountain. The apartment buildings that characterize much of the built environment of the district exemplify the Moderne and later Mid-Century Modern styles. Environmental adaptation and the need to distinguish buildings within a competitive market led to a daring and unexpected expression of modern architectural themes tailored to function in the hot and humid climate. The Normandy Isles Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.
Sponsors: City of Miami Beach and the Florida Department of State

COLLINS WATERFRONT ARCHITECTURAL DISTRICT

Location:44th Street to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the East, 24th Street to the south and Indian Creek and Pine Tree Drive to the west
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami Beach
Description: The Miami Beach Improvement Company, founded by John Collins, platted the Oceanfront Subdivision in 1916. The company’s name was the first official use of the term “Miami Beach.” This two-mile isthmus, later designated the Collins Waterfront Architectural District, represents a cohesive collection of significant architecture dating from 1922 through 1962. The eclectic mix of buildings and styles within the district reflects the boom and bust cycles that set off successive waves of construction that have historically defined the city’s economy. This area contains outstanding examples of buildings designed in the Mediterranean Revival style, which was popular during the economic boom of the 1920s. The largest wave of development in the district occurred during the mid-1930s through the early 1940s, and is represented by the many significant Art Deco and Art Moderne style buildings. Its post-World War II Mid-Century Modern style buildings reflect the sense of optimism and exuberance present throughout the country. The Collins Waterfront Architectural District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.
Sponsors: City of Miami Beach, and the Florida Department of State

COCONUT GROVE

Location:2820 McFarlane Drive
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Side One: Coconut Grove began as a small settlement on the cliffs of Biscayne Bay, surrounded by a vast tropical wilderness. In the mid-1800s, the first known permanent residents, Edmund “Ned” and Ann Beasley, settled near what became Barnacle Historic State Park. In 1873, Dr. Horace Porter opened the first post office, and called the area “Cocoanut Grove,” opting for an archaic spelling. Charles and Isabella Peacock emigrated with their family from England in 1875. The Peacocks opened the first hotel in the area, which drew more tourists to Coconut Grove. Captain Ralph Munroe, a sailboat designer from Staten Island, New York, settled in the area by 1885. Working-class residents, many of whom were Bahamian immigrants, lived around Charles Avenue. Their homes were inspired by traditional Bahamian shotgun-style architecture and tropical colors. By 1890, Coconut Grove included more than 100 inhabitants, including Ralph Munroe’s cousin, Kirk, who helped found the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club. In 1889, Isabella Peacock began teaching Sunday school in the first schoolhouse at the Plymouth Congregational Church. By 1891, the Housekeepers Club women’s group was established to uplift the community through fundraisers. Side Two: In 1896, fortunes changed dramatically when Henry M. Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railway steamed into Miami. The railroad brought new settlers to Miami-Dade County. Coconut Grove’s high waterfront bluffs were favorite sites for wealthy industrial tycoons to build their winter retreats. Bayfront Parkway and Main Highway became known as “Millionaires Row,” and included many famous estates, such as James Deering’s Villa Vizcaya, David Fairchild’s Kampong, John Bindley’s El Jardin, and Ralph Munroe’s Barnacle. In 1925, the village's name changed to Coconut Grove, after Dr. David Fairchild informed incorporators of the fruit’s proper spelling. That same year, the village was annexed, along with other neighboring communities, by the City of Miami. In 1928, Pan American Airways began operation out of Dinner Key at the site of the old naval air station, which became the Miami City Hall in 1954. Coconut Grove continued to attract people drawn by the beauty of its natural landscapes, including authors Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Helen Muir, Hervey Allen, and playwright Tennessee Williams. Tourists and residents have long valued Coconut Grove’s bohemian roots and lush landscape.
Sponsors: The Coconut Grove Business Improvement Association, The City of Miami in Coordination with Alexander Adams

OVERTOWN LYRIC THEATER/ OVERTOWN

Location:819 NW 2nd Avenue
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Side One: The Lyric Theater was built in 1913 by Gerald Walker, an enterprising African American businessman from Georgia. It quickly became the center of an entertainment district and thriving community, part of an area on NW 2nd Avenue that became known as “Little Broadway” and “Harlem of the South.” The Georgian-style theater had classical detailing, a decorative parapet, and Corinthian columns flanking the end bays. It hosted a variety of events: musicals, concerts, theater, dance, movies, vaudeville, political rallies, boxing, school plays, cantatas, and beauty pageants. Many notables performed at and visited the theater, including Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Marion Anderson, Bessie Smith, Fisk Jubilee Singers, Mary McLeod Bethune, Ethel Waters, Sam Cooke, Count Basie, Red Foxx, and Mary Wells. In 1915, the well-appointed 400-seat interior was described as the most beautiful and costly playhouse in the South owned by an African American. This theater and its flourishing nightlife symbolized the prosperous early twentieth century history of Overtown. The theater became a church in 1959 before being restored as a community entertainment venue in 2000. Side Two: Overtown is one of the most significant historical communities in Miami. Near the end of the 19th century, the population in South Florida spiked. Bahamian migrant farmworkers sought better opportunities following landowners south after the Great Freeze, and Henry Flagler lured thousands of workers to build his railroad and hotel. Overtown’s racially segregated black population played a critical role when Miami incorporated in 1896, casting 162 of 367 votes in favor. The 468-acre neighborhood was known as Colored Town, and city maps labeled the area the Central Negro District until it was changed to Washington Heights in 1937. However, local residents referred to the area as Overtown because people had to go "over" downtown to get there, saying "I'm going over town." It quickly became a vibrant self-contained community of black life and culture. Overtown had its own clothing and furniture stores, beauty shop, dentists, lawyers, doctors, restaurants, grocers, and carpenters. By the 1960s, Overtown’s population had reached over 50,000, but the construction of Interstate 95 during that decade forced many residents from their homes. Since then, there have been continued efforts to revitalize and preserve the community.
Sponsors: The City of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado, The Black Archives, The City of Miami in Coordination with Alexander Adams

CHARLES AND ISABELLA PEACOCK PARK

Location:2820 McFarlane Drive
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Side One: Peacock Park is named for Charles and Isabella Peacock, early homesteaders who settled on this property that later became part of the city of Miami. The two were encouraged to travel to South Florida by Charles’ brother, Jack, who was the keeper of the House of Refuge on the beach. Charles and Isabella had three sons, Charles John, Henry, and Alfred. In 1875, the Peacocks left their meat business in England to begin a new life in the maritime fishing and sailing village, originally named “Cocoanut Grove.” The area was growing and attracting visitors in need of a place to stay, and the Peacocks decided to build a hotel on this site. The Bay View House, later known as the Peacock Inn, was the first hotel in this rugged, rural, tropical-forested landscape. It was built with beachcombed wood, the local driftwood found along the shoreline. The hotel was in operation by 1883, and featured 30 rooms and a detached cottage annex. Guests were charged $1.50 a day, $7-9 a week, or $30-35 a month. At the time, it was the only hotel located between Key West and Lake Worth (Palm Beach County). Side Two: According to a Miami News article, some of the hotel's notable visitors included President Grover Cleveland, railroad magnate Henry Flagler, and author Kirk Munroe. Henry Flagler nicknamed Isabella the “Mother of Cocoanut Grove” as she served as a doctor, judge, minister, and friend to the local community. Isabella was also a great cook of frontier-style foods such as stewed venison, boiled Seminole squash, corn pone, turtle fry, roast wild hog, and turkey. This land is one of the highest elevations along the Atlantic Coastal Ridge that divides the Everglades and coastal estuaries. The rock-faced cliffs along today’s Bayshore Drive attracted mariners to the bubbling natural fresh water springs. The hotel also housed the local post office and courthouse. In 1902, Charles sold the hotel to Philadelphia investor G.F. Schneider, who changed the hotel into a private school. In 1926, the hotel building was torn down. The City of Miami purchased the site in 1934, and converted it into one of the city’s first waterfront parks. Originally named Coconut Grove Bayfront Park, the name was changed in 1973 in memory of the Peacock family.
Sponsors: The City of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado, The City of Miami in Coordination with Alexander Adams

BUENA VISTA POST OFFICE/ MOORE FURNITURE BUILDING

Location:4000 NE 2nd Avenue
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: The neighborhood of Buena Vista began in the 1890s, as a portion of the William Gleason and E.L. White homesteads. During the 1920s, Tampa developer and architect David P. Davis teamed with pineapple plantation owner Theodore V. Moore to develop two investment properties in Buena Vista. While each man handled the financing of a single building, Davis designed both. Intended to be one commercial development, both buildings were designed in the masonry vernacular style. Completed in 1921, Davis’ building became the Buena Vista Post Office and, similar to other Miami civic buildings, featured Neoclassical design elements. The post office operated until 1924, when Buena Vista was annexed by the City of Miami, and since then the building has served a variety of purposes. Moore’s building was built in two phases, forming an L-shape around the post office. The southern portion was completed in 1922, and the northern extension was completed in 1926. Moore transitioned from being a pineapple grower to focusing on Buena Vista’s commercial development. In the late 1930s, he opened the T.V. Moore Furniture Store in his building. Both buildings served as anchors that helped transform this area into a thriving neighborhood.
Sponsors: The City of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado, The City of Miami in Coordination with Alexander Adams

FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILWAY, LITTLE RIVER SPUR

Location:Runs west of and parallel to SW 69th Avenue between NW 7th Street and SW 12th Street
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: The Florida East Coast (FEC) Railway, established by Henry Morrison Flagler, was constructed along Florida’s east coast in the late 19th century. The FEC main line arrived in Miami by 1896, and extended farther south in 1926. The Little River Spur of the FEC Railway was constructed circa 1932 as a part of the South Little River Branch, a connection from the Little River station along the main line of the FEC Railway. It ran to a railyard in Hialeah, which housed an engine service area and roundhouse. The spur line also provided rail service to industrial businesses in the western and southern sections of Miami-Dade County, and acted as a freight bypass around downtown Miami. The FEC was more profitable transporting citrus fruit than passengers, and the Little River Spur remained a freight line from the 1930s until it was abandoned in 2005. The spur line between Southwest 12th Street and north of Northwest 7th Street is significant to the development of South Miami and to transportation in the region. The railroad consisted of a single set of tracks with a few private offshoots to nearby businesses. This section of the FEC Railway, Little River Spur, was removed in 2019 for the development of the Ludlam Trail.
Sponsors: The Florida East Coast Railway, LLC

PALM COTTAGE- FLAGLER WORKER'S COTTAGE/ HENRY MORRISON FLAGLER

Location:60 SE 4th Street
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Side One: This cottage is the first known residential building in downtown Miami, and the last known building in the city directly associated with railroad magnate and developer Henry M. Flagler. Built around 1897, this house was one of at least 30 in a row of identical homes built along then 14th Street, now SE 2nd Street between SE 1st and 2nd Avenues. The homes were rentals constructed for workers building Flagler’s Royal Palm Hotel. Renters paid $15-$22 a month, or could buy a house for $1,300-$3,000. One of Miami’s few surviving examples of Folk Victorian architecture, it features two-story rectangular wood frame construction, a gable end roof, and shiplap wood siding. The gable end is faced with decorative scalloped-wood shingles. The front windows were double wooden sash with 6-over-6 panes, while the side windows had 2-over-2 panes. The main entrance was originally located in the far-right bay of the front elevation, but was moved to the center in 1950. The original one-story porch extended across the entire front elevation. In 1989, Palm Cottage was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Side Two: Henry M. Flagler was born January 2, 1830, in Hopewell, New York. In 1852, he became a partner at D. M. Harkness and Co. The following year, Flagler married Mary Harkness. In 1862, he partnered with his brother-in-law, Barney York, to start the Flagler and York Salt Company, but it collapsed soon after the Civil War. In 1866, Flagler was introduced to John D. Rockefeller, who was working as a commission agent at the Harkness Grain Company. Flagler partnered with him and others in 1867 to form Rockefeller, Flagler & Andrews, which became Standard Oil in 1870. Flagler's wife Mary became very ill in 1878, and on her doctor’s advice, they moved to Jacksonville. Mary died soon after moving to Florida, and Flagler married Ida Alice Shourds two years later. The couple moved to St. Augustine, where Flagler constructed the Hotel Ponce de Leon and bought the Jacksonville, St. Augustine & Halifax Railroad. He believed that Florida had the potential to attract large numbers of tourists but lacked proper hotels, so he began building a hotel empire. He purchased the Hotel Ormond near Daytona, Hotel Poinciana on Lake Worth, and later built the Royal Palm Hotel in Miami.
Sponsors: The City of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado, The City of Miami in Coordination with Alexander Adams

FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILWAY, LITTLE RIVER SPUR BRIDGE

Location:FEC Railway Bridge over Tamiami Canal just northwest of W Flagler St and NW 69th Ave
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: The Florida East Coast (FEC) Railway, established by Henry Morrison Flagler, was constructed along Florida’s east coast in the late 19th century. The FEC main line arrived in Miami by 1896, and extended farther south in 1926. The Little River Spur of the FEC Railway was constructed circa 1932 as a part of the South Little River Branch, a connection from the Little River station along the main line of the FEC Railway. It ran to a railyard in Hialeah, which housed an engine service area and roundhouse. The Little River Spur remained a freight line from the 1930s until it was abandoned in 2005. The Little River Spur between Southwest 12th Street and north of Northwest 7th Street is significant to the development of South Miami and to transportation in the region. Built in 1954, the railroad bridge crossing the Tamiami Canal was an integral feature of the Little River Spur. It was a beam and girder bridge, a common type utilized by the FEC Railway. The bridge was composed of steel I-beam stringers supported by wood bents and braces with steel caps. The tracks of the Little River Spur ran along the center of the bridge decking. The railroad tracks and bridge were removed in 2019 for the development of Ludlam Trail.
Sponsors: The Florida East Coast Railway, LLC

AMELIA EARHART, THE FINAL TAKE OFF

Location:5555 E 8th Avenue
County: Miami-Dade
City: Hialeah
Description: Amelia Earhart was born July 24, 1897, in Atchison, Kansas. She helped to establish the Ninety-Nines, an organization for female pilots, and was a member of the National Woman’s Party. In 1932, Earhart was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross when she flew a red Lockheed Vega from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland and became the first woman to make a transatlantic flight. Standing here, the former location of Miami Municipal Airport, on May 25, 1937, Amelia Earhart announced her intent to fly around the world at the equator. After supervising extensive repairs to her Lockheed Electra by Pan American World Airways’ mechanics, Earhart took off June 1, 1937, with her navigator Fred Noonan for Puerto Rico. After numerous stops in South America, Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia, the pair arrived at Lae, New Guinea. Earhart’s next refueling stop was Howland Island, a tiny speck in the South Pacific Ocean, located 2,556 miles away. Although July 2, 1937, was a clear day, Earhart and Noonan never landed at Howland. A massive search effort for them, involving nine U.S. Navy ships and 66 aircraft, recovered no remains or evidence of the aircraft.
Sponsors: THE GFWC WOMAN'S CLUB OF HIALEAH, THE CITY OF HIALEAH

CHATEAU PETIT DUOY

Location:1500 Brickell Avenue
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: When Miami lawyers John and Ethel Murrell took a vacation to France in 1930, they visited Saint-Julien, a 14th century priory in Douy. Enamored with its architecture, the couple hired prominent Miami architect Martin L. Hampton to design a similarly styled home as their residence. Completed in 1931, the house was a unique example of Period Revival style architecture and is Miami’s only known French chateau. The Murrells were both passionate about Miami and Florida. John served as an attorney for real estate developer George Merrick and other prominent families. Ethel was regarded as one of Miami’s leading feminists. She drafted Florida’s Married Women's Act, part of a ten-year campaign that ended in success when the bill was passed in 1943. That same year, Ethel became president of Florida’s first Soroptimist club, which provided aid to poor elderly persons. She gained national recognition as Florida’s representative to the National Association of Women Lawyers and as an advocate for the Equal Rights Amendment. In 1948, Ethel became the chair of the National Woman’s Party. The Murrells lived out the remainder of their lives in their chateau, Petit Douy, John passing in 1982 and Ethel in 1986.
Sponsors: Chateau Miami and the Florida Department of State

HICKSON HOUSE

Location:15401 SW 260th Street
County: Miami-Dade
City: Homestead
Description: Joseph Landon Hickson (1857-1949) moved with his family to Dade County in 1903. He quickly became involved in various business ventures, including citrus growing, real estate development, and construction. He also worked to develop tropical agriculture in South Florida. Hickson’s eldest son, Joseph Robert Hickson (1888-1947), was also involved in citrus growing, and developed a new variety of avocado named the “Hickson.” In 1933, Joseph Landon Hickson purchased this property from his son. On it was a simple wood frame house, built circa 1900 of Dade County Slash Pine. The house was typical of those built by early homesteaders and represents some of the earliest architectural development in the area. Hickson made alterations to the house, including a one-room addition on the west elevation. The Hickson family planted citrus and avocado groves, along with numerous exotic plants on the property. In the mid-1930s, Hickson received a baobab tree that originated in Tanzania in 1902 from the Subtropical Horticultural Research Station. It is reportedly the largest baobab tree in the United States. The house and property remained in the family until 1962.
Sponsors: Muni Farms and the Florida Department of State

LEMON CITY NAZARENE

Location:204 NE 71st Street
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Bound by the area east of I-95, between 71st and 54th streets, the Lemon City community had at least three identifiable historic black communities at the turn of the 20th century, including this area, Nazarene. Pronounced by locals as “Naz’ree,” the community drew its name from the Bible. It was developed on land platted by Lewis W. Pierce, a local farmer and entrepreneur. Pierce wanted to provide housing for his black workers, many of whom were of Bahamian descent. An agricultural area originally comprised of pinelands and prairie, Nazarene was located between 2nd and 3rd Avenues from DuPont Road (Northeast 71st Street) to an undefined southern boundary. Artificial barriers of segregation set Nazarene apart as a black enclave in Lemon City. In the mid-20th century, racial discrimination and urban renewal forced many African American residents of Nazarene and the surrounding neighborhoods to relocate elsewhere in Miami. As a result of this forced shift in demographics, Lemon City’s African American cemetery, located within the Nazarene neighborhood on Northwest 71st Street, was lost. It was rediscovered in 2009, and portions were preserved in 2011.
Sponsors: The City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, The City of Miami in coordination with Alexander Adams, and the Florida Department of State

LEMON CITY BOLES TOWN

Location:5700 N Miami Avenue
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Bound by the area east of I-95, between 71st and 54th Streets, the Lemon City community had at least three identifiable historic black communities at the turn of the twentieth century, including this area, Boles Town. The neighborhood was named for Elijah and Rosa Boles, who had moved to the area from Lake City and were one of the original black families to settle Lemon City. Nicknamed “Lottie,” Elijah was one of Lemon City’s first entrepreneurs. In the late 1800s, he bought a portion of Lemon City librarian Ada Merritt’s homestead, west of Miami Avenue and NW 57th Street. There he built a number of small wooden houses along a single street surrounded by tropical fruit orchards that included lemons, avocados, mangos, and more. Boles rented the houses and ran a small general store. These successful business and land ventures allowed him to become one of the most affluent African Americans in the town. Elijah and Rosa held church services in their home prior to the construction of any black churches in Lemon City. In 1901, the Mount Tabor Missionary Baptist Church was organized in the Boles’ home before it moved to the Knightsville neighborhood. The Reverend B.F. Goodwin was named its first pastor.
Sponsors: The City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, The City of Miami in coordination with Alexander Adams, and the Florida Department of State

LEMON CITY KNIGHTSVILLE

Location:222 NE 68th Street
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Bound by the area east of I-95, between 71st and 54th Streets, the Lemon City community had at least three identifiable historic black communities at the turn of the 20th century, including this area, Knightsville. Surrounded by groves owned by white residents, the neighborhood consisted of five acres divided into small lots along a sand road (now NE 68th Street) that stretched west up the pineland ridge from Rock Road (NE 2nd Avenue). Knightsville was the cultural center of Lemon City’s black community, many of whom were of Bahamian descent. Two churches were located in the neighborhood, Mount Tabor Missionary Baptist Church, founded in 1894, and St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church, founded in 1901. Both churches were damaged in the 1906 Florida Keys hurricane, but were later restored. The lodge of the local chapter of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, a two-story wood frame building, was also located in Knightsville. The first floor served as a local school, while the second was used as meeting space and for social events. In the mid-20th century, as racial discrimination and urban renewal began to force black residents out of Lemon City, both churches relocated northwest to the Liberty City area.
Sponsors: The City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, The City of Miami in coordination with Alexander Adams, and the Florida Department of State

LITTLE HAITI'S MACHE AYISYEN- "THE CARIBBEAN MARKETPLACE"

Location:5925 Northeast 2nd Avenue
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: In the 1980s, thousands of Haitian immigrants settled in Miami, and the neighborhood of Little Haiti began to form. The building that would become this Haitian marketplace was originally constructed in 1936, but sat unused at the time. In 1984, the Miami Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, in cooperation with the nonprofit Haitian Task Force, organized a competition for designs to repurpose the building. Miami architect Charles Harrison Pawley, who was born in Haiti to American parents and lived there as a child, won the contract. Pawley based his design on Haiti’s gingerbread-style houses and the Marché Ferrier (Iron Market) in the capital of Port-au-Prince. He also used vibrant colors to evoke the spirit of the Caribbean. When the marketplace opened in 1990, it won a Florida Architect Award and an American Institute of Architects National Honor Award. In 1999, the market closed as funds used to maintain the building dwindled, and merchants were unable to support their businesses. The city acquired the building in 2005 and planned to tear it down, but protest from the Haitian community and other local groups saved it. The marketplace remains a focal point for Haitian business and culture in Miami.
Sponsors: District 5 Commissioner, Keon Hardemon, The City of Miami Parks Department, Little Haiti Cultural Complex, Libreri Mapou, Haitian Women of Miami, Maximillian Consultants Santla Neighborhood Center, Visit Little Haiti

MARIAH BROWN HOSUE

Location:3298 Charles Avenue
County: Miami-Dade
City: Coconut Grove
Description: Side One: Mariah Brown was born in the Upper Bogue, Eleuthera, Bahamas in 1851 and immigrated to the United States in 1880. Brown lived in Key West with her three daughters and worked as a laundress. By 1889, Brown had moved to Coconut Grove to work in the Peacock Inn owned by one of Coconut Grove founders, Charles Peacock. Though Brown and her daughters initially lived at the Peacock Inn, she soon bought land to build her own home. Located on Evangelist Street (now Charles Avenue) and within walking distance from the Peacock Inn, Brown purchased the plot for $50 from local landowner Joseph Frow. Brown and her family were among the first black families to settle in Coconut Grove, and her house, constructed in 1890, was the first built on Evangelist Street. Brown’s significance to the African-Bahamian community lasted well beyond her death in 1910. Her house along with those of other black landowners, such as E.W.F. Stirrup, became the heart of the African-Bahamian community in Coconut Grove. African-Bahamians were one of the earliest immigrant groups to arrive in South Florida, and the community in Coconut Grove is one of the oldest black communities in Dade County. Side Two: Constructed from Dade County slash pine, Mariah Brown’s one-and-a-half story wood Frame Vernacular house was designed to cope with the hot and humid climate before residential air conditioning. In the late 1800s, Bahamian immigrants brought their style of home building, later known as Conch houses, to Key West and South Florida. To protect against heavy rain and strong winds from tropical weather events, the houses featured a lower sloped roof and larger roof overhangs than typical homes in the United States during this time. Conch houses featured clapboard siding, foundation piers, high ceilings, porches, and operable sash windows. Additions were made to Brown’s Conch house in the 1920s and 1950s, but the house largely retains its original appearance and character, and was designated as a local historic site in 1995 by the City of Miami. The Mariah Brown House is listed in the Florida Black Heritage Trail as part of The Charles Avenue Historic District.
Sponsors: Coconut Grove Civic Club

U.S COAST GUARD STATION HANGAR

Location:2600 Bayshore Drive
County: Miami-Dade
City: Coconut Grove
Description: Side One: This seaplane hangar was a part of the first permanent United States Coast Guard Air Station in the country. Built in 1932, the hangar served as a crucial center for Coast Guard aviation in Florida. Planes from Dinner Key carried out rescue and evacuation missions alongside planes from other Coast Guard air stations in the Florida Keys following the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935. During World War II, aviators provided anti-submarine patrol and convoy support. In addition to aiding in the protection of the nation’s coasts, aviators conducted rescue missions to help sailors from merchant ships targeted by the Nazi Kriegsmarine. The Dinner Key Coast Guard maintained an active presence in the community after the war, and played an important part in search-and-rescue missions during the mass Cuban immigration rescue in the 1960s. By 1965, when the Coast Guard air station unit moved its operations from Dinner Key to the Opa-locka Airport, the station had evolved into the busiest air-sea rescue facility in the world. Side Two: This hangar is the oldest building associated with the air station. After the air station on Dinner Key was decommissioned, the City of Miami purchased the hangar in 1972 for use as a gymnasium. Named for local activist Elizabeth Virrick, the gymnasium originally hosted a boxing program for young men, but has since been used for other activities including sailing and other water sports. After suffering severe damage from Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the building was restored with the assistance of a grant from the Florida Division of Historical Resources. The U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Hangar/Virrick Gym was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
Sponsors: Coconut Grove Civic Club

DOC THOMAS HOUSE - HOME OF TROPICAL AUDUBON SOCIETY

Location:5530 Sunset Drive
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Arden Hayes "Doc" Thomas, a South Miami-area pioneer, pharmacist and owner of the O. K. Drug & Feed Store, commissioned architect Robert Fitch Smith in 1931 to design this distinctive High Pines home. Completed in 1932, the Rustic style structure is a sophisticated version of a Florida frame vernacular cottage. Characterized by native woods and oolitic limestone, the house also features built-in components and ornamental woodwork. As a lifelong conservationist, Thomas gifted his property to Tropical Audubon Society (TAS) to ensure its preservation and use to benefit both TAS and the general public. Established as a National Audubon Society chapter in 1947, TAS traces its origins to the 1915 Coconut Grove Audubon Society, the first in Dade County. Like all Audubon chapters, TAS is a conservation organization named for John James Audubon, the 19th-century ornithologist, wildlife artist and naturalist. After Thomas's death on December 31, 1975, TAS received his property. Since 1976, the house has functioned as Tropical Audubon Society headquarters, while the surrounding acreage now serves as the Steinberg Nature Center. The Doc Thomas House was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.
Sponsors: Tropical Audubon Society and the Florida Department of State

COCONUT GROVE PLAYHOUSE

Location:3500 Main Highway
County: Miami-Dade
City: Coconut Grove
Description: Side One: This theater is one of the few structures in downtown Coconut Grove that typifies the flamboyant era of the 1920s. Envisioned by Miami entrepreneurs Irving Thomas and Fin Pierce, The Grove was a luxurious movie theater designed in the Spanish Rococo style by noted architect Richard Kiehnel, who also designed the Miami Senior High School, the Scottish Rite Temple, and many South Florida homes. The Grove was the most elaborate theater with the largest capacity in Miami. Before its opening in 1926, Thomas sold the theater to the movie studio Paramount Enterprises, Inc., believing that the studio could bring in larger attractions. As one of Paramount’s 11 theaters in Southeast Florida, it was equipped with the latest model Wurlitzer pipe organ and was one of the few air conditioned buildings in the area. In addition, the building served multiple purposes with storefronts on the ground floor, offices on the second, and apartments on the third. The theater enjoyed a brief period of success before it closed during the Great Depression in the 1930s. Side Two: During World War II, the theater was used as a training school for U.S. Army Air Corps navigators. Following the war, the building was closed until 1955 when it was purchased for $200,000 by George Engle, who decided to transform it into a performing arts center. Engle hired prominent Modernist architect Alfred Browning Parker to redesign the theater. The remodeled theater opened on June 3, 1956, as the Coconut Grove Playhouse and was Miami’s first live theater. The opening was headlined by the U.S. premiere of Samuel Beckett’s masterpiece “Waiting for Godot.” After changing ownership multiple times, the theater was purchased by the State of Florida in 1980. Despite its turbulent history, the Coconut Grove Playhouse evolved into one of the most important regional theaters in the country and remains a beloved venue for the theatrical community in Miami.
Sponsors: Coconut Grove Civic Club

CORAL GABLES WOMAN'S CLUB

Location:1001 & 1009 East Ponce de Leon Boulevard
County: Miami-Dade
City: Coral Gables
Description: The Coral Gables Woman's Club is an icon of civic infrastructure in Coral Gables. After organizing in 1923, club members raised $10,000 to construct this clubhouse on land donated by the city. Designed by preeminent South Florida architect H. George Fink, the building was completed in 1936 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) using oolitic limestone (coral rock) from a local quarry. It was the first WPA project in Coral Gables. The clubhouse is one of the few remaining premier examples of Great Depression-era Moderne style architecture in Florida. One wing served as the first permanent location of the Library of Coral Gables. The other wing served as the clubhouse for the Woman’s Club, whose members had organized the library in 1927. To advance community outreach, the club members also established the Coral Gables Children's Dental Clinic here in 1939. The Woman’s Club took over the entire building after the library relocated in 1969, and continued to use the building for group functions. This building reflects the culture, education, growth and history of Coral Gables, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
Sponsors: The Board of Directors and Members of the Coral Gables Woman's Club

HOUSEKEEPERS- COCONUT GROVE WOMEN'S CLUB

Location:2985 South Bayshore Drive
County: Miami-Dade
City: Coconut Grove
Description: Side One: Organized as the Housekeepers Club of Coconut Grove when it was founded in 1891, the Woman’s Club of Coconut Grove is the oldest federated woman’s club in South Florida. Together with other pioneer women, local school teacher Flora McFarlane organized the club. The first meeting was held in a school house owned by Isabella “Aunt Bella” Peacock. The club worked to further the educational, social, and cultural development of the area’s residents and raised money for the construction of a new school house. The Pine Needles Club formed as an offshoot of the woman’s club became the foundation for the Coconut Grove Library. Around 1909, the club investigated ways to protect the Everglades from development. Mary Barr Munroe spearheaded an effort with the Florida Federation of Women’s Clubs to purchase land in the Everglades for conservation. The women’s efforts culminated in 1916 with the designation of Royal Palm State Park by the Florida legislature. As Florida’s first state park, it became the nucleus of what is now the Everglades National Park. Still active today, the club remains one of the most important civic organizations in the history of Coconut Grove and South Florida. Side Two: The first clubhouse was erected on land donated by Ralph Munroe in 1917. Local architect, Walter de Garmo, was hired to design this new clubhouse, which was built in 1921. De Garmo also designed the first Miami City Hall, Coral Gables Bank, and McAllister Hotel. The building was well-adapted to the South Florida environment with a wide wraparound porch, spacious arched openings (now enclosed), and high ceilings all intended to help circulate the cool breeze. Considered a focal point for the building, the porch was made from native oolithic limestone (coral rock), common in other Coconut Grove buildings. Located next to the library and across from the Peacock Inn (now Peacock Park), the clubhouse was at the heart of Coconut Grove’s social life. This building remains significant because of its association with Coconut Grove’s early development and for its role as a social and cultural center of the community.
Sponsors: Coconut Grove Civic Club

E.W.F. STIRRUP HOUSE

Location:3242 Charles Avenue
County: Miami-Dade
City: Coconut Grove
Description: Side One: Bahamian immigrants played an integral role in the development of Coconut Grove. African-Bahamian immigrant Ebenezer Woodbury Franklin Stirrup was born in 1873, and emigrated from the Bahamas in 1888. Stirrup worked as a carpenter’s apprentice first in Key West, then moved his family to Coconut Grove to work on James Deering’s pineapple farm. Through his entrepreneurial talent, Stirrup became one of the largest landowners in the area and built this two-story Frame Vernacular house for himself in 1897. Believing homeownership led people to be better citizens, he built more than 100 homes for African Americans in the region, and provided other blacks with opportunities to rent and later purchase their first homes. In addition to real estate, Stirrup owned a grocery store, bicycle repair shop, tailor shop, meat market, and dry goods store. The Bahamas had the same coral rock and climate, so Stirrup and others knew how to use this soil to plant tropical trees, vegetables, and fruits. Furthermore, they knew how to use the local limestone to make lime mortar used in stone foundations for houses. Side Two: The Stirrup House is one of a few wood-frame residences from the late nineteenth century remaining in Miami-Dade County. The house’s narrow proportions, the size and shape of its doors and windows, and its L-shaped plan are characteristics frequently associated with the era’s residential architecture. The house contains materials of outstanding quality that are native and unique to South Florida, including Dade County slash pine. Though the building has been altered over the years, it retains much of its overall integrity, and is a remarkable example of architecture associated with the Bahamian experience in South Florida. Along with the rehabilitated Mariah Brown House nearby to the west, the E.W.F. Stirrup House serves as a reminder of the achievement of these early pioneers.
Sponsors: Coconut Grove Civic Club

COCONUT GROVE LIBRARY

Location:2875 McFarlane Avenue
County: Miami-Dade
City: Coconut Grove
Description: Side One: This library stands as testament to the tenacity of Coconut Grove’s pioneering citizens. Established by the Pine Needles Club, an organization for young girls formed by local teacher Mary Barr Munroe, the first library operated out of a room above Charles Peacock and Son’s grocery store in the 1890s. Munroe held classes in the room until the library was built in 1901. The first books in the library’s collection were donated in 1895 by Louise Carnegie, wife of steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, who had visited the area earlier on a yachting trip. The books were originally housed in other locations and primarily used by local bibliophiles. Ralph Middleton Munroe, owner of the Barnacle and Commodore of the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club, donated the land for construction of the library building. In doing so, Commodore Munroe stipulated that the grave of his late wife, Eva, would be maintained on-site. Writer and conservationist Kirk Munroe, husband of Mary Munroe, donated the building. The building was reminiscent of a single story English Cotswold Cottage with a clipped-gable roof and was constructed from Miami oolite, a native limestone. Side Two: The Coconut Grove Library Association operated the small building until 1957, when the City of Miami offered to build a new air-conditioned facility. The association’s trustees reluctantly accepted. In 1963, the city commissioned local architectural firm T. Triplett Russell and Associates to design the modern library. In his designs Russell paid homage to the original library design by incorporating oolithic limestone into the wall construction and a clipped-gable roof for the new building’s westernmost wing. The two-story building is defined by a steep, hipped A-frame roof structure. Horizontal metal slats on the exterior shade a wide and un-air conditioned wood veranda space with built-in seating. Like the original building, the new library was built from local materials such as Dade County Rocklands slash pine. Below is a photo of the 1901 library.
Sponsors: Coconut Grove Civic Club

EVANGELIST STREET- CHARLES AVENUE

Location:Charles Avenue from Main Highway to 37th Avenue
County: Miami-Dade
City: Coconut Grove
Description: Side One: In the late 1800s, African-Bahamians migrated to the United States after exhaustion of the islands’ rocky soil. South Florida and the Florida Keys, with similar geography and climate, became attractive destinations. Most Bahamians that settled in Coconut Grove were from the Island of Eleuthera, where the majority of inhabitants were formerly enslaved people from West Indian plantations. One of the first arrivals was Mariah Brown, who was among the first settlers to build their house in this area. When more immigrants settled in the neighborhood, the residents asked the town to put in a road. When the town refused, the Bahamian community built their own road from oolithic limestone (coral rock). Evangelist Street took its name from the neighboring churches, many of which served black congregations, including Macedonia Baptist Church, St. Agnes Baptist Church, and St. Paul’s Methodist Church. Another prominent individual from the Bahamian community on Evangelist Street was E.W.F. Stirrup, who built homes to sell and rent to other newly-arrived Bahamian immigrants. Evangelist Street/Charles Avenue symbolizes the thriving Bahamian community in the area. Side Two: As the neighborhood grew, Evangelist Street grew with it. The street became the cultural and commercial center for the Bahamian community, and extended from Main Highway on the east to Douglas Road (SW 37th Avenue) on the west. In the early 1900s, the street name was changed to Charles Avenue after early settler Joseph Frow’s son, Charles. The Frow family sold land to many of the early Bahamian pioneers to build their homes. In the 1920s the business district moved to County Road, now Grand Avenue. While other parts of Coconut Grove continued to develop, the Charles Avenue area remained the same and was one of the last streets in Coconut Grove to be paved or receive sewers. Charles Avenue remains the backbone of the community and includes an important cemetery, where notable pioneers are buried, as well as historic shotgun homes owned by Mariah Brown and E.W.F. Stirrup. The Neighborhood Conservation District was formed here in 2005.
Sponsors: Coconut Grove Civic Club

NAS MIAMI- PAN AM SEAPLANE BASE

Location:2500 Pan American Boulevard
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Side One: Known as the “Air Gateway between the Americas”, the Pan American Seaplane Base and Terminal Building is significant in the history of modern air transportation and is an outstanding example of air terminal design. In 1929, Pan American Airways began seaplane service, between the United States and Latin America, on the site of the former Miami Naval Air Station, which had been destroyed by the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926. Pan Am’s first hangar was constructed in 1931. The first passengers left from a houseboat “terminal” anchored nearby until this permanent terminal building was constructed in 1934. In the 1930s, the base was one of the nation’s busiest commercial seaplane airports. In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt passed through the base on his way to Casablanca, marking the first time a U.S. president had traveled by air while in office. The last Pan Am flight left the terminal in 1945, and the site was sold to the City of Miami the next year. Some of the hangers were demolished, and the terminal building became the Miami City Hall in 1954. The terminal’s main waiting room now serves as the Miami City Commission’s chambers. Side Two: In its day, this Art Deco style building was the largest, most modern marine air terminal in the world. Its painted frieze contains images from the history of aviation and the signs of the zodiac. The seaplane base was designed for both aerial and land views. A long straight entry drive with median represents an airplane’s fuselage. The maintenance hangers on each side were angled in a “V”-shape towards the north representing wings, and point to the Art Deco terminal building. A circular revolving globe sculpture at the main entrance, used for determining the movement of planes. This terminal’s design was a model for air terminals in the United States and abroad, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The City of Miami received a historic preservation grant from the Florida Division of Historical Resources in 2007 for assistance with their restoration of the building.
Sponsors: Coconut Grove Civic Club

LEMON CITY TRAIN STATION

Location:Between Northeast 59th Street and Northeast 60th Srteet
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Built in 1896, the Lemon City station was located between present-day NE 59th St. and NE 60th St. The wood-frame station was painted yellow with white trim and had a flower garden around it. Henry Flagler had the station built to assist agricultural interests in the area. The depot’s location was near local businesses, a school, and the Lemon City docks. As part of the Florida East Coast Railway, the station offered passenger and freight service, and connected Lemon City to other communities in Dade County. The railroad improved transportation, but prompted a mass exodus from Lemon City in the 1890s. Many residents left to find better opportunities in Miami. For businesses that remained, access to the railroad significantly impacted Lemon City by shifting its commercial focus from the port to the station. The commercial district moved west, away from the coast and closer to the railroad. During the early 1900s, new general stores, Dr. DuPuis’ office and drugstore, and other buildings were constructed near the station. In 1908, the post office moved to be closer to the railroad. The only remnant of the station is a section of Florida East Coast Railway right-of-way, wide enough to include the building.
Sponsors: Mayor Thomas Regalado, The City of Miami in Coordination with Alexander Adams

LEMON CITY POST OFFICE

Location:Northeast 61st Street
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: The first post office in Lemon City opened on October 1, 1889, in one corner of Moffat’s bayside store. E.L. White was appointed the first postmaster. Lemon City quickly became an active mail center, so much so that the Tropical Sun reported in 1891 that “Lemon City receives more mail… than any other office on Biscayne Bay.” Often the mail was dropped off by ship or train in Lemon City on its way to Miami further south. The post office operated out of the Moffat store until 1891, when it moved to another local store following a quarrel between the postmaster, Garry Niles, and the Moffat Family. During Niles’ tenure as postmaster, the post office moved repeatedly, usually to different stores. It moved into its own building in 1905 under the management of E.L. Eaton, and again in 1910 following the appointment of a new postmaster. During the post office’s 36 years of operation, it moved nine times and had twelve postmasters. Three were women, the first postmistress being Louibelle Goode in 1914. The post office operated independently until 1925, when it became part of the Miami postal system following the annexation of Lemon City. The branch continued to operate until 1974, when it was permanently closed.
Sponsors: Mayor Thomas Regalado, The City of Miami in Coordination with Alexander Adams

LEMON CITY PORT

Location:Northeast 61st Street
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Side One: Predating the City of Miami, Lemon City had the first port on Biscayne Bay due to its natural, deep-water channel. Prior to dredging, Biscayne Bay was largely shallow. Shipping was Lemon City’s primary link to the outside world, and the community’s commercial district developed around the port. Ships transported animals, people, produce, and merchandise. Ships also brought into Lemon City a majority of the mail for distribution to other settlements in the area. In the fall of 1891, there were between four and six vessels arriving and departing from Lemon City each week. Large sailing vessels were unable to anchor close to the dock in Lemon City and had to remain in the deeper channel. Smaller boats, such as schooners and sloops, were used to transfer goods between ships and the mainland. The largest vessel to come to Lemon City was reportedly the Emily B., a three-masted, thirty-ton schooner that traveled between Jacksonville and Key West. In November 1891, Julia Tuttle, known as the “Mother of Miami,” arrived with her family aboard the Emily B. at Lemon City. Side Two: By 1895, there were multiple businesses in the Lemon City commercial district, including hotels, general stores, a barbershop, a real estate office, a bakery, a sponge warehouse, saloons, a restaurant, a blacksmith, a livery stable, a post office, a sawmill, a music shop, and a photo studio. The buildings were of wood-frame construction. Most were simple and unpainted, but others, like the Lemon City Hotel, were more elaborate. Owners were free to build without restriction. The booming port brought in farmers, who created a small village. Lemon City was the trading center of Biscayne Bay and later attracted railroads to connect shipping by port and rail. The opening of the Lemon City train staion on the Florida East Coast Railway in 1896 marked the end of the port’s popularity. The new railroad shifted the commercial focus in the area away from shipping to rail transport, and from Lemon City to Miami. Around the turn of the twentieth century, businesses began to relocate further inland to be closer to the railroad depot. New general stores, Dr. DuPuis’ medical office and drugstore, and other buildings were all constructed around the train depot. By 1910, only pleasure ships were moored at the Lemon City docks.
Sponsors: Mayor Thomas Regalado, The City of Miami in Coordination with Alexander Adams

OFFICE OF DR. JAMES JACKSON, MIAMI'S FIRST PHYSICIAN

Location:190 Southeast 12 Terrace
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Dr. James M. Jackson moved with his wife Edith to Miami in 1896 and became the city’s first resident physician. In 1899 they built a home on land purchased from the “Mother of Miami,” Julia Tuttle. Dr. Jackson built this one-story frame building directly behind the house in 1905. It served as his office and surgery suite until it was sold in 1916 and moved by land and barge to this location. The building's wide porches, supported by Doric columns, exemplify the adaptation of the Neo-Classical style to Miami's climate. As the leader of Miami's early medical community, Dr. Jackson was the official physician for Henry Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railroad, helped found the Dade County Medical Association, served as the president of the Florida Medical Association, and led a number of community and professional organizations. Upon his death in April 1924, the Miami City Hospital was renamed in his honor. Jackson’s office was restored and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The building is the headquarters of the Dade Heritage Trust, Miami's largest historic preservation organization, whose mission is to preserve the community's architectural, environmental, and cultural heritage.
Sponsors: Dade Heritage Trust

VIRGINIA KEY BEACH STATE PARK

Location:Replaced by F-573
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description:

OPERATION PEDRO PAN / OPERACIÓN PEDRO PAN

Location:155 NW 14th St
County: Miami-Dade
City: Florida City
Description: On this site, which was officially known as the Florida City Shelter of the Catholic Welfare Bureau’s Cuban Children’s Program, thousands of Operation Pedro Pan children found refuge from Communist Cuba between 1961 and 1966. Operation Pedro Pan was conceived and organized by Monsignor Bryan O. Walsh of the Archdiocese of Miami and James Baker, headmaster of Ruston Academy in Havana, Cuba, at the request of parents who sought to prevent Communist indoctrination of their children. It was financed largely by the United States Government with full support of the Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson administrations, and was supervised by the State of Florida. Between December 1960 and October 1962, over 14,000 Pedro Pan children arrived in South Florida. The Florida City Shelter was the largest of the Operation’s facilities in the state. It housed girls 5-19 years old and boys under 13 who lived in home units under the care of exiled Cuban couples who served as house parents. Its day-to-day operations were managed by Catholic priests and Sisters of St. Philip Neri. Many Operation Pedro Pan children went on to plant deep roots in the region and made significant contributions to Florida and the nation. En este sitio, denominado Refugio de Florida City del Programa de Niños Cubanos del Buró Católico de Bienestar Social, miles de niños integrantes de la Operación Pedro Pan recibieron albergue de Cuba Comunista entre 1961 y 1966. La operación fue concebida y organizada por el Monseñor Bryan O. Walsh de la Arquidiócesis de Miami y por James Baker, director de la Academia Ruston, ubicada en La Habana, Cuba, a solicitud de padres que no querían que sus hijos fueran adoctrinados por el régimen. Fue financiada por el gobierno estadounidense, con respaldo de las administraciones de Eisenhower, Kennedy y Johnson y supervisada por el gobierno estatal de Florida. Entre diciembre de 1960 y octubre de 1962, más de 14,000 niños cubanos llegaron al sur de Florida. En el Refugio de Florida City, el mayor del estado, se acogieron niñas entre 5 y 19 años de edad y niños menores de 13. Los menores residían en hogares encabezados por matrimonios cubanos exiliados que fungían como padres. La administración estaba bajo la dirección de sacerdotes católicos y las Hermanas de San Felipe Neri. Muchos niños de Operación Pedro Pan echaron raíces en la región y contribuyeron al desarrollo socioeconómico y cultural de Florida y del país.
Sponsors: Operation Pedro Pan Group, Inc. and the Florida Department of State

OLD CUTLER ROAD

Location:Old Culter Rd between Tivoli Ave and SW 74th St
County: Miami-Dade
City: Cutler Bay
Description: Old Cutler Road owes its name to the former town of Cutler, a farming community founded by William Fuzzard in the late 1800s. The town was named after Dr. William Cutler of Massachusetts who visited the area about 1880 and encouraged Fuzzard and others to settle here. In 1883, Fuzzard, with the help of other residents of Cutler, cut a path north and east through a wilderness of pine rocklands and hardwood hammocks to the Village of Coconut Grove. The road followed a natural limestone ridge along Biscayne Bay, and established the first overland route connecting Coconut Grove and Cutler. It was subsequently widened to a wagon trail, and was declared a public road in 1895. The road became known as Cutler Road, later as Ingraham Highway, and still later as Old Cutler Road. Today, Old Cutler Road, which follows a somewhat altered course, maintains the appearance and atmosphere of a country road, and provides a tangible reminder of the heritage of the Miami area. Old Cutler Road was declared a State Historic Highway in 1974 by the Florida Legislature.
Sponsors: The Town of Cutler Bay and the Florida Department of State

THE BARNACLE

Location:3485 Main Highway
County: Miami-Dade
City: Coconut Grove
Description: The Barnacle is one of the oldest homes in Dade County still standing on its original site. It was built in 1891 by Ralph Middleton Munroe, one of Coconut Grove’s most prominent pioneers. He visited South Florida in 1877 and moved to this area in 1881. Commodore Munroe purchased 40 acres of bay front land, including this five acre site. He built the boathouse in 1887 and lived on its upper floor until the main house was completed. In 1894 he married Jenny Wirth. They had two children Patty and Wirth, who were brought up here. This historic site and the original house with its additions were donated to the state of Florida by the Munroe family in 1973.
Sponsors: The Barnacle Society Inc and the Florida Department of State.

DR. ELEANOR GALT SIMMONS- OFFICE AND STABLE

Location:4013 South Douglas Road
County: Miami-Dade
City: Coconut Grove
Description: This low oolitic limestone building was the office and stable of Dr. Eleanor Galt Simmons (1854 – 1909), Dade County’s first female physician. Simmons, a Bryn Mawr College alumna, graduated from the Women’s Medical College of Philadelphia in 1880. She moved to Coconut Grove in 1892 with her husband, Captain Albion Simmons, and purchased eight acres. Using the Encyclopedia Britannica as guidance, the couple built a house which later burned down. As a frontier physician, Simmons made her rounds by horse and a two-wheeled cart or by boat. She encountered alligators, rattlesnakes, panthers, and swarms of mosquitos. Simmons treated white and black settlers, as well as members of the Miccosukee tribe, made rural house calls, and became renowned for her ability to treat difficult cases. She also ministered to the 7,500 troops stationed in Miami during the Spanish-American War who suffered from dysentery, typhus, or measles. The property was sold to botanist Dr. David Fairchild and his wife in 1916 and is known as The Kampong. Dr. Simmons’ office is the second-oldest building in Miami-Dade County standing on its original foundation, and the brass doorbell plate at the entrance still bears her name, DR GALT SIMMONS.
Sponsors: Michael and Dianne Rosenberg

U.S. COAST SURVEY BASE MARKER

Location:1200 Crandon Boulevard
County: Miami-Dade
City: Key Biscayne
Description: In 1807, President Thomas Jefferson signed legislation calling for a survey of the United States’ coastlines. Initially coordinated by the U.S. Navy, the survey was taken over by the newly-formed, civilian U.S. Coast Survey team in 1832. Led by superintendent Alexander Dallas Bache, a U.S. Coast Survey team erected two base markers, each weighing over 3.5 tons, on Key Biscayne in 1855. The team established a 3.6-mile baseline that was used in conjunction with other surveys to create some of the first truly accurate maps of the Florida coastline and reefs. The north marker is located on land that is now within the Crandon Park Golf Course. The original south marker was on land 300 feet south of the Cape Florida Lighthouse, but had disappeared into the sea by 1883 as the shoreline eroded. In 1988, local professional land surveyors located remnants of the southern marker in 12 feet of water and the U.S. Air Force 301st Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron recovered it. The recovery effort helped to preserve some physical remains representing the Coast Survey team’s struggle to measure and map Florida’s coast.
Sponsors: The Dade Heritage Trust, Inc.

BARBARA BAER CAPITMAN, HISTORIC PRESERVATIONIST

Location:
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami Beach
Description: This building is home to the Miami Design Preservation League, founded by Barbara Baer Capitman in 1976. On May 14, 1979, under her leadership, the Miami Beach Architectural District (Art Deco District) became the first urban 20th century historic district to gain recognition on the National Register of Historic Places. Capitman fought tooth and nail to preserve the Art Deco District and was known to stand in front of bulldozers to protect her beloved Art Deco buildings. Over 800 Art Deco buildings remain as testament to her defiance. The drab run-down hotels on Ocean Drive were revitalized and painted in pastel colors selected by League co-founder Leonard Horowitz. Miami’s cultural development and tourism revival flowed from Capitman’s vision and efforts. She spurred a national and international movement for the preservation of 20th century design and architecture. Barbara Baer Capitman preserved an architectural treasure and changed the fate of Miami Beach, creating a world class tourist destination. ''My whole life had been Art Deco,'' she once said. ''I was born at the beginning of the period and grew up during the height of it. It's a thing of fate.'' In 1990, Capitman died in Miami at age 69.
Sponsors: City of Miami Beach

MIAMI CITY CEMETERY

Location:1800 NE 2nd Ave
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: In 1897 Mrs. Mary Brickell sold this 10-acre “rocky wasteland” to the City of Miami for $750. It was a half mile north of the city limits on a narrow wagon county trail. The first burial, not recorded, was of an elderly black man on 14 July 1897. The first recorded burial was H. Graham Branscomb, a 23-year-old Englishman on 20 July 1897. From its inception it was subdivided with “whites on the east end and the colored population on the west end.” In 1915 the Beth David congregation began a Jewish section. Two other sections are the circles: the first, Julia Tuttle, the “Mother of Miami” buried in 1898; the second, a memorial to the Confederate Dead erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. There are 66 Confederate and 27 Union veterans buried there. Other sections include a Catholic section, American Legion, Spanish American War, and two military sections along the north and south fence lines. Among the 9,000 burials are pioneer families such as the Burdines, Peacocks, Sewells, Gilberts and Dr. James Jackson. The five oolitic limestone markers are the only known worldwide. Restoration was led by Enid Pinkney and Penny Lambeth of the African-American Committee of Dade Heritage Trust and TREEmendous Miami.
Sponsors: Sons of Confederate Vetrans, Dade Heritage Trust, Commissioners Regalado, Winton and Teele, and the Florida Department of State

ST. MARY FIRST MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH

Location:136 Frow Avenue
County: Miami-Dade
City: Coral Gables
Description: St. Mary First Missionary Baptist Church was the first African American church in Coral Gables. The church was founded on March 9, 1924, and its congregation of seventeen members first met in an old school house on Thomas Avenue in the MacFarlane Homestead Subdivision. This district contains one of the few remaining concentrations of buildings that reflect the city’s African American heritage. In 1926, the congregation built a permanent house of worship on the present location, but it was destroyed by a hurricane in 1926. Another wooden sanctuary was built under the leadership of the Rev. C.H. Williams. In 1938, the Rev. W.F. Tanner began a long association with the church. Upon his arrival, the church had only 162 members; by 1948, under his pastorship, the congregation had grown to over 1,500 members. Rev. Tanner began an ambitious building program for the church, and in 1958 he completed this masonry building. The congregation wanted the new church to be similar in design to the previous church. To that end, architect J. Frank Bradley designed the two-story church with a tower at the same location as in the earlier building. Rev. Tanner served as pastor of the church for 41 years until his death in 1979.
Sponsors: The City of Coral Gables and the Florida Department of State

PORT OF MIAMI

Location:Port Boulevard and Biscayne Boulevard, State Road #5
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Miami’s waterfront location has played a critical role in its history. In 1895, landowners Julia Tuttle and William and Mary Brickell persuaded Henry Flagler to extend his Florida East Coast Railroad south and build a port city. Flagler’s first passenger train reached Miami in 1896, and the city of 300 residents was then incorporated. In this area, Flagler dredged a 12-foot channel in 1897 and began regular passenger service between Miami and Key West. Flagler’s Peninsular and Occidental (P&O) Steamship Company later began the first regular shipping service between Miami, Granada, and Nassau. In the post-World War II boom, Miami’s geographic proximity as one of the closest U.S. ports to the Caribbean and South America, the city’s transportation and international trade pioneers, and its connection with global commerce, have made it the "Cruise Capital of the World" and “Cargo Gateway of the Americas.” The port accommodates the largest cruise ships in the world, and is one of an elite group of international ports that cater to both cruise ships and containerized cargo vessels.
Sponsors: Foreign Affairs Center, Inc., Florida Trade Association

NW 36th STREET BRIDGE

Location:Bridge that carries Northwest 36th Street over Miami (C-6) Canal
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: A rare example of a Hanover Skew bridge once crossed the Miami Canal at this location. The bridge, completed in 1952, was built to carry increasing automobile traffic to and from Miami International Airport, southwest of this location. In the early 1950s, Miami politicians were closely watching municipal spending, and chose this affordable bridge design to reduce traffic issues and accommodate the growing boat traffic on the Miami Canal. The engineering firm of Hardesty & Hanover developed the Hanover Skew bridge design to provide a solution to the skewed crossing over the Miami Canal at NW 36th Street. The bridge required only one set of machinery, a massive pier, and one bascule leaf, which made it economical. Hanover Skew type bridges are unique because of the angled bascule leaf, which rises up and over when opening, similar to turning pages in a book. The NW 36th Street Bridge was one of only three Hanover Skew bridges built in Florida, and one of four bridges of this type built in the United States, all between 1945 and 1963. The Hanover Skew bridge at this location was removed in 2015.
Sponsors: The Florida Department of Transportation

WOMEN TAKE ACTION IN CORAL GABLES (The Roxcy O'Neal Bolton House)

Location:Alhambra Circle and Madrid
County: Miami-Dade
City: Miami
Description: Built in 1933, this Mediterranean Revival house is a contributing structure in the Coral Gables Plantation Historic District, one of the earliest developments in the city planned by George Merrick. Throughout the late 1960s and the 1970s, this house became a meeting place for those who campaigned for equal rights for women. Resident and pioneer feminist Roxcy O’Neal Bolton opened her home as headquarters to organize numerous rallies and marches and founded the Miami Dade Chapter of the National Organization for Women. In an effort to bring public attention to the special needs of women, organizational meetings were held in this house to establish Women in Distress, the first women’s rescue shelter in Florida, and the Rape Treatment Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. Community meetings were also held here to create the Citizen’s Crime Watch of Dade County, one of the first of its kind in the country. Under Roxcy Bolton’s leadership, the perseverance of all those who volunteered their time here created a forceful voice for justice for those who would otherwise not be heard.
Sponsors: Coral Gables Historic Preservation Board and the Florida Department of State

Monroe

1st U.S. FLAG OVER KEY WEST

Location:Mallory Square, in front of Waterfront Playhouse
County: Monroe
City: Key West
Description: Under orders from the Navy Department issued on February 7, 1822, Lt. Matthew C. Perry proceeded to Key West aboard his ship, the United States Schooner Shark, to survey the island and harbor and officially declare it part of the newly acquired territory of Florida. On March 25, 1822, Perry landed his crew and in the presence of the inhabitants raised the American standard formally proclaiming United States sovereignty over this island and the Florida Keys.
Sponsors: Key West Art and Historical Society in Cooperation with Department of State

AFRICAN CEMETERY AT HIGGS BEACH

Location:Atlantic Blvd, Near White St.
County: Monroe
City: Key West
Description: Near this site lie the remains of 294 African men, women and children who died in Key West in 1860. In the summer of that year the U.S. Navy rescued 1,432 Africans from three American-owned ships engaged in the illegal slave trade. Ships bound for Cuba were intercepted by the U.S. Navy, who brought the freed Africans to Key West where they were provided with clothing, shelter and medical treatment. They had spent weeks in unsanitary and inhumane conditions aboard the slave ships. The U.S. steamships Mohawk, Wyandott and Crusader rescued these individuals from the Wildfire, where 507 were rescued; the William, where 513 were rescued; and the Bogota, where 417 survived. In all, 294 Africans succumbed at Key West to various diseases caused by conditions of their confinement. They were buried in unmarked graves on the present day Higgs Beach where West Martello Tower now stands. By August, more than 1,000 survivors left for Liberia, West Africa, a country founded for former American slaves, where the U.S. government supported them for a time. Hundreds died on the ships before reaching Liberia. Thus, the survivors were returned to their native land, Africa, but not to their original homes on that continent.
Sponsors: OLD ISLAND RESTORATION FOUNDATION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

CONVENT OF MARY IMMACULATE - (1878)

Location:Truman Avenue between Simonton and Margaret Street
County: Monroe
City: Key West
Description: Built by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, a Canadian Order which first established a school here in 1868. Designed by William Kerr of Ireland, of Romanesque style, with dormered, mansard roofs and central tower. In the Spanish- American war the Sisters offered their services as nurses and the Convent to the Navy as a hospital and rendered devoted service to the wounded and yellow fever victims.

FIRST TRAIN TO KEY WEST

Location:Storage
County: Monroe
City: Key West
Description: At 9:43 a.m., January 22, 1912, 15,000 citizens of Key West, many of whom had never seen a train, stood here watched the arrival of five cars carrying the Henry M. Flagler party. This signaled the completion of the overseas extension of Flagler's Florida East Coast Railway. Flagler was given a tumultuous reception and that day several more trains arrived with celebrities, including Florida Governor Albert Gilchrist. The celebration lasted days and brought Flagler praise from around the world.

FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILROAD OVERSEAS EXTENSION - "THE RAILROAD THAT WENT TO SEA"

Location:on U.S. 1 between Upper and Lower Matecumbe Keys
County: Monroe
City: Florida Keys
Description: Oil magnate Henry M. Flagler first visited Florida in 1878. Realizing Florida's potential for growth, he developed railroads and hotels which transformed the eastern seaboard. The Florida East Coast Railroad reached Miami in 1896 and soon was completed to the Homestead area. Years of planning were devoted to determining the feasibility of extending the F.E.C. Railroad to Key West which was labeled "Flagler's Folly." Construction was begun in 1904 under the supervision of Joseph C. Meredith. After Meredith's death in 1909, William J. Krome guided the project. Viaducts, trestles, and bridges were constructed under harrowing conditions. Thousands of workers battled against insects, hurricanes, and intense heat as well as food and water shortages. On January 21, 1912, the Overseas Extension of the Florida East Coast Railroad was completed. The next day, Henry Flagler's special train arrived in Key West. Flagler died in 1913, but his Overseas Extension continued to carry visitors to Key West until 1935, when the Labor Day hurricane damaged the line beyond repair. A portion of the Overseas Extension near Tea Table Key was among the surviving remnants of this great engineering project which helped to open the Florida Keys to tourism.
Sponsors: sponsored by senator richard r. renick in cooperation with department of state

KEY WEST CEMETERY

Location:Passover Ln near Angela St.
County: Monroe
City: Key West
Description: Key West Cemetery was founded in 1847 following a hurricane the previous year that destroyed the earlier cemetery located near present day Higgs Beach. To protect from future flooding, the 19-acre cemetery was located here on Solares Hill, the highest natural elevation in Key West. An estimated 75,000 people are interred here, divided among parcels that reflect the cultural diversity that continues to characterize the city of Key West today. The cemetery contains a historic Catholic section, Jewish section, the U.S.S. Maine Plot dedicated in 1900, and the Los Martires de Cuba, a memorial for those who fought in the 1868 Cuban revolution. In addition to these defined areas, African Americans, Cubans and Americans, rich and poor, are interred throughout. In-ground and crypt style graves range from simple concrete copings filled with soil to elaborate monuments. Plot enclosures of wrought iron, wood, or concrete were often used to mark family plots.
Sponsors: HISTORIC FLORIDA KEYS FOUNDATION, THE CITY OF KEY WEST AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

KEY WEST, SOUTH FLORIDA'S OLDEST CITY

Location:Duval & Front Sts.
County: Monroe
City: Key West
Description: The first owner of Cayo Hueso, now Key West, was Juan P. Salas of St. Augustine who received it as a Spanish grant in 1815. In Havana, on December 20, 1821, Salas sold the island to an American businessman, John W. Simonton, for $2,000. Simonton and associates sent a party of men with supplies to the island and on January 19, 1822, took possession of it establishing the first permanent community in South Florida.
Sponsors: Old Island Restoration Foundation in Cooperation with Department of State

LONG KEY FISHING CLUB

Location:U.S. 1 at Mile Marker 65.8
County: Monroe
City: Long Key
Description: Side 1: Henry M. Flagler began construction on the Key West Extension of the Florida East Coast Railroad southward from Homestead in 1905. Despite destructive hurricanes in 1906, 1909, and 1910, the Key West Extension was completed in January 1912 at a cost of $49 million. With completion of Long Key Viaduct, the first bridge built on the line and the trademark of the East Coast Railroad, Flagler's East Coast Hotel Company established the Long Key Fishing Club in 1906. This "Garden of Eden" soon became the mecca for the world's greatest saltwater anglers. Side 2: Zane Grey, writer and pioneer of Florida Keys fishing, was president of the exclusive Long Key Fishing Club which consisted of the Lodge, decorated with matchless displays of mounted Florida game fish, guest cottages and storehouses. The accommodations and service were of the highest quality. One of the principal aims of the Club was the cessation of wholesale destruction of game fish species. Because of his leadership and contributions to the development of Long Key, the crystal clear stream running in from the Atlantic to the boundaries of this park was named Zane Grey Creek. On September 2, 1935, a hurricane swept the Florida Keys destroying the Long Key Fishing Club and ending operation of the Key West Extension.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

OLD CITY HALL

Location:510 Greene Street
County: Monroe
City: Key West
Description: The City of Key West acquired this lot in 1871 and built a wood-frame city hall, dedicating it on July 4, 1876, during the nation’s Centennial. That building stood until it burned down in the devastating fire of 1886. The City then constructed this brick edifice between 1890 and 1892. Scott, McDermott & Higgs designed the structure, while Russell & Harvey built it. The ground floor - with wide arches and supporting columns - accommodated market stalls, then fire engines. The upper floor, dominated by the City Commission chambers, also housed City offices. Over the years, the building was altered, including the removal of the bell tower. Monroe County acquired the property in 1965 to house its juvenile court. In 1974, the State of Florida acquired the building, and the Historic Florida Keys Preservation Board spearheaded its restoration. The bell tower was restored in 1976 during the Bicentennial. Restoration efforts continued through the 1980’s, leading to the rededication of Old City Hall in 1991. Sweeping granite stairs and an ornate iron balustrade distinguish the building’s entrance, while high ceilings, large windows, and wainscoting grace the historic interior.
Sponsors: THE HISTORIC FLORIDA KEYS FOUNDATION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

PORTER'S ANTI-PIRATE FLEET

Location:625 Truman Ave.
County: Monroe
City: Key West
Description: An outbreak of piracy in 1822 prompted the United States to organize the West Indian Squadron, an anti-pirate fleet. Commanded by Commodore David Porter, the Squadron in 1823 included 17 ships and 1,100 men based in Key West. For two years the fleet attacked many of the estimated 2,000 pirates in the Indies. In 1825, after Porter was removed from command, Commodore Lewis Warrington continued the assault. Altogether 79 pirates were taken by U.S. ships.

SOUTH FLORIDA'S FIRST PUBLIC LIBRARY

Location:700 Fleming Street - Monroe County Public Library
County: Monroe
City: Key West
Description: On April 8, 1892, a group of citizens organized the Key West Library Association. The first public library was open in the old Masonic Temple September 15, 1892. After 1896, the operation was assumed by other civic groups, including the Key West Woman's Club, which for 44 years provided library service. Through the group's efforts, funds were raised to build the Monroe County Public Library which opened in November, 1959.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in Cooperation with Monroe County Public Library and The Florida Historical Society

ST. PAUL'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH - (1832)

Location:401 Duval Street
County: Monroe
City: Key West
Description: Oldest in Florida diocese, the present church (1912) is the fourth on this site. John Fleming, one of the four original owners of the island, is buried here. His widow donated the property, stipulating that the church pews be free. Rectory built 1853. The chimes, first installed in a Florida church, were originally in a frame church (1886) destroyed in 1909 hurricane.

THE TRUMAN LITTLE WHITE HOUSE

Location:111 Front Street
County: Monroe
City: Key West
Description: Built in 1890 as quarters for Navy officers, the Little White House later was used by American Presidents William Howard Taft, Harry S. Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. Truman used the facility as a vacation home and functioning White House between 1946 and 1952. National legislation was drafted and official government business was conducted daily from the site. Perhaps the most important of these actions occurred on December 5, 1951, when Truman enacted a Civil Rights Executive Order requiring federal contractors to hire minorities. The house is considered the birthplace of the U. S. Department of Defense and the U. S. Air Force as a result of the Key West Accords of 1948. President Eisenhower used the site in 1956 while recuperating from a heart attack. In 1961, the house was the venue for a summit between President Kennedy and British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan during the Bay of Pigs incident. Kennedy returned in 1962 after the Cuban Missile Crisis. Secretary of State Colin Powell and foreign leaders held an international summit here in 2001. The Little White House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
Sponsors: THE KEY WEST HARRY S. TRUMAN FOUNDATION, HISTORIC TOURS OF AMERICA, INC., AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

TREE COLONY - BAHIA HONDA KEY

Location:Old Bahia Honda Bridge, near dock. Bahia Honda State Recreation Area.
County: Monroe
City: Bahia Honda Key
Description: Since about 1870, botanists from all over the world have been visiting Bahia Honda Key to study the plants brought here by the birds, the hurricane winds, and the ocean waves from all the islands of the West Indies and the Caribbean Sea. The very rare plants that are found growing as a native plant only on Bahia Honda Key are the West Indies satinwood, or yellowwood tree (Zanthoxylum flavum), the Catesbaea, Jamaica morning-glory (Jaquemontia jamaicensis), and wild dilly (Mimusops). Beautiful and colorful plants from the West Indies known in the Keys and South Florida areas are the Geiger tree (orange flowers), wild Alamanda (yellow flowers), sea-lavender (fragrant white flowers and ash-gray leaves), key spiderlily (white flowers), bay cedar (yellow flower), and the thatch and silver palms.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

WILLIAM CURRY'S SONS - (Founded 1845 as Bowne & Curry)

Location:3501 South Roosevelt Boulevard, East Fort Martello Tower Museum
County: Monroe
City: Key West
Description: Built after fire of 1886 by Thomas Russell for William Curry, ship chandler, merchant, private banker, owner of wrecking schooners and clippership Stephen R. Mallory. Born in Bahama Islands in 1821. Came to Key West in 1837. Curry died in 1896, reputedly the richest man in Florida. Attained his wealth by hard work and shrewd investments in ships and in the New York Stock Market.

MARTIN HELLINGS HOUSE/ KEY WEST WOMAN'S CLUB

Location:319 Duval Street
County: Monroe
City: Key West
Description: The Martin Hellings House, constructed c.1892 by Captain Martin L. Hellings, is one of only a few historic houses in Key West not built of wood. Hellings was a native of Pennsylvania and a Union soldier in the Civil War. In 1881, Hellings married Eleanor Curry, daughter of a prominent Key West merchant family. In 1888, he became cable manager of the International Ocean Telegraph Company in Key West, an important position at the time, as telegraphs were the only means of rapid long distance communication. Before and during the Spanish American War, he operated an intelligence service for the U.S. Government and provided the White House War Room with the latest news from Cuba. After Martin Hellings’ death in 1908, the house was converted into professional offices, and for many years housed the offices of Judge W. Hunt Harris. The Key West Woman's Club (KWWC), established in 1915, purchased the building in 1940. The KWWC founded and maintained Key West’s first public library in this building. The KWWC continues its mission of volunteer service and financial support to local non-profits while preserving this Queen Anne style brick mansion for future generations.
Sponsors: Key West Woman's Club

TAVERNIER

Location:Mile marker 91.5 US 1
County: Monroe
City: Tavernier
Description: Side One: What is today Tavernier was originally inhabited by the Calusa and Tequesta Native Americans. The Tequesta occupied the area around Biscayne Bay, while the Calusa inhabited Southwest Florida. In 1513, the Florida Keys were discovered and mapped by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León who named the islands Los Martires (“The Martyrs”), as they looked like suffering men from a distance. During Florida’s First Spanish Period, the Keys remained isolated from imperial administration, as Spain focused its colonial efforts in Central and South America. In 1774, British cartographer Bernard Romans created a detailed map of the Keys, including Tavernier, which he mapped as Key Tabona. The Tavernier vicinity offered a favorable anchorage for Bahamian fisherman and wreckers due to its location near the hazardous Carysfort Reef. All of Tavernier’s earliest settlers originated in the Bahamas. No settlement occurred in Tavernier during Florida’s Territorial Period, although Key West began to grow as sponging, turtling, and wrecking became prominent in the economy of the Lower Keys. Side Two: The Tavernier community began in the late 1800s on the oceanfront at Planter, located northeast of the present town center. This small settlement grew up around the Samuel Johnson farm, and a post office was established here in 1891. Surrounded by water, the community used both land and sea resources, and was served by sailing vessels such as the Island Home which was once captained by Samuel Williams. Products and passengers were carried from here to and from ports on the mainland to Key West. By 1895, the remainder of oceanfront Tavernier had been homesteaded by founders Robert Albury and Amos Lowe. Hurricanes, a pineapple blight, and new development around the F.E.C. Railroad contributed to the decline of Planter. Planter’s post office closed in 1910, and a Tavernier post office opened near the railroad depot in 1911. In 1928, Hubert S. “Mac” McKenzie moved to Tavernier. He began a gradual development of commercial enterprises in the town providing services, supplies, and employment. Many of those businesses and descendents of Tavernier’s founding families still remain in the town. Much of Tavernier’s center has been designated a historic district by Monroe County to help preserve it.
Sponsors: The Historic Florida Keys Foundation, Inc., and the Florida Department of State

WILLIAM LOWE DELANEY/ THEODORE HOLTSBERG HOUSE

Location:323 Whitehead Street
County: Monroe
City: Key West
Description: Connecticut mariner and wrecker Benjamin Sawyer built the first house on this property by 1844. From 1888-1890, much of Key West’s port business took place in Sawyer’s home, until the completion of the federal Custom House. Key West native and Deputy Custom Collector William Lowe Delaney (1863-1917) acquired the property from Sawyer’s widow and built this ornate Queen Anne Revival residence by 1906. The house featured a two-story verandah, pavilion tower, and an asymmetrical floor plan. Following Delaney’s death, a circuit court ruling in 1918 transferred ownership of the mortgaged property to Lavinia Artolozaga for $3,551. The property was sold again in 1925 for $7,000 to Romanian immigrant Theodore Holtsberg (1857-1928), one of the island’s first Jewish residents. He was an entrepreneur whose fashion store was a local landmark, and was an active member in the island’s Jewish community. The historic Delaney/Holtsberg residence was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 as a contributing building in the Key West Historic District. In addition, it was selected as one of the thirty-eight architecturally significant Key West structures by the Milo Smith Survey of Historic Buildings in 1974.
Sponsors: The Banyan Resort

EVERGLADES COMMUNITY CHURCH

Location:101 Copeland Ave S
County: Monroe
City: Everglades
Description: This building was completed by April 1940 on land donated in May 1939 by the estate of Barron Gift Collier, founder of the county which bears his name and its largest landholder. The congregation at that time was Presbyterian, officially established in 1926, and had met in various places in the city. Before then, various visiting pastors served the area, the first being the Reverend George W. Gatewood in 1888. One condition of the gift of land was that the structure be erected before October 1, 1940 and that the church be non-denominational. Both conditions were met when the dedication ceremony took place on May 5th, 1940. The town was a Collier company town with buildings constructed of ship lap siding, a tin roof, and flooring made of Dade County pine. A fellowship hall and breezeway to the southwest was added in the late 1950s. The digital carillon was installed in 1990 and chimes hourly. On September 4, 2007, Everglades City proclaimed the church to be historically preserved because it “provides links with the aspirations and attainments of the City’s pioneers and their descendents.” The bell tower and narthex were repaired in June, 2008, as the first step in a complete restoration of the building.
Sponsors: SPONSORED BY EVERGLADES CITY AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

KEY WEST ARMORY

Location:600 White Street, Key West
County: Monroe
City: Key West
Description: This 1903 armory was described as "an unusual wood-frame building," and was one of the few armories built in the South due to lack of funds following the Civil War (1861-1865). The Italianate-style. Key West Armory incorporate an aarched entrace, twin, six-sided pointed turrets, a tall parapet as well as towers and cupolas. Key West was an important Union Base during the Civil War. Volunteer troops that helped defend Key West from the Confederates were known as the Key West Rifles and then, in 1888 as the Island City Guards. The Armory was built for their descendants, the Monroe County Militia / 438th Company Florida National Guard. It housed these troops and their armament. The Armory served as a training facility in World Wards I and II and later became a community center. Monroe County contracted John T. and A. Bruce Sawyer to build the Armory in 1902, as designed by T.F. Russell. The State of Florida later refunded the money, which was used to build County Road, now known as Flagler Avenue. Restoration efforts began in the 1970s prior to the building's lease to Monroe County. Management of the state-owned armory was turned over to the Historic Florida Keys Preservation Board in 1994.
Sponsors: Sponsored by the Historic Florida Keys Foundation and the Florida Department of State.

FORT TAYLOR

Location:601 Howard England Way, Fort Zachery Taylor Historic State Park
County: Monroe
City: Key West
Description: Fort Taylor was constructed in 1845 as part of the Third Tier System of Defense which called for the establishment of masonry fortresses constructed along America’s coastline to prevent Sea attacks on the United States. This fort was an important defensive structure in the United States because of its command over the waters over the Straits of Florida and of the Gulf of Mexico. When completed, the fort was three stories tall, held and 140 cannon and was home to almost 450 soldiers. Fort Taylor remained under federal control during the Civil War and was the headquarters of the US Navy East Gulf Coast Blockading Squadron. The current form of the fort is largely the result of alterations made in 1898, including the removal of the upper two tiers, filling case-mates with sand and obsolete ordinance, and construction of modern rifled artillery emplacements Battery Adair and Battery Osceola. Fort Taylor continued to defend the United States during the Spanish American War, World War I and World War II. The Fort’s service to the nation ended in 1947. Fort Taylor is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Historic National Landmark.
Sponsors: Sponsored by the Florida Park Service and the Florida Department of State

THE PATTERSON-BALDWIN HOUSE

Location:336 Duval Street
County: Monroe
City: Key West
Description: Built about 1838 and moved to this location after the hurricane of 1846, The Patterson-Baldwin House in believed to be one of the oldest buildings in Key West. The Classical Revival style house is reputed to have been built, but never occupied by Alexander Patterson, a prominent Key West citizen and mayor. Various sources indicate that the Pickney family lived in the house and that Mrs. Pickney’s sister Madame Passaloque, taught classes here until 1860, giving the huse the distinction of being he first school in Key West. John Baldwin, who twice served as mayor of Key West, purchased the house in 1860. The property remained in the Baldwin family for more than 100 years. The house was painstakingly restored by Edward B. Knight in 1962. At first only the houses front side was restored to provide a “before and after” picture of how it could one day look. This award winning demonstration received national publicity and helped spark the historic preservation movement in Key West.
Sponsors: Sponsored by Edward B. Knight and the Florida Department of State.

E.H. GATO CIGAR FACTORY

Location:1100 Simonton St.
County: Monroe
City: Key West
Description: The Gato Cigar Factory was constructed by Eduardo H. Gato in 1916. This Neo-Classiscal Revival, poured- concrete structure with a large central courtyard was constructed after a earlier wood frame factory on this site burned. Numerous windows provided much needed light for the workers. It is also one of the earliest American integrated workplaces where Cuban, African, and Bahamian- Americans, and whites worked side by side while their children attended the same school. Small cottages were built near the factory to house the workers, and became an area known as Gatoville. The factory was a political center as workers raised funds to support efforts to free Cuba from Spain. The cigar industry was critical to Key West’s economy just before the 20th century, but declined in the early 1900’s as cigar manufacturers moved to Tampa. In 1942 the Gato factory was sold to the Department of the Navy for use as a military barracks and cafeteria, and later served as the Navy Commissary until 1989. In 1998 Monroe County Obtained the property, and in 2001 completed a rehabilitation to make the building
Sponsors: The Historic Florida Keys Foundation and the Florida Department of State

STAINED GLASS WINDOWS OF ST. COLUMBIA EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Location:451 52nd Street Gulf
County: Monroe
City: Marathon
Description: Established in 1955, St. Columba Episcopal Church has occupied this building since 1960. Between 1977 and 1982, nineteen dalle de verre, or faceted stained glass windows, were installed in the church. This technique uses thick pieces of colored glass bound together with a cement or epoxy mixture. French artist Auguste Labouret is credited with creating the first dalle de verre windows in the 1930s. One of his first panels, “The Magi,” was displayed at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Studios in the United States began manufacturing dalle de verre windows in the 1940s, and faceted glass became popular afterwards. Like medieval stained glass, dalle de verre windows produce stunning visual effects. However, their technique precludes the creation of detailed and realistic images. Instead, faceted glass lends itself to bold, more abstract treatments. St. Columba’s stained glass windows offer a symbolic and impressionistic portrayal of the Seven Days of Creation and the life of Christ. The church’s St. Columba window pictures the Irish missionary St. Columba, while the Loch Ness Monster window depicts the beast that, according to legend, St. Columba prevented from devouring a swimmer.
Sponsors: St. Columba Episcopal Church and the Florida Department of State

JEWFISH CREEK BRIDGE

Location:x
County: Monroe
City: Key Largo
Description: A swing span bridge once crossed Jewfish Creek just beyond this location. Early in the construction of Henry Flagler’s Overseas Railway from the Mainland to Key West, Jewfish Creek was identified as a critical site along the route. In 1905, beginning at the Miami Terminal Docks, a supply line running south transported supplies from Biscayne Bay to Jewfish Creek. To complete the dredge and fill needed to build the railway between Homestead and the Keys, a pair of excavators started from Homestead and moved southwest towards Jewfish Creek, while another pair from Key Largo moved toward them in the opposite direction. By December 9, 1906, tracks from Homestead to Jewfish Creek were completed. The steel deck girder swing span bridge was assembled at the Miami Terminal Docks and was completed in December 1906. The bridge was shipped down the railway for installation at Jewfish Creek, and by early February 1907, it was fully operational. Several railway-related buildings were located at Jewfish Creek, including an agent’s house, telegraph station, and laborers’ houses. The swing bridge was replaced by a bascule bridge in 1944, which was replaced by the current bridge in 2008.
Sponsors: The Florida Department of Transportation and the Florida Department of State

MILTON W. CURRY HOUSE, WILLIAM CURRY HOMESTEAD

Location:511 Caroline Street
County: Monroe
City: Key West
Description: William J. Curry, born on Green Turtle Key in the Bahamas in 1821, immigrated to Key West in 1837. Curry homesteaded this lot in 1852 and was Key West’s leading merchant for forty years. Wm. Curry Sons’ maritime business amassed a fortune during the Spanish-American War building ships, salvaging wrecks, operating a ship chandlery, and erecting wharves. Curry was reportedly Key West’s wealthiest citizen and Florida’s first millionaire. Following Curry’s death in 1896, this Georgian Revival house was erected in 1905 for $13,000 by Curry’s youngest son and business heir, Milton. The house incorporated the original kitchen hearth from the 1860s Curry dwelling and was likely built using mail order plans from architect George Franklin Barber, who supplied designs to affluent American businessmen. Distinguishing features include the original layout, two-story verandas, lavish detailing, fireplaces, a carved wood staircase, and a Tiffany window. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 as part of the Key West Historic District, the house was purchased by Albert & Edith Amsterdam who began restoration efforts in 1976. The Milton W. Curry House is a symbol of Key West’s twentieth century wealth.
Sponsors: Amsterdam's Curry Mansion Inn

PHILIP L. COSGROVE HOUSE, 1872

Location:321 Whitehead Street
County: Monroe
City: Key West
Description: Captain Philip L. Cosgrove, Sr., commanded the U. S. lighthouse tender Mangrove, the first rescue ship to aid victims of the 1898 explosion of the U.S.S. Maine in Havana harbor. This house, acquired by Cosgrove in 1871, incorporates remnants of federal judge James Locke’s one-story residence. In order to accommodate his growing family, Cosgrove paid $1,600 to enlarge the house to 2 1/2-stories. Remodeled in the Greek Revival style, it featured a gabled roof with jig-cut balusters and decorative scrolls at the tops of the square columns. Adaptations to the Key West climate were also incorporated, including a cistern under the floor with fish to help keep water fresh and keep out mosquitos. Cosgrove served in the Lighthouse Service until 1906, when his son, Phillip, Jr., took over his command. Three generations of the Cosgrove family occupied the house until 1947, when the house was acquired by William Gamble (1916-1976), a local jeweler and Key West city commissioner. Following Gamble’s death, the house was converted in 1978 into a resort. The Cosgrove House reflects Key West’s unique Conch architectural style, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Key West Historic District.
Sponsors: The Banyan Resort

NAVAL DEPOT AND STOREHOUSE; BUILDING ONE; U.S. COAST GUARD HEADQUARTERS

Location:291 Front Street
County: Monroe
City: Key West
Description: On September 13, 1833, the United States government purchased this harbor-front lot. The Naval Depot was authorized by an Act of Congress on July 21, 1852. Capt. J. M. Scarritt and Lt. J. J. Philbrick supervised the construction of this building. By 1856 the brick walls were laid in common bond pattern, and the roof was completed in 1861. During the Civil War, the Union’s West Indies Blockade Squadron was headquartered here. Distinguished by a buttressed brick pier arcade of 17 bays, the Naval Depot retains its original lookout cupola, masonry exterior, gable roof, and interior loft space. Known as Building Number One, it served as the Naval Administration Building until 1932. On December 15, 1932, the offices of the 7th Lighthouse District opened in this building. By 1939 the Lighthouse Service, as part of the U.S. Coast Guard, continued to use the Naval Depot as its Key West Station headquarters. In recognition of its significance in America’s military history through the Civil War, Spanish-American War and two world wars, the Naval Depot and Storehouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and remains Key West’s oldest brick structure.
Sponsors: Building One Key West, LLC

STATE ROAD 4A

Location:Florida Keys Heritage Trail, NE access from US 1
County: Monroe
City: Summerland Key
Description: The first Overseas Highway, also known as State Road 4A (SR 4A), consisted of two roadway segments both completed by 1928. One spanned from Key West to No Name Key, and the other from Key Largo to Upper Matecumbe Key. Ferries transported cars between the segments. The roads were constructed of local rock and marl. In the 1930s, World War I veterans were sent as part of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration to work on bridges to close the gap, but construction was cut short when the 1935 Labor Day hurricane claimed the lives of more than 400 workers and their families. The catastrophe sparked debate over whether to rebuild the Florida East Coast (FEC) Railway or the highway. Monroe County opted for the highway, and the railway’s Bahia Honda Bridge was converted for automotive use. In 1938, a toll road linked Lower Matecumbe to Big Pine Keys and created the first continuous road from Miami to Key West. During World War II, the Overseas Highway moved from SR 4A to a new alignment using the FEC’s straighter route. The new highway connected with US 1 and most of SR 4A was abandoned or became local streets. The section of SR 4A located north of this point, is part of the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail.
Sponsors: Florida Department of Transportation, Florida Department of Environmental Protection

UNITED STATES WEATHER BUREAU

Location:57 Front Street
County: Monroe
City: Key West
Description: On February 9, 1870, a joint Congressional resolution authorized a national weather service. As one of the original observation stations, Key West was critical for weather forecasters. The Department of Agriculture purchased this lot in 1903 on the Key West Naval Station (1823-1974) to construct a new office for the U.S. Weather Bureau. Designed by architect Frank H. Jackson, the Classical Revival structure was completed in 1912. The building housed weather observers and rain gauges to report temperatures and storm warnings to the public. Daily marine bulletin broadcasts began in 1913. By 1921 telegraph, cable, and wireless reports provided data to the nation's meteorological services. Transferred to the Department of Commerce in 1940, the Key West Weather Bureau provided observations and hurricane warnings for the Caribbean area. By 1940 the Weather Bureau had played a key role in America’s aviation and commerce. The Navy purchased the property in 1950 for use as Quarters T, housing female personnel. After the base closed in 1974, private owners began preservation efforts. The Weather Bureau building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 and restored in 1990.
Sponsors: The Florida Department of State

EDUARDO H. GATO HOUSE

Location:1327 Duval Street
County: Monroe
City: Key West
Description: This house, with its elaborate Queen Anne style detailing, was built c. 1894 by E.H. Gato, Sr. (1847-1926). The Gato family was one of Key West’s most prominent families, and three generations of the family lived here until 1951. Eduardo H. Gato was a Cuban patriot who helped finance Cuba’s revolutionary leaders including Jose Marti, who fought for freedom from Spain. Gato came to Key West in 1874. He was instrumental in Key West’s evolution from a small fishing town to one of Florida’s wealthiest cities through his development of the Cuban tobacco industry. He built Key West’s foremost cigar factory, where millions of cigars, using tobacco imported from Cuba, were hand rolled and boxed for shipment worldwide. In 1917, he built the first fireproof cigar factory on Simonton Street and constructed a nearby “city” of frame cigar workers’ cottages, the Barrio de Gato, or Gatoville. Gato was president of the E.H. Gato Cigar Co.; vice-president of the Key West Bank; and proprietor of the Key West Street Car, a horse-drawn system. Eduardo H. Gato Jr. (1874-1948) served as vice-president of the E.H. Gato Cigar Company and oversaw the extensive Gato real estate holdings.
Sponsors: The Santiago Family and the Florida Department of State

J. VINING AND FLORIDA CURRY HARRIS HOUSE

Location:407 South Street
County: Monroe
City: Key West
Description: On April 2, 1891, J. Vining Harris, Jr., son of Confederate surgeon Dr. Jeptha Vining Harris (1839-1914), married Florida E. Curry, daughter of Bahamian émigré and Florida millionaire William Curry. The marriage united two of Key West’s wealthiest and most distinguished families of the late nineteenth century. Harris worked as an attorney with the law firm Patterson & Harris. He served as the Monroe County solicitor from 1906-1914, director of Island City Bank, and legal counsel for William Curry & Sons, a mercantile business run by his in-laws. In 1906, he purchased corner properties on South Street for $3,500 and built three matching homes for family members and guests. The houses were designed in the Queen Anne style, popular during the late Victorian era. Harris gave this house to his only daughter, Marian, in 1916 as a wedding present. The Harris House is significant for its affiliation with two of Key West’s most prominent families. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 as a contributing building in the Key West Historic District.
Sponsors: Mona Santiago and the Florida Department of State

ST. PETER'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Location:807 Center Street
County: Monroe
City: Key West
Description: Afro-Bahamians immigrating to Key West in the 1870s formed the first black Episcopal parish in Florida. In 1875, during a meeting presided over by Bishop John Freeman Young, the congregation adopted the name “St. Peter’s.” The church appointed Dr. J. L. Steele as its first rector. Early services were held in rooms and halls around town, while sacraments were celebrated in nearby St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, a white church where Steele also served as rector. In 1887, the congregation bought land on Center Street and built a permanent church building, covering the cost of construction themselves. In 1909, the building was damaged in a hurricane. It was repaired, but ultimately destroyed during a second hurricane in 1910. A new church building was completed in 1924, and is currently in use. It features many Gothic Revival style elements, including pointed arches, steepled roof, and decorative stained-glass windows. Throughout its history, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church has remained one of the largest historically African American congregations in the Diocese of Southeast Florida. In 1971, the church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing building in the Key West Historic District.

ALEXANDER CRUZ/ JULIA GARDNER HOUSE

Location:403 East Street
County: Monroe
City: Key West
Description: The cigar industry of Key West dates from 1831, when the first cigar factory was established. After the 1868 Cuban War of Independence, Key West’s cigar manufacturing industry boomed, reaching its zenith at the turn of the twentieth century. In 1885, Cuban-born Dolores Fernandez de Cruz purchased this corner lot from Bahamian pioneer William Saunders, who lived here from 1850 to 1880. The Cruz Brothers, Andres, Alexander, and Jose, erected a three-story cigar factory on this site by 1889, providing a business and residence for the family. In 1900, Alexander Cruz bought the factory. He built this 2 1/2 story Neoclassical home on this site circa 1904. The house and lot are significant for their link to the Cuban cigar industry in Key West, which contributed to the island’s economic preeminence at the turn of the century. Julia Gardner, daughter of Richard Henry Albury, one of the island’s most prosperous land owners, purchased the residence in 1918 and owned it for 30 years. Due to its distinctive form, proportion, materials, siting, and architectural details, the Alexander Cruz House contributes to the Key West Historic District.
Sponsors: The Banyan Time Share Resort

HISTORIC DUCK KEY BRIDGES

Location:
County: Monroe
City: Duck Key
Description: Before 1951, Duck Key was an isolated island with minor salt production and cultivation of sea cotton. In 1951, Miami developer Bryan W. Newkirk Sr. and his business partners, Telfair Knight, Robert Eugene Otto, and his son, Bryan W. Newkirk Jr. began developing Duck Key. Originally one large island, a series of canals were dredged to divide it into five separate islands (Indies, Centre, Harbour, Plantation, and Yacht Club) connected by four ornately designed bridges. Otto, a Key West-based artist, designed each island to have a unique style and theme. Otto and Bryan W. Newkirk Jr. also designed the four bridges to connect the islands. The bridge designs, inspired by bridges in Venice, Italy, were ornately designed with decorative railings, pineapple and papaya finials, and steep curved profiles. The main resort at Duck Key, the Indies House, was designed by architect Morris Lapidus. Duck Key was a popular destination for celebrities and politicians. The first bridge connecting Indies Island was renamed the Truman Bridge in 1964 in commemoration of President Harry Truman who was a frequent visitor to Duck Key. The four bridges were rehabilitated in 1982, and replaced in 2021.

OLD SEVEN MILE BRIDGE

Location:Northwestern End of Knights Key, North of Overseas Highway, Connecting Knights Key and Pigeon Key
County: Monroe
City: Marathon
Description: Side One: Between 1905 and 1912, Henry Flagler extended his Florida East Coast (FEC) Railway to Key West. This massive engineering project, called the Overseas Railroad, required 23 bridges that utilized the most innovative technology of the time. The laborers who built the bridges came from around the United States and other countries. Whereas Flagler’s railway was mostly on land, the 6.7 miles between Knights Key and Little Duck Key were the longest over-water expanse. The bridge’s design utilized a variety of span types: steel girder deck spans, 9,000 feet of concrete arch viaduct, and a metal truss swing span. An important element of Flagler’s design was for the Old Seven Mile Bridge to cross over Pigeon Key, since the key was located between the two ends of the bridge. Pigeon Key was used as an FEC staging area during construction of the Overseas Railroad and later served as a permanent FEC camp. The bridge was historically known as the Flagler Viaduct but has also been referred to as the Knights Key Bridge, the Seven Mile Bridge, and more recently, the Old Seven Mile Bridge. The Overseas Railroad was severely damaged by the deadly 1935 Labor Day Hurricane and subsequently abandoned. Side Two: In 1936, the State of Florida purchased the abandoned Florida East Coast (FEC) Railway right-of-way for $640,000. Between 1936 and 1938, the rail bridges were converted to vehicular use. The conversion of the Overseas Railroad into the Overseas Highway required complex, specialized engineering for each bridge. The Old Seven Mile Bridge’s narrow foundations led engineers to place new metal I-beams across the bridge, upon which the new road was built. The FEC’s rails were re-used as guardrails and are still visible today. The completion of the Overseas Highway on March 29, 1938 allowed people to drive from Miami to Key West without having to take a ferry. The Old Seven Mile Bridge was recognized for its significant engineering and role in transportation in Florida when it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. In 1982, a new bridge, located to the south, replaced the original one. In 2021, the Florida Department of Transportation completed the rehabilitation of approximately 2 miles of the Old Seven Mile Bridge to Pigeon Key, so that it would continue to serve as a testament to the engineering feats that were the Overseas Railroad and Highway.

WALTER R. MICKENS VFW POST 6021/ WILLIAM WEECH AMERICAN LEGION POST 169

Location:803 Emma Street
County: Monroe
City: Key West
Description: Following World War II, returning African American veterans faced segregation and were forced to establish their own veterans’ association posts. African American members of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars in Key West united to build one post for both groups. Former Key West Mayor C.B. Harvey donated the plans and other members of the community contributed funds and materials. Post members worked on the construction in their free time. Completed in 1952, the building was named in honor of Key West veterans Water R. Mickens, killed in World War II, and William Weech, killed in the 1898 explosion of the U.S.S. Maine. In addition to serving Key West's military personnel, the post functioned as a community center. It hosted meetings, fundraisers, dances, and served as a storm and fire shelter. The post was part of the “Chitlin Circuit,” a network of venues across the United States that welcomed black entertainers. Performers such as Ruth Brown, Dinah Washington, B.B. King, James Brown, and Otis Redding played here. In 1963, the first meetings to discuss the integration of Monroe County public schools were held in the building. The post was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.

Nassau

TRINITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Location:715 Ash Street
County: Nassau
City: Fernandina Beach
Description: Side One: In 1822, the South Carolina Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church added Amelia Island to the St. Mary’s Circuit. They appointed the Rev. Elijah Sinclair as the circuit rider, and early services were held in the Donald McDonnell home. In 1823, the circuit reported to have “21 colored members and 20 white members.” During the Civil War, most of the whites left Fernandina. In 1865, the Boston Semi-Weekly Advertiser published “Letter from Fernandina, Fla.,” which stated that “Sunday services are held only in the Methodist church. Rev. Mr. DeForrest (white) officiates. The congregations average about two hundred and fifty, and are attended by few white people. The colored people are constant and devout worshippers.” In 1866, the Rev. Joseph C. Emerson was assigned to Fernandina. In 1869, Emerson and his wife, Cecilia, transferred a tract of land in Fernandina to the trustees of what was then Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church. The Trustees were Samuel King, Smart Dorrill, Henry Clay, Syres Walker, John F. Murrell, Joseph Scott and Randall Albert. In 1869, one of the witnesses to the deed, the Rev. January Felder, constructed the first church, a wooden building just to the west of the present church. Side Two: In 1891, the Rev. J.F. Elliot was assigned to Fernandina. He and other congregation members began construction on the present church that same year. The brick building was constructed in the Masonry Vernacular style, and included pilasters, gothic arches, and a bell tower. Floral themes are repeated throughout the sanctuary from the lancet stained glass windows to the pew entrances and ceiling brackets. Local historians say Trinity is “Florida’s oldest brick church built for African Americans.” Notable former church members include Nassau County educators Dr. William H. Peck and the Rev. Dr. William E. Pollen, Florida Rep. Riley E. Robinson, Chief of Police Robert “Friday” Smith, and Judge John H. Stays. Church members Margurite Sheppard, Florence Holzendorf, and Celestine Shine remembered the days when there were three services each Sunday with the congregation filling the sanctuary and the balcony. An orchestra, featuring a violin, played for the worship services. In 1973, Trinity United Methodist Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing resource in the Fernandina Beach Historic District. As gateway to the district, it remains an integral part of Fernandina’s history.

THE STEWART HOUSE

Location:5449 Waldron Street
County: Nassau
City: Fernandina Beach
Description: The Stewarts’ vacation cottage at 5449 Waldron St. was built in 1941 by Ralph and Marie Taylor Stewart. Waldron Street is one of the highest points on American Beach and was named after the Rev. J. Milton Waldron, one of the founders of what was then called the Afro-American Pension and Benefit Bureau in 1901. This single-family vacation cottage reflects the Frame Vernacular style that was common for the place and time period. The house has a rectangular plan protected by a front-facing gable roof. The exterior walls are covered with asbestos shingles. The fenestration consists of wood and aluminum, and features double-hung sash windows with two over two lights. The entrance to the home has an enclosed porch with a small front stoop. Ralph Stewart Sr. was the first actuary for the Afro-American Life Insurance Co. (“The Afro”), and retained the position until his passing in 1954. During the U.S. period of legislated racial segregation, the Pension Bureau of “The Afro” developed American Beach as an ocean-front resort for African Americans. Ralph Stewart Sr., a graduate of the Tuskegee Institute, was instrumental in recruiting alumni and faculty from Tuskegee to invest in homes and property on American Beach.

BURNEY PARK

Location:95570 Burney Road
County: Nassau
City: Fernandina Beach
Description: Burney Park at American Beach was named for Isadore Horace Burney II, a native of Athens, Georgia. After graduating from Atlanta University in the mid-1930s, Burney began his life-long career as an agent in Athens for the Afro-American Life Insurance Company. He later came to manage several branches of the company, including ones in Savannah, Tampa, and Atlanta. In 1954, he moved to Jacksonville to serve as Vice-President-Secretary of the "Afro." In 1967, Burney became president of the company, a position he held until his retirement in 1976. During his lifetime, Burney was a civic leader. He served on the boards of several organizations, including the YMCA, St. Vincent's Hospital, and the Boys Club. He was also a trustee of Jacksonville University. Burney’s community service helped him promote and fulfill the goals and aspirations of the Afro-American Life Insurance Company and the American Beach Community. After frequent visits to American Beach, beginning with their honeymoon in 1936, Isadore Burney and his wife, Miriam Cunningham Burney, built a vacation home on American Beach in 1965. Burney Park was dedicated October 1990, the first park named for a person of color in Nassau County.

THE GUZMAN HOUSE

Location:5455 Waldron Street
County: Nassau
City: Fernandina Beach
Description: Side One: The Guzman House is a one-story masonry frame Vernacular style home. It has an irregular plan protected by a side facing gable roof with a front gable extension. The exterior walls are covered with wood shake shingles. The fenestration consists of bronze aluminum double-hung sash windows with one over one lights. The cottage has a closed-in front porch and a car porch, all-inclusive in the single story building. This cottage was built in 1963 as an American Beach summer home for African American professors Jessie P. and Ignacio L. Guzman. Both served on the faculty of the Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama. The Guzman House is significant in that it represents the diversity of people who traveled to American Beach to enjoy the "Negro Ocean Playground," during the period of segregation. During the heyday of American Beach, individuals and families from all over the country purchased property to become part of the community. Abraham Lincoln Lewis' vision of a resort for all people provided independence and affirmed status among people of color during segregation. The Guzman family’s influence on American Beach provided inspiration, and became the "North Star" to people of color. Side Two: Jessie P. Guzman was born in Savannah, Georgia, in 1898. From an early age, she was academically, professionally, and community oriented. She graduated from Howard University (A.B 1919, Alpha Kappa Alpha), Columbia University (M.A, 1924), University of Chicago, and American University. Guzman was an author, archivist, historian, civil rights activist, educator, and college administrator. In 1954, she ran for a seat on the Macon County Board of Education, the first African American to do so. For more than forty years, Jessie Guzman served as the Dean of Women and Director of the Department of Research and Records at the Tuskegee Institute, which included the management of records of lynchings in America for the NAACP. Her husband, Dr. Ignacio L. Guzman, was born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, in 1898. His career at the Tuskegee Institute began in the early 1920s, where he taught and ran their lithography department. There he met and married Jessie in 1940. They retired to American Beach in 1965. The two of them were lifelong supporters of Tuskegee Institute, active in the Macon County community, and prominent figures on American Beach.

ERVIN'S REST

Location:5448 Gregg Street
County: Nassau
City: Fernandina Beach
Description: Louis Dargan (L.D.) Ervin was born in Darlington, South Carolina, in 1873. He attended the Georgia State Industrial College for Colored Youth in Savannah, the oldest institution of higher education for African Americans in Georgia. Ervin eventually settled in Jacksonville, Florida, where he worked as a skilled mason and a licensed contractor. In 1901, Ervin was the first full-time agent for the Afro-American Life Insurance Company. Ervin stayed with the company for 63 years and retired as its vice-president. In 1935, Afro-American Life Insurance president Abraham Lincoln Lewis helped establish American Beach as a vacation community for African American due to racial segregation. In 1938, Ervin constructed this two-story beach cottage, the second home built on American Beach. Fondly referred to as Ervin’s Rest, it was the vacation home for Ervin and his family. Ervin’s Rest is still owned by his family, and is the only ocean-front home on American Beach that maintains its original structure. Ervin's Rest was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. L.D. Ervin’s legacy in the American Beach community was preserved with a street named in his honor.
Sponsors: The American Beach Property Owners' Association, Inc., Friends of American Beach, Inc.

JOHN MUIR'S WALK ON THE FLORIDA RAILROAD

Location:One Rayonier Way
County: Nassau
City: Wildlight
Description: Early in his career, famed naturalist John Muir passed this location on his “Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf” from Indiana to Cedar Key in 1867. From Fernandina, Florida, Muir followed the route of the Florida Railroad, the first rail line to connect the east and west coasts of the state. The railroad’s route is largely paralleled by the current highways Florida A1A/SR 200 from Fernandina to Callahan, then US 301 from Callahan to Waldo, and then Florida 24 from Waldo to Cedar Key. Due to the area’s thick vegetation, swamps, and bodies of water, Muir believed that walking the Florida Railroad route would be the most efficient way to travel through the state on foot. Muir’s trek was no easy feat. He suffered from malaria, dodged alligators, and encountered many other obstacles. Even so, during his adventure, Muir meticulously documented North Florida’s flora and fauna, which contributed greatly to the field of natural studies. Afterwards, Muir relocated to California, where he was instrumental in creating Yosemite National Park and cofounding the Sierra Club. A journal of Muir’s experiences in his 1867 journey, titled A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf was published in 1916, two years after his death.
Sponsors: East Nassau Stewardship District

FLORIDA'S FIRST CROSS-PENINSULA RAILROAD

Location:East of One Rayonier Way
County: Nassau
City: Wildlight
Description: In 1855, construction began in Fernandina on the first railroad in Florida to connect the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. The final tracks were completed in Cedar Key in March 1861 just a month before the start of the Civil War. Named the Florida Railroad, it spanned 156 miles and was the longest railroad in Florida prior to the Civil War. It was intended to streamline shipments between the east and west coasts. In 1862, however, the USS Hatteras raided Cedar Key and destroyed the railroad depot, seven freight cars, and several other buildings. That same year, a Union squadron seized Fernandina. In 1864, the Confederacy dismantled the Florida Railroad in order to build a new line from Live Oak, Florida, to Lawton, Georgia, to facilitate troop and supply movements. The president and chief stockholder of the Florida Railroad, who oversaw its initial construction, was Florida’s first U.S. Senator David Levy Yulee. In honor of his role in the development of Florida’s early transportation network, Yulee was nicknamed the “Father of Florida’s railroads,” and the town just due east of this location was named for him. Though the Florida Railroad no longer exists, its bed forms the foundation of portions of this trail.
Sponsors: East Nassau Stewardship District

EVANS' RENDEZVOUS

Location:5508 Gregg Street
County: Nassau
City: American Beach
Description: Evans' Rendezvous was renowned as the heartbeat of American Beach. Willie Brantley Evans was born in Orangeburg, South Carolina, on August 5, 1915. As a young man in the 1930s, he worked with the Civilian Conservation Corps for two years before serving in the U.S. Army as a cook during World War II. His military experience contributed to his successful future by building his ethics, shrewdness, and culinary skills. In 1948, Evans built this oceanfront nightclub, Evans' Rendezvous, with his friend, Ernest Favors. It was a 200-seat establishment with a long beachfront porch that served food and drinks, and provided musical entertainment and dancing. In its heyday, the club hosted notable celebrities, but the music from the jukebox kept customers in constant motion. Patrons traveled by the busload from areas throughout the Southeast and beyond. It was a venue where one could go and be treated with dignity and respect. One did not need prominence to get in the door but rather the ability to maneuver inside when the house was at full capacity. After nearly forty successful years, Evans sold the Rendezvous in 1980. Willie B. Evans passed away on August 9, 1996, at the age of 81.

BRYANT ACADEMY

Location:86063 Felmor Road
County: Nassau
City: Yulee
Description: Side One: Bryant Academy opened in the 1950-1951 school year, the result of an effort by the Nassau County School Board to provide more adequate schools for African Americans. The school board issued revenue bonds and closed nine existing African American schools in Nassau County. The students were consolidated into three schools, one each in Callahan, Fernandina, and Yulee. The Yulee schools were combined into what would become Bryant Academy, named in honor of its principal, James B. Bryant (1911-2010). The school board selected a 17-acre site and built a new elementary school in 1950. It consisted of 6 classrooms, a cafeteria/assembly room, an administrative suite, and a general facility space. Bryant Academy operated from 1950 to 1969. Per the county’s desegregation plan, the new Nassau County Public School District integrated black and white schools and removed the original names of formerly segregated African American schools. Bryant Academy became Yulee Elementary School, and over time the buildings that had made up the original school were replaced. This marker is a symbol for future generations of the value of Bryant Academy, and schools like it, to the communities they served. Side Two: Bryant Academy (B.A.) embodied the spirit of its principal and namesake, James B. Bryant. It symbolized his passion for education, for shaping the formative years of hundreds of young minds, and instilling in them the value of never giving up until a job is done. Bryant drew support from parents, teachers, and alumni to provide his students with resources such as the only reading improvement machine in the county. This same self-help philosophy was manifested in Bryant’s gathering of several boys from the school to assist him in pouring the concrete for the outdoor basketball court. Families and friends congregated there to cheer on the B.A. Dragons and Dragonettes. Through him, Bryant Academy became a community center where people could gather for operettas, the Miss and Little Miss B.A. pageants, and commencement and graduation ceremonies. Whether dressed in his black and white Oxford shoes, riding around Yulee in his Cadillac, or weaving his motorcycle through the annual Peck High School Parade, Bryant was remembered as a man of gigantic personality and spirit. With his infectious smile and kind and compassionate heart, James B. Bryant touched many lives as an educator, leader, and friend.

PINE FOREST COMMUNITY SCHOOL

Location:450121 Old Dixie Highway
County: Nassau
City: Callahan
Description: In the early 1900s, Nassau County had several schools serving its African American communities in Bryceville, Callahan, Hilliard, Kent, Evergreen, Kings Ferry, Musselwhite, Nassauville, Yulee, and Fernandina. Peck High School, established in 1927, became the county’s first black high school. In the 1940s, Nassau County allocated nearly $725,000 for school improvements across the county. A majority of funds went to white schools, but over $280,000 went to improve black schools deemed to be inadequate. The Nassau County School Board acquired land off Old Dixie Highway, west of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, from the Crooms family. Starting in 1951, the black schools in Hilliard, Bryceville, and Kings Ferry were consolidated with the black school in Callahan to form Pine Forest Community High School. Construction of the new school’s campus was completed that same year. It operated for seventeen years, and served grades 1-12. When Nassau County public schools integrated in 1968, Pine Forest Community High School was converted into Callahan Middle School. Over time, nearly all of the original school buildings have been replaced. The gymnasium, built in 1965, is the only remaining Pine Forest building.
Sponsors: The Pine Forest Community High School Alumni, Nassau County School District, and the Florida Department of State

FIRST MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH OF FERNANDINA

Location:22 S. 9th Street
County: Nassau
City: Fernandina Beach
Description: The First Missionary Baptist Church of Fernandina was founded by slaves in 1860 under the leadership of its first pastor, Elder William Rose of Savannah, Georgia. The congregation worshipped in multiple buildings until settling at its current location in 1873. Completed in 1874, this wood frame vernacular church exhibits classical and medieval elements, and is the oldest known black Missionary Baptist Church with uninterrupted service in Florida. The church had many distinguished members, including Peggy Bailey, the first president of the Florida Women's Convention in 1899; Missionary Emma B. Delaney, founder of the Suehn Industrial Mission in Liberia in 1912; and the Reverend Edward M. Brawley, the first black graduate of Bucknell University and the first president of Morris College in Sumter, South Carolina. These distinguished members, and the congregation as a whole, were an integral part of Amelia Island’s culture. The church steeple was removed in 1958 after being damaged by lightning and was replaced after over 40 years. The First Missionary Baptist Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 as a contributing building in the Fernandina Beach Historic District.

OLD NASSAU COUNTY JAIL

Location:233 S. Third Street
County: Nassau
City: Fernandina Beach
Description: The Old Nassau County Jail has occupied several buildings on this site from 1878 through 1978. In 1868, the Nassau County Board of County Commissioners began the process of creating a stand-alone jail, and in 1871, the deed for this property was signed by former Senator David Yulee. Built in 1878, the first jailhouse started as a single-story, wood-frame structure, and was expanded to two stories by 1884. A new jail building was constructed on this site circa 1891, but was replaced in 1938 with this two-story masonry building. Designed in the Moderne style, it featured improved jail cells, plumbing, and cots. A 1954 addition nearly doubled the jail’s size, and included a desk clerk’s office, guest rooms, lockers, and showers. Four cells and two day-rooms for inmates were located on the first floor, and six cells on the second. There were separate areas for men and women, and for black and white inmates during segregation. In 1978, a new Nassau County jail was built in Yulee, and the county deeded this building to an early version of the Amelia Island Museum of History the following year. The building was extensively renovated in 2003 and 2007, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.
Sponsors: The Amelia Island Museum of History in Memory of Thomas M. Raymond, and the Florida Department of State

FIRST HOME ON AMERICAN BEACH

Location:5466 Gregg Street
County: Nassau
City: Fernandina Beach
Description: American Beach was established in January 1935 when the Afro-American Life Insurance Company purchased 33 acres of land with a 1000-foot shoreline. This Masonry Vernacular home was built that year for the president of the company, Abraham Lincoln Lewis, by local African American shipbuilder William S. Rivers. Lewis was Florida’s first African American millionaire and his home was the first built on the beach. The resort community attracted thousands of African American vacationers until 1964. The passage of the Civil Rights Act desegregated beaches everywhere, and the tourist population sought closer or more popular beaches. Later that year, Hurricane Dora devastated the area destroying homes and businesses. Many residents chose not or could not afford to rebuild. In the 1970s one of Lewis’ great granddaughters, MaVynee Betsch, lived in this house and, with other property owners, fought to protect the community’s heritage from beachfront development. However, rising property taxes and declining health has reduced the population of American Beach’s permanent residents. The American Beach Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2002, with the Lewis house as a contributing structure.
Sponsors: American Beach Property Owners' Association, Inc.

THE GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH

Location:801 Atlantic Avenue
County: Nassau
City: Fernandina Beach
Description: In May 1887, the original wood frame building of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Fernandina was given to the black congregation and called Good Shepherd Episcopal Church. The structure was moved to face east on Ninth Street. The rectors of St. Peter’s continued to serve the segregated congregations on Sunday mornings. Father Neil Gray, who served both parishes in the 1950s, called the walk between the two churches his “via dolorosa,” or “way of suffering.” In the 1950s, Good Shepherd included 59 confirmed adult members and 24 children. In 1964, the Good Shepherd building was destroyed by Hurricane Dora and a new building replaced it two years later. When Hamilton West, the Episcopal Bishop of Florida, declined to consecrate the new church, the black and white congregations were integrated. The new building, although never used as a church, became a youth center and stands on the northwest corner of the campus. The original church bell, which was cast from metal recovered from a pre-Civil War Florida railroad engine, was moved to Camp Weed in Live Oak, the camp of the Diocese of Florida.
Sponsors: St. Peter's Parish

THE BATTLE OF WATERMAN'S BLUFF

Location:Waterman's Bluff Subdivision off of Lents Road
County: Nassau
City: Yulee
Description: During the War of 1812, Georgia settlers invaded Spanish East Florida in an attempt to destabilize Spanish control and prevent British forces from using the region as a military staging ground. This conflict was known as the Patriot War. In March 1813, American forces encamped here on Eleazar Waterman's plantation because its commanding views of the Bells and Jolly rivers gave it strategic value. They remained throughout the spring and summer, living off of Waterman's crops and livestock. Spanish loyalists, coming by boat from Amelia Island and over land, attacked the American camp on August 8, 1813. Buckner Harris, the American commander, had thirty men well concealed in preparation for the attack. He and his men were able to turn back both Spanish assaults due to their superior position and by capitalizing on tactical mistakes of the Spanish. The battle lasted less than twenty minutes and resulted in eighteen Spanish casualties, six dead and twelve wounded. Harris’s victory at Waterman’s Bluff allowed American forces to launch further raids on the Fernandina region. Shifting politics in 1814, however, caused support for the Patriot War to dwindle, and the Americans were forced to abandon Spanish East Florida.
Sponsors: Trevett Building Systems, Inc.

U.S. POST OFFICE-CUSTOMS HOUSE- COURTHOUSE

Location:401 Centre Street
County: Nassau
City: Fernandina Beach
Description: Dedicated in 1912, this Italian Renaissance Revival building was designed under the direction of Treasury Department architect James Knox Taylor. The interior was custom built to accommodate the building’s three original functions as a United States customs house, courthouse, and post office. The building features a symmetrical facade, uniformly-arched windows and doors with terracotta accents, second floor windows with gabled pediments, decorative balustrades, and small square windows on the top floor. Brick walls faced with stucco rise from a granite base three stories to a tiled, hipped roof with widely extending eaves supported by decorative brackets. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida met here until the creation of the Middle District in 1962. The building was then used by the Middle District until divisional judicial functions were consolidated in Jacksonville. The building is a notable feature of the city's urban landscape, and is the second tallest structure, exceeded only by the Nassau County Courthouse’s clock tower. In 1973, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing resource in the Fernandina Beach Historic District.
Sponsors: Pricness Amelia Chapter, National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century

FRANKLINTOWN CHAPEL

Location:1415 Lewis St
County: Nassau
City: Fernandina Beach
Description: The Franklintown community was a first populated by ex-slaves from the Samuel Harrison plantation. Franklintown Chapel’s congregation was organized in 1880 by Trinity M.E. Church, located in the City of Fernandina at the north end of Amelia Island. The Reverend J.G. Howard served as the chapel’s first pastor from 1880-1885. As the congregation grew, in 1888 ex-slave and Union soldier Gabriel Means and his wife, Edith Drummond Means, donated land for a building. In 1892, Means built the first Franklin Chapel, a one-room unpainted fame structure. In 1949, that building was demolished to make way for the construction of State Road AIA, and a new building was constructed. In 1972, following the purchase of the entire Franklintown tract by the Amelia Island company, the 1949 building along with the original bell from the 1892 chapel was moved the American Beach community. American Beach had been established as an African American ocean playground in 1935 by the Afro-American Life Insurance Company’s pension Bureau under its president Abraham Lincoln Lewis. Today, Franklintown chapel serves as the Gabriel Means Fellowship hall adjacent to the Franklintown United Methodist Church.
Sponsors: The American Beach Property Owners’ Association, Inc. and the Florida Department of State

ITALIA

Location:S.R. 200 between Gussie Ln and Police Lodge Rd.
County: Nassau
City: Yulee
Description: The town of Italia was founded here in 1882 by Irish-born entrepreneur William MacWilliams. Italia was located at milepost 18 on the Florida Transit Railroad, which ran from Fernandina to Cedar Key. The town began when former U.S. Senator David Levy Yulee, president of the Florida Transit Railroad, convinced MacWilliams to build a brick factory here. Timber businesses soon came to Italia with the openings of a wood-shingle mill and a sawmill to take advantage of nearby forests. By 1885, Italia had about 100 inhabitants and included a depot, post office and general store. Products made here were used in commercial and residential buildings in Fernandina and many other Northeast Florida locations. Thomas J. Shave brought new life to Italia when he built a turpentine still in 1905. By 1910, turpentine was the area's primary business. Italia suffered a fatal blow in the mid-1920s when the railroad was re-routed from Callahan to Gross, leaving the town without a viable link to distant markets. MacWilliams named his town Italia, reflecting a then-popular Florida marketing campaign which promoted the state as 'America's Italy' because of its similar peninsular shape and temperate climate.
Sponsors: Friends of Italia and the Florida Department of State

PHELAN - VEROT HOUSE

Location:N. 4th St between Alachua St. and Broom St.
County: Nassau
City: Amelia Island
Description: The marker text reads as follows: "On February 5, 1875, Jean-Pierre Augustin Verot, Bishop of Saint Augustine, purchased this cottage from Sarah Phelan. The Sisters of Saint Joseph lived here in the year 1877, when a devastating epidemic of yellow fever swept over the Amelia Island community. From this place, for three weeks as the epidemic raged, the small coterie of sisters risked their lives, night and day, as they nursed the stricken of every race, Catholic, non-Catholic, rich and poor. They offered comfort and prayers for the sick and dying, and even helped bury the dead. Grateful citizens thereafter called them "Angels of Mercy." Mother Celenie and Sister de Sales, young French nuns far from their motherhouse in LePuy, France, died of the fever. They rest in Bosque Bello Cemetery, their graves marked with simple stone crosses bearing the date 1877."
Sponsors: Amelia Island Fernandina Restoration Foundation and the Florida Department of State

A DUNE SYSTEM CALLED "NANA"

Location:Ocean Blvd.
County: Nassau
City: Fernandina Beach
Description: NaNa, the tallest dune in Florida, is a protected landmark due largely to the efforts of MaVynne Betsch (January 14, 1935-September 5, 2005), widely known as the "Beach Lady." Betsch, who once performed opera in London, Paris and Germany, returned to American Beach in 1975 as a full-time resident. Here, she used her resources and talents for the preservation of nature, the environment and the African-American community of American Beach. For this 60-foot dune system that she dubbed "NaNa," and the adjoining property to the shoreline, her efforts resulted in acquiring nearly ten acres as a national park now located in the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve. The "Beach Lady" also championed efforts that led to the posting of nesting signs for the protection of sea turtle eggs and encouraged residents to plant wildflowers on vacant lots to stabilize the sand as well as serve as hosts for butterfly nestlings and feedings. MaVynne Betsche, devoted the last 25 years of her life as this historic African-American community's most vocal advocate. Beach Lady is lovingly remembered for her mantra, "Getting the most from the least and living peacefully in harmony with nature is the most rewarding lifestyle."
Sponsors: The American Beach Property Owners Association and the Florida Department of State

MARTHA’S HIDEAWAY

Location:Ervine ST.
County: Nassau
City: Fernandina Beach
Description: American Beach, founded in 1935, was a renowned beach for Blacks during the segregation era when African Americans could not go to public beaches. In the early development of American Beach, a few private homes were built, including one hidden deep in the woods at the end of Ervin Street. The Colonial Revival house, built for local African-American business owner and community activist Martha Hippard, is an unusual example of high style architecture in the beach resort community. Detached from the main house is a separate party house that some say was a gambling house. Others say it was used to host dances, club parties, and other civic and social activities. Both houses are constructed of hand-made concrete blocks from truckloads of crushed coquina shells hauled from American Beach and hand-molded bricks manufactured on the premises. The 1938 structures were built on nearly an acre of land, larger than any other parcel in the area. In January 1961, Elmo and Annette Myers of Fernandina purchased the house from its second owner, eduator Lottie O. Harris of St. Marys, Georgia. Martha's Hideaway, also called Hippard's Hideaway, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 12, 2001.
Sponsors: Nassau County and the Florida Department of State

NASSAU COUNTY HISTORIC COURTHOUSE

Location:416 Center St N
County: Nassau
City: Fernandina Beach
Description: The 1891 Nassau County Courthouse is one of only a few remaining courthouses in Florida built in the late 19th century. An excellent example of the Italianate style, it features a square domed tower with cupola, brick corbelling, bracketed cornice, brick pilasters, arched windows, granite sills, and arcaded entrances with cast iron columns. Its architect, A.E. McClure, was from Jacksonville, but designed notable buildings throughout Florida, including the Lake City Agricultural College, forerunner of the University of Florida. The building's cornerstone was inscribed with the date 1891 and was scheduled to be laid on December 16 of that year, but the ceremony was delayed until April 12, 1892. Renovations to the courthouse include the 1926 addition of a vault for the recording office and a bell that was cast by Meneely & Co. of West Troy, New York. The bell served as part of the city's fire alarm until the mid-1930s. The clock was added to the bell tower in 1977. The courthouse is the tallest building in the Fernandina Beach Historic District and has served the county's judicial and governmental needs since its construction.
Sponsors: The Nassau County Board of County Commissioners and the Florida Department of State

BATTLE OF THOMAS CREEK

Location:on U.S. 1 at Thomas Creek
County: Nassau
City: South of Callahan
Description: When the American War of Independence began, the new British colonies of East and West Florida did not seek separation from England. East Florida remained comparatively free from serious fighting throughout the course of the Revolutionary War. In the summer of 1777, however, Americans initiated an invasion aimed at capturing St. Augustine. The expedition was composed of Continental Army troops and Georgia militia forces under the command of Lt. Col. Samuel Elbert. Preparations for the defense of east Florida involved the East Florida Rangers, a force of mounted provincials, British Regulars, and Indian allies. On may 17, 1777, a portion of the invading American expedition was attacked by a detachment of British Regulars under Maj. J.M. Prevost assisted by Rangers under Col. Thomas Brown and Indians. The battle took place at a site on Thomas Creek south of its confluence with the Nassau River. After suffering heavy casualties, the Americans, already discouraged by lack of supplies and the heat, began their retreat from Florida. Only one more unsuccessful invasion of East Florida occurred during the remaining years of the American Revolution.
Sponsors: Sponsored by florida society, children of the american revolution in cooperation with department of state

FERNANDEZ GRANT

Location:N. 4th Street.
County: Nassau
City: Fernandina Beach
Description: During the Spanish and English periods of Florida history, many large tracts of land were granted primarily to induce settlement. All that remains of the Don Domingo Fernandez Spanish Grant is the family cemetery and this park. Royal title to this property was granted August 9, 1807. This land was once a part of the Earl of Egmont property on Amelia Island, which included the present site of the City of Fernandina Beach. On January 1, 1825, the Legislative Council of the Territory of Florida passed "an act to incorporate the city of Fernandina." Little development resulted until 1853 when the Florida Railroad Company announced that Fernandina would form the eastern terminus for the first cross state railroad in Florida. This stimulated the growth of Florida by making a portion of the interior more accessible for further development and population growth.
Sponsors: The People of Saint Michael's Parish in Cooperation with Department of State

FLORIDA'S FIRST ATLANTIC TO GULF RAILROAD

Location:Atlantic Avenue & Front Street
County: Nassau
City: Fernandina Beach
Description: The Florida Railroad Company was incorporated January 8, 1853, with David L. Yulee as president. The line received both federal and state land grants. Despite early financial difficulties, construction was begun from Fernandina, where the main office was located, in 1856. The Final trackage to Cedar Key was lain March 1, 1861, and Florida had its first cross-state railroad.

FORT SAN CARLOS

Location:Corner of Estrada and White St.
County: Nassau
City: Fernandina Beach
Description: On this bluff overlooking the Amelia River, Fort San Carlos was completed by the Spanish in 1816. The fort was made of wood and earthworks and was armed with eight or ten guns. As the Spanish Empire disintegrated, Fort San Carlos became increasingly vulnerable to foreign intervention. Commissioned by representatives of revolting South American countries to liberate Florida from Spanish control, Sir Gregor MacGregor seized the fort in June, 1817. After his withdrawal in September, the Spanish attempt to reassert their authority was repelled by forces led by MacGregor's lieutenants, Jared Irwin and Ruggles Hubbard. Somewhat later, the pirate Luis Aury gained control of the fort. Because Aury's privateering threatened negotiations concerning the cession of Florida, United States troops occupied Fort San Carlos in December, 1817. Although upset by U.S. interference at Fort San Carlos, Spain did cede Florida in 1821, and the U.S. abandoned the fort shortly after the transferral. Archaeologists estimate that two-thirds of the area has disappeared through erosion.
Sponsors: sponsored by general duncan lamont clinch historical society of amelia island in cooperation with department of state

HISTORIC AMERICAN BEACH

Location:Lewis St. at Ocean Blvd.
County: Nassau
City: Amelia Island
Description: American Beach was established in 1935 under the leadership of Abraham Lincoln Lewis, one of seven co-founders of the Afro-American Life Insurance Company, and one of Florida’s first black millionaires. His vision was to create a beach resort as a benefit for company executives and as an incentive for employees to exceed in sales. Florida’s beaches were racially segregated until the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Because of this, American Beach became regionally popular since it was one of the few beaches in the Southeast open to African Americans. Other sites in American Beach trace their history to the Civil War era. Amelia Island was home to several Sea Island cotton plantations, including the Harrison Plantation. In 1862 Union Forces captured Amelia Island and the freed slaves founded Franklin Town at the south end of this island. The Franklin Town cemetery, which had been given by the Harrison family to their slaves as a burial place for their families, still exists today on the west side of Highway A1A. In 1972, encroaching development forced Franklin Town residents to move north to American Beach. Their Methodist Church, built in 1949, was also moved here where it now serves as the church’s fellowship hall.
Sponsors: AMERICAN BEACH PROPERTY OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION, INC. AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Location:NE Corner of Centre and Sixth Streets
County: Nassau
City: Fernandina Beach
Description: Methodism first came to Amelia Island in 1822 when the South Carolina Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church appointed the Reverend Elijah Sinclair as the first minister to East Florida. Sinclair arrived within months of Florida being ceded to the United State by Spain in 1821 and was welcomed by Protestant Scotch and English settlers who opened their homes to him for services. The congregation continued to worship in homes and the Pioneer Hotel after the town was relocated in the 1850s from Old Town, about a mile north of the present site of Fernandina Beach. In the mid-1800s a wood frame church was built on the northwest corner of Broome and Sixth Streets. The old church was torn down after it was replaced by the building on Centre Street. Construction of the brick Classical Revival style building began in 1926 on property donated by E.W. Bailey and John W. Simmons. The sanctuary was complete by 1930 and the first services were held on the second Sunday in February. Fund raising to complete work on the church was difficult during the Great Depression of the 1930's, and the three-story classroom section at the rear of the building was still unfinished when Bishop Paul Kern dedicated the church in 1940. The work was finally completed in 1951. It is the oldest United Methodist congregation in the Florida conference.
Sponsors: florida heritage sitesponsored by the General Duncan Lamont Clinch Historical Societyof Amelia Island and Florida Department of StateSandra B. Mortham, Secretary of State

NEW ZION BAPTIST CHURCH

Location:10 South Street, Amelia Island
County: Nassau
City: Amelia Island
Description: New Zion Baptist Church, the second oldest and largest black Baptist Church on Amelia Island, was founded on May 15, 1870 under the leadership of Reverend Lewis Cook (1834-1880). He and 69 parishioners held their first meeting in a stable on First Street and later in peoples’ homes. The 69 parishioners, supported by “Father Cook,” purchased the land for the church on April 1, 1878. The original wood church, built in 1881on the present site, was destroyed by fire on the morning of February 11, 1907. The current structure, built on the same site and completed by November 1907, was constructed of cement brick veneer and remains unchanged today. William “Billy” Rivers, a well-known black contractor, supervised the project. Reverend P.A. Callaham, Bachelor of Divinity, served as Pastor. New Zion has a historical, cultural and spiritual significance, particularly during the segregation era, when it was the leading and largest church used for graduations and other community events. Under the leadership of 22 pastors, New Zion has for over 100 years contributed to the community and remains a cherished historical site in the historic district of Fernandina Beach.
Sponsors: CITY OF FERNANDINA BEACH AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

PLAZA SAN CARLOS

Location:Estrada st. near White St.
County: Nassau
City: Fernandina Beach
Description: This land high above the Amelia River was a campsite for Indians in pre-historic times, as early as 2,000-1,000 B.C. In the early history of the state, it assumed military importance because of the fine protected harbor on the northern boundary of Spanish Florida. In the first Spanish period, a village of Franciscans and Indians was established here by 1675, and a Spanish sentinel's house was documented in 1696. From 1736 to 1742, James Oglethorpe stationed Highlanders on this site. After the withdrawal of Oglethorpe's troops in 1742, the area served as a buffer zone between the English and the Spanish until 1763 when Flroida became a British possession. When Spain regained possession of Florida in 1783, this harbor was an embarkation point for British Loyalists leaving Florida. The U.S. Embargo Act of 1807, which closed all U.S. ports to European trade, made the border town of Fernandina a center for smuggling. On March 17, 1812, a group of Americans known as the Patriots overthrew the Spanish battery, but the U.S. flag replaced the Patriots' standard after one day. Spain regained control in May, 1813, and completed Fort San Carlos in 1816. As the fort's parade ground, this site was named Plaza San Carlos.
Sponsors: sponsored by General Duncan Lamont Clinch, Historical Society of Amelia Island in cooperation with the Florida Department of State

ST. PETER'S CHURCH (EPISCOPAL)

Location:801 Atlantic Avenue
County: Nassau
City: Fernandina Beach
Description: The church was organized as a mission in 1858 and was consecrated the following year by the Rt. Rev. Francis Huger Rutledge, first Bishop of Florida. During the War it was used by Federal forces occupying Fernandina and many of its interior possessions were lost. The building was restored to sacred use during the Reconstruction Period, but was destroyed by fire in 1892. The present neo-Gothic church was completed in 1893.

PECK HIGH SCHOOL

Location:516 South 10th Street
County: Nassau
City: Fernandina Beach
Description: Side 1: The groundwork for Peck High School started in 1880, when a group led by Henry B. Delaney petitioned for an African American school in Fernandina. In 1885, a four-room building known as Colored School No. 1 opened at Atlantic Avenue and 11th Street. Moses H. Payne, a Howard University graduate, became the first principal and teacher that same year. William H. Peck, also a Howard graduate, joined Payne in Fernandina in 1887, and served as assistant principal. Following Payne’s death in 1888, Peck was promoted to principal, a position he held until 1931. Professor Peck developed the high school’s curriculum and graduated its first class in 1891. In 1909, a four acre parcel was purchased on South 10th Street to build a larger school. Peck tenaciously gathered support from within the community and from the Rosenwald Foundation, a program for African-American school construction funded by Julius Rosenwald of Sears, Roebuck & Co. In 1911, the school was renamed in Peck’s honor. Peck High School was completed in 1927, serving grades 1-12. Peck, who died in 1950 and is buried at Bosque Bello cemetery, was widely respected in the community and recognized in the state’s Great Floridians 2000 program. Side 2: As one of the oldest African American high schools in the state, Peck High School was the center of the African American community and a source of pride. Used for classes in the day, the school served as a meeting place for community groups in the evening. In later years, adult education and industrial skills were also offered. Teachers were an integral part of the fabric of the community and embraced their roles with great pride and commitment, understanding that they were educating students, families, and a community. When schools in Fernandina were desegregated in 1969, Peck was closed. Students were integrated into other schools and by 1976 the building was vacant. Recognizing the impact the deteriorating building had on the spirit of an entire community, a diverse group including Ellie Colburn, Elmo Myers, Charles Albert, and Willie Mae Ashley began the campaign to save Peck High. In the 1990s, state grants and the City of Fernandina Beach funded its restoration, and it reopened as the Peck Center. The center houses non-profit groups, city offices, and hosts recreational activities and special events, making it possible for Peck to celebrate its past while continuing to serve the community.
Sponsors: Peck Alumni Association, City of Fernandina Beach

KINGS FERRY

Location:Kings Ferry Boat Ramp, end of Bill Johnson Road
County: Nassau
City: Hilliard
Description: Side One: During Florida’s British Period (1763-1783), the small trading hamlet of Mills Ferry was established here on the St. Marys River. Mills Ferry was first chronicled in the early 1770s by American naturalist William Bartram. He noted that the Seagrove & Co. trading post existed here where the British King’s Road crossed the river. That road connected Charleston, South Carolina, with St. Augustine, Florida. In the mid-1770s, the British built Fort Tonyn, one mile east of this site, to keep the Georgia militia from invading Florida. Towering longleaf yellow pine was cut along the St. Marys River to mast the tall ships of the British Navy. During Florida’s Second Spanish Period (1783-1821), the crossing took the names of Whitehouse, (Casa Blanca), and Drummond’s Ferry before finally becoming Kings Ferry in the mid-1820s. Zachariah Haddock, William Drummond, and William Nelson were some of the first Spanish land grant owners between 1790-1805. Other families include Higginbotham, Braddock, Vanzant, McKendree, Libby, Davis, Albertie and King. In the decades after Spain relinquished Florida in 1821, Protestant congregations organized including Ephesus and nearby Mt. Olive Baptist Churches. Side Two: Brothers Gilbert and Franklin Germond and their father constructed and operated a mill here in the early 1850s. African-Americans constituted the bulk of the labor force. After 1865, many African-Americans remained in the area. They worked in the mills, in the forests, and on the docks, loading four and five-masted ships with lumber bound for all parts of the world. African-American family names included Thompson, Taylor, Cooper, Timmons, Albertie, and Scipio. In 1870, William and Jackson Mizell arrived and expanded Germond’s “Little Mill” into the largest milling operation in Nassau County. In the late 1870s, Hilliard and Bailey constructed a mill next to the Mizell mill. They also built a log tram south to what would become the Town of Hilliard. In the 1890s, Kings Ferry was at its peak and boasted a post office, millinery shop, Masonic Lodge, schoolhouse, churches, skating rink, blacksmith shop, newspaper, and many drinking establishments. By the 1920s, the town’s economic activity had waned. Today, all signs of commercial life are gone, leaving memories and a scattering of private homes. The two-story T.W. Russell house, built in 1875, is located east of this marker.
Sponsors: West Nassau Historical Society

THE LESESNE HOUSE

Location:Corner of Centre and 5th St.
County: Nassau
City: Fernandina Beach
Description: This Classical Revival style residence, built by Dr. John F. Lesesne circa 1860, is one of the oldest homes in Fernandina Beach. Lesesne left Fernandina during the Civil War and did not return. In 1868 the house became the property of the family of Judge John Friend, who had been appointed district tax commissioner after the war by President Andrew Johnson. Friend was a lawyer and served as a county commissioner and judge. At the time of his death in 1878 he was state senator-elect from Nassau County. The descendents of the Friend family still occupy the home. This double galleried home, constructed of hand-hewn lumber fastened with wooden pegs, is one of the major points of interest in the Fernandina Beach Historic District which was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
Sponsors: The General Duncan Lamont Clinch Historical Society of Amelia Island and Angel Starke Davis, Ernest and Marie Davis Chaplin Family, Davis and Dee Chaplin, Saxby Caroline Sperau and Florida Department of State.

Okaloosa

BAKER HIGH SCHOOL

Location:1369 14th Street
County: Okaloosa
City: Baker
Description: The Town of Baker, a stop on the Florida, Alabama and Gulf Railroad, was platted in 1910 and grew up around the timber and turpentine industries. The site of the original Baker High School was owned by J.W. and Mollie McCart who sold the property to the Santa Rosa County Board of Public Instruction in 1914. Construction of the school, a two-story brick building with a basement, began in 1915, and opened for classes in January 1916. The school was heated by a wood stove, and students drank from an outdoor, hand-pumped well. The school was known as the Baker School, and operated as an elementary and junior high school until 1923, when a growing population required that it admit high school students. It was re-named the Baker High School that year and became the first accredited high school in Okaloosa County. In 1924, Baker High School graduated its first class with three students. In 1927, a new high school was completed across Jefferson Street in front of the old Baker High School. That building burned in 1953 and was rebuilt in 1955. The school’s gymnasium was built in 1958. New classrooms and a football stadium were added in 1970. The original Baker High School was renovated in 1957 and demolished in 1973.
Sponsors: Baker High Alumni and the Florida Department of State

DR. BEAL'S SHELL MUSEUM (BEAL HOUSE)

Location:2820 W Hwy 98
County: Okaloosa
City: Fort Walton Beach
Description: Dr. James Hartley Beal (1861-1945) was an influential pharmacist, chemist, lawyer, educator, and scientist. Despite his busy life, he began collecting shells, finding his first specimen, a “micrarock” in 1888. The Fort Walton Beach resident bought this house in the early 1900s. An artesian water well and supply system on the property became the start of the town’s first water system. The home was used by Dr. Beal as his office and housed his extensive shell collection. By 1940, his collection had grown to be the second largest shell collection in the world. The shells were donated to Rollins College, where they remained on display until 1988. They were then transferred to the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida, Gainesville. The house was extensively remodeled and converted into the Summerhouse Restaurant, which operated there from the 1980s until 2004. It was originally located at 2 Miracle Strip Parkway in Fort Walton Beach. The building was slated for demolition in the fall of 2004. In order to save the building, Dr. Beal’s former Shell Museum was purchased and moved by barge to its present location.
Sponsors: HUBERT ALAN LAIRD AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE

Location:S. John Sims Pkwy, Eglin Air Force Base East Gate Visitors Center
County: Okaloosa
City: Fort Walton Beach
Description: Originally established on June 14, 1935, as Valparaiso Bombing and Gunnery Range with 1460 acres of land donated by James E. Plew, this site was renamed on August 4, 1937, for Lieutenant Colonel "Frederick I. Eglin, killed in an airplane crash. Eglin Field became a separate opening base August 27, 1940.
Sponsors: Dedicated by Mrs. Charles W. Ruckel, Daughter of James Plew In Cooperation With The United States Air Force And The Department of State

FORT WALTON

Location:on U.S. 98, 1.5 Blocks West of Brooks Bridge
County: Okaloosa
City: Fort Walton Beach
Description: Originally called Camp Walton, this Confederate installation, constructed in 1861 to guard East Pass, was garrisoned by a company of Florida militia called the "Walton Guards". Several small skirmishes with federal landing parties occurred near here. The Camp was abandoned following the Confederate evacuation of Pensacola, and the garrison, a part of the First Florida Infantry Regiment, was assigned to duty on the Tennessee front in early 1862.

INDIANOLA INN, AN INDIAN MOUND, AND CIVIL WAR CANNONS

Location:113 Brooks St. SE
County: Okaloosa
City: Destin
Description: The Indianola Inn, the second hotel in this area, was built on this midden mound in 1912 – the only structure ever permitted to do so. The inn burned in 1962, but the steps, foundation parts, and well head have been preserved. The inn had been condemned several days prior to the fire and the owners were to be notified the day after the fire. In 1927 the rate for staying at the inn was $25.00 per week including all meals, the use of a boat and guest services. The inn’s original owners were Mrs. Mary Frances Brooks Pryor and her husband. Mrs. Pryor’s father, John Thomas Brooks built the first hotel in the area, Brooks House, and later sold it leaving the Indianola Inn the only Brooks family hotel. Out of respect for the archeological significance of the mound the developers of the Indianola on the Water Condominium project did not disturb the mound area. The Indian midden mound, dating back to 500 BC to 1000 AD (The Woodlands Period), was a trash pile for early settlers of the Fort Walton Beach area. Fort Walton, Weeden Island, Santa Rosa-Swift Creek, and Deptford period ceramics were found during a 1966 archeological excavation. Artifacts such as animal and fish bones, pottery, eating utensils, and arrows were uncovered during an extensive 2005 archeological study conducted prior to the start of the condominium project. It is believed upper middle class Indians lived here, but there have never been any confirmed human bone findings. A button found in 1966 was attributed to a soldier of the Fort Walton Guard, commanded by Confederate Captain William McPherson. During the Civil War he used the cannon and this site to protect “The Narrows” of Santa Rosa Sound where it enters Choctawatchee Bay. At that time, the land extended several hundred yards farther into the Sound. Archeologists have suggested the height of the mound was raised by the Walton Guardsmen affording better cannon positioning. A cannon, discovered in the 1930s, was displayed on the Sound side of the Indianola Inn until 1962. The cannon was then moved to the Indian Temple Mound Museum, north of here. Three cannon balls, discovered in 2005, were used during this period. Based on their size, it is known that they were not shot from the cannon that was discovered in the 1930s. It is believed there is another cannon in this area that has not been unearthed.
Sponsors: NWEC DEVELOPMENT AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

OKALOOSA COUNTY

Location:N. Main Street at south entrance to Courthouse.
County: Okaloosa
City: Crestview
Description: Okaloosa County, created by the Florida State Legislature in 1915, was formed from parts of Santa Rosa and Walton Counties. The influence of W.H. Mapoles, Sr., then a legislative representative from Walton County, was an important factor in the creation of the county. The name chosen for the new county was derived from Indian words variously interpreted as " black water," "pleasant place," or "a place of rest." The first county seat was Milligan, a sawmill town. In 1917, Crestview was selected as the permanent county seat. Okaloosa County's economy is based on agriculture, forestry, and tourism.
Sponsors: Sponsored by Board of County commissioners, Okaloosa County in cooperation with department of state

OKALOOSA COUNTY

Location:101 E James Lee Blvd, at north entrance to Courthouse.
County: Okaloosa
City: Crestview
Description: Okaloosa is one of the newer counties of northwest Florida. It was created by the State Legislature in 1915 from land taken from Santa Rosa and Walton Counties. The influence of State Senator W.H. Mapoles of Crestview was an important factor in the creation of the county. Okaloosa contains extensive agricultural and forest industries, popular gulf coast fishing and bathing resorts, and important military installations. The county seat is Crestview.

BOGGY MILL COMPANY SITE

Location:940-958 Bayshore Drive
County: Okaloosa
City: Niceville
Description: The Boggy Mill Company incorporated in August 1908. The mill consisted of 40 acres on the east side of Boggy Bayou. With access to the forest and waterways, it was in an ideal location. The company drew settlers for lumber industry jobs like logging, turpentine, and shingle-getting. It was rough, difficult, and dangerous work. In November 1908, the flywheel of the sawmill’s largest engine gave way. A piece of it struck engineer George Bostick, resulting in his death. The Pensacola News Journal reported in November 1908: “The Boggy Mill Company is now running its plant on full time, cutting about 21,000 board feet per day. The mill of the Consolidated Land and Lumber Company will be ready to start up within a short time. Boggy is becoming one of the best towns in this section. The name Boggy signifies that it is bogged up with business. There are about ten buildings in the course of construction and everyone is busy. New families are locating rapidly, and at the present time the town has four stores, two mills and two turpentine stills.” In 1912, J. P. Rawls bought the mill site at public auction, plus 6,000 additional acres. He later sold it to the Mutual Land and Lumber Co., owned by developer R. E. L. McCaskill.

NICEVILLE FIRE, 1934

Location:317 Bayshore Drive
County: Okaloosa
City: Niceville
Description: Niceville Fire of 1934, as reported in local newspapers: “The 200 CCC men formed bucket brigades and in cooperation with the fire crews of the Choctawhatchee National Forest did yeomen service in saving buildings and stocks of merchandise after three grocery stores, a dry goods store, creamery, post office building, hotel, drug store and fish warehouses were destroyed. The loss is estimated at $100,000 (worth $2,000,000 in 2021) with little insurance. There was no running water with which to combat the flames and it appeared for a time that the town would be completely destroyed until the forest firefighters and CCC workers took charge." (Gadsden County Times, January 25, 1934) "While the ruins were still smoldering, space was being made in Finck’s for the post office. During the day the Niceville Fish Company set up offices there. Within a little while a grocery had been added. And now Adolph’s establishment represents the bay country’s first and only complete arcade. In it is found a post office, a wholesale and retail fish house, a grocery, a restaurant, a bakery and the bay country’s only draft beer dispensary, while the Niceville Masonic Lodge occupies the floor above.” (The Valparaiso Star, February 1, 1934)

OLD MARITIME CITY

Location:317 Bayshore Drive
County: Okaloosa
City: Niceville
Description: Niceville was the center of the commercial fishing industry of the Choctawhatchee Bay region, the basis of the community's prosperity. Mail service here was established in 1868. The schooner Bera Attious was built at the shipyard here in 1888. Niceville in Walton County was known as Boggy until 1910, when the name changed. In 1915 Okaloosa County was formed. Products from local sawmills, shingle mills and turpentine stills were transported across Choctawhatchee Bay to Pensacola. In 1911, the steamer Belle, loaded with naval stores, sank with the loss of four lives including local Noah Edward Burlison. Fishing was a lucrative industry, and fish wagons from as far away as Alabama and other parts of north Florida came to this area to buy fish. Some of the launches servicing this area were the Swan, Donna, Ruth, Fritz, and the Belle. They provided passenger, freight and mail services with scheduled stops between here and Pensacola. In 1934, an ice factory made it possible to produce large quantities of ice, which increased fish sales. The Niceville Fish Company operated by Claude Meigs and the Spence Brothers Fish Company were the leading commercial fishing industries maintaining fish warehouses and fleets of boats.

Okeechobee

PETER AND LOUISIANA CHANDLER RAULERSON LOG CABIN HISTORIC SITE

Location:811 SW 2nd Avenue
County: Okeechobee
City: Okeechobee
Description: This is the homesite of the first Euro-American settlers in this area, Peter and Louisiana Raulerson. The couple moved southeast from Basinger to “The Bend,” a region along Onoshohatchee River (Taylor Creek) and a few miles north of Lake Okeechobee, in October 1896. The original boundaries of the Raulersons’ 160-acre homestead were the Onoshohatchee River to the east, the Kissimmee River to the west, and Lake Okeechobee to the south. They first constructed a barn to house both their family and livestock. In 1899, a group of friends arrived and, in three days, helped the couple construct a two-room log cabin in the dogtrot style. In this log cabin, Peter and Louisiana lived with their children Lewis, Adline, Harmon, Melville, Faith, Ada, and Cornelius. Mattie, the Raulersons’ eldest child, was married and had remained in Basinger. In 1916, the family built a larger house directly east of here, and Peter lived there until his death in 1947. Elements of the original log cabin are preserved within the structure of a new house, built for the family in the 1920s. The house was occupied by the Raulersons’ descendants until 2018, when the Okeechobee Historical Society purchased the house to preserve this historical site.

HISTORIC BASINGER CEMETERY

Location:NW 178th Street
County: Okeechobee
City: Basinger
Description: Basinger, on the Okeechobee side of the Kissimmee River, was the beginning of present-day Okeechobee County. The first non-native settlers moved to the Basinger area after the Civil War. Many of the pioneers who moved to the area during the 1870s and 1880s were involved in the beef cattle industry, and the lush grasslands of the Kissimmee River valley offered new grazing land for their herds. By the turn of the 20th century, the area was a bustling cowboy community. The first person buried in the Basinger Cemetery was Noel Rabun Raulerson III, son of Noel Jr., and grandson of Rabun Raulerson. After Noel Rabun’s death at age 24 in 1895, his father gave the land around his son’s grave to the community for use as a cemetery. The land was deeded to "The Cemetery of the Methodist Episcopal Church South of Bassenger," dated September 3, 1896, but later it became the property of Okeechobee County. Early settlers to the area included the Alderman, Campbell, Chandler, Durrance, Holmes, Lofton, Parker, Raulerson, Thomas, Underhill, and Walker families. Settlers on the Highlands County side included the Daughtrey and Pearce families. Many members of these pioneer families and their descendants are interred here.
Sponsors: Okeechobee Historic Society, Okeechobee County Board of County Commissioners, Descendants of Early Pioneer Families, Friends and Family Members of Loved Ones Interred in this Cemetery

OKEECHOBEE COUNTY

Location:304 Northwest 2nd St. at County Courthouse
County: Okeechobee
City: Okeechobee
Description: Okeechobee County was formed Aug. 7, 1917, from St. Lucie, Osceola and Palm Beach Counties. Long a haunt of the Seminoles, the area saw almost no white penetration until the First Seminole War, 1835-42. Much fighting occurred in the county during the war including the Battle of Lake Okeechobee on Dec. 24, 1837. The county has become a major truck crop area. The vicious 1928 hurricane led to flood control on the Lake.

PETER AND LOUISIANA RAULERSON GRAVESITE

Location:Northeast 39th Boulevard
County: Okeechobee
City: Okeechobee
Description: Peter Raulerson was born September 1, 1857, in Bartow, Florida. His family moved to Basinger in 1874 and, in 1877, Peter married Louisiana Chandler. In October 1896, Peter and Louisiana moved southeast to a region three miles north of Lake Okeechobee known as “The Bend” located along Taylor Creek. The Raulerson family was the first Euro-American settlers in this area. In April 1902, the Raulersons helped establish the first post office in the community, known as Tantie. Their daughter, Martha, served as the first postmaster, and was succeeded by Peter in June 1902. Peter established a Star Route, a privately-contracted mail route, between Tantie and Fort Drum. In October 1911, the town renamed itself Okeechobee. Later, when the City of Okeechobee incorporated on June 4, 1915, Florida Governor Park Trammel appointed Peter the first mayor. Additionally, he served as the first county commissioner from the area in St. Lucie County. Peter established the first school in 1898 and was a trustee of the first brick schoolhouse built in 1916. Peter died in 1947 at the age of 90. Louisiana died one year later. In 2000, Peter was designated as a Great Floridian and a plaque in his honor is located at the Okeechobee City Hall.
Sponsors: Okeechobee Historical Society, The Okeechobee Board of County Commissioners, The Family of Peter and Louisiana Chandler Raulerson, The Buxton-Bass Okeechobee Funeral Home

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF OKEECHOBEE, FLORIDA

Location:200 NW Second Street
County: Okeechobee
City: Okeechobee
Description: In May 1915, Reverend William Troutman and seven founders established the First United Methodist Church (Methodist Episcopal Church South). The first church building was completed in 1916 on land donated by the Okeechobee Company, a Henry Flagler company. The one-story, wood structure was the first church building in the city of Okeechobee. The building was moved to an adjoining lot in 1921 to make way for construction of this brick church building, whose plans were approved that same year. Seed money for the construction was raised by a William Jennings Bryan lecture and the building was completed debt free in 1924. The brick church features replacement stained glass windows installed in original "rose" window frames and a Reuter pipe organ installed in 1944. The original wood building served as the parsonage until 1969, then was used as the Heart & Hand Mission and youth building until its demolition in 1979. The church has served the community by hosting Okeechobee High School graduations, numerous weddings, funerals, music programs, and other events. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015 in celebration of the centennial of the first church building in Okeechobee.
Sponsors: First United Methodist Church of Okeechobee, Florida

TANTIE SCHOOL HOUSE #14

Location:1850 Highway 98 N
County: Okeechobee
City: Okeechobee
Description: The first school in the region north of Lake Okeechobee, known as “The Bend,” was a thatched-roof structure built around 1897. Homesteader Peter Raulerson and family did not have enough children old enough to support a school, and were forced to bring in five students from nearby Platt’s Bluff. The children and the first teacher, Dr. George M. Hubbard, boarded with the Raulersons. In 1902, the area was renamed Tantie in honor of another local schoolteacher, Tantie Huckabee. A new one-room schoolhouse was built in 1909 by Peter’s son, Lewis, for the contract price of $500 and located on the west side of Parrott Avenue. The white frame building was designated School #14 by the St. Lucie County School Board and Hubbard became the first teacher of its 36 students. Due to population growth, a one-room addition was built in 1914. A second addition was constructed in 1915, but the school was so crowded by the fall that a tent was set up for the overflow. Construction began in 1916 on the Okeechobee Public School, and classes moved to the new building. Following the purchase of School #14 by the Okeechobee Historical Society, it was relocated to this site in 1976. The society restored the building to serve as a museum.
Sponsors: The Okeechobee Historical Society, Okeechobee County School System, Okeechobee County Board of County Commissioners, Okeechobee Retired Educators Association

Orange

TINKER FIELD

Location:1610 West Church Street
County: Orange
City: Orlando
Description: Side One: Joe Tinker (1880-1948) was an Orlando real estate developer and professional baseball player. While playing with the Chicago Cubs from 1906 to 1910, Tinker won four pennants, two World Series championships, and was part of a famous double-play combination with teammates Johnny Evers and Frank Chance. He managed the minor league Columbus Senators until 1919, when he moved to Orlando to manage the Orlando Tigers. His Orlando real estate firm thrived during the 1920s Florida land boom. Tinker promoted construction of a new baseball stadium to encourage spring training in Orlando. Construction began in December 1922, and Tinker Field was dedicated in April 1923. The all wood stadium seated 1,500 and the ballpark was said to be larger than Yankee Stadium. The field, which is thought to have been a baseball field since 1914, consisted of red Georgia clay and a grass outfield of Bermuda sod. In 1963, the stadium was rebuilt incorporating 1,000 seats from Griffith Stadium in Washington D.C., which had been built in 1911. Spring training was held at Tinker Field until 1990 and home teams included the Cincinnati Reds (1923-1933), Brooklyn Dodgers (1934-1935) and the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins (1936-1990). Side Two: On March 6, 1964, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his “Integration Now” speech from the pitcher’s mound to a crowd of approximately 2,000 people. This was Dr. King’s only visit to Orlando and his only speech in central Florida. King was in Orlando attending a Southern Christian Leadership Conference and made appearances at a workshop at Shiloh Baptist Church and the rally at Tinker Field. King participated in the St. Augustine Movement in the summer of 1964, which played a major role in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That same year, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality through nonviolence. Tinker Field was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004 for its association with baseball and Joe Tinker, who was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946. Thousands of baseball players trained here, including Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, Lou Gehrig, Warren Spahn, Hank Aaron, and Michael Jordan. In 2015, the baseball diamond and field were designated an Orlando Historic Landmark based on the site’s association with civil rights and its significance to major league and minor league baseball in Orlando.
Sponsors: City of Orlando

JOHN R. MOTT HOUSE SITE

Location:528 East Washington Street
County: Orange
City: Orlando
Description: Side One: Built in 1920, the former house at 528 E. Washington Street was once home to Nobel Peace Prize winner John Raleigh Mott (1869-1955). As general secretary of the National War Work Council, a World War I era Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) program, Mott received the Distinguished Service Medal for his relief work for prisoners of war. Mott served as general secretary of the YMCA International Committee from 1915-1928 and president of the YMCA World Committee from 1926-1937. As a leader of many civic and Christian organizations, he traveled abroad and delivered thousands of speeches. He averaged 34 days a year on the ocean for 50 years and crossed the Atlantic over 100 times and the Pacific 14 times. Known to travel plainly, he refused a ticket on the Titanic to sail instead on a less extravagant ship. Mott received honorary degrees from six universities including Yale, Edinburgh, Princeton, and Brown. His numerous international honors, awards, and designations included recognition from China, Czechoslovakia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Poland, Portugal, Siam, Sweden, and the United States. Mott was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1946 for his humanitarian work. Side Two: John Mott retired to Orlando in 1938 and bought the one-story bungalow at this site. Over the course of his career, Mott wrote sixteen books and delivered thousands of speeches. During his retirement, he compiled volumes of his speeches, letters, and papers. The compilations included correspondence with prominent American and International philanthropists and political and religious leaders. In 1952, Mott’s wife Lelia White died. They had married in 1891 and had four children. After her death, Mott married Agnes Peter, a descendant of Martha Washington. Following his death in Orlando on January 31, 1955, Mott’s family donated his collected works to the Yale Divinity School Library where it fills 230 archival boxes that occupy 95 linear feet of shelf space. These papers provide information and insight regarding individuals and religious movements from 1880-1955. The bungalow Mott lived in was demolished in 2013 to provide additional space for Lake Eola Park. John Mott was interred in St. Joseph’s Chapel of the Washington National Cathedral. He remains locally and internationally renowned for his accomplishments and leadership.
Sponsors: City of Orlando, The Nollet Family, The Van Dusen-Wheeler Family

EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Location:601 South Highland Avenue
County: Orange
City: Apopka
Description: This little church began as a simple rectangular board and batten structure built in 1886 by the First Congregational Church on Main Street in Apopka. Services were held in the church for ten years until the Great Freeze of 1895 forced the congregation to disband. The building housed various businesses during the subsequent years, and eventually fell into neglect. In 1902, two Orange County educators, sisters Elizabeth Emma and Mary E. Dart, prevailed upon Saint Luke’s Cathedral in Orlando to purchase the building for $75 and start an Episcopal Mission. The Dart sisters, alongside other Episcopalians, restored and re-consecrated the church. Bishop William Crane Gray held the first service on November 16, 1902, in the renamed Church of the Holy Spirit. Parking issues and traffic noise forced the congregation to relocate the church to its current location in 1970. Congregation growth prompted the construction of a new church building, and the “Big Church” was consecrated by Bishop John W. Howe in 1990. The original “Little Church” serves as Holy Spirit’s Memorial Garden Chapel. Both churches display Carpenter Gothic architecture and reflect the Gospel Story of Jesus Christ in stained-glass windows.
Sponsors: Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit

ATLANTIC COASTLINE STATION

Location:1400 Sligh Boulevard
County: Orange
City: Orlando
Description: Side One: In 1880, the South Florida Railroad built a railway through Orlando. The small community boomed with land speculators, citrus and cattle investors, and tourists. In 1902, the larger Atlantic Coastline Railroad acquired the South Florida Railroad. Although three earlier Orlando stations were located on Church Street, Atlantic Coastline hired architect M.A. Griffith to design a new station on Sligh Boulevard in 1926. Griffith traveled the Pacific Coast and drew inspiration from Spanish architecture and colonial parish churches. The W.T. Hadlow Construction Company of Jacksonville received a $300,000 construction contract for the Spanish Mission style building. Twin bell towers, arches, parapet, and tile roof reflect this influence. Griffith designed the letters of “ORLANDO” over the west entrance arch. When the station was dedicated in January 1927, it attracted a crowd of more than 6,000 and became an immediate icon. The racially segregated station included a separate waiting room with ticket windows and restrooms for African American passengers on the south side of the building. Built-in curved wooden settees, once featured in both waiting rooms, remain only in the current waiting room. Side Two: Known historically as the Atlantic Coastline Railroad Station, this building represented the city’s efforts to encourage tourism in Orlando during the 1920s Florida Land Boom. Since its opening, the station has served as a passenger terminal for residents, visitors, and workers. The words “Seaboard Coast Line” on the east arched parapet replaced “Atlantic Coast Line” after the two rail companies merged in 1967. The station was documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey with six drawing sheets archived in the Library of Congress. On February 27, 1978, it was designated as an Orlando Historic Landmark. An extensive renovation began in 2014 to restore the station including the original wood doors and windows. Careful research revealed original colors of the building, window sills, and domes. In 2015, the project won the City of Orlando’s Historic Preservation award for Outstanding Commercial Rehabilitation. The station is considered the largest and finest example of Mission Revival architecture in Central Florida and is the only train station of this style in the state. The station serves Amtrak’s Silver Meteor and Silver Star Lines and the SunRail commuter train.
Sponsors: City of Orlando

WINTER GARDEN HISTORIC DISTRICT (REORDER)

Location:Plant Street from Dillard Street to Highland Avenue
County: Orange
City: Winter Garden
Description: On this corner, farmers built a small wooden train station soon after the Orange Belt Railroad reached the area in 1886. By 1899, the Tavares & Gulf Railroad constructed a second rail line and depot nearby. Wooden stores rose alongside the parallel tracks and Winter Garden was incorporated in 1908. Prosperity fueled Winter Garden’s growth from 1910 to 1960. The town became a major citrus shipping point, and downtown served as the region’s shopping center. Nearby, Lake Apopka gained recognition as “the large-mouth bass capital of the world.” During the second half of the 20th century, the city center declined. Automobiles replaced train travel, strip malls outpaced downtown Plant Street stores, and Lake Apopka became severely polluted. After multiple freezes during the 1980s decimated the citrus industry, the buildings in the dilapidated downtown district stood mostly abandoned. Orange County replaced the Plant Street railroad tracks with the West Orange Trail in 1994, which sparked a turnaround. In 1996, a district featuring 24 commercial structures was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Through the strong efforts of residents, merchants, and city officials, the city center has undergone a rebirth.
Sponsors: Winter Garden Heritage Foundation

CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD

Location:331 Lake Avenue
County: Orange
City: Maitland
Description: The Church of the Good Shepherd (known as "The Chapel") was established in 1882 by the Right Reverend Henry Benjamin Whipple, the first Episcopal bishop of the Diocese of Minnesota, who wintered in Maitland because of poor health. Bishop Whipple envisioned his church as “. . . a place where the poorest man on earth may find here his Saviour's home.” The property for the church was donated by Mr. C.H. Hall in 1875. The church’s congregation formally began in 1879, when its members met in the parlor of Bishop Whipple’s house across the street from the present church. The church was designed by architect Charles C. Haight of New York City, and was constructed in 1883 by builder James A. McGuire. The timber frame building is an excellent example of the Carpenter Gothic style, and has a rectangular nave, a belfry with a tall pyramidal roof, and unusual triangular battens in its board and batten exterior. The church’s original 1884 stained glass windows were designed by Charles Booth in the Aesthetic Style, and are exceptional examples of this rare type of design in stained glass. The Church of the Good Shepherd was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.
Sponsors: The Church of the Good Shepherd and the Florida Department of State

WHITE HOUSE OF ZELLWOOD STATION

Location:2126 Spillman Drive
County: Orange
City: Zellwood
Description: Built in 1869, just east of Zellwood, the White House was the winter home of the Harry S. Paul family from Pennsylvania. It was sold in the 1940s to the Sam Coen family corporation, who planted citrus groves. The Libby Company obtained a lease for the property in 1953, and appointed George McClure as the production manager. He lived in the house with his family for most of the 1950s and 1960s. The house then sat vacant for many years, and was believed to be haunted due to the way the wind blew through the broken windows and caused doors to seemingly swing on their own. In 1973, the Cayman Development Corporation purchased the house along with 837 acres for the development of the Zellwood Station mobile home community. The corporation wanted to preserve the house’s old Florida architecture from demolition, and moved the 290-ton building two blocks to its current location. In 1974, at the first Zellwood Sweet Corn Festival, Florida Secretary of Agriculture Doyle Connor spoke to attendees from the front porch. The White House and the surrounding area were purchased by Zellwood Station Cooperative, Inc. in 1993. The building serves as the company’s administrative office and remains a focal point of the community.
Sponsors: Zellwood Station Cooperative,Inc.

COMMUNITY OF PIEDMONT

Location:Peidmont-Wekiwa Rd. between Orange Blossom Trail and Apopka Blvd.
County: Orange
City: Apopka
Description: Piedmont, named in the late 1890s, was comprised of a wide area around Blue lake, one and one-half miles east of Apopka City. It was a close-knit community populated in the 1870s almost entirely by Swedish immigrants. Among the earliest settlers were the Andersons, Thollanders, Jacksons, Olsons, and Larrsons. Railroad tracks were extended through the settlement in 1885, and the Piedmont Railroad station was constructed in 1890. Emily Jackson Swanson (1911-2001), living here her entire life, was the last Piedmont resident born of Swedish parents. A small store and a schoolhouse, the center of the community, served as a social center and church. Residents cultivated citrus groves and vineyards establishing several wineries. Residents also farmed raising livestock, produce, and poultry. In the late 1890s, a saw mill was built that continued into the 1920s, and the Florida Central and Peninsula Railroad built a new railroad freight station. The Piedmont post office, established to serve 75 residents in 17 homes in 1903, was discontinued in 1922. In the 1920s, electric service became available. The Piedmont Chamber of Commerce was formed in 1929. The area was annexed into the City of Apopka in 1986.
Sponsors: The Apopka Historical Society, the City of Apopka, and the Florida Department of State

ORLANDO ARMY AIR BASE

Location:Intersection of Maguire Boulevard and East Livingston Street
County: Orange
City: Orlando
Description: Orlando Municipal Airport opened in 1928 on 65 acres of land north of Lake Underhill. In 1940, with Europe at war, the United States Army took over the airport for defense purposes, activating it as the Orlando Army Air Base on September 1, 1940. The first Army Air Corps planes arrived on September 5, 1940. The Base provided a training center for pilots and fighter and bomber groups. The United States entered World War II on December 7, 1941, after the attack on Pearl Harbor. In 1942, B-17 bombers and their crews moved to the newly-completed Pine Castle Air Force Base, now the Orlando International Airport, and the Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics moved to the Orlando Army Air Base, by then grown to 1000 acres with 6 runways. The size and importance of the Orlando base, where pilots tested new aircraft, including P-26 and P-40 fighter planes, brought notable visitors such as Chief of the Army Air Force General Hap Arnold and entertainer Bob Hope. At the end of World War II the base became a separation center for thousands of servicemen and women resuming civilian life. It was returned to the city of Orlando in 1946. Renamed Herndon Airport in 1961, it became the Orlando Executive Airport in 1982.
Sponsors: The City of Orlando, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority and the Florida Department of State

LOVELL'S LANDING AT LAKE APOPKA

Location:2929 Binion Rd. Magnolia Park
County: Orange
City: Apopka
Description: In the 1870s, the early settlers of northwest Orange County looked to area waterways as commercial highways. Lake Apopka, the head of the Ocklawaha chain of lakes, offered access to the St. Johns River near Palatka and a way for citrus and vegetable growers near the banks of the lake to transport their products. In 1872, William A. Lovell (1828-1903) purchased 225 acres of land on the northwest side of the lake. At this location, he established a landing to serve as a hub for freight service on Lake Apopka and the surrounding region. Before steamer service began on the Ocklawaha in 1882, fruits and vegetables from 17 landings around the lake were brought to Lovell’s Landing for delivery by oxen to Clay Springs and areas further north. As commerce through Lovell’s Landing increased, the community constructed its own school, which operated from 1884-1895. In the 1920s, Apopka built a dock, clubhouse, and picnic grounds at the landing. In 1926, Orange County built a road connecting Apopka to the area. Waterway commerce from Lovell’s Landing subsequently declined as more and faster methods of transporting fruits and vegetables came to the region.
Sponsors: Apopka Historical Society, Orange County Board of County Commissioners, and the Florida Department of State.

HENRY NEHRLING'S PALM COTTAGE GARDENS

Location:2267 Hempel Ave
County: Orange
City: Gotha
Description: This site was home to Dr. Henry Nehrling (1853-1929), an internationally-renowned horticulturalist, naturalist, botanist, ornithologist, and writer known as the “patron saint of Florida gardens.” Here, and at his later Naples gardens, between 1886 and 1929, Nehrling introduced and tested over 3,000 new and rare species of plants and trees, as well as Florida native plants. Over 300 of these became essential to the state’s ornamental horticulture, including caladiums, palms, bamboos, magnolias, amaryllis, Indian hawthorne, and crinum lilies. Nehrling’s gardens became a mecca for plant lovers and a tourist destination in the early 1900s, and were visited by many prominent people, including President Theodore Roosevelt and renowned horticulturists David Fairchild and Liberty Hyde Bailey. Nehrling collaborated with the Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and, in 1929, was awarded the Meyer Agricultural Explorer Medal. He was a founding member of the American Ornithological Union and the Florida Audubon Society, and wrote extensively on plants and birds. His most notable works include “Our Native Birds of Song and Beauty”, “The Plant World in Florida”, and “My Garden in Florida.”
Sponsors: The Henry Nehrling Society, Rotary Club of Windermere, Windermere Garden Club, Bloom & Grow Garden Society, and the Florida Department of State

BLACK BEAR TRAIL

Location:900 S. Orlando Ave.
County: Orange
City: Maitland
Description: The Black Bear Trail, so-named because it ran through the natural habitat of the black bear, was organized by the Black Bear Trail, Inc., an association of officials of Chambers of Commerce, boards of trade and cities lying along the route of the new highway, whose objective was to provide a direct, safe route to historic and scenic sites from Canada to Florida. In April 1927, members of the Association marked the new route through Maitland along what is now Highway 17-92 by placing insignia showing a black bear painted on an orange oval background on both sides of telephone poles along the road. This road joined the Dixie Highway at Lake Lily and both names described this road from this point south. When completed, the Black Bear Trail ran from Quebec, Canada to St. Petersburg and Miami, Florida, and opened to travelers some of the most scenic areas in the country.
Sponsors: THE CITY OF MAITLAND AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

ASTRONAUT JOHN WATTS YOUNG

Location:815 West Princeton Street
County: Orange
City: Orlando
Description: John Watts Young, NASA astronaut, Gemini veteran, Apollo moonwalker, and space shuttle commander, was the first American to travel in space six times. As an Orlando High School student, Young lived in this house at 815 West Princeton Street from 1945 until graduation in 1948. In 1965, he co-piloted Gemini-Titan III, a program that directly benefited Project Apollo's development and the first voyage to the moon. In 1972, Young was aboard Apollo XVI, the fifth manned landing on the moon, and was the ninth person to walk on the moon. He was commander on the first human-guided test flight of the first space shuttle, Columbia STS-1 in 1981 and the Challenger STS-9 in 1983, which carried Spacelab-1, a removable science laboratory. Young became the Special Assistant to the Director of the Johnson Space Center for Engineering, Operations and Safety in Houston, Texas, in 1987.
Sponsors: City of Orlando Commissioners Office District 3, College Park Merchants and Professionals Association, College Park Neighborhood Association, Orange County Historical Society, Inc., Orlando High School Class of 1948, Dana Holland, Caryl Curtis McAlpin, Ja

THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST. LUKE

Location:130 N. Magnolia
County: Orange
City: Orlando
Description: Francis Wayles Eppes, grandson of President Thomas Jefferson, moved from Tallahassee to Orlando in 1869. Eppes was the first pioneer to gather Episcopal settlers in the area for worship. This early group formed the Saint Luke mission church in 1881. They purchased this site at the corner of Jefferson Street, so named after Eppes’s grandfather, in 1882 for $300 and built a small wood frame church. In 1884, Saint Luke became a parish church. In October 1892, the Missionary Jurisdiction of Southern Florida was established, and Rt. Rev. William Crane Gray became its first bishop. In 1902, Saint Luke became the cathedral for his jurisdiction. In 1922, Saint Luke continued as the cathedral for the newly admitted Episcopal Diocese of South Florida. This Gothic Revival building was designed by architect Philip H. Frohman, who also served as the chief architect of the Washington National Cathedral. Construction began in 1925. In 1970, the Diocese of South Florida was divided with Saint Luke continuing as the cathedral for the Diocese of Central Florida. Saint Luke Cathedral’s choirs have toured the world as cultural ambassadors of the United States and the City of Orlando.
Sponsors: Members of the Cathedral Church of Saint Luke

WINTER GARDEN DOWNTOWN HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:Plant Street from Dillard Street to Highland Avenue
County: Orange
City: Winter Garden
Description: On this corner, farmers built a small wooden train station soon after the Orange Belt Railroad reached the area in 1886. By 1899, the Tavares & Gulf Railroad constructed a second rail line and depot nearby. Wooden stores rose alongside the parallel tracks and Winter Garden was incorporated in 1908. Prosperity fueled Winter Garden’s growth from 1910 to 1960. The town became a major citrus shipping point, and downtown served as the region’s shopping center. Nearby, Lake Apopka gained recognition as “the large-mouth bass capital of the world.” During the second half of the 20th century, the city center declined. Automobiles replaced train travel, strip malls outpaced downtown Plant Street stores, and Lake Apopka became severely polluted. After multiple freezes during the 1980s decimated the citrus industry, the buildings in the dilapidated downtown district stood mostly abandoned. Orange County replaced the Plant Street railroad tracks with the West Orange Trail in 1994, which sparked a turnaround. In 1996, a district featuring 24 commercial structures was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Through the strong efforts of residents, merchants, and city officials, the city center has undergone a rebirth.
Sponsors: Winter Garden Heritage Foundation

LAKE LILY DRIVE

Location:701 Lake Lily Drive, Lake Lilly Park
County: Orange
City: Maitland
Description: This road was the first direct route from Northeast Florida to Maitland. It followed Maitland Avenue around this west side of Lake Lily and continued south on what is now Highway 17-92. During the Second Seminole War the United States Army used this trail to connect the forts along its route. Fort Maitland was built in 1838 on the west shore of Lake Maitland, a day’s march from Fort Mellon (Sanford). The fort was named in honor of Captain William Seton Maitland (1798-1837) who was cited for bravery in battle of 1836, and died in 1837 as a result of wounds received there. The fort was located south of the present Fort Maitland Park and was in use only until 1839. In 1915, Orange County paved the route with bricks, making it the first grouted brick road in Florida. This road became part of the Dixie Highway, which opened in 1925 and ran from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan to Miami. In 1927 the road was joined to the Black Bear Trail at Lake Lily. Both names described the road from this point south. These bricks were covered by asphalt in the 1960’s and in 1998 the asphalt was removed and the Maitland Historical Society restored the bricks, with assistance from the City of Maitland and the Florida Department of State.
Sponsors: THE CITY OF MAITLAND AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

RAILROADING IN MAITLAND

Location:Intersection of Lake Lily Drive and Central Avenue
County: Orange
City: Maitland
Description: Before the railroad to Lake Maitland, travelers boarded a steamboat in Jacksonville for the trip up the St. Johns River to Sanford. The St. Johns River is one of only three rivers in the United States that flows from south to north. Landing at Sanford, passengers hired a horse or team to take them overland to Lake Maitland. The South Florida Railroad was the first to this area from Sanford. Maitland residents Dr. Clement C. Haskell (1847-1900) and Bolling Robinson Swoope (born 1842) were Treasurer and Superintendent respectively. The new railroad, completed to Lake Maitland in 1880, terminated at the southern edge of town and opened new markets for shipments of citrus and other products to the north. Passengers met at the depot were transported by horse and buggy to their destinations. The stationmaster’s office was located in Packwood Hall, then the town hall, until the depot was built in 1883. It was torn down in 1969 due to tornado damage. In 1883 the Henry B. Plant Investment Company purchased the railroad, and the line was extended to Tampa. The Plant Railroad System consolidated into the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1902 and the Seaboard Coastline Railroad by 1903. CSX currently owns the railroad.
Sponsors: THE CITY OF MAITLAND AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH - MAITLAND

Location:Maitland Presbyterian Church, U.S. 17/92
County: Orange
City: Maitland
Description: This congregation was organized in 1882 by ten Presbyterian settlers under the direction of the Rev. W.G.F. Wallace when Maitland was a pioneer hamlet. The church building was constructed in 1883, and it is one of the oldest churches still in use in this area. The church is typical example of pioneer ecclesiastical architecture of its period.

FORT CHRISTMAS

Location:S.R. 420, near mile marker 11.832
County: Orange
City: Christmas
Description: As white settlers moved into Florida in the 1820's and 1830's, there were growing demands that the Seminole Indians be removed to a reservation west of the Mississippi. Efforts to convince the Seminoles to move failed, and in 1835 the conflict known as the Second Seminole War began in earnest. Late in 1837, Maj. Gen. Thomas S. Jesup, overall commander in Florida, began intensive preparations to carry the fighting to south Florida, where he believed he would find a large force of hostile Indians. These preparations included opening a road on the west side of the St. Johns River and building along the road several posts to serve as depots for operations to the south. On Decmeber 25, 1837, troops under the command of Brig. Gen. Abraham Eustis established Fort Christmas on the north side of a creek a short distance from here. General Jesup himself led the column south from Fort Christmas early in January. By late January Jesup's troops were receiving their supplies by water from the St. Lucie River, and in March Fort Christmas was abandoned. While this simple wooden fortification was short-lived, it gave its name to the town of Christmas, a short distance south of here.
Sponsors: sponsored by the orange county historical commission in cooperation with department of state

MOSELEY HOUSE

Location:11 Taylor St.
County: Orange
City: Eatonville
Description: Taylor Street is the eastern boundary of Eatonville and is the site of Jim and Matilda Clark Moseley’s home. Matilda, or “Miss Tillie,” as she was affectionately called, was the niece of Joseph Clark, Eatonville’s founder and first mayor. Early dwellings in Eatonville were mainly single-family, one-story, 500-square-foot wood frame houses with no more than 2 or 3 rooms. One such house was located at 11 Taylor Street, built c. 1888 and is known as the Moseley House. Tillie was born and reared in Eatonville, where she served as a Sunday school teacher, church pianist and community activist. She married Jim Moseley, son of the fourth mayor of Eatonville. As a member of Eatonville’s pioneer family and due to her community involvement, many considered her a walking historian. Eatonville’s most acclaimed citizen - Zora Neale Hurston - author and folklorist - was Tillie’s best friend and a frequent visitor. Much of Hurston’s work is set in Eatonville and she would often stay with the Moseleys when she returned. The house is a repository for early Eatonville memorabilia, including the Moseley family and Zora Neale Hurston, and is a place to preserve African-American history and culture.
Sponsors: THE FLORIDA STATE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL ASSEMBLY AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

OLDEST MASONIC LODGE BUILDING IN CONTINUOUS USE IN FLORIDA

Location:E. Main St. and Alabama Ave.
County: Orange
City: Apopka
Description: Masonic Lodge #36 of the Grand Jurisdiction of Florida was established in 1856 and is still serving under a warrant issued that year. This building was erected here in 1859; the upper story has been continually used for lodge meetings. The original lower floor was used as post office, school, church and general store. Masons from miles around visited the community, which was known as The Lodge until the Town of Apopka City was chartered in 1882. In 1952, due to the effects of deterioration and highway widening, the lower story was removed and replaced. Orange Lodge #36 is a "Moon Lodge" and meets on or before the full moon and two weeks thereafter.
Sponsors: sponsored by the city of apopka bicentennial committee in cooperation with department of state

SITE OF FORT GATLIN

Location:Summerlin St. near Gatlin Ave.
County: Orange
City: Orlando
Description: On November 9, 1838, during the Second Seminole Indian War (1835-42), the U.S. Army established Fort Gatlin in Mosquito County. This fort was named for Army Assistant Surgeon John S. Gatlin (1806-1835), who was killed in the Dade Massacre in 1835. The site of the fort was chosen as a military outpost due to its strategic position overlooking three lakes and because the area was frequented by Native Americans led by Seminole Chief King Philip and his son Coacoochee. The Fort served the state militia during the war until the Army withdrew in 1849. A few soldiers and families remained in the area, growing citrus and raising cattle. In 1856, Fort Gatlin became the county seat of Orange County, created from Mosquito County in 1845. The community’s name was later changed to Orlando, a name attributed to militiaman Orlando Reeves, who was reportedly killed in a skirmish during the Second Seminole War. It is believed that Reeves is buried near the site of Fort Gatlin. In 1941, during World War II, the United States Navy established the Underwater Sound Reference Laboratory near this site on Lake Gem Mary because of the great depth of the lake. The lab was closed in 1997.
Sponsors: THE FORT GATLIN HISTORICAL GROUP, THE FORT GATLIN HISTORICAL GROUP, ORANGE COUNTY GOVERNMENT, AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

SITE OF FORT McNEIL

Location:vicinity of Tosohatchee State Preserve, S.R. 532,
County: Orange
City: Orlando
Description: During the Seminole Indian War in 1837, a stockade with blockhouses at diagonal corners was constructed upon this site. It was named FORT McNEIL in memory of 2nd Lt. John Winfield Scott McNeil, USA, who fell gallantly in the action near Dunlawton September 11, 1837. He was the son of General John McNeil, USA, and nephew of Franklin Pierce, 14th President of the United States.
Sponsors: Orange County Historical Commission in Cooperation with Department of State, Bureau of Historic Preservation

WINDERMERE TOWN HALL

Location:520 Main St.
County: Orange
City: Windermere
Description: The settlement of Windermere began in the mid-1880s when Englishman Stanley Scott built his home in the area, giving it and the surrounding orange groves the name of Windermere, in memory of the Lake Windermere region of England. Other settlers followed, and a town site was platted in 1889, but the community was not formally incorporated until 1925. The town council had no permanent meeting place. Elected officials and citizens often met at the Windermere Woman’s Club, which was destined to become Town Hall. The two-story wood frame clubhouse had been erected on the shore of nearby Lake Butler in 1922 and was moved to its present site in 1938 for use as a community center. It formally became the seat of local government in 1945. Today the square surrounding the town hall is the focus of civic and recreational activity in Windermere. Facilities found there include the Chase Memorial Library, basketball courts, a municipal office building and the Cal Palmer Memorial Building, a small wood frame building constructed in 1911 by one of Windermere’s most prominent early residents. Both the Town Hall and the Cal Palmer Building are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Sponsors: TOWN OF WINDERMERE AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

H.H. DICKSON AZALEA PARK/WASHINGTON SREET BRIDGE

Location:100 Roseardin Drive
County: Orange
City: Orlando
Description: Dickson Azalea Park began as a natural stream, later named Fern Creek, in a deep ravine surrounded by native ferns, palms, and oaks. It once was a watering hole for cattle herders driving their animals south. State Senator Walter Rose (1888-1958) purchased 40 acres of land here in 1916 and platted most of it for development. He set aside five acres adjacent to the creek for a park, called Senator Rose Park, which he deeded to the City of Orlando in 1924. In 1933, the Civitan Club presented the City Council with a proposal to beautify the overgrown park and asked the city to re-name it in honor of Colonel Henry Hill Dickson (1849-1935). An Orlando business pioneer and civic leader, Dickson devoted his energies to the beautification of Orlando, and was instrumental in planting azaleas throughout the city. In 1935, ground was broken for restoration of the overgrown property. Local landscape architect Mulford Foster designed the scheme for the park’s plants, water features, bridges and paths, and Works Progress Administration labor built the park’s walls and steps. Dickson Azalea Park was designated an Orlando Historic Landmark in 1991. By 1926, it was clear that the deteriorating wooden bridge over Fern Creek could no longer accommodate vehicular traffic that was increasing daily as Orlando’s development during the Florida Land Boom moved farther east. The Orlando City Council decided to replace the wooden structure with a modern, more durable bridge. In July 1926, bids were submitted by several bridge companies. A $10,400 proposal submitted by the Concrete Steel Bridge Company of Miami Beach was selected. Headquartered in New York City, the firm was a recognized leader in construction technology. Orlando City Engineer Morton Hagartney designed the span. The Washington Street Bridge is an especially fine example of a reinforced concrete arch deck bridge. Three 20-foot-long arches form the substructure that support the bridge’s deck, and cantilevered floor beams widen to provide walkways on both sides of the bridge. Urn-shaped balusters set in panels separated by low pilasters and historically-inspired light fixtures on tapered posts give the bridge a classical appearance. The Washington Street Bridge is the only bridge of its kind in the City of Orlando, and was designated a Historic Landmark by the city in 1991.
Sponsors: Azalea Park: The City of Orlando, District 4 Commissioner Patty Sheehan, Girl Scouts of Citrus Council, Orlando Garden Club, Lake Lawsona Fern Creek Historical Neighborhood Assocation and the Florida Department of State Washington Street Bridge: Eugene & Lois Pawlak & Family, Dr. Howard Green & Family, the Van de Bogert Family, Deborah Kohan, the Magley Family, Robin & Nancy Lewis, Nancy & Walk Jones, Kathy Wickman, Theresa Smith and the Florida Department of State

JACK KEROUAC HOUSE

Location:1814 Clouser Avenue
County: Orange
City: Orlando
Description: Writer Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) lived and wrote in this 1920s tin-roofed house between 1957 and 1958. It was here that Kerouac received instant fame for publication of his bestselling book, On the Road, which brought him acclaim and controversy as the voice of The Beat Generation. The Beats followed a philosophy of self-reliance and self-expression. The unedited spontaneity of Kerouac’s prose shocked traditional writers, yet it brought attention to a legion of emerging poets, musicians, and artists who lived outside the conventions of post-World War II America. Photographs show Kerouac in the house’s back bedroom, with piles of pocket notebooks in which he scrawled thoughts and dreams while traveling. In April 1958, following completion of his follow-up novel, The Dharma Bums, and a play, the Beat Generation, Kerouac moved to Northport, New York. He died in 1969 at the age of 47. In 1996, author Bob Kealing discovered the house’s significance while researching an article to mark Kerouac’s 75th birthday. In 1998, The Kerouac Project established a retreat here for aspiring writers in tribute to him. In 2013, the house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sponsors: Jack Kerouac Writer in Residence Project and the Florida Department of State

DR. HOWARD A. KELLY PARK

Location:400 East Kelly Park Road
County: Orange
City: Apopka
Description: Rock Springs is the source of the Rock Springs Run, a swift running stream with an average flow of 26,000 gallons per minute and a constant temperature of 68 degrees. The spring flows from limestone containing fossils that date back 17 million years. In 1855, the State of Florida, wanting to encourage settlement in the state’s interior, awarded land near Rock Springs to William S. Delk, a veteran of the Second Seminole War. Delk later became the owner of the area’s largest plantation. He used the Rock Springs Run to power his grist mill, sawmill, and cotton gin. Delk’s heirs sold the land to lumber companies. In 1910, New Jersey doctor, Howard A. Kelly visited Rock Springs. Kelly, one of the founders of Johns Hopkins Hospital and an internationally recognized gynecologist, was an avid naturalist. Taken with the “sweet” spring water from the “mysterious cave,” he purchased 200 acres around Rock Springs in 1921 for use as a wildlife preserve and bird sanctuary. Kelly and his wife gifted the land to Orange County in 1927 with the understanding that it would remain a public park open to every citizen. Orange County named the park Dr. Howard A. Kelly Park.
Sponsors: Apopka Historical Society, Museum of the Apopkans

EPPES-SHINE PLOT, GREENWOOD CEMETERY

Location:1603 Greenwood Sreet
County: Orange
City: Orlando
Description: Side 1: Buried here are members of the Eppes and Shine families, descendants of President Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, and the father of the University of Virginia. Francis Wayles Eppes VII, Jefferson’s grandson, was born in 1801 to Maria Jefferson and John Eppes. He spent his childhood in the care of Jefferson, who encouraged interests in religion, public service, and education. In 1829, Eppes moved to Tallahassee, where he grew cotton and served as a justice of the peace and intendant (mayor). He helped found St. John’s Episcopal Church and promoted public schools. He secured the location for the West Florida Seminary, a precursor to Florida State University, and led its governing board through turbulent times. By 1869, Eppes had moved to Orlando to spend his final years as a citrus farmer at his home, Pine Hill on Lake Pineloch. He helped found the First Episcopal Church, now the Cathedral of St. Luke’s. After a lifetime of public service and civic leadership, Francis Eppes died on May 30, 1881. Side 2: The Shines were among Orlando’s earliest civic-minded families. Three Shine brothers married three daughters of Francis Eppes, and two of the brothers and their families followed Eppes from Tallahassee to Orlando at the end of the 1860s. David S. Shine, married to Caroline Eppes, became deputy clerk of Orange County and was later appointed postmaster. Captain Thomas J. Shine, married to Martha Eppes, was the director of the First National Bank, a board of trade officer, an alderman, and commander of the Orlando Guards, later named Shine Guards. In 1879, Thomas built a home on Orange Avenue with the first indoor bathroom in Orlando. He named the cross street Jefferson Street in honor of his wife’s family. Martha and Caroline Shine served their communities as members of the Rosalind Club, Sorosis, and other charities. The third Shine brother, Dr. William F. Shine, served as a Civil War surgeon and practiced medicine in St. Augustine after the war. He was married to Maria Jefferson Eppes, who founded the St. Augustine Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution that bears her name. The Eppes-Shine family is remembered as one of Orlando’s most influential families.
Sponsors: City of Orlando

1887 WINDERMERE SCHOOLHOUSE

Location:117 West 7th Avenue
County: Orange
City: Windermere
Description: Side 1: Opened in 1887, this structure is the only surviving one-room school house in Orange County, and one of the few still standing in Florida. The Frame Vernacular building, capped with a metal roof, was communally constructed using locally milled heartwood from Florida long leaf pine. A well dug near the front door remains. Maude Adams, one of the first full-time teachers, educated generations of settlers and town builders within these walls. Ms. Adams received a salary of $22 per month for the education of 22 pupils. The students ranged from grades K-12 and were the children of citrus grove owners and workers. During the early 20th century, the school house served as headquarters for the local Board of Trade, a Women’s Club, a Union Church, a polling station, and a meeting hall. The building ceased to be used as a schoolhouse in 1916 when a larger schoolhouse complex was established. In 1918, Lloyd and Minnie Armstrong acquired the schoolhouse and the surrounding property from real estate developer Cal Palmer. The Armstrong family altered the building into a “cracker style” home by attaching two sleeping wings and a broad covered porch. Side 2: The schoolhouse became the center of the home and served as the kitchen and dining room. Eight of the Armstrong’s nine children were raised in the building. Many old citrus trees and ornamentals planted by the family are still present. During the 1930s the New Deal’s Works Progress Administration built an outhouse at the back of the property. Minnie and Lloyd’s daughter, Eunice Armstrong-Parramore, acquired the property after the death of her parents. In 1995, Eunice and Manuel “Perry” Parramore deeded it as a historic legacy to the Town of Windermere. The additions were removed and the structure was restored to its original school house form. In 2011, citizens organized to prevent an attempt to move the building, which would have compromised its historic integrity. On January 31, 2012, a town charter amendment was passed overwhelmingly by the voters of Windermere to preserve the 1880s schoolhouse in its original location. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003, it remains by a citrus grove, within sight of Lake Butler, canopied by historic trees.
Sponsors: Windermere Historical Preservation Board, Windermere Garden Club, Windermere Parks and Recreation, Mary Frances Fischer-Howard & Family, John & Deanna Armstrong, Bren & Mayor Gary Bruhn

BLACK BOTTOM HOUSE OF PRAYER

Location:921 Bentley Street
County: Orange
City: Orlando
Description: In the summer of 1916, a few Black families from the Deep South settled in an area of Orlando called the Black Bottom, so named because when it rained, water settled in the area and remained so long that residents built canoes for transportation. As was the custom of the time, the Black families worshiped in neighborhood homes and shared their soul food. In 1925, the Black Bottom House of Prayer was constructed as the home of the Pleasant Hill Colored Methodist Episcopal congregation, later renamed Carter’s Tabernacle CME. It was financed through a stock purchase from the Orange County Building and Loan Association. Thirty shares were purchased at $100 per share, for a total of $3,000. The building was designed in the popular Spanish Mission Style with exterior stucco finish, arched doorways, casement windows, and a red-tiled roof. The thick brick and stucco walls were thought to have a cooling effect in the Florida sun in the days before air conditioning. This church building, used by Justice for All Ministries led by Pastor Dana “Action” Jackson, continued its African American mission through the power of prayer in the 21st century.
Sponsors: Justice for All Ministries, National ADHD Foundation, Inc., The Byrd Law Group, P.A.

APOPKA SCHOOLHOUSE

Location:Edgewood/Greenwood Cemetery
County: Orange
City: Apopka
Description: Public education has always been an important part of Apopka’s history. In 1879, Orange County held its first institute for teacher education in Apopka. In the early 1880s, the school in Apopka lacked a permanent building and was forced to hold its classes in rented spaces. Some parents sent their children to neighboring communities that had their own schoolhouses, such as Merrimack and Bay Ridge. This site marks the location of Apopka’s first public schoolhouse, built in 1885. It was a small three-room building that stood beside the original Apopka Baptist Church, west of the site known as the "Old Church Cemetery." The Reverend Lucian Drury, minister of Apopka Baptist Church, supplemented his income by working as one of the school’s teachers, and in 1889, was appointed its principal. At that time, the school had four teachers; most schools in the area had only one. In 1891, the schoolhouse at this site burned down, forcing classes to be relocated to another building for the remainder of the year. In 1896, voters approved the construction of a new schoolhouse on Fourth Street, later Main Street. The new school opened for the 1897 school year.
Sponsors: Apopka Historical Society, The City of Apopka

THE LEU HOUSE MUSEUM

Location:1920 North Forest Avenue
County: Orange
City: Orlando
Description: Side One: In 1858, the David W. Mizell family homesteaded this property, and in 1862, built their first home. The Mizells farmed the land, growing cotton, corn, and sugar cane. David W. Mizell was appointed sheriff of Orange County in 1868. He was ambushed and murdered a year later while attempting to arrest Moses Barber for alleged cattle rustling. Mizell is the only sheriff in Orange County killed in the line of duty. Mizell was buried in the family cemetery plot on the property, located approximately 100 yards away from the house. The current house was erected by Mizell’s son, John Thomas, in 1888. The family sold the house in 1902 to Duncan Clarkston Pell, a member of the socially-prominent Pell family of New York. Pell brought his bride, Helen Louise Gardner, to his new house that same year. Pell expanded the two-story frame farmhouse, adding a detached kitchen. For the couple, it provided a place to live and entertain lavishly on the weekends during the winter social season. The couple separated in 1906 and Pell sold the property. They moved back to New York and Pell took a job with General Motors, while Helen pursued an acting career and became one of the first actors to form her own production company. Side Two: Joseph H. Woodward was the third owner of this property. Woodward had made his fortune in the steel industry, and named the property “LaBelle,” after his company’s ironworks in Ohio. Woodward and his wife used the house as their winter retreat until Joseph’s death in 1915. After the death of Woodward’s widow in 1928, the house had a variety of tenants until 1936, when it was purchased by Orlando native and industrial goods supplier Harry P. Leu and his bride Mary Jane. They also purchased the original Mizell homestead. As world travelers, the Leus enjoyed gardens and private estates abroad, and created their very own in Orlando. Leu's fascination with the genus Camellia was legendary, and he assembled one of the largest collections in North America. To ensure their estate was protected from development, the Leus donated their home and gardens in 1961 to the City of Orlando. The city continues to expand the gardens, adding a gazebo, two bridges and greenhouse. In 1994, the house and gardens were listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Leus’ legacy was the creation of an emerald green oasis in the middle of a thriving metropolis where guests come to experience a bit of “Old Florida.”
Sponsors: The Friends of Leu Gardens, 2017

CARVER COURT PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECT

Location:S. Westmoreland St. Between Conely and W. Gore St.
County: Orange
City: Orlando
Description: Built in 1945 for $468,700, Carver Court was a public housing development set up by the Orlando Housing Authority in an effort to stimulate the economy, resolve growing slum and housing problems, and meet local demands associated with the massive defense buildup that had occurred during World War II. The development consisted of 16 one-story buildings and 12 two-story buildings. Carver Court was a prime example of a planned residential community, reflecting important urban planning and housing design theories of the period. As a well-defined group of affordable, multi-family, residential buildings organized around open spaces, Carver Court exemplified public housing projects constructed throughout the country during the late 1930s and 1940s. A team of Orlando’s most prominent architects and landscape architects, including Arthur Beck (1899-1990), the first Jewish architect in Orlando, Herbert L. Flint, landscape designer for the first public housing complex in Jacksonville, and F. Earl DeLoe (b. 1893), designed the housing complex. Originally built to house African-American families, Carver Court reflected attitudes toward segregation and the housing of low-income families that were characteristic of the time.
Sponsors: THE ORLANDO HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

ALBIN POLASEK MUSEUM & SCULPTURE GARDENS

Location:633 Osceola Avenue
County: Orange
City: Winter Park
Description: This property was the retirement home of internationally-renowned artist Albin Polasek from 1950 until his death in 1965. He is heralded as one of 20th century America’s foremost sculptors. Born in 1879 in Frenstat, Moravia (now Czech Republic), Polasek immigrated to the United States in 1901, at age 22. He became an American citizen while studying at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and later served as Head of the Sculpture Department at the Art Institute of Chicago for nearly 30 years. This lakefront home was designed by Polasek and built in phases between 1949 and 1961. It includes a residence, studio, chapel, and a 3.5-acre sculpture garden containing more than 30 of Polasek’s works. He completed 18 major works of art here despite suffering a paralyzing stroke shortly after moving to Winter Park. In 1961, Polasek and his wife, Emily Muska Kubat Polasek, established a foundation, now the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, to share his life’s work with the public. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. Polasek was named a Great Floridian 2000 and inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 2004.

ORANGE COUNTY ELECTION DAY VIOLENCE/ OCOEE MASSACRE AND EXODUS

Location:General area now encompassing the City of Ocoee
County: Orange
City: Ocoee
Description: Side One: Leading up to Election Day on November 2, 1920, the Ku Klux Klan and the United Confederate Veterans held rallies and parades to discourage African Americans from voting. County officials arranged for the local notary public to be out of town, so that there would be no one to legally affirm that voters had paid their poll taxes. On Election Day, only African Americans were challenged to prove they had paid the tax. One African American man, Mose Norman, attempted to vote at the Ocoee polling place, but was refused entry. Norman left and returned later, but was beaten and driven from the site. An armed group of white citizens sought to arrest Norman. They went first to the home of Julius “July” Perry, a prominent African American businessman, but by the time they arrived, Norman had fled. The group attempted to enter Perry’s home, but the family resisted. A gunfight ensued that left two whites dead and Perry gravely injured. He was taken to the Orange County Jail in Orlando, but a white mob secured his release and lynched him near the home of Judge John M. Cheney. Perry was later buried in Orlando’s Greenwood Cemetery. This event led to further tragedy in Orange County. Side Two: In 1920, the Ocoee area included two African American communities, Northern Quarters and Southern Quarters. A white mob reported to be at least 100 persons entered Northern Quarters on November 3, 1920. During a long house-to-house gun battle, the mob set fire to buildings owned by or serving African Americans, including a lodge, homes, businesses, schools, and churches. Anyone attempting to flee a burning building was shot, and those who remained died in the fire. In the days following, residents of Southern Quarters were told to abandon their property or face the same fate. Based on 1920 census data, 495 African American residents in Ocoee were driven out. Local authorities confiscated the abandoned property, and divided it amongst the white residents of the area. No records of the deaths were kept, and those related to the property sales were lost. African Americans did not return to the area until the 1980s. Ocoee’s population rapidly grew and diversified with the housing construction boom. In acknowledgement of its past, the Ocoee City Commission formed Florida’s first human relations diversity advisory board in 2006, and designated a portion of Lakefront Park as an area of remembrance and reflection in 2019.
Sponsors: The City of Ocoee, and the Florida Department of State

CAL PALMER MEMORIAL BUILDING

Location:502 Main Street
County: Orange
City: Windermere
Description: In 1911, John Calvin “Cal” Palmer (1869-1965) and Dr. J. Howard Johnson (1871-1936) formed the Windermere Improvement Company and purchased all the lots of Windermere. They set about making it a destination for people to escape the harsh northern winters. Johnson returned to his home in Wauseon, Ohio, to advertise Windermere. Palmer remained in Florida to develop and sell the lots. He was appointed postmaster in 1911. Palmer built this building that same year and from here operated the post office and his businesses. Many local government meetings were held here until the Windermere Town Hall was built in 1922. Palmer was active in local government. He served on the town council for 17 years, as the first town council president for 11 years, and as mayor for 2 years. As a business community leader, Palmer founded the Windermere Citrus Growers Association in 1920, and was a member of the Florida Citrus Exchange from 1929 to 1943. The Cal Palmer Memorial Building has served various functions for public and private organizations, including as community meeting space and the Windermere Shuffle Board Club headquarters. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.
Sponsors: Charles E. Matteson- -Eagle Scout Troop 320, Dr. Phillips Charities, Windermere Historic Preservation Board, and the Florida Department of State

WITHERS-MAGUIRE HOUSE

Location:16 E Oakland Avenue
County: Orange
City: Ocoee
Description: In 1884, retired General William Temple Withers, a native Kentuckian, began wintering in Florida. He spent much of his time acquiring land in Orange County and growing citrus. In 1888, he built this house and lived here until his death the following year. Withers’ widow, Martha, sold the house in 1910 to David O. Maguire and his family. Like Withers, Maguire was very involved in citrus growing, and the family became prominent citizens in Ocoee. Maguire’s son, Fred, was Ocoee's first mayor, and another son, Raymer, was the first city attorney. David Maguire died in 1913, but members of his family continued to reside in the house until 1979. The City of Ocoee acquired the house in 1984, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. Made from pine cut and milled on this site, it is an example of Stick Victorian style architecture. One of the finest houses in west Orange County, it was one of the first to have concealed electrical wiring and closets. The city restored the house following its acquisition. The upstairs rooms serve as a museum depicting early 1900s life in Ocoee.
Sponsors: City of Ocoee and the Florida Department of State

ROBERT BRUCE BARBOUR HOUSE/ CASA FELIZ

Location:656 N. Park Avenue
County: Orange
City: Winter Park
Description: Casa Feliz, or "Happy House,” was the signature work of Winter Park architect James Gamble Rogers II. In 1932, Massachusetts industrialist Robert Bruce Barbour commissioned Rogers to design a home on the shore of Lake Osceola with the promise, “Design it any way you like. If I don't like it, I'll sell it.” Rogers called the commission a “dream come true.” Built during the Great Depression at a cost of $28,000, the Barbour estate became Rogers' all-consuming project. He drafted plans on site, rolling up his sleeves to assist with carpentry and masonry. Barbour loved the Andalusian-style masonry farmhouse, which stood as a crown jewel in the "City of Homes" for the next 70 years. The property faced demolition in 2000, but the community rallied around the house. They raised more than $1.2 million to save and restore the building. The 750-ton structure was moved across Interlachen Avenue to its present location, requiring 20 pneumatically leveled dollies. With the aid of copies of Rogers' drawings and interior photographs taken in the 1930s, dozens of craftsmen and artisans restored the house to its original historic design. In 2008, the house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

LOCK FAMILY CEMETERY

Location:11850 Boggy Creek Road
County: Orange
City: Orlando
Description: Also known as the Boggy Creek Cemetery, this pioneer family cemetery was established in the Boggy Creek community for William Rufus Lock and his descendants. Lock had been granted exemption from serving in the Confederate Army so he could maintain order in his home town in Echols County, Georgia. His son, Pvt. James Calvin Lock, fought in the last conflict of the Union Army’s campaign through Georgia and Alabama known as “Wilson’s Raid” or the Battle of Girard in Columbus, Georgia, on April 16, 1865. After the Civil War, Lock and his family relocated to Boggy Creek from Georgia where they farmed and raised livestock during the open range years. This cemetery was part of the original land purchased by Nancy P. Locke in 1881 from the Trustees of the State of Florida’s Internal Improvement Fund for the sum of one dollar an acre. Among the burials is Jane Green, a well-known, independent pioneer woman of Creek Indian ancestry who ran cattle with Mose Barber and had a St. John’s River creek and swamp named after her. The cemetery also contains graves of veterans from the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF WINTER PARK

Location:125 N. Lakeview Avenue
County: Orange
City: Winter Garden
Description: The First United Methodist Church of Winter Garden had its beginnings in 1893 in Beulah, a community located two miles south of Winter Garden. It was founded on March 24, 1895 as the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The original congregation met in a room of the Beulah public schoolhouse. Services were held once a month and conducted by a circuit preacher from Apopka. By 1910, Winter Garden had grown significantly, and the congregation decided to relocate here, where they met under an arbor. A wooden frame church building was constructed in 1910 on this site. During the 1920s, the church began offering regular services and in 1942, dedicated this brick sanctuary. The new building featured art glass windows and an Aeolian organ with 1,770 pipes. A library was added in 1949 and the School Building, Fellowship Hall and Chapel were dedicated in the 1950s. In 1968, the Methodist denomination merged with the Evangelical United Brethren, establishing the First United Methodist Church. The First United Methodist Church of Winter Garden was incorporated on January 9, 1989. Since its founding, the First United Methodist Church of Winter Garden has served its community by offering multiple educational and outreach programs.

LAKE IVANHOE RESIDENTIAL HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:57 SW Ivanhoe Boulevard
County: Orange
City: Orlando
Description: The Lake Ivanhoe Residential Historic District comprises parts of subdivisions platted by Walter Rose starting in 1921. Rose started naming the streets in his subdivisions for colleges, and, in 1925, the Cooper-Atha-Barr Company (CABCO) added more college-named streets in the first of nine subdivisions to be named College Park. Later, the larger community became known as College Park. The Lake Ivanhoe Residential Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010, reflects the pattern of development during the Florida Land Boom when developers platted new acres at the edge of the city and builders erected large numbers of residences of similar sizes and styles. They provided affordable homes for the growing middle-class population. A similar growth pattern followed World War II. The 262-acre district contains 1,000 buildings, of which 81 percent were listed as contributing to the historic character of the district. Varying in size and style, they date from the Florida Land Boom of the 1920s through the postwar 1950s. Only the 1882 Erricsson House at 19 West Princeton Street survives from pre-land boom College Park.

LAKE ADAIR- LAKE CONCORD HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:810 Edgewater Drive
County: Orange
City: Orlando
Description: The Lake Adair–Lake Concord Historic District reflects the change that automobiles brought to community planning and development and to the resulting growth of a middle and upper-class community. A lack of transportation had kept even the affluent population in the city, but by 1920, developers began platting communities for wealthier residents among the lakes near the city limits. Larger building lots along curving, landscaped streets attracted buyers who hired well-known local architects to design distinctive houses. The Lake Adair-Lake Concord Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011, in recognition of its variety of outstanding architecture. The 148-acre district contains 400 buildings, of which 77 percent were listed as contributing to the district. The residences vary widely in size and style, and they represent the work of more than 30 architects, including James Gamble Rogers, II, R. C. Stevens, Maurice Kressley, Howard Reynolds, Richard Boone Rogers, and Harold “Rabbit” Hair. The largest and most imposing residences front on the lakes, but many fine historic homes are found elsewhere within the district’s 29 blocks, which include parts of 29 subdivisions.

Osceola

SOLDIER CITY'S MOUNT PEACE CEMETERY

Location:10th Street
County: Osceola
City: St. Cloud
Description: Side One: Beginning in 1909, Union Civil War veterans from all over the United States began to move to St. Cloud, many drawn by promotions in Northern newspapers. The first veteran to die in St. Cloud, Lucius L. Mitchell, passed away in December 1909, and because there was no veterans cemetery in St. Cloud, he was interred in nearby Kissimmee. To remedy this, the local chapter of the Union veteran’s group, the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), helped establish a cemetery, named Mount Peace, for Union veterans. The Seminole Land and Investment Company deeded a ten-acre tract to the Mount Peace Cemetery Association, which began selling plots. Union veterans were buried here from 1910-1942, totaling 427 burials. Among them are three African American soldiers who served in the United States Colored Troops, fifteen documented survivors of the Andersonville prison, and one Medal of Honor recipient. Two Confederate veterans, one of whom served for both armies, are buried here. Later, veterans of other more recent conflicts were buried in Mount Peace. Lucius Mitchell’s remains were relocated to Mount Peace years after the cemetery opened. The local Sons of the Union Veterans Camp was named the Lucius L. Mitchell Camp in his honor. Side Two: Known as “the Soldier City,” St. Cloud had the largest concentration of Union army veterans in the South. The first Union veteran buried in Mount Peace was Orrin B. King on February 4, 1910, and the last was William C. Russell, who died August 12, 1942. Since the cemetery opened, nearly 1,000 additional veterans of later conflicts have been buried in Mount Peace. These burials include 2 from the Plains Indian wars, 286 from the Spanish American War, 163 from World War I, 246 from World War II, 52 from the Korean War, 36 from the Vietnam War, 1 from the Gulf War, and 116 who served in peacetime. The first World War I veteran buried in Mount Peace was Walter Koch, who died in France, and the last was Dan Armstrong, who died just short of his 105th birthday. World War I veteran Edwin Young served in the 31st Infantry "Polar Bear" regiment. World War I Army Nurse Corps 1st Lt. Jessie Theige was one of the few women to receive full veteran benefits. John Hixon, a World War II prisoner of war (POW) of Japan, endured the Bataan Death March. Wayne Horner was a World War II POW held at Germany’s Stalag 4B Muhlberg Sachsen. World War II veteran James Buckner survived the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.

FISK FUNERAL HOME

Location:1107 Massachusetts Avenue
County: Osceola
City: St. Cloud
Description: Side One: In 1915, licensed embalmer Carl E. Carlson opened his undertaking establishment in a rented building on Massachusetts Avenue and 11th Street. In 1918, he purchased the building belonging to St. Cloud’s first physician, Dr. C.S. Cooper, next to the Grand Army of the Republic building on Massachusetts Avenue. Carlson remodeled it into a then state-of-the-art undertaking establishment. A November 14, 1918, newspaper ad for Carlson & Newton Funeral Directors and Embalmers indicated a new partner, John Newton. He departed the next year, and was replaced by George Barber, one of the original Union Army veterans who settled in St. Cloud. Dana Eiselstein and his brother William partnered in 1919 to purchase the Carlson Funeral Home. Barber, a city councilman at that time, remained with the new firm, renamed the Eiselstein Brothers. In 1925, the firm hired architects Isabel Roberts, an associate of Frank Lloyd Wright, and Ida Annah Ryan to design a new chapel. The building’s exterior was remodeled and given a pseudo-Spanish style stucco finish. The first all-female architectural firm in Orlando, Ryan & Roberts designed many other buildings in St. Cloud in what became a local style known as “Spaniflora.” Side Two: In 1928, William Eiselstein married Susie Fisk. Her nephew, Robert A. "Bob" Fisk, graduated from Cincinnati College of Embalming in 1942, and then served during World War II with the U.S. Naval Hospital Corps. In 1949, Bob Fisk became the funeral director for the Eiselsteins’ funeral home. In June that same year, Dana Eiselstein died suddenly; William passed in 1951 and Bob became the funeral home’s manager. In 1958, William C. Journigan purchased interest in the business from Dana’s wife, Louise Eiselstein, and the name was changed to the Eiselstein, Fisk & Journigan Funeral Home. After Susie Eiselstein’s death in 1964, the name changed again to Fisk & Journigan. In 1972, the old chapel was converted into office space and the exterior was given a colonial red brick finish. Bob's son, Bill Fisk, joined as funeral director in the 1970s. Bob Fisk became the sole owner of the company, renamed Fisk Funeral Home, in 1983. Bob served as an unofficial local historian for St. Cloud and co-authored the 2002 book, Images of St. Cloud. For most of the 20th century, Fisk Funeral Home was the only funeral home operating in St. Cloud.
Sponsors: St. Cloud Main Street, Fisk Funeral Home and Crematory, and the Florida Department of State

HISTORIC ST. JOHN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Location:1709 North John young Parkway
County: Osceola
City: Kissimmee
Description: This Carpenter Gothic style church was completed in 1889. Originally located in downtown Kissimmee on the northwest corner of Sproule Avenue and Mitchell Street, the church was dedicated by Bishop Edwin Gardner Weed in 1890. Electricity had not yet come to Kissimmee, and worshipers arrived on foot, horseback, or by horse and buggy. In 1902, the church building was relocated to the northwest corner of Broadway and Sproule. The church was struck by lightning in 1921 and nearly burned down. A second fire in 1955 claimed the church’s sacristy. Insurance proceeds allowed the church to purchase a new site with room for expansion, and the building was moved to this 10-acre site in 1961. Additional buildings were added in the 1960s, including a parish house, office, and rectory. The church’s internal structure has remained unchanged since its construction, and features beautiful dark woodwork, oak pews, and stained glass windows. Known as “The Caring Church,” St. John’s Episcopal is one of the oldest remaining church buildings in Osceola County, and serves as a constant reminder of the community’s past.
Sponsors: A Friend of St. John's Episcopal Church

HUNTER ARMS HOTEL

Location:1029 New York Avenue
County: Osceola
City: St. Cloud
Description: Side One: Following World War I, the United States economy was thriving. Florida’s population skyrocketed as cheap land, combined with the improved roads and railways, drew northern tourists and developers to the state. In 1925, Ohio mausoleum builder Grover C. Hunter sought to take advantage of the trends and traveled to St. Cloud. By 1926, he hired Ohio architect Harlan Jones to design a hotel and Ohio contractor W.A. Steffle to build it. This construction forced the relocation of the existing Bon Air hotel and the demolition of the Peckham Building, nicknamed the “New York Stores.” The initial cost was estimated at $100,000, but rose to $250,000 when work began. Jones designed it in the Mediterranean Revival style. His intention was to create what was locally known as a “Spaniflora” atmosphere, which was popular in early St. Cloud. Other businesses on New York Avenue had incorporated similar design elements. The original exterior of the hotel featured walls built of brick and steel, and finished with gray stucco. The “Spaniflora” elements extended to the interior with Spanish tile floors, a coquina rock fireplace, and ceiling beams fashioned from pecky cypress. Side Two: Opening in 1927, the Hunter Arms Hotel operated only during the winter, and guests paid a flat seasonal rate that included a room and two meals a day. The second floor originally offered 44 guest rooms, while the first floor provided space at the front of the building for businesses. Hunter originally built the hotel intending to sell it, but the 1929 stock market crash and the subsequent Great Depression changed his plan. Hunter’s wife, Nona, took over operation of the hotel following his death in 1953, and managed it for many years. The hotel building changed ownership several times and slowly fell into disrepair. It was purchased in 1994 by Ann Young and Sandi Pinkert, who began restoring the building and converted it into a bed-and-breakfast. In 2016, ADMC International bought the building and continued the restoration. Rooms were updated with modern amenities, but the building retained its historic characteristics. The Hunter Arms Hotel occupies 3/4 of a city block, and is considered a key element in the revitalization of St. Cloud’s downtown.
Sponsors: St. Cloud Main Street, City of St. Cloud, Osceola County Commissioner Fred Hawkins, Jr.

HAMILTON DISSTON SUGAR PLANTATION

Location:2700 Lake Shore Blvd
County: Osceola
City: St. Cloud
Description: In 1885, Hamilton Disston, Pennsylvania industrialist and pioneer Florida promoter, established an extensive experimental sugar plantation on the drained lands around St. Cloud. The enterprise, part of Disston's promotional scheme, prospered for several years and operated its own cane mill. After the abolition of the federal bounty on domestic sugar, the business failed and much of the machinery was sold for scrap. The failure caused large scale sugar planting in Florida to be abandoned for many years.

OSCEOLA COUNTY

Location:2 Courthouse Sq, on grounds of Courthouse.
County: Osceola
City: Kissimmee
Description: Osceola County was created in May, 1887 from portions of Orange and Brevard Counties. One of its sponsors was Senator J. Milton Bryan, who suggested the new county be named for Osceola, the great Seminole warrior. The new county was Florida's fortieth and had 815 citizens. Kissimmee was named the county seat. In 1889, Osceola citizens voted a $30,000 bond issue to build this Romanesque Revival style courthouse, which has remained in daily use since 1890. It's significance was recognized by its listing in the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. Osceola is Florida's sixth largest county. It has a rich history of cattle raising extending back to the days of the Seminole Indians. Other landmarks in county agricultural and economic history include the rise and decline of Hamilton Disston's Land and sugar empire, steamboating, and lumbering. Cattle and agriculture remain Osceola County's economic bulwarks, although it has experienced growth in manufacturing and tourism since the late 1960s.
Sponsors: sponsored by Kissimmee business and professional women's club in cooperation with department of state

THE DESERT INN

Location:State Highway 441 and State Road 60.
County: Osceola
City: Yeehaw Junction
Description: The Desert Inn was founded as a trading post in the late 1880s. The present building dates before 1925 and served as a supply and recreational center for cattle drovers, lumber men and tourists during the era when much of Osceola County was still undeveloped wilderness. Cowmen working the free ranging cattle on the palmetto prairie and lumber men cutting timber in the nearby pine lands came to the Desert Inn to eat, drink, and dance at this “oasis” where they could enjoy some relief from their arduous labors. Local patrons of the trading post and restaurant included African Americans and Seminoles, who had separate dining facilities in the era of segregation. The construction of roads in the 1930s brought tourists to the area, and a set of overnight cabins were erected behind the original building. Today the Desert Inn continues to be a popular destination for tourists and local residents. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.
Sponsors: The Desert Inn and the Florida Department of State

THE THUNDERSTORM PROJECT

Location:13th St. Between New York and Pennsylvania Ave.
County: Osceola
City: St. Cloud
Description: On a typical summer afternoon thunderstorms will be seen in the skies surrounding this site. So common they are often ignored, thunderstorms are nevertheless vital to the State's economy. They provide most of Florida's annual rainfall, but lightening and strong winds from occasional severe storms can be costly. It was here in the summer of 1946 that scientists used weather radar, aircraft penetration flights, balloon soundings and an extensive network of surface instruments to gather - for the first time - observations which led to an understanding of the structure and life cycle of thunderstorms. This site was chosen because the frequency of thunderstorms in Florida is higher than anywhere else in North America. The Thunderstorm Project was conducted by U.S. Weather Bureau, Air Force, Navy and NACA (forerunner of NASA). Scientists working at the University of Chicago analyzed the resulting data. Theories they developed from observations made here in 1946 - and in the Ohio Phase of the Project the following summer - remain the cornerstone of our understanding of thunderstorms and related weather such as hail, strong winds, heavy rain and tornadoes.
Sponsors: sponsored by meteorologists from around the country in cooperation with the department of state

FIRST NATIONAL BANK/ST. CLOUD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Location:1200 New York Avenue
County: Osceola
City: St. Cloud
Description: St. Cloud's First National Bank opened in 1910. This narrow, two story Masonry Vernacular structure was built from locally produced sand brick, wood beams, and concrete block. St. Cloud residents subscribed over $100,000 of capital stock, twice as much as required by the United States Comptroller. It was the only national bank in the county, and the level of capital stock raised was unprecedented. In 1911, the bank issued $10 notes with a picture of the bank’s first president, William H. Lynn. Though the bank failed in December 1917, the building remained an important part of downtown St. Cloud. Many diverse community organizations and businesses were housed in the building, including the People's Bank of St. Cloud in 1919, the US. Spanish War Veterans Headquarters in 1934, and the Golden Age Club in 1970. The building was purchased in 1992 by the Chamber of Commerce, which represents over 500 local businesses, and serves as its headquarters. In 1997, the St. Cloud Chamber was awarded a state historic preservation grant to restore the building with support from Florida Secretary of State Sandra Mortham. Following its restoration, the building has also served as a museum devoted to St. Cloud history.
Sponsors: St. Cloud Main Street, City of St. Cloud, Osceola County Economic Development

KENANVILLE SCHOOL

Location:1180 South Canoe Creek Road
County: Osceola
City: Kenansville
Description: This building was constructed in 1917 on five acres of land with $6,000 donated from the estate of Mrs. Mary Lily Kenan Flagler Bingham, (1867-1917), wife of Henry Flagler, the owner and promoter of the Florida East Coast Railroad. Kenansville School is the oldest known public school building in Osceola County. The two-story masonry vernacular brick building, of late 19th, early 20th century design, was erected by A.J. MacDonough, Architect, and Track and Nash Contractor. From 1917 to early 1920, the school housed grades one through 12 with as many as 100 students and five teachers. By 1922, only 29 students were enrolled in grades one through six and were taught by one teacher. The school closed in 1962 and sat empty for 30 years. In 1992 it reopened, serving students from pre-K to second grade and saving the younger children the 35-mile bus ride to St. Cloud. In 2003, the school closed its doors permanently. In 2005, the school was deeded to the Kenansville Community Association, Inc. with the help of the School Board of Osceola County and the Board of County Commissioners of Osceola County. For several decades, the school was one of the state’s outstanding rural schools.
Sponsors: SPONSORED BY THE KENANSVILLE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, INC. AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

VETERAN'S MEMORIAL LIBRARY

Location:1012 Massachusetts Avenue
County: Osceola
City: St. Cloud
Description: Side One: The Ladies Improvement Club of St. Cloud organized in 1910 for the betterment of the community through civic projects and the advocacy of literacy. The club established a small area in the Sugar Belt Railway depot for books and magazines for public use. As the community grew, the club relocated the collection to a small building on Pennsylvania Avenue, then later to the second floor of city hall on Florida Avenue and 10th Street. The library became an important focus of the club and community. In 1915, club president Mary George worked with Judge W.G. Peckham to secure lots on Massachusetts Avenue for the construction of a new library building. Within a year, the club raised $700 to pay for the lots. Contributions from Union Army veterans in the Grand Army of the Republic helped fund construction of the library in 1922. It was designed by Orlando architects Ida Annah Ryan, the first woman to earn a master’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Isabel Roberts, who studied under Frank Lloyd Wright. Ryan and Roberts insisted on a motto. Thomas Carlyle's "The true university is a collection of books" was selected. Side Two: This Grecian style building, constructed by P.E. Morgan, was composed of hollow clay tile with stained stucco exterior finish. The dedication of the Veterans Memorial Library in February 1923 was presided over by the president of the Ladies Improvement Club. Sixty members of the Grand Army of the Republic and forty members of its auxiliary, the Woman's Relief Corps, marched to the library for flag-raising ceremonies. The Ladies Improvement Club, renamed the Woman’s Club of St. Cloud in 1941, maintained and operated the library until it became part of the Osceola County library system in 1968. The building served as the city’s library for over 50 years until the library moved in 1974. Thereafter it was used as a re-sale shop for the American Red Cross and other civic groups until 2000. The City of St. Cloud purchased the building in 2001 and began renovations to establish the St. Cloud Heritage Museum run by the Woman's Club of St. Cloud. The museum opened in February 2008 and houses the records and artifacts of St. Cloud’s history.
Sponsors: St. Cloud Main Street, City of St. Cloud

SUGAR BELT RAILWAY/ VFW POST

Location:915 New York Avenue
County: Osceola
City: St. Cloud
Description: The Sugar Belt Railway Line, built in 1889 by Hamilton Disston, transported sugar and citrus between the town of Narcoossee and Kissimmee. The train made the return trip after being reversed on a turntable at Narcoossee operated by muscle power. The rail line ran through what would become the town of St. Cloud, which was surveyed and platted in 1909 as a result of its location, south of Lake Tohopekaliga and near the railroad. St. Cloud was intended for veterans of the Civil War, and was known as “The Soldier City.” In 1910, a wood-frame depot building was erected to handle passenger and freight service. The building also served as a welcome center for new members of the community arriving on the train. The women of St. Cloud began putting books and magazines in the depot, thereby beginning the town’s first library. In 1925, the Sugar Belt Railway, as part of the Atlantic Coast Line, built a new brick building where the old wood frame building stood. The depot ceased to operate in 1942 because of dwindling traffic between Kissimmee and Narcoossee. The Veterans of the Foreign Wars Post 3227 purchased the building to use as their post headquarters in 1943.
Sponsors: St. Cloud Main Street, City of St. Cloud

GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC BUILDING

Location:1101 Massachusetts Avenue
County: Osceola
City: St. Cloud
Description: Side One: The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a nationwide organization founded in 1866 for Union veterans of the Civil War. The town of St. Cloud was founded in 1909 as a community for Union veterans. The L. L. Mitchell Post #34, named for the first Union veteran to die in St. Cloud, was the local GAR chapter. The post’s original hall was located to the rear of this building on land donated by the Seminole Land & Investment Company in 1909. The “old hall” hosted meetings, and other civic and social events. When St. Cloud incorporated in 1911, its first officials were elected in the “old hall.” As the town grew, so did GAR membership, and a larger hall was needed. Tampa architect M. W. Chessman was contracted to lead the construction. Many GAR members donated money and volunteered labor. Post secretary E. E. Scranton wrote: “A splendid GAR building has been erected for memory and in honor of the old boys of the Union Army of ’61 -’65 who saved the country for the generations coming after us, and saved our glorious flag, the Stars and Stripes, from dishonor or disgrace in over 2,000 battles of that great war.” During its height, St. Cloud’s GAR post was the largest in Florida and the second largest post in the country. Side Two: The 150’ x 50’ building has three defining features. There are two panels of inscribed brick flanking the entrance that include soldiers’ names and their regiments, a public auditorium on the first floor with stage and historic painted curtain, and a private assembly room on the second floor for the GAR. Military and community organizations including the Women’s Relief Corps, Army and Navy Union, Sons and Daughters of Union Veterans, Chautauqua Association, Odd Fellows and Rebekahs, Masons and the Order of the Eastern Star all met in the hall. In addition, plays, movies, and graduations were presented here. In 1940, the Florida GAR held its last encampment at this site. The last Union veteran in St. Cloud died in 1943. Author Bruce Catton wrote in regard to the passing of Union veterans, “Something deeply and fundamentally American is gone forever.” The hall was managed by the Masons until 1971 when it was sold to private owners. Dr. Woodrow and Cherry Everett used the top floor for the Northeast Consortium for Engineering Education Research. Dr. Everett housed many of his Civil War era artifacts in a display room designed for preservation. In 1997, the hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sponsors: St. Cloud Main Street, City of St. Cloud, Sons of Union Veterans, Dr. Woodrow & Cherry Everett

Palm Beach

L.M. DAVIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Location:18301 Limestone Creek Road
County: Palm Beach
City: Jupiter
Description: Education was a challenging priority for the African-American community of Limestone Creek. Denied access to Jupiter’s nearby public schools by segregation laws, the community opened its own school in 1905. The “Jupiter Colored School,” first located in the local AME Church, moved to a building on the Louis Moseley Davis homestead in 1915. When the Okeechobee Hurricane destroyed the school building in 1928, Davis donated an acre from his homestead for a new one. Money for the new school came from the Julius Rosenwald Foundation, named after and created by the president of Sears, Roebuck & Co in collaboration with Booker T. Washington, which contributed to the construction of over 5,000 African-American schools in the South. With additional funds provided by local residents and Palm Beach County, the county built a two-room school with a kitchen and hired two teachers for grades 1-8. The graduating class of 1941 raised funds to build a sidewalk over the drainage ditch at the school entrance, and a remaining piece with their autographs is preserved in this park. Davis drove older students in a community-built bus to the Industrial High School twenty miles away. The elementary school was renamed after Davis in 1956.
Sponsors: Loxahatchee River Historical Society

EVERGREEN CEMETERY

Location:SE Corner of W Lantana Rd and Arnold Ave
County: Palm Beach
City: Lantana
Description: Evergreen Cemetery was established by the Evergreen Cemetery Company in 1892 as a final resting place for local families. The cemetery’s land was purchased by M.B. Lyman, Lantana’s founder. Lyman, who is buried in the cemetery, served as the town’s first postmaster. He named the town Lantana Point because of the flowering lantana plant that grew in the area. "Point" was later dropped from the town's name. The cemetery’s earliest marked gravestone is dated January 22, 1886. There are 18 marked gravesites in the cemetery where members of the town’s eight pioneer families are buried. Occupying unmarked graves are two crew members from the shipwreck “Inchulva,” which sank in a hurricane off Delray Beach in 1903. Several members of the African-American community were buried here during the early 20th century. The cemetery also contains the mass grave of some victims of the 1928 Hurricane. In 1952, ownership of the cemetery was transferred to the Town of Lantana and was closed to further burials.
Sponsors: The Lantana Historical Society, the Town of Lantana, and the Florida Department of State

MILITARY TRAIL

Location:439 W. Indiantown Road
County: Palm Beach
City: Jupiter
Description: After the second Battle of the Loxahatchee (January 24, 1838) during the Scond Seminole War (1835-1842), Major General Thomas S. Jesup directed Major William Lauderdale, Commander of the Tennessee Battalion of Volunteers to cut a trail south from Ft. Jupiter to the New River (present day Ft. Lauderdale). Major Lauderdale's mission was to caputre Seminoles who had escaped the Laxahatchee battle. ON March 2, 1838, Major Lauderdale, with approximately 200 Tennessee Volunteers and the U.S. 3rd Artillery Regiment, marched south, following the Seminoles. To avoid swamps and lagoons, they kept to the higher coastal pine ridge that extended from Ft. Jupiter to the New River, where Major Lauderdale built a fort. Because Major Lauderdale's command had blazed a trail covering 63 miles through overgrown terrain in only four days, the route was desiganted "Lauderdale's Trail." The trail was used for military operations through the end of the Third Seminole War in 1858, and became known as "Military Trail." Now a major commercial thoroughfare, Military Trail is a remnant of the long and dramatic history of the Sminole Wars in Florida.
Sponsors: The Jupiter Town Council and the Florida Department of State

MT. CARMEL MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH AND CEMETERY

Location:6623 Church Street
County: Palm Beach
City: Jupiter
Description: Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church, a cornerstone of Jupiter’s African American community, was organized in 1902 by the Reverend J. A. Wannamaker and the pioneer families of Simmons, Campbell, Ford, Bush, and Davis. These early settlers arrived here from North Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, and homesteaded 160-acre plots along Limestone Creek and the Loxahatchee River. Since the church’s founding, Mt. Carmel deacons and deaconesses have been community leaders, founding and supporting the once-segregated volunteer fire department, schools, and civic organizations. The original church, a small wood frame building built in 1902, was moved to this location in 1915 when Glover Sapp donated two acres of land for the church and a cemetery. It was rebuilt twice by its members after the destructive hurricanes of 1926 and 1928. This building was constructed in 1953 and was expanded in 1979 and again in 1997. The church’s cemetery, the only church-affiliated African American burial ground in northern Palm Beach County, includes over 500 graves, the earliest of which are unmarked. The church and the cemetery reflect the important social history and continued spiritual values of this close-knit community.
Sponsors: The Loxahatchee River Historical Society and the Florida Department of State.

CHAPEL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Location:1325 Cardinal Lane
County: Palm Beach
City: Lantana
Description: The Chapel of the Holy Spirit, formerly known as the Minerva Chapel, is one of the oldest buildings in Palm Beach County. This eclectic style building was first used as a tea house for the Royal Poinciana Hotel in Palm Beach, which was built by Henry Flagler in 1894. After the hotel was demolished in 1936, the building was moved ten miles south to Hypoluxo, where it served as a guest house for the Willis Reinhardt estate. From 1946 to 1951, the building served as the exclusive Gold Key Club, which was part of the Lake Shore Club gambling casino. During the 1950s and 1960s, the building was an artist’s studio, a caretaker’s cottage, and a gift shop before it was bought in 1967 by former Hypoluxo Mayor James Brown. He moved the building to his Carefree Cove Mobile Home Park, where it was used as a chapel that he named Minerva Chapel in honor of his mother. Brown sold the trailer park in 1988 and donated the chapel to Holy Spirit Anglican Catholic Church in Palm Springs. In August 2011, the chapel was moved to the Church of the Holy Guardian Angels, where it was renamed the Chapel of the Holy Spirit.
Sponsors: Church of the Holy Gaurdian Angels and the Florida Department of State

NASSAU PARK HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:Nassau St. and Venetian Ave.
County: Palm Beach
City: Delray Beach
Description: Nassau Park, Delray Beach’s first locally designated historic district, spans two blocks along Nassau Street from South Ocean Boulevard to Venetian Drive. In 1935, a newspaper ad for Ray-Del Realty Co. described Nassau Park as “West Indian Charm Along Delray Shores.” Originally Jo-Jo Avenue, Nassau Street was renamed by developer R.C. MacNeil, who commissioned architect Sam Ogren, Sr. to design the first house in 1935. Primarily developed between 1935 and 1941, the residential neighborhood contains cottages built in the Colonial-Cape Cod Revival style which incorporate architectural detailing derived from early wooden folk houses of Eastern Massachusetts. The original 18 houses built from 1935-1941 retain their dominant architectural elements such as accentuated front doors with overhead fanlights, and carved wood detailing. Nassau Street evokes a time during the 1930s when the winter colony relaxed in discreet small-scale cottages surrounded by natural beauty. The natural topography is a vital element in the aesthetics of the historic streetscape. The City of Delray Beach designated the Nassau Park Historic District in 1988.
Sponsors: SPONSORED BY THE CITY OF DELRAY BEACH THE DELRAY BEACH HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

NASSAU PARK HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:x
County: Palm Beach
City: Delray Beach
Description: Nassau Park, the city’s only historic district east of the Intracoastal Waterway, contains three subdivisions: Nassau Park, Wheatley’s, and John B. Reid’s Village. The circa 1935 Nassau Park subdivision was the City’s first planned residential development south of Atlantic Avenue. In August 1936, Mr. and Mrs. William Wheatley of Connecticut, platted the portion of Nassau Street from Gleason Street to Venetian Drive. Nassau Street’s initial development intended to compliment existing hotels and Mediterranean Revival-style oceanfront homes along South Ocean Boulevard. The 18 Colonial-Cape Cod Revival style houses built along Nassau Street between 1935 and 1941 have retained their original architectural elements. The Colonial-Cape Cod Revival style is derived from early wooden folk houses of Eastern Massachusetts containing accentuated front doors with pilasters and overhead fanlights, gabled roof lines, dormers, carved wood detailing and Georgian or Adam doorways. The dwellings erected in the 1950s and 1960s architecturally differ from the initial development of Nassau Street, yet compliment the historic streetscape. The City of Delray Beach locally designated the Nassau Park Historic District in 1988.
Sponsors: THE CITY OF DELRAY BEACH, THE DELRAY BEACH HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

DEL-IDA PARK HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:Swinton Ave by NE 5th St.
County: Palm Beach
City: Delray Beach
Description: Recorded in 1923, Del-Ida Park was one of Delray Beach’s earliest planned neighborhoods. Del-Ida Park’s unusual diagonal arrangement of streets, triangular lots, and public parks are unique when contrasted with the grid pattern layout of the remainder of the city. This imaginative street layout was designed to create a sense of space and maintain a park-like atmosphere. Architectural styles throughout the neighborhood reflect the popular culture of South Florida and the land boom and bust that occurred during the initial development of the 1920s through to the 1940s. Although dominated by the Mediterranean and Mission Revival styles, Minimal Traditional and Frame Vernacular styles are also prevalent and provide a predominantly one-story, low-scale streetscape. Additional development of the 1950s and 1960s provide prime examples of the Ranch and Contemporary styles typical of South Florida. Del-Ida Park lies between NE 4th and 8th Streets with North Swinton Avenue to the west and the Florida East Coast Railroad to the east. The City of Delray Beach locally designated the Del-Ida Park Historic District in 1988.
Sponsors: A FLORIDA HERITAGE SITE SPONSORED BY THE CITY OF DELRAY BEACH

WEST SETTLERS HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:NW 2nd st. and NW 4th Ave
County: Palm Beach
City: Delray Beach
Description: Established in 1894, the West Settlers area is the site of the first African-American settlement in Delray Beach. African-Americans from north and west Florida, Georgia and South Carolina were the first non-Native Americans in the area, laying the foundation of a strong agricultural economy in the region. The community was self-sufficient and settlers utilized local materials and their own construction knowledge. Known as the “Red Line” for the painted tin roofs, the “shot gun” houses that once occupied the east side of NW 3rd Avenue were developed for Henry Flagler’s railroad workers. Isaiah Bruin, one of the community’s earliest builders, constructed many residences along NW 3rd and 4th Avenues, including the Susan Williams House, which is now located at the S.D. Spady Cultural Complex on NW 5th Avenue. The La France Hotel (1949), located at 140 NW 4th Avenue, was once the only hotel in Delray Beach that welcomed African-Americans during segregation. Owned by Charles and Francenia Patrick, the hotel welcomed celebrated black musicians and civil rights figures. The Patricks built their homestead next door at 400 NW 2nd Street. In 1997, the community was locally designated the West Settlers Historic District.
Sponsors: SPONSORED BY THE CITY OF DELRAY BEACH, THE DELRAY BEACH COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

WEST SETTLERS HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:NW 5th Ave Between Atlantic Ave and NW 1st St.
County: Palm Beach
City: Delray Beach
Description: The West Settlers community, established in 1894 as Delray Beach’s first African-American community, was self-sufficient with commercial buildings and churches serving its residents. Originally N Blackmer Street, NW 5th Avenue was the hub of business and social activities. The building at the northwest corner of NW 1st Street and NW 5th Avenue was known as “The Fountainette” and contained a soda fountain, doctor’s offices, and a pharmacy. The pharmacy, run by Dr. Simon Barnes, was the only one to serve the African-American community. The former residence of Delray’s most prominent black educator and community leader, Solomon D. Spady, is located at 170 NW 5th Avenue. The circa 1926 Mission Revival structure is now a museum primarily dedicated to African-American history. One of the community’s earliest builders was William Robinson who developed the property at 315-317 NW 1st Street for his wife, Essie, in 1902. The Robinson homestead, one of the first in the area to have electricity, running water, and a telephone, was designated an official Red Cross hurricane shelter in the 1940s. In 1997, the community was locally designated the West Settlers Historic District.
Sponsors: SPONSORED BY THE CITY OF DELRAY BEACH EPOCH (EXPANDING & PRESERVING OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE, INC.) AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

OLD SCHOOL SQUARE

Location:188 South Swinton Avenue
County: Palm Beach
City: Delray Beach
Description: Old School Square Historic District is named for its focal point, the Old School Square Complex at 51 North Swinton Avenue which is made up of the circa 1913 Vernacular style Delray School designed by J.M. Cromer, the city’s first separate high school, and the original gymnasium. Both the high school and gymnasium were designed circa 1926 in the Mediterranean Revival style by architect Sam Ogren, Sr. Ogren also designed several Mediterranean Revival structures along NE 1st Avenue, otherwise known as Banker’s Row. Two-story Mediterranean Revival residences of the 1920s are on the west side of Banker’s Row while one-story Minimal Traditional cottages of the 1930s line the east side. Architectural styles throughout the historic district include Vernacular, Bungalow, and Mission and Mediterranean Revival styles dating between 1902 and 1945. The Old School Square Historic District contains approximately 15 blocks around the town’s geographic center. District boundaries span south to SE 2nd Street and north to NE 4th Street with NE and NW 1st Avenues to the east and west. The City of Delray Beach locally designate0d the Old School Square Historic District in 1988.
Sponsors: SPONSORED BY THE CITY OF DELRAY BEACH AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

OLDSCHOOL SQUARE

Location:342 North Swinton Avenue
County: Palm Beach
City: Delray Beach
Description: Old School Square Historic District represents the initial footprint for the settlement and development of Delray Beach. The architectural and historical development that gave Delray Beach a prominent status in Palm Beach County can be seen in examples of turn- of-the-century frame architecture found along South Swinton Avenue such as the “Sundy House.” The 1902 structure was home to Delray Beach’s first mayor, John S. Sundy, who served for seven terms. The “Cathcart House,” at 38, was constructed in 1902 in the French Colonial Revival style. Two of the city’s earliest churches were also located in this area: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, where the original 1904 building remains, and the 1903 Methodist Church, where only the parsonage (also known as “The Rectory”) exists. The South Swinton Avenue corridor and neighboring NE/NW 1st Avenues contain examples of working class homes developed in the 1920s-1950s. East Atlantic Avenue contains the Rhoden Building at 2-4, which exemplifies an early block building, and the Masonic Temple at 44, which was used as a post office in the 1920s. The City’s largest historic district, Old School Square was locally designated in 1988 by the City of Delray Beach.
Sponsors: SPONSORED BY THE CITY OF DELRAY BEACH, THE DELRAY BEACH COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH FELLOWSHIP HALL

Location:33 Gleason Street
County: Palm Beach
City: Delray Beach
Description: An orange grove, once located at this site, played a role in the early development of Delray Beach. Until 1876, an old, sour orange grove was the only distinguishable characteristic within 60 miles of a sparsely inhabited subtropical wilderness between Lake Worth and Biscayne Bay. Settlers in 1894-95 who saw the grove that was partially surrounded by a rock wall, speculated that the trees were planted by Seminole Indians, Minorcan immigrants, or the Spanish, but its origin remains unknown. A nearby haulover (a location where boats were carried from one navigable place to another), the Orange Grove Haulover, was named after the grove and is found on 19th century Florida maps as far back as 1826. The U.S. Life Saving Service, established by Congress in 1848 to protect mariners, built the Orange Grove House of Refuge #3 in 1876. When potential settlers came to the proposed Town of Linton (later renamed Delray Beach), the keeper of the Refuge, Stephen N. Andrews, suggested that the main street, Atlantic Avenue, be placed between the House of Refuge on the north and the orange grove on the south. The grove, long gone, became the site of this Mediterranean Revival building in 1924. In 1924, a local Baptist congregation built a new sanctuary on this spot. The church, the only one built on the Delray Beach barrier island, was considered by many to be one of the most beautiful in the city. F.J. Schrader was the architect, builder, and financial underwriter. He said his inspiration was a picture and floor plan of a church in Florence, Italy, but that he made this church less ornate. In May 1924, he and a small crew, consisting of a carpenter, plumber, and electrician, faced a difficult task, especially with constructing the church’s large cypress trusses. It was said at the time that the church was “the most Floridian Church in Florida.” The original building was constructed as Gibson Memorial Baptist Church, but after the real estate crash of 1926 and the hurricanes that followed, the congregation was unable to finish paying Schrader. Five weeks after the 1928 hurricane, local Presbyterians rented the church, later purchasing it. After a new sanctuary was built in 1977, the original church became the Fellowship Hall for the First Presbyterian Church.

POWELL'S BATTLE

Location:9060 W. Indiantown Rd at Riverbend Park
County: Palm Beach
City: Jupiter
Description: On January 15,1838,during the Second Seminole War.The Seminoles met and defeated U.S. forces in the first battle of the Loxahatchee River.Trying to end the war,Maj. Gen. Thomas Jesup brought several columns of troops to south Florida, including Waterborne Everglades Expeditionary Unit commanded by Navy Lt. Levin Powell. In search of the Seminoles, Powell's unit entered the southwest fork of the Loxahatchee river in small boats, led by a captured Seminole woman. Marching west, they saw smoke trails rise from a cypress swamp encampment and were suddenly met by hot musket fire from Seminole warriors. A running fire fight in the swamp led by Chiefs Tuskegee and Halleck Hadjo ended at dark with the Seminoles slowly gaining control. Powell's small force of 80 sailors and soldiers, overpowered by a much larger force of Seminole swamp fighters, barely escaped with severe casualities. Only the leadership of Joseph Johnston prevented what could have been the "Powell Massacre". With news of the Seminole victory, Gen. Jesup and his main column of more than 1500 men headed southeast to confront the Seminoles in the Second Battle of the Loxahatchee River on January 24, 1838.
Sponsors: Palm Beach County and Florida Dept. of State.

HISTORIC JUPITER SCHOOL

Location:200 S. Loxahatchee Dr
County: Palm Beach
City: Jupiter
Description: This building was constructed in 1927 to serve the town's approximately 100 white students from grades one through twelve.Prior to its construction,students were transported by boat to attend schools along the Loxahatchee River including the 1891 Octagon School,the 1895 west Jupiter School at Sawfish Bay and the 1911 Jupiter School on Town Hall Avenue.African-American students attended a seperate two-room schoolhouse in Limestone Creek through eighth grade until 1961,when Iris Hunter became the first black student at Jupiter School.Following the 1928 hurricane,both black and white area residents sought shelter in the school until they could safely return to their homes.Costing $150,000,the new school had modern amenities including a library,science lab and an auditorium complete with stage for the arts.The build whose architect was William Manley King,is an excellent example of Mediterranean Revival architecture,displaying many elements of the style including a low-pitch tile roof,stucco finish,arches and a Venetian Gothic arcade on twisted columns.The Jupiter School served as the town's primary educational facility until 1965 when the new Jupiter High School was opened on Toney Penna Drive.
Sponsors: School board of PBCO & FL Dept of State

MARINA HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:Intersection of SE 7th Avenue and SE 2nd Street
County: Palm Beach
City: Delray Beach
Description: The Marina Historic District, a historically small-scale neighborhood, was primarily developed from 1922 to 1943 and showcases many irreplaceable architectural resources. Later development of the 1940s, 1950's, and beyond provides prime examples of South Florida architecture. A portion of the historic district contains what was once known as the “Mike Blank Nurseries”. Delray Beach pioneers, the Blank family left a legacy of large shade trees throughout the area, and built and lived in several structures alone SE 7th Avenue, some of which remain. The Christian Science Church, constructed in 1942, initially served as a chapel at the U.S. Army Air Force Base in Boca Raton and was relocated in 1949 to 200 SE 7th Avenue. Architect Sam Ogren, Sr., designed and executed the church’s facade and renovation in later years. Designed by architect John Volk, the circa 1937 “Fontaine Fox Cottages” are located in the 200 block on the west side of SE 7th Avenue and provide excellent examples of the Florida Cottage Style. Fontaine Fox, a famous cartoonist and creator of “Toonerville Trolley,” was a notable winter resident. The City of Delray Beach locally designated the Marina Historic District in 1988.
Sponsors: The City of Delray Beach, the Delray Beach Preservation Trust and the Florida Department of State

DEL-IDA PARK HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:767 NE 2nd Avenue
County: Palm Beach
City: Delray Beach
Description: The Del-Ida Park subdivision was first recorded on September 18, 1923. Motivated by patriotic spirit and the optimism of Florida’s land boom, Del-Ida Park originally contained streets named after six U. S. Presidents. Mr. J. C. Secord of Miami organized the Ocean City Development Company and purchased the 58 acre tract containing 300 lots and three pie-shaped public parks. Within days of its recording, it was reported that “Del-Ida Park is growing fast”, as 58 lots had sold. Mr. Frederick Henry Link, a former craftsman at Addison Mizner industries in West Palm Beach, purchased several lots and served as the sub-divisions general contractor. In 1923, he began construction of his own home at 524 NE 2nd Avenue. Built in the Mediterranean Revival style, the house started the trend for such designs which remained popular through 1930. Link’s daughter, Catherine Link Strong, lived on Dixie Boulevard as an adult, and was Delray Beach’s first woman mayor in 1954. Originally a rather elite developments, the real estate bust left the area without much growth and development until the 1940’s and later. The City of Delray Beach designated the Del-Ida Park Historic District in 1988.
Sponsors: Sponsored by the City of Delray Beach and the Florida Department of State

MARINA HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:Intersection of SE 2nd St. and SE 7th Ave.
County: Palm Beach
City: Delray Beach
Description: Primarily developed between 1922 and 1943, the Marina Historic District displays a variety of architectural styles including Mediterranean and Mission Revival, Monterey, Minimal Traditional, Frame Vernacular and Art Moderne. The prominent neighborhood showcases some of the area’s most accomplished architects. Built in 1939 and designed by Gustav Maas, the Boyd Building at 840 East Atlantic Avenue is a distinctive example of a large-scale commercial building in the Streamline Moderne style. A prime example of Mediterranean Revival architecture is the Marine Villas, designed by Sam Ogren, Sr. at 110 marine Way. Consisting of four cottages, the marine Villas have been immaculately maintained wit the original detailing preserved. Located at 60 Marine Way is The Anchorage, also designed by Ogren and built in 1941 in the Monterey style. The cottage at 707 SE 1st Street, relocated from Boca Raton in the 1930’s, was designed by renowned architect Addison Mizner (1872 – 1933). Palm Square is lined by its original cottages from the 1920’s and 1930’s and maintains its true historic environment. The City of Delray Beach designated the Marina Historic District in 1988.
Sponsors: Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency and the Florida Department of State.

OLD FLORESTA HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:Intersection of West Palmetto Park Rd and Cardinal Avenue
County: Palm Beach
City: Boca Raton
Description: In October 1925, architect Addison Mizner announced construction of houses for his company’s executives and his brother, the Reverend Henry Mizner, in the subdivision now known as Old Floresta. The Robinson Company, a New York contractor building the Cloister Inn in Boca Raton, won the contract for 29 Mizner-designed houses. With the end of the real estate boom in 1926, the Mizner Development Corporation collapsed before Robinson could complete the houses. The Chicago partners, headed by Hermann V. von Holst, from whom Mizner purchased the land for Old Floresta, held the mortgage and filed for foreclosure. Von Holst then supervised the completion of the unfinished houses, proposed new names for the streets, and suggested calling the subdivision Floresta, “a delightful rural place” in Spanish. Since the 1920s, Old Floresta, with its Spanish-style architecture of rough-finished stucco walls, wrought iron balconies, and barrel tile roofs, combined with the subdivision’s narrow tree-lined streets and lush landscaping, has remained one of Boca Raton’s most distinctive neighborhoods. In 1990, Old Floresta became Boca Raton’s first historic district.
Sponsors: The Boca Raton Historical Society and the Florida Department of State

JESUP'S BATTLE JANUARY 24, 1838

Location:9060 W. Indiantown Rd at Riverbend Park
County: Palm Beach
City: Jupiter
Description: On January 24, 1838, Major General Thomas S Jesup, commanding 1,500 men, the largest army of Second Seminole War. [1835-42], marched to the headwaters of the Loxahatchee River, where he defeated approximately 300 Red and Black Seminoles in the last standing battle of the war. The Seminoles attacked General Jesup's advanced guard of Dragoons, leading them into a cypress swamp while they hid and fired from a high, dense hammock. Outnumbered nearly seven to one, the Seminoles retreated to a watery stronghold on the opposite side of the river. They crossed to the east side of the river and waited for the troops to follow, Major William Lauderdale and his Tennessee Volunteers held a position on the west side of the river, putting them in direct line of withering musket fire that stopped their advance. After dismounting and drawing his pistol, General Jesup ordered the Tennesseans to follow him as he charged ahead. Instead, they held their position, and Jesup was shot in the face. The battle ended when Colonel William Harney's Dragoons outflanked the Seminoles, who fled into the Everglades. Seven soldiers were killed and thirty-one wounded. The Seminole casualties are unknown.
Sponsors: Palm Beach Co & FL Dept. of State

JUPITER INLET SHIPWRECKS 1600-1700s

Location:400 North Delaware Blvd
County: Palm Beach
City: Jupiter
Description: During the 17th century, Spanish galleons and merchant ships navigated the treacherous waters off the Florida coast. These vessels carried silver and gemstones from the mines of Mexico and Peru. They routinely ran a narrow gauntlet of shallow water, sand bars, coral reefs, and occasional hurricanes off the Jupiter Inlet as they followed the Gulf Stream’s swift north current. The ships that did not survive the passage left a legacy of cannons, anchors, navigational tools, coins, flatware, silver and gold scattered across the ocean floor. Today, this area is nicknamed “The Treasure Coast.” Ships thought to have wrecked off the Jupiter coast during the 1600s include the San Miguel Archangel and the San Francisco y San Antonio. Both ships were avisos, Spanish courier ships weighing 60 tons or less. The avisos were well-armed, but speed was their best defense, which allowed them to outrun larger, better-armed vessels. Avisos were primarily used to transport correspondence to and from the Spanish throne, but were known to carry goods and valuables. Shipwrecks like these are important time capsules of history, which increase our understanding of the people who sailed Florida's waters before us.
Sponsors: The Town of Jupiter and the Florida Department of State

NORTH OCEAN BOULEVARD

Location:3851 North Ocean Blvd
County: Palm Beach
City: Gulf Stream
Description: In 1992 North Ocean Boulevard (State Road A1A) in the Town of Gulf Stream was designated as a State Historic Scenic Highway to preserve the last remaining Australian pine canopy and the original character and beauty of the 1920s A1A in Florida. State Road A1A through Gulf Stream is one of the earliest, most scenic and most important north-south highways in Palm Beach County and was officially opened in 1916 in this area. In the 1920s, Australian pines were planted on both sides of the road in South Florida, up to the freeze line, to act as a windbreak. Being a fast growing species, a canopy over A1A soon developed, adding greatly to the beauty, charm and character of the area. This canopy has been destroyed with the exception of that remaining in Gulf Stream. Ironically, Australian pines are now too prolific and are not as welcomed in some areas as they once were. Yet the Town has protected the canopy and has obtained authority from the State to restore it, which is gradually being accomplished.
Sponsors: Sponsored by the Town of Gulf Stream and the Florida Department of State

LITTLE RED SCHOOLHOUSE

Location:2145 South Ocean Blvd
County: Palm Beach
City: Palm Beach
Description: Founded in 1886 as a community project, the Little Red Schoolhouse was the first one-room school built in southeast Florida. With $200 for lumber from the Dade County School Board the men of the community, led by George W. Lainhart volunteered their labor to construct the 22-by-40 foot building. Its original location one mile north of the Flagler Memorial Bridge on Lake Trail in Palm Beach was property donated by the David Brown and John C. Hoagland families. The Ladies Aid Society raised additional money for school furnishings. Sixteen-year-old Hattie Gale taught the first class of students ranging in age from Pupils arrived by boat, bicycle or on foot. The one-room school served families living around Lake Worth until 1901. It was then turned into a gardeners’ shed on the John S. Phipps property. In 1960 the structure was moved to Phipps Ocean Park and was refurbished by the Gardeners Society of Palm Beach. The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach is leasing the building from the Town of Palm Beach for preservation and pioneer education.
Sponsors: x

THE JUPITER AND LAKE WORTH RAILWAY, "CELESTIAL RAILROAD" 1889-1895

Location:18085 N Highway A1A
County: Palm Beach
City: Jupiter
Description: The Jupiter and Lake Worth (J. & L.W.) Railway crossed this site running 7 ½ miles from Jupiter Inlet to Juno at the north end of Lake Worth. A hack line originally operated on the same route, transporting visitors and freight with wagons pulled by oxen. The narrow gauge railroad began operation on July 4, 1889, as Lake Worth pioneers celebrated with a free ride to Jupiter. Since there was no turntable, the train steamed forward to Juno and in reverse back to Jupiter. The Indian River Steamboat Company connected passengers and freight from Titusville to the J. & L.W. Railway wharf, then by rail to Juno, the Dade County seat. Engineer Blus Rice played Dixie on the wood-burning steam engine whistle to alert waiting passengers. In 1893, an article in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine dubbed the line the “Celestial Railroad” because it stopped at Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Juno. Mars and Venus were freight stops for loading pineapples, coconuts, citrus and other locally grown produce. In 1893, Henry Flagler used the railroad to haul lumber and supplies to build the Royal Poinciana Hotel on Palm Beach. Bankruptcy and Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railroad ended the Celestial Railroad’s operations in April 1895.
Sponsors: The Town of Jupiter and the Florida Department of State

UNITED STATES LIFE SAVING STATION

Location:Van Kessel Pkwy near parking lot
County: Palm Beach
City: Jupiter
Description: In 1885, the only United States Life Saving Station on the Florida East Coast was built at this site. Charles R. Carlin, a former British sailor and Assistant Keeper at the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, oversaw construction and served as the Station’s Keeper. The two-story facility housed men and rescue equipment, including a 27-foot self-bailing surf boat, a Lyle Gun, and a Breeches Buoy apparatus used to transfer people and cargo from ships in distress. The Station, highly regarded for its efficiency in sea rescues, was manned September through April by six uniformed Surfmen, who were quartered on the second floor. During the summer only the Keeper was on duty. The Surfmen drilled, stood watch in the tower, patrolled the beach, maintained equipment, and trained as medics. The Keeper’s detailed logs recorded rescues, weather details, patrol duties, and daily activities at the Station. With the completion of Henry Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railroad and the decline in sailing ships, the paid crew was replaced with local volunteers. Carlin remained caretaker until his death in 1912. At the advent of World War I, the Life Saving Service merged with the Revenue Cutter Service to create the United States Coast Guard.
Sponsors: The Town of Jupiter and the Florida Department of State

COCOANUT GROVE HOUSE

Location:NW Corner Pendleton Lane and Lake Trail
County: Palm Beach
City: Palm Beach
Description: The Cocoanut Grove House, Once Florida’s only hotel on the east coast between Titusville and Key West, Stood at this location. The hotel was originally built in 1876 by Elisha Newton “Cap” Dimick as a private residence for his family Dimick was one of the co-founders of Palm Beach. He served in the Florida State Legislature from 1890-1903 and as the town’s first mayor after its incorporation in 1911. The Cocoanut Grove House opened as an inn after Dimick added eight rooms to the building in 1880. In 1882, Dimick sold the hotel to Commodore Charles Clark. Approximately 4,500 guests visited the hotel between 1883 and 1895, arriving by the sharpie Illinois, a flat-bottom boat that sailed between the Indian River and Lake Worth. Hotel Guests dined on fish, green turtle, venison, and vegetables for $1.50 a day or $6 by the week. In 1893, Henry M. Flagler, who had decided to extend the Florida East Coast Railroad to Palm Beach, stayed at the Cocoanut Grove House. While visiting he envisioned his famous Royal Poinciana Hotel. Flagler later rented the hotel for his workers while they were building the Royal Poinciana. In October 1893 the Cocoanut Grove House was destroyed by fire.
Sponsors: Seminole Chapter, NSDAR and the Florida Department of State

HISTORIC BANYAN TREES

Location:MacArthur Blvd near corner of Northlake Blvd
County: Palm Beach
City: Palm Beach Gardens
Description: These two Banyan trees (Ficus benghalensis), with a combined limb spread encompassing one-half acre, form the entrance to the City of Palm Beach Gardens. Palm Beach Gardens was developed by insurance magnate and philanthropist John D. MacArthur. He envisioned his 4,000-acre development as a “garden city” for 55,000 people and chose the name Palm Beach Gardens after his initial choice, Palm Beach City, was denied by the Florida Legislature because of its similarity to nearby Palm Beach. The city was incorporated on June 20, 1959, as a “paper town,” meaning that at that point it existed only on paper. To showcase his new community, in 1960 MacArthur purchased an 80-year-old Banyan tree in nearby Lake Park that was threatened with destruction. The tree, weighing 75 tons and with a limb spread of 125 feet, required 1,008 hours of labor and $30,000 to move it to its new home in Palm Beach Gardens. A second, smaller Banyan tree weighing 40 tons, also threatened with destruction, was moved from Lake Park by MacArthur the following year. The trees are featured on the Palm Beach Gardens city shield and stand proudly today at the city’s entrance.
Sponsors: Seminole Chapter, NSDAR and the Florida Department of State

1916 PALM BEACH COUNTY COURTHOUSE

Location:300 North Dixie Highway
County: Palm Beach
City: West Palm Beach
Description: Palm Beach County (established in 1909) had its first County offices in an old school house in West Palm Beach. In 1913, The Palm Becah County Board of County Commissioners approved the construction of a new courthouse by Wilber Burt Talley, one of Florida’s most prominent architects. Contractor Everet P. Maule submitted the winning bid of $122,500 for the building’s construction. The courthouse was completed in 1916 and is an outstanding example of Neo-Classical architecture in Florida. The imposing four-story building is dominated by three grand columned porticos, with exterior walls of brick veneer trimmed in industrial limestone. The building was dedicated in 1917 and at the time held all County offices and had one courtroom, which was used for ten years. The County’s explosive growth during the 1920s and after World War II led to several additions to the courthouse which, by 1972 had totally enclosed the original building. After standing vacant for nearly a decade the County funded an $18.5 million restoration of the historic courthouse in 2002, which was completed in 2007. Government offices once again occupy the gracious building, as does a museum showcasing the history of Palm Beach County.
Sponsors: Sponsored by the Palm Beach County Board of Commissioners, The Robert Neff Family, the Historical Society of Palm Beach County and the Florida Department of State.

ATLANTIC AVENUE CROSSING

Location:Atlantic Ave at Veteran's Park
County: Palm Beach
City: Delray Beach
Description: Atlantic Avenue’s crossing of the Florida East Coast Canal (now the Intracoastal Waterway) played an important role in the early history of Delray Beach. Civil engineer Burslem Thomson drew the first plat of “Linton,” now Delray Beach, in late 1895, showing the town’s main street crossing the canal at this location. Atlantic Avenue ran west from the beach between the 1876 Orange Grove House of Refuge and an “old sour orange grove.” The street became the commercial heart of Delray Beach, and included movie theaters, restaurants, shops, hotels, and the city’s first post office. Fishermen brought large catches to a packing house at the crossing, and beach-goers and workers farming land to the east crossed the canal here by lighter barges until 1911, when the City of Delray Beach was incorporated and a hand-cranked swing bridge was constructed. Atlantic Avenue’s fourth and present bridge over the canal was completed in 1952. The gear-driven bridge is a Chicago-style, double-leaf Bascule type bridge with a Hopkins frame. The Atlantic Avenue Bridge was designated a historic bridge by the City of Delray Beach in 2000, and remains an important crossing point for the community.
Sponsors: The Robert Neff Family, Delray Beach Historical Society, and the Florida Department of State

CASON COTTAGE

Location:5 Northeast First Street
County: Palm Beach
City: Delray Beach
Description: In 1899 the Tasker family purchased this block and built a house on the southwest corner. Phoebe A. Verrill bought the house in 1909 and sold it to the Cason family in 1921. The Casons converted the house into apartments and c.1924 built a second modest frame vernacular house on the block’s east corner, known today as Cason Cottage. Although modest, the cottage exhibits the excellent craftsmanship and details typical of many early Delray Beach homes. The Cason family played a major role in the development of South Florida. The Rev. J. R. Cason, who moved to Florida in 1905, was a founder of the first Florida orphanage at Enterprise in Volusia County. He was a community leader, serving as a municipal judge and Chairman of the Palm Beach County Board of Public Instruction. Cason United Methodist Church, located at 342 North Swinton Avenue, is named in his honor. Since 1989, the Delray Beach Historical Society has operated Cason Cottage as a house museum to help interpret the history of Delray Beach from 1915-1935.
Sponsors: The Robert Neff Family, Delray Beach Historical Society, and the Florida Department of State

DELRAY BEACH HOTEL

Location:126 North Ocean Boulevard
County: Palm Beach
City: Delray Beach
Description: The Delray Beach Hotel was constructed on this site in 1939. Engineered by William Victor Peterson and built by Taylor Construction, the Mediterranean style hotel featured a Cuban tile roof, high ceilings with exposed beams, and large glass windows for ocean views. Peterson, born in 1882 of Swedish descent, had farmed pineapples in Hawaii. Delray's similar climate and pineapple-growing heritage brought him to the area, where he entered Florida’s tourism industry. The Delray Beach Hotel and other contemporary establishments catered to a winter colony of wealthy, creative people. Peterson operated the hotel with his wife Margaret and son Robert during the tourist season. The family also owned the Northern Pine Lodge in Park Rapids, Minnesota, which they operated in the summer when the Delray Hotel was closed. In 1944, the hotel was sold to MacNab Hotels Inc. A restaurant added to the southwest side of the building in 1953 was designed by prominent Delray Beach architect, Samuel Ogren Sr. Berkshire-By-The-Sea was built on the original site of the Delray Beach Hotel in the early 1980s.
Sponsors: William S. & Barbara Peterson, Delray Beach Historical Society

CLEMATIS STREET COMMERCIAL HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:N. Clematis St.
County: Palm Beach
City: West Palm Beach
Description: For over 100 years, Clematis Street(named after the Clematis flower has been the primary retail street in West Palm Beach. It was a shell-topped road in 1893, when Henry Flagler(1830-1913) began to develop West Palm Beach as the commercial district for his resort community of Palm Beach. The face of Clematis Street was changed in 1904 with the paving and the installation of sidewalks and streetlights. The Eastern end of Clematis Street developed first, but by 1916, as the population grew, the business district began to expand to the West. During the real estate boom of the 1920's, new buildings were erected to house a variety of retail establishments in the 500 block of Clematis Street. Among the contributing buildings in the district are the Hotel Clematis and Gruner's department store at 512-516 Clematis Street; James Rooming House at 518-20 Clematis Street; Sewell's Hardware store at 528-30 Clematis Street; and Sirkin Building at 533 Clematis Street(designed by local architect's Harvey and Clark)all built between 1920 and 1928. The 500 block of Clematis has the highest concentration of historic buildings in the downtown retail area. In 1998 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sponsors: City of West Palm Beach, Florida Department of State

LAKE PARK TOWN HALL

Location:535 Park Avenue
County: Palm Beach
City: Lake Park
Description: Boston entrepreneur Harry S. Kelsey founded Kelsey City in 1921.He envisioned his town as a resort mecca and winter retreat for wealthy northeners.The Town Hall was designed by architect Bruce Kitchell in 1927 and was built by the Arnold Construction Company.Constructed of stuccoed brick and clay tile,this Mediterranean Revival jewel has stylistic features reflective of the late Italian Renaissance,including a rusticated frontispiece,decorative window surrounds and a water table supported by brackets.The Town Hall originally housed the Police and Fire Departments,Town Administration,Library,and Municipal Courtroom.The land boom collapse in the mid 1920s and the Hurricane of 1928,in which the Town Hall served as a shelter for residents,nearly devastated the city.Service organizations provided diversions for those who remained.The Fire Department sponsered dances here in the Mirror Ballroom on the second floor.The ballroom was used for many other social events,such as theatrical performances by the Palm Beach Junior College,which occupied the Town Hall in the 1950s.In 1939 the town changed its name to the Town of Lake Park.Lake Park Town Hall was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.
Sponsors: Town of Lake Park and FL Dept of State

FLAMINGO PARK

Location:South Dixie Highway, Flamingo Park
County: Palm Beach
City: West Palm Beach
Description: This site originally was the southeast corner of an eighty-acre parcel purchased by George L. Marsteller of Charleston, South Carolina, in 1884 for $100. Two blocks to the North between South Dixie Highway and South Olive Ave. the Lakeside Cemetery Association had Platted the Lakeside Cemetery in 1895. It operated as a racially integrated facility, unusual for the times. In 1902, the Association purchased these two acres from West Palm Beach to serve as a separate cemetery for African Americans. The Association platted 190 lots and interred approximately 100 people by 1913. The cemetery never had a official name: maps of the era simply called it “Colored Cemetery” The city’s efforts to repossess and resell the cemetery in 1916 were blocked by the Florida Supreme Court. By 1921, unable to maintain the cemetery, the Association donated it to the City without restrictions. No further burials took place. The City converted the cemetery to a public park known as Dixie playground and later renamed Flamingo Park. Citizens’ protests in 1966 and 1991 thwarted subsequent attempts to sell the park for commercial development.
Sponsors: City of West Palm Beach and the Florida Department of State

"RABBIT HILL"

Location:South Lake Trail
County: Palm Beach
City: Palm Beach
Description: One of the oldest houses standing in Palm Beach, built in 1891 by Dr. John H. Brelsford, who came here in 1881 with his brother E.M. Brelsford. Alligators, bear, wildcats - and rabbits - abounded. Seminole Indians in their dugout canoes brought deer meat across Lake Worth to trade for oranges and Billy Bowlegs visited here. H.M. Flagler bought the property in 1901 and it was sold to James Y. Arnold in 1944 to become the site of his famous orchid collection.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in Cooperation with Palm Beach Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution

1913 BOYNTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Location:129 E. Ocean Ave.
County: Palm Beach
City: Boynton Beach
Description: Boynton Elementary School, originally called Boynton School, was designed by West Palm Beach architect William Maughlin. It opened in 1913 and was Boynton’s only K-12 school for the next 14 years. It was used continuously as a public school until 1989. The masonry vernacular building has two floors, six classrooms and attic space leading to the belfry. The originally preserved staircase and all floors were built of Florida pine. Although it had indoor plumbing, electricity was not installed until the 1920’s. The schoolhouse was the community’s hub of activity, used for both education and social gatherings. In the early 1990’s city residents revived the downtown, with the old schoolhouse as the cornerstone. In March 1994, the City of Boynton Beach acquired the schoolhouse and had it listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It was restored in 1997. In 1998-99, with funding from the City of Boynton Beach and the Division of Historical Resources, the building underwent a $1.4 million renovation. In 2001 it re-opened as the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum whose mission is to encourage children and families to learn about city and county history through an array of hands-on and interactive exhibitions and programs.
Sponsors: THE BOYNTON CULTURAL CENTRE, INC.,THE CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH, AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

BOCA RATON TOWN HALL

Location:71 North Federal Highway.
County: Palm Beach
City: Boca Raton
Description: Designed in the Mediterranean Revival style by the architect Addison C. Mizner and completed by the architect William E. Alysmeyer, the Boca Raton Town Hall opened in April 1927 as the city's first municipal building, fire station and police department. The Cramer & Cramer Construction Company developed architectural plans with an elaborate front entrance, a gilded dome atop the bell tower and interior finishes with products of the Mizner Industries. The Woman's Club opened Boca Raton's first public library here in 1927 and the second floor served as a private residence of the fire chief for a number of years. In the early years, the Council Chamber/Court Room was the only public meeting room in Boca Raton and was used by numerous social groups, as well as providing a polling place for city voters. In 1975, the city declared that the building should become a museum and in 1976 the Boca Raton Historical Society located its office here. In recognition of its historic and architectural significance, the Boca Raton Town Hall was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as "Old City Hall" in 1980. Several municipal offices occupied the building until 1983 and the Town Hall was restored to its original architectural design by the Boca Raton Historical Society in 1984 for use as a local history museum and archives.
Sponsors: The Palm Beach Town Committee, National Society of Colonial Dames in Cooperation with the Florida Department of State

BOYNTON WOMAN'S CLUB

Location:1010 South Federal Highway
County: Palm Beach
City: Boynton Beach
Description: The Boynton Woman’s Club was designed in the Mediterranean Revival style by the famous Palm Beach architect Addison C. Mizner. The Woman’s Club is significant for both its architectural merit and contributions to the cultural development of Boynton Beach. The club was built in 1925 as a memorial to the founder of the town, Major Nathan S. Boynton. Along with providing a social and civic center for the community, it served as the town’s first public library and the first meeting place for several local churches and service organizations. The second floor features a grand ballroom and stage. The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Sponsors: THE PALM BEACH TOWN COMMITTEE OF THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF THE COLONIAL DAMES OF AMERICA AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

COASTAL PATROL BASE NO. 3

Location:2633 Lantana Rd.
County: Palm Beach
City: Palm Beach
Description: Coastal Patrol Base No. 3 at Lantana Airport was one of three 90-day experimental bases established on the east coast of the United States to assist with anti-submarine patrols. Civilian aviators flew missions up to 60 miles out to sea between Palm Beach and Cape Canaveral, to search for German U-boats. In May 1942 near Cape Canaveral, Lantana CAP members Marshall E. Rinker and Tom Manning found a U-boat stranded on a sand bar and called for a military bomber, but the U-boat freed itself and escaped to deeper water before the plane arrived to destroy it. This incident led to the arming of the small civilian planes the CAP used. The experimental units were so successful that 18 more were established in the U.S., with four more bases in Florida. On August 31, 1943, the anti-submarine patrols were transferred to the military. During the unit’s 17 months of service it flew 18,712 hours, 1,546,500 miles, and made 14 attacks, dropping 20 bombs on suspected U-boats. They saved the lives of numerous mariners by attacking and driving off U-boats and directing rescue boats to burning and sinking ships. In 1948, 53 members of the unit received the U.S. military’s Air Medal. The CAP continues to operate at Lantana Airport.
Sponsors: THE PALM BEACH COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, PALM BEACH COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF AIRPORTS, THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF PALM BEACH COUNTY AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

CONNORS' TOLL HIGHWAY

Location:U.S. 98 near 3rd St.
County: Palm Beach
City: Canal Point
Description: Prior to 1923, travel into or out of the Lake Okeechobee Area was accomplished only by boat or canoe. In the early 1920's, W. J. Conners, a New York winter visitor bought 4000 acres of undeveloped muck land near this site. Development required that this property be accessible by land. Being a man with financial and executive ability, he was not long in achieving his desire. After obtaining approval from both houses of the State Legislature in the record time of 2 hours and 20 minutes, he set about building the W.J. Conners Toll Road. Although the terrain was unknown, Conners and his engineer, R.Y. Patterson, constructed the road using dredges. A temporary railroad installed on the roadbed hastened construction. First work began on October 16, 1924 and the highway was completed on June 25, 1925, 8 months later. The final cost of the 52 mile road was $1,800,000. The road was hailed as an engineering marvel of the time and contributed greatly to the growth of this area. Although the toll was only $.03 a mile, the average daily toll gathered was $2000. After Conners' death on October 5, 1929, the road ultimately was sold to the State of Florida for $660,000. This memorial is in tribute to his accomplishments.
Sponsors: sponsored by the glades historical society in cooperation with the department of state

DELRAY WRECK

Location:On the city's municipal beach, along A1A
County: Palm Beach
City: Delray Beach
Description: The old shipwreck known as the Delray Wreck rests at the bottom of the ocean in 25 feet of water about 150 yards offshore the south end of Delray's municipal beach. The wreck is broken and scattered into five sections and has long been one of the most popular diving spots in South Florida. The S.S. INCHULVA was grounded and wrecked by a fierce hurricane on September 11, 1903. Under the command of Captain G.W. Davis, the 386 foot steelhulled British steamship was bound for Newport New, Virginia from Galveston, Texas carrying wheat, cotton, lumber and a crew of 28 men. The storm struck about 5 p.m., tossing the ship and causing the cargo to shift. Steering became impossible, so Captain Davis put out both anchors, but to no avail. The anchors parted and the INCHULVA grounded and was ripped apart. Nine crew members were lost. Dawn revealed to the battered crew that land and a town were just a short distance away. by noon, all the men except Captain Davis and two mates had landed on shore in a small hastily-built raft. They found hot food and coffee at the Chapman House, a local hotel, where many of Delray's residents had taken shelter during the storm. The nine seamen who lost their lives were buried on the ridge overlooking the ocean where the ship had gone down. The surviving crew members were treated, paid and sent to New York. Before leaving for their homes, each crew member signed the guest register of the Chapman House. Under their names they wrote, "Shipwrecked in the S.S. INCHULVA, September 11, 1903, landed on a raft September 12th and received every kindness and attention at the hands of Mrs. Chapman." Captain Davis, his Chief Officer, a 2nd Officer and a seaman from the ship were brought before the Naval Court held at the British Vice Consulate at Jacksonville on September 19th. The Court exonerated the Captain and the crew from all blame.
Sponsors: The Historic Palm Beach County Preservation Board in Cooperation with the Florida Department of State

EL CID NEIGHBORHOOD

Location:207 Almeria Rd.
County: Palm Beach
City: Lake Worth
Description: In 1876, Benjamin Lanehart homesteaded land that is now the north end of El Cid. Soon afterward, Elizabeth Wilder Moore settled on the shores of Lake Worth, just south of Lanehart. Lanehart started the first commercial pineapple operation in the area, and this fruit soon dominated the local agriculture. But by the turn of the century, competition and pant diseases ruined the pineapple business. However, the population of West Palm Beach continued to grow. The El Cid Neighborhood was a product of the 1920’s Florida Land Boom era. Pittsburgh socialite John Phipps (1874-1958), the son of Andrew Carnegie’s partner in U.S. Steel, assembled these old pineapple fields to develop the district. Beginning in 1921, independent builders sold expensive Mediterranean Revival and Mission-style homes on most of he available lots. Its proximity to downtown and the shore of Lake Worth attracted affluent business, political, and social leaders who dominated the city’s development in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Phipps named his development El Cid after the celebrated medieval Spanish hero, Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar. His Moorish enemies called him Cid, an Arabic word meaning lord. The El Cid District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sponsors: EL CID HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF BETHESDA-BY-THE-SEA

Location:141 S. County Rd. On grounds of church.
County: Palm Beach
City: Palm Beach
Description: The original church constructed in 1889 on the eastern shore of Lake Worth was the first Protestant church building in southeast Florida. The present edifice, erected in 1926 as a monument to international friendship, has served all races, nations, and creeds. This plaque was placed by the Palm Beach County Historical Society to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the church, in recognition of the historic role of Bethesda-by-the- Sea in the life of the community.

EVERGREEN CEMETERY

Location:2825 N. Rosemary Ave.
County: Palm Beach
City: West Palm Beach
Description: In 1913, a group of seven men (M.J. Gildersleeve, Reverend R.W. Washington, Fred Austin, Robert Holland, Henry Meador, Sam Sharp, and Henry Rhodes) identified as trustees and owners, had the Evergreen Cemetery laid out. The site has originally been part of Gales Lake Worth Plat # 1. These men, joined by four others, formed the Evergreen Cemetery Association in 1916, with M.J. Gildersleeve serving as president. Prior to the creation of this cemetery blacks had been buried in what was identified only as the “colored cemetery” on South Dixie Highway. For over 85 years, Evergreen Cemetery has been the final resting place of some of the city’s most influential black citizens, as well as a cross section of many unnoted black citizens who contributed to the development of West Palm Beach. Among those buried in Evergreen Cemetery are Dr. T. Leroy Jefferson, the city’s first black physician; J.W. Mickens, an early educator; Henry Speed, a real estate investor; and Dr. J.R. Vickers, a physician. In 1981, the City Commission declared Evergreen Cemetery a site of local historical significance. The City acquired and assumed responsibility for Evergreen Cemetery in 1987.
Sponsors: THE CITY OF WEST PALM BEACH AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

F.E.C. RAILWAY DEPOT, BOCA RATON

Location:747 South Dixie Highway.
County: Palm Beach
City: Boca Raton
Description: Side 1: The rails of Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railway first reached Boca Raton in 1895 providing an essential link in the extension of the railroad system south to Miami and the Florida Keys, and fostering the tourism and agricultural development around which the community of Boca Raton was founded and grew to prosper. The 1930 railway depot on this site was not the first station in Boca Raton. While the F.E.C. was crucial to the opening of the area, it was during the era of the 1920s and 1930s that Boca Raton received its unique architectural character, due largely to the influence of the architect and developer Addison Mizner. In 1928, following the collapse of the explosive Boom Era in southeast Florida, Mizner lost his extensive holdings in Boca Raton. Clarence A. Geist, a self-made man who began his career as a brakeman in New Jersey and rose to become a utilities magnate in Philadelphia, bought the bankrupt development. Geist, too, had vision, and set out to build on Mizner's achievements. His plans included the construction of a passenger depot on the F.E.C. line to provide service for guests of the exclusive Boca Raton Club, the crown jewel of Mizner's plans for Boca, and to provide a gracious entrance to the showplace community. Side 2: In order to ensure the station would be designed in a style to complement the Club, Geist donated the necessary land and rights to the F.E.C. and is reputed to have made a considerable investment in the railway at the time. Built in 1930, the station was designed by F.E.C. architect Chester G. Henninger in the Mediterranean Revival style of architecture with a gently pitched gable roof, stuccoed walls and arched loggias with delicate spiral columns. This distinctive style, generally associated with the work of Mizner, contributed richly to the unique physical character of Boca Raton which remains visible today. The F.E.C. Railway Passenger Station in Boca Raton was operated until 1968 when passenger service along the line was discontinued. A living testament to the Boom Era in Florida history, the station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, and was restored in 1989 by the Boca Raton Historical Society with the generous assistance of the Count and Countess de Hoernle and the widespread support of the community.
Sponsors: Phi Alpha Theta, Xi Omega Chapter, Florida Atlantic University in Cooperation with the Florida Department of State

FLAGLER PARK

Location:North Flagler Drive
County: Palm Beach
City: West Palm Beach
Description: Flagler Park, formerly known as City Park, has been an important public space in West Palm Beach since the founding of the community. The town site for West Palm Beach was laid out in 1893 as a grid pattern of streets running north - south and east - west. The only variation was at the eastern end of Clematis Street, where two angled, short streets branched off to create a triangular, public common area. Over the years, the site has seen a variety of uses. Downtown merchants organized impromptu ball games on the park-like grounds when business was slow. In 1900, a two-story, frame building was donated for use as a reading room and transported across Lake Worth from Palm Beach. It was placed on the southeastern portion of the parcel. The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union dedicated a drinking fountain in the Park in 1907. In 1915, a Woman’s Club was placed on the parcel. Other amenities were also added to the park, including a shuffleboard court and a bandstand for outdoor concerts. As the City’s population expanded during the 1920’s, the facilities of the Reading Room were outgrown and a library was built in 1923. It opened in January 1924, as the Memorial Library, named to honor the dead of World War I. It too was outgrown and was replaced by another library in 1962. In 1994, the library was remodeled and the plaza in front of the library was redesigned, incorporating a triangular, in -ground fountain. This forecourt has become the center of downtown activities, continuing the traditional use of this important civic space
Sponsors: CITY OF WEST PALM BEACH AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

FLAMINGO PARK HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:Intersection of Flamingo Dr. and Palm Beach Ave.
County: Palm Beach
City: West Palm Beach
Description: There are 501 contributing structures within the Flamingo Park subdivision, which was officially platted on May 17, 1921, with more than 76 building permits issued in 1923. Built on the highest of all coastal ridges between downtown West Palm Beach and Miami, with an ocean view, Flamingo Park was home to many of the most prominent citizens of the time. The Florida Land Boom era is represented here in a concentration of architecturally significant homes in Mission and Mediterranean Revival and Frame Vernacular styles, constructed between 1921 and the mid-1930s. Numerous Masonry Vernacular, Art Moderne, American Foursquare, Colonial Revival and Craftsmen/Bungalow residences are found here. The Alfred Comeau House at 701 Flamingo Drive was built in 1924. Comeau was a prominent businessman, who also built one of the first West Palm Beach skyscrapers in 1925. The Flamingo Park Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sponsors: FLAMINGO PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILWAY STATION

Location:200 NE First Street
County: Palm Beach
City: Delray Beach
Description: This 40' freight section is all that remains of the old railroad station constructedin 1896 by the Florida East Coast Railway Company. The station originally stood on the east side of the tracks, one block south of Atlantic Avenue. The original 100' long Stick style building contained ground level waiting rooms and a raised freight area. The station was expanded by 96 feet in the 1920s, and another addition was constructed in the 1940s. Passenger service was discontinued in the 1960s, and the station was scheduled for demolition. The passenger area was razed but public outcry to save the station stopped total destruction of the building. In 1968 the remaining freight section was split into two sections and moved. The 1920s portion was destroyed by fire in 1984, but the original 40' area of the 1896 station was moved and used for several years as an office and for storage at a nursery west of town. In 1994, this surviving section of the historic station was purchased by the Delray Beach Historical Society, which had the building moved to its present location and rehabilitated.
Sponsors: florida heritage sitesponsored by the national society of the colonial dames of america and florida department of statesandra b. mortham, secretary of state

GRANDVIEW HEIGHTS HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:Intersection of Palm St. and Florida Ave
County: Palm Beach
City: West Palm Beach
Description: In response to the heavy influx of new residents into South Florida at the turn of the century and the introduction of the automobile, local developers and real estate agents purchased the less expensive land outside of the West Palm Beach downtown area and developed the first speculative suburbs. Platted in the 1910-1920s as three subdivisions, Grandview Heights is one of the earliest attempts at southwestern expansion of the city. Originally stretching from Okeechobee Boulevard to Park Place, the property was chosen because of its relatively steep topography for South Florida. It was considered a desirable place to live because it was less than a mile from downtown, within close proximity to the City Terminals, West Palm Beach Canal, the Turning Basin, and had a view of the Everglades. Built for working and middle class residents, the quickly constructed homes were well made but affordable. The neighborhood consists of primarily Bungalow type homes that reflect mainly the Craftsman and Mission styles, both widely popular during the 1920s Florida Land Boom Era.
Sponsors: THE GRANDVIEW HEIGHTS CITIZENS ASSOCIATION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

HURRICANE OF 1928 MASS BURIAL SITE

Location:Corner of 25th St. and N. Tamarind Ave.
County: Palm Beach
City: Pahokee
Description: Early residents of Glades had to survive many harsh elements. Their goal to create a thriving farming community was often tested by storms, insects, and the lack of many comforts. In 1928 the Glades area was devastated by a powerful hurricane that threatened to destroy the entire area. Several thousand residents were killed and hundreds of homes were destroyed. Despite the death and damage, those residents that survived continued to develop the area. The Glades eventually became a major agricultural community because of their desire and vision. This memorial honors those residents who lost their lives in the 1928 hurricane.
Sponsors: CITY OF PAHOKEE AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

NORTH OCEAN BOULEVARD

Location:N. Ocean Blvd, between Pelican Rd. and Shore Rd.
County: Palm Beach
City: Gulf Stream
Description: In 1992 North Ocean Boulevard (State Road A1A) in the Town of Gulf Stream was designated as a State Historic Scenic Highway to preserve the last remaining Australian pine canopy and the original character and beauty of the 1920s A1A in Florida. State Road A1A through Gulf Stream is one of the earliest, most scenic and most important north-south highways in Palm Beach County and was officially opened in 1916 in this area. In the 1920s, Australian pines were planted on both sides of the road in South Florida, up to the freeze line, to act as a windbreak. Being a fast growing species, a canopy over A1A soon developed, adding greatly to the beauty, charm and character of the area. This canopy has been destroyed with the exception of that remaining in Gulf Stream. Ironically, Australian pines are now too prolific and are not as welcomed in some areas as they once were. Yet the Town has protected the canopy and has obtained authority from the State to restore it, which is gradually being accomplished.
Sponsors: THE TOWN OF GULF STREAM AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

OLD NORTHWOOD HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:Spruce Ave, between 35 and 34th st.
County: Palm Beach
City: West Palm Beach
Description: In 1884, The Reverend Elbridge Gale retired to the area later to be known as Old Northwood. He was the first to build a cabin on the west side of Lake Worth. Gale grew mango trees and one of his trees became the first grafted Mangonia to bear fruit. The well-known Haden variety was developed from the seeds of this tree. Gale’s home was known as Mangonia. During the Florida Land Boom of the 1920s, the Pinewood Development Company led by David F. Dunkle purchased 400 acres and 173 contributing structures were built between 1921 and 1929 consisting of Frame Vernacular, Mission-style, and Mediterranean homes. Over 50 individual builders built at least one house in the area. Notable architects include John Volk, William Manley King, and T.B. Eissfeldt. One of the district’s most unique features is the network of alleys that allows access to garages and other services. Old Northwood remained a prestigious middle-class neighborhood into the 1960s. After two decades of blight, the Old Northwood Neighborhood Association was formed in 1987. Old Northwood became the first designated historic district in West Palm Beach in 1991 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.
Sponsors: THE OLD NORTHWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

ORANGE GROVE HOUSE OF REFUGE NO. 3 - 1876-1927

Location:A1A (Ocean Blvd) between Thomas St. and E. Atlantic Ave.
County: Palm Beach
City: Delray Beach
Description: One of several built by Treasury Department between Cape Canaveral and Cape Florida for rescue and sustenance of shipwrecked. Named for wild sour orange grove nearby, H.D. Pierce, first keeper, arrived with family May 1876. Here August 15, 1876, was born the first white girl between Jupiter and Miami -- (Mrs.) Lillie Pierce Voss. Stephen N. Andrews was last keeper, from September 1877 to October 1, 1896. Area's first post office, Zion, was located in House from 1888 to 1892, Mrs. Annie E. Andrews postmaster. House burned March 2, 1927.
Sponsors: Jonathan Dickinson Chapter National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution in Cooperation with the Florida Historical Society and the Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

PALM BEACH JUNIOR COLLEGE

Location:Storage
County: Palm Beach
City: West Palm Beach
Description: Side 1: This Mediterranean Revival style building housed Palm Beach Junior College, Florida's first public community college, when it was established here in 1933. The college outgrew these facilities after the Second World War and moved in 1948 to Morrison Field, a U.S. Army Air Base, renovated to accommodate the influx of students in peace time. In 1955 the college relocated to its present site in Lake Worth. Among the civic leaders responsible for promoting the concept of the junior college were Palm Beach County Superintendent of Schools Joseph A. Youngblood and Palm Beach High School Principal Howell L. Watkins. The college served as a model for the state-wide system of Junior Colleges. Three students were in the first graduating class of 1936. In 1936 John I. Leonard became the first president of the Palm Beach Junior College. Side 2: William Manly King (1886-1961), a noted West Palm Beach architect, designed this building in the Mediterranean Revival style so popular in Florida in the 1920's. The design complemented the adjacent Palm Beach High School campus and this building was occupied in 1927. As architect for the Palm Beach County Board of Public Instruction he designed numerous school buildings throughout Palm Beach County. Mr. King also designed hotels in West Palm Beach, the National Guard Armory (1939), the Hibiscus Garden Apartments (1926) and the seal for the City of West Palm Beach. In June, 1991 the building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Mediterranean Revival classroom building continued to serve the needs of the School Board and in November, 1991 it was returned to Palm Beach Community College. The College Foundation undertook the challenge of restoring the building for the continuing education of citizens in our community. This historical marker is dedicated to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of Palm Beach Community College, 1933-1993.
Sponsors: The Palm Beach Community College Foundation in Cooperation with the Florida Department of State

PALM BEACH JUNIOR COLLEGE FLORIDA'S FIRST PUBLIC JUNIOR COLLEGE

Location:6th Ave. S. and Congress Ave. (SR 807) at at the administration building on the Palm Beach Community College campus.
County: Palm Beach
City: Lake Worth
Description: The earliest junior colleges in Florida were established under private auspices, beginning in 1907 with Palmer College at DeFuniak Springs. The first public junior college was instituted by the Palm Beach County school board during the Depression years to make college opportunities available to those local high school graduates unable to meet the expenses of attending school away from home. Palm Beach Junior College admitted its first students in 1933. Its first goal was to provide two years of acceptable college work. Soon it also offered career or vocational education for persons desiring to work after graduation and adult education programs. In 1939, state legislation provided legal status for the junior college program by authorizing county school boards to organize and maintain such institutions using county school funds. In 1947, Palm Beach Junior College began to receive state assistance under new legislation. Beginning in the 1950's the junior college program in florida began to expand, aided by the long-term plans of the Community College council created in 1955. The educational goals of Palm Beach Junior College served as a model for Florida's developing community college program.
Sponsors: sponsored by Palm Beach Junior College in cooperation with department of state

ROYAL POINCIANA HOTEL

Location:44 Cocoanut Row in front of the Palm Beach Towers
County: Palm Beach
City: Palm Beach
Description: The Royal Poinciana Hotel, built by Henry M. Flagler, was opened February 11, 1894. One of the largest wooden structures in the world at the time, the hotel cost over $1 million. Its rooms accommodated 2,000 quests and its dining room seated 1,600. The sprawling six story structure, painted yellow and white, faced Lake Worth and was surrounded by gardens. The hotel was in use until the 1929-1930 season. It was demolished in 1936.

SANDOWAY HOUSE AND NATURE CENTER

Location:142 South Ocean Boulevard
County: Palm Beach
City: Delray Beach
Description: Of state significance, The Sandoway House Nature Center was constructed in 1936 by early Delray Beach resident J.B. Evans. Located at 142 S. Ocean Blvd., this is one of the last remaining Resort Colonial houses in Delray Beach. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002, the house is open to the public as a nature center in an historical setting. Significant Resort Colonial elements include the board-and-batten siding, the open second-story porch and original double-hung windows. Built during the Great Depression, the only ostentation is the cathedral window on the south side of the residence. The house faces the Atlantic Ocean with all native plants in front, forming a natural dune, and is surrounded by a hammock of native bushes and trees. Purchase and rehabilitation was made possible by public funds from Palm Beach County, the City of Delray Beach, the Florida Communities Trust and the State Division of Historical Resources. Also, many local private and corporate sponsors made the rehabilitation possible
Sponsors: THE CITY OF DELRAY BEACH AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

SAWFISH BAY

Location:1133 North Alternate A1A
County: Palm Beach
City: Jupiter
Description: The waterfront location of today’s Sawfish Bay Park played a major role in the pre-historic and historic settlement of the Jupiter area. First inhabited during the Archaic Period 5,000 years ago, this site provided access to an intricate transportation system within the Everglades region. Marine life sustained these early peoples until contact with European diseases devastated the local population in the 1700s. The earliest historic written record of human activity on the site was the Cabot Home, first settled by Frederick M. Cabot II in 1892. By 1894 this site became the center of commerce when a railroad spur, which is still evident, connected the river community of Jupiter to the northeastern United States. The wharves, general stores, depots, post office, granary, fish house and warehouses that followed shifted the town west from the southern banks of the Jupiter Inlet. The Jupiter School, built here in 1901 next to the home of the first mayor, John Ziegler, was used until 1910. The pioneer children were transported to school in a lifeboat from the battleship U.S.S. Maine, which exploded in Havana Harbor in 1898, igniting the Spanish American War. The large Cabot Oak tree on the property is over 200 years old.
Sponsors: THE TOWN OF JUPITER AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

SEA GULL COTTAGE - PALM BEACH'S OLDEST HOUSE

Location:Sea Gull Cottage, 60 Coconut Row
County: Palm Beach
City: Palm Beach
Description: Constructed in 1886 by R.R. McCormick, a Denver railroad developer, Sea Gull cottage was purchased by Henry Flagler in 1893 and became Flagler's first winter residence in Palm Beach. The Royal Poinciana, Flagler's first resort hotel in Palm Beach, was located next to Sea Gull. In 1984 Sea Gull was moved and restored by the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach. It is now the Parish House of the Royal Poinciana Chapel.
Sponsors: The National Society of Colonial Dames of America in Cooperation with the Florida Department of State

SEABOARD AIR LINE STATION

Location:Tarmarind Ave. at Datura St., station courtyard
County: Palm Beach
City: West Palm Beach
Description: The Seaboard Air Line Railway Station has played an important role in the history of West Palm Beach and Palm Beach County. It is a unique example of early 20th century railroad architecture in the Mediterranean Revival style. The Station opened with the arrival of the Orange Blossom Special on January 25, 1925. It was the flagship station of the entire Seaboard line running from Coleman to Homestead. Harvey & Clarke, the largest architectural firm in Palm Beach County in the 1920s, created this new symbol for the City of West Palm Beach in the prevailing architectural style of the period. The Historic American Buildings Survey documented the station in 1971 and the station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The AMTRAK System began passenger service here in May 1971 and the Tri-County Commuter Rail Organization began passenger service from here to Miami in January 1989. The Seaboard Station was restored with substantial funding by the Florida Department of State and rededicated in April 1991.
Sponsors: The Palm Beach Town Committee of The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in Cooperation with the Florida Department of State

STUB CANAL TURNING BASIN

Location:Parker Ave. South of Okeechobee blvd.
County: Palm Beach
City: West Palm Beach
Description: The Stub Canal Turning Basin represents an important link between West Palm Beach and the agricultural communities adjacent to Lake Okeechobee. In the late 19th century, Florida began draining the Everglades/Lake Okeechobee basin to provide water transportation routes and to create farmland from swamps. When the Board of Drainage Commissioners authorized the construction of a canal network in 1905, a connection to West Palm Beach was not included. In 1911, local businessman George Currie, on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce, petitioned Governor Albert Waller Gilchrist (1858-1926) for a canal from Lake Okeechobee to Lake Worth. Known as the West Palm Beach Canal, the forty-mile channel was authorized in 1913, and completed in 1917. By 1918, an extension, or stub, was constructed to bring the canal directly into the West Palm Beach business district. The City built shipping facilities and this Turning Basin. The Stub Canal served as a dependable route for passenger travel and for the shipment of produce from, and provisions to, the western agricultural communities until 1925, when improved railroad and highway connections provided other means of transportation.
Sponsors: CITY OF WEST PALM BEACH AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

THE BAREFOOT MAILMAN

Location:At Spanish River Park, A1A
County: Palm Beach
City: Boca Raton
Description: Along this beach in the 1880's and early 1890's walked United States mailmen on their sixty-six mile journey between Palm Beach and Miami. The trip required three days each way and they passed this spot the second day. They walked barefoot at the wet surf line, the hardest surface, with their mail bags and shoes slung over their shoulders. One of them, James E. Hamilton, drowned trying to cross Hillsborough Inlet.
Sponsors: Estahakee Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution in Cooperation with the Florida Historical Society and Department of State, Bureau of Historic Preservation

WORLD WAR II U.S. NAVAL HOUSING BUILDING

Location:500 Captain Armours Way
County: Palm Beach
City: Jupiter
Description: The U.S. Navy constructed this building (circa 1939) on land included in the Federal Jupiter Lighthouse Reservation established by President Franklin Pierce in 1854. Built as Married Men’s Quarters, the two-story wood-frame building had six two-bedroom apartments, each with brick fireplaces, and a continuous screened first-floor porch facing the Inlet. During World War II, Navy personnel lived in this building, and in the then adjacent Transmitter and Dormitory building and the Chief Petty Officers’ Quarters. These three buildings were part of the Direction Finding Station built on the reservation known as “Station J.” Developed to locate the German submarines torpedoing ships off the Florida coast, Station J also served as a navigational beacon for military ships and aircraft, and for communications during the war. Station J was closed in July 1945, and starting in 1958, most of the World War II military wood-frame structures including the two adjacent buildings, were demolished. In the 1960s, the Navy gave this portion of the Reservation, including this building, to the U.S. Coast Guard. In 2004, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management transferred ownership of this portion of the Reservation to the Town of Jupiter.
Sponsors: THE TOWN OF JUPITER AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

BETHESDA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

Location:2815 South Seacrest Boulevard
County: Palm Beach
City: Boynton Beach
Description: The area surrounding this site was first settled in the late 1890s. For six decades, a handful of doctors and midwives provided rudimentary medical care to area residents. With the nearest hospital located 18 miles away in West Palm Beach, critical patients were transported by horse and buggy or by fire engine, and sometimes died en route. In 1947, South Palm Beach County civic leaders and physicians formed the Gulfstream Hospital Association to establish a nonprofit acute care hospital to serve the county’s rapidly growing population. The association worked for almost a dozen years to create a special taxing district, raise needed capital, and acquire 10 acres of land needed to build and staff the hospital. The 70-bed Bethesda Memorial Hospital—named for the healing pool of Bethesda mentioned in the Bible—opened on February 9, 1959. The hospital was staffed by 32 doctors and six dentists. Bethesda Hospital’s first patient had an emergency appendectomy; its first birth took place about a week after it opened. The hospital, now Bethesda Hospital East, began expanding within six months of opening, and has grown to become a 401-bed, full-service medical facility with more than 550 physicians in over 40 specialties.
Sponsors: The Robert Neff Family, the Delray Beach Historical Society, and the Florida Department of State

SOUTH LAKE WORTH INLET

Location:6990 North Ocean Boulevard
County: Palm Beach
City: Ocean Ridge
Description: The South Lake Worth Inlet was constructed between 1925 and 1927 to improve water quality and circulation between the south end of Lake Worth and the Atlantic Ocean. The first inlet to Lake Worth was cut in the mid-19th century at the north end of the barrier island of Palm Beach, and was stabilized for navigation in 1917. Though not originally designed for navigation, the South Lake Worth Inlet has become a highly popular passage for fishing boats, pleasure boats, and other small craft. One of the first boats to navigate through the inlet was operated by Capt. Walter (Pop) Lyman, a commercial fisherman. During World War II, the Mar Lago Hotel, which overlooked the inlet, was used by the U.S. Coast Guard as a lookout post for enemy submarines. The hotel was torn down before Palm Beach County purchased the property in 1974 to construct Ocean Inlet Park. The jetties and seawalls surrounding the inlet were known as “Fish Haven,” and professional anglers, sports fishermen, and families came here to cast their lines into the water. The area has been a sight-seeing destination for both visitors and locals and used for family picnics, birthdays, graduation parties, and other celebrations and gatherings.
Sponsors: The Robert Neff Family, the Boynton Beach Historical Society, and the Florida Department of State

CINQUEZ PARK

Location:2183 W Indiantown Road
County: Palm Beach
City: Jupiter
Description: Cinquez Park commemorates the resilient history of one of the oldest African American settlements in Palm Beach County. Beginning in 1904, more than 15 pioneer families from north Florida and South Carolina settled in central Jupiter, homesteading 40-, 80-, and 160-acre tracts under the 1862 Homestead Act. Several others purchased property directly. In the area then known as West Jupiter, pioneers and their descendants created a close-knit community with small businesses, churches, schools, baseball fields, and a volunteer fire station to serve African Americans segregated by the era’s Jim Crow laws and attitudes. In addition to farming, many of the residents also provided much needed labor for local businesses, ferneries, dairies, orange groves, homes, boats, and railroads. Their hard work helped to build a thriving Jupiter. Peter Yancy, an African American real estate developer, purchased and subdivided 54 acres in the 1940s. He named both the development and its roads after prominent Black historic figures. Most notable was Joseph Cinquez, who led an uprising on the slave ship Amistad in 1839. The preserved central green of the park once served as a gathering space for this unique community.
Sponsors: The Town of Jupiter

WEST PALM BEACH FISHING CLUB

Location:201 Fifth Street
County: Palm Beach
City: West Palm Beach
Description: Founded in 1934, the West Palm Beach Fishing Club (WPBFC) is among the last of Florida's great angling clubs. It was pivotal in boosting Florida tourism during and after the Great Depression and promoting the appeal of sport fishing. The club’s Silver Sailfish Derby, launched in 1935, is the forerunner of all billfish (e.g., sailfish and marlin) tournaments worldwide. WPBFC pioneered the display of red catch-and-release pennants in 1938. Recognizing its enormous impact, the City of West Palm Beach partnered with the club to build this clubhouse in 1940 on land donated by the Florida East Coast Railway. At the time, the county's largest charter fishing fleet was located across the street. A portion of the building once housed the City’s Recreation Commission and later a state-operated marine laboratory. The WPBFC is a leader in marine conservation and has benefited from the membership of such luminaries as boat builder John Rybovich, marine scientist Frank Mather, baseball great Ted Williams, golf legends Sam Snead and Jack Nicklaus, and author Ernest Hemingway. The WPBFC is a repository of local fishing memorabilia and historic game fish mounts. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.
Sponsors: The West Palm Beach Fishing Club, City of West Palm Beach

ANN NORTON SCULPTURE GARDEN

Location:253 Barcelona Road
County: Palm Beach
City: West Palm Beach
Description: Side One: This home, designed by architect Maurice Fatio, was built in 1925. Wealthy Chicago industrialist and art collector Ralph Norton purchased the house in 1935, and hired Marion Sims Wyeth to redesign it with elements of Monterey Revival style architecture, which was popular in Palm Beach at the time. In 1941, Ralph and his first wife, Elizabeth, founded the Norton Gallery and School of Art, whose building was also designed by Wyeth. Following Elizabeth’s death in 1947, Ralph married Ann Weaver, who taught sculpture at the school, in 1948. Ralph commissioned Wyeth to design a studio for Ann on this property that same year. Ralph died in 1953, but Ann remained active as an artist. In addition to the house and studio, the property featured a two-acre garden with more than 250 species of rare palms, cycads, and tropical plants. Nine of Ann’s monumental megalithic sculptures are placed throughout the garden. In 1977, Ann’s vision of the symbiotic relationship between art and nature was preserved when she established Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens to ensure public access to her property as a natural sanctuary in an urban area. In 1990, the house and gardens were listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Side Two: Born in Selma, Alabama, Ann Vaughan Weaver wanted to be an artist since childhood. In the 1930s, she went to New York to study art at the National Academy of Design, the Art Students League, and the Cooper Union Art School. Her work was featured in an exhibition at the New York Museum of Modern Art in 1935. She also spent time studying abroad. In 1942, she moved to West Palm Beach to teach sculpture at the Norton Gallery and School of Art. She married the school’s widowed founder, Ralph Norton, in 1948. Ralph’s death in 1953 did not diminish Ann’s desire to create art, and she had a lengthy career with multiple national and international exhibitions. Her progressive style, combined with her innovation and originality, earned her the title Master Sculptor. In 1977, Ann was diagnosed with leukemia. This prompted her to take steps to preserve her garden along with her art collection, which featured thousands of drawings, sketches, and sculptures. In 1982, Ann died in West Palm Beach; her body was later buried in Selma. In 2019, she was inducted posthumously into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, and her home was included in the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Historic Artists’ Home and Studios Program.
Sponsors: The Garden Conservancy at the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens and the Florida Department of State

BOCA RATON ARMY AIR FIELD B-34 CRASH

Location:Intersection of North University Drive and FAU Blvd. on the FAU Campus, 777 West Glades Road
County: Palm Beach
City: Boca Raton
Description: Side One: The Boca Raton Army Air Field (BRAAF), established in 1942, included land bordered by Palmetto Park Road to the south, Dixie Highway to the east, Yamato Road to the north, and Military Trail to the west. It totaled 5,820 acres and was home to 100,000 soldiers and civilians over the first 5 years, at a time when Boca Raton only had 700 residents. Built in just 4 months at a cost of $12 million, the base had 800 structures and was in full operation from 1942-47. Its primary function was to train soldiers to operate and maintain airborne radar, which was then top-secret technology. On May 12, 1944, a U.S. Army Air Corps B-34 bomber on a training mission crashed on take-off from BRAAF. The flaming wreckage came to rest at what is now North University Drive and FAU Boulevard at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). All 9 men on board died, one of the worst disasters in Boca Raton history. In 1947, a Category 4 hurricane destroyed much of the base. That same year, it was decommissioned and its size reduced to 1,200 acres. In 1962, the field was split up with 1,000 acres for FAU and 200 acres for the Boca Raton Airport. BRAAF’s former Crash Fire Station 2 became the office for the first FAU President, Dr. Kenneth Williams. Side Two: The 9 members of the B-34 crew who perished here on May 12, 1944: 1 LT William H. Carson - Pilot, S. Carolina, age 23 1 LT Jacob M. Buie - Student Radar Operator, Florida, age 22 1 LT Thomas A. Lamont - Student Radar Operator, New York, age 27 1 LT John J. Lominac - Student Radar Operator, N. Carolina, age 25 1 LT Benjamin P. Sibley - Student Radar Operator, Mass., age 27 S SGT Frank L. Bursaw - Radio Operator, Missouri, age 31 SERG John S. Safieko - Radar Instructor, Wisconsin, age 25 PFC Norman R. Steiner - Student Engineer, New York, age 20 PVT Robert E. Locke - Aerial Engineer, Ohio, age 22
Sponsors: Thomas R. Wood, Rosita B. Wood, Susan Gillis, Sally J. Ling, Boca Raton Historical Society, U.S. Air Force Historical Research Agency, Florida Atlantic University, and the Florida Department of State

NORTHWOOD ROAD HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:Northwood Road between Broadway Avenue to the west and Dixie Highway to the east.
County: Palm Beach
City: West Palm Beach
Description: Northwood Road was platted in the early 1920s by the Pinewood Development Company. This historic commercial district consists of the businesses along Northwood Road between Broadway Avenue to the west and Dixie Highway to the east. Six buildings within the district date from the 1920s, but most are from the second half of the 1940s, with a handful built after 1953. The predominant wave of construction coincided with a resurgence in housing in the area following World War II. Most of the buildings are one-story, though their varying rooflines provide visual interest. The few two-story structures often have apartments on the second floor. Storefront exteriors are primarily glass and generally built from brick or concrete block and stucco. Many of the brick portions of facades are painted to match concrete sections. The frequently used stucco is associated with the Mediterranean Revival style and post-World War II construction, which are both defining architectural styles in West Palm Beach. In 2016, the street was listed on the West Palm Beach Register of Historic Places as an historic district to retain the architecture, character, and authenticity of the city’s second commercial “Main” street.
Sponsors: The West Palm Beach CRA and the Florida Department of State

BELAIR HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:Along the Flagler Drive pedestrian trail at the terminus of Plymouth Road and Flagler Drive
County: Palm Beach
City: West Palm Beach
Description: The Belair Historic District lies between South Flagler Drive and South Dixie Highway. It is bounded by Plymouth Road on the south and Pilgrim Road to the north. The area was part of a Homestead Act land grant given to South Carolina author James Woods Davidson in 1885. Colonel John Huntington Jones of Rhode Island acquired the land and, in 1895, sold it to Richard Hone. An Englishman, Hone built the first house in what would be the district and used the land as a pineapple plantation. Following Hone’s mysterious murder, the land went through a series of sales until William and Sophie Ohlhaber purchased it in 1923. In June that year, Ohlhaber platted the Belair subdivision and constructed the first house in the subdivision for his family. Many of the historic homes were built in the 1920s and early 1930s, during the Florida Land Boom. With the onset of the Great Depression, much of the development dropped off and many lots remained unsold. Entirely residential in nature, the district consists of Mediterranean Revival, Mission Revival, and Wood-Frame and Masonry Vernacular style houses. In 1993, the City of West Palm Beach designed Belair as a local historic neighborhood.

MANGO PROMENADE HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:The Mango Promenade Historic District generally is bounded on the north by the Norton Museum of Artcomplex, on the south by Austin Lane, on the east by the high-rise buildings that front on South Flagler Drive,and on the west by Flamingo Park and
County: Palm Beach
City: West Palm Beach
Description: Side One: Platted from 1912 to 1936, the Mango Promenade Historic District was one of West Palm Beach’s earliest upper-middle class suburbs. It is significant for its history and variety of architectural styles. The district features early accommodations for automobiles with garage outbuildings built contemporaneously, and in matching style, to the main houses. Unique to the district are two pedestrian walkways: Mango Promenade, which linked South Dixie Highway to South Olive Avenue, a brick-paved street in the district; and Orange Court, which linked South Dixie Highway to South Flagler Drive. Each served as entrance walkways for the houses on either side, while garage entrances were relegated to parallel alleys. South Dixie Highway contains commercial buildings making this a true mixed-use district. West of South Dixie Highway is the former African American cemetery operated 1902–1921 by the Lakeside Cemetery Association. The land was donated to the City of West Palm Beach in 1921, and converted to a park. Named Flamingo Park, the former cemetery is now memorialized with a marker. Mango Promenade became a local historic district in 1995 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. Side Two: The Mango Promenade Historic District embraces a variety of architectural styles in residences dating from the 1910s and 1920s mixed with later development. It contains a homogeneous grouping of mostly wood vernacular bungalows and two-story hip-roof houses, known as American Foursquare. Many houses include sleeping porches, wide front porches, detailed rafter tails, shingle or clapboard siding and large double-hung windows. Several have strong Prairie-style overtones: broad eaves, horizontally grouped windows, high belt-lines, chunky three-quarter-height porch columns and strong horizontal emphasis. These houses, in the mold of Frank Lloyd Wright and the firm W.G. Purcell and G.G. Elmslie, would have been considered avant-garde in their day. Other residential styles: Craftsman Bungalow, Colonial Revival, Mediterranean Revival, Mission Revival, Monterey, Queen Anne, Shingle, Dutch Colonial and vernacular. In the commercial area along South Dixie Highway, the mercantile buildings date from the early 1920s and reflect the then-prevalent Mediterranean Revival style of the city generally. Commercial construction came to a halt due to the land bust in 1926, and hurricanes in 1926 and 1928.

LAKE SHORE HIGH SCHOOL

Location:306 SW 10th Street
County: Palm Beach
City: Belle Glade
Description: Side One: In the 1940s, during the era of segregation, children of color living in Belle Glade attended Everglades Vocational High School, which served grades 1-12. In 1955, the school was renamed Lake Shore High School and served grades 7-12. Titusville native and Florida A&M College graduate Charles M. McCurdy served as Lake Shore’s first and only principal. With its mascot, the Mighty Bobcats (The Mucksteppers), the school provided an educational opportunity for African American children to dream and realize a different future. It served Belle Glade and small feeder communities, including Ritta, Watson Quarters, Lake Harbor, Bean City, South Shore, South Bay, Okeechobee Center and Raidersville. Belle Glade public schools integrated in 1970, sixteen years after the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision. Lake Shore merged with the former white only high school, Belle Glade High School. Due to his race, McCurdy was deemed unfit to be principal of the integrated Glades Central High School, and was demoted. In 1974, he went to court to challenge the Palm Beach County School Board’s actions, and won. He was instated as principal, but McCurdy’s career was cut short with his untimely death in 1975. Side Two: SCHOOL SONG Dear Lake Shore High, Thy name we’ll adore Thy walls and halls forever more To thee we’ll pledge our loyalty We’ll strive for thee eternally School of our dreams We’ll always be true May God protect what e’er you do Dear Lake Shore High, long may you stand In this our country, this our land

JAMES HOMESTEAD AND FIRST JEWELL POST OFFICE

Location:South Bryant Park, Lakeside Drive and 4th Avenue S.
County: Palm Beach
City: Lake Worth Beach
Description: The James Homestead and Post Office are an important part of Lake Worth’s history before the birth of the city. In 1885, an African American couple, Samuel and Fannie James, were two of the first people to file a claim for a homestead in the area. Two white neighbors served as witnesses for the 187-acre purchase, an indication that Samuel and Fannie were widely respected in the entire community. Samuel, a carpenter, built the couple’s first home. In 1889, Fannie applied to designate their store as a post office, and listed the name of the community as Jewell. Fannie served as postmaster and received mail deliveries by boat. When the Florida East Coast Railway was finished between West Palm Beach and Miami, mail deliveries came by train; Fannie moved the post office to another piece of their property near the tracks. Fannie sold most of her property in 1910 to Palm Beach Farms Company, and only retained the lot where the house was located. The sale records indicate that the James home/post office was located within 100 feet of the current South Bryant Park Picnic Pavilion. As prominent early settlers of the area, the James Family was important in both Lake Worth and African American history in Florida.

Pasco

THE COW PALACE

Location:13431 Bull Road
County: Pasco
City: Dade City
Description: This club, located within the African American neighborhood of Carver Heights, was built in 1957 without heat or air conditioning. The club featured a spacious dance floor, and a bar with native cypress woodwork and ornate Spanish tiles. At various times, it operated under different names, including Jake's Lakeside Tavern, and The Cow Palace. The club served as a stop on the fabled Chitlin' Circuit, a network of African American music venues throughout the southeastern United States that National Public Radio stated “provided employment for hundreds of black musicians and brought about the birth of Rock ’n’ Roll.” The club attracted some of the biggest names in blues, soul, and R&B music including internationally famous performers as James Brown, B.B. King, Ray Charles, and Buddy Guy. The Cow Palace is recognized as one of the state's last surviving stops on the Chitlin’ Circuit in Florida, and served not only as a top entertainment venue, but a point of pride for the local African American community.

CHARLES B. ANDERSON HOUSE

Location:5740 Moog Road
County: Pasco
City: Holiday
Description: Side One: Charles B. Anderson was born in Illinois on February 16, 1864. Around 1918, the Anderson family purchased a citrus grove in the small community of Lake Hamilton. Anderson immediately immersed himself in the citrus industry. In 1919, Anderson co-founded the Lake Hamilton Growers Association and, within five years, they were packing over 130,000 boxes of citrus per season. In 1920, he helped establish the First National Bank of Lake Hamilton and served as its first president. In 1921, he served as Director of the Massachusetts and Florida Realty Company, which was organized to promote any development that would benefit South Central Florida. As a result of these efforts, Lake Hamilton was formally chartered in 1925. In 1937, Anderson purchased the 70-acre St. Austelle Grove from the estate of Major John Gribbel and renamed it Elkhorn Groves. The property included the Baker House, which the Andersons occupied for a brief time. In 1938, Anderson commissioned Tampa architect Garry Boyle to design a new, modern home to be built in the same location. Anderson’s son-in-law, Swedish immigrant Godfrey “Guy” Kuenzi, built the home with innovative features that were uncommon in Great Depression-era Florida homes. Side Two: Features included a basement, laundry chute, continuous electrical outlets, telephone room, elaborate mahogany paneling, electric garage door opener, trash chute to an incinerator, walk-in shower and closets, solar-powered water heater, and other amenities. Outside, an elaborate five-foot-long doghouse stood with its own foyer and concrete walk. Anderson died in his home in 1943 at 79, and was survived by his wife Mary, two daughters Ruth Wetmore and Margaret Kuenzi, two sons Donald Anderson and Charles Anderson, Jr., ten grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. The family continued to live in the home, but by the 1970s, it began to fall into disrepair. Pasco County purchased the property for $112,000 in 1981 with hopes of converting both buildings for public use. The Anderson house was repurposed as the Pasco Fine Arts Center and the Baker House was renovated in the early 1990s by a group of volunteers led by Samuel Baker’s grandson, Gordon, and Charles Anderson’s granddaughter, Mary Vinson. By 1996, both were listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Anderson House was demolished in 2022 following years of vacancy, but the location has been repurposed and dedicated as the Anderson Family Park.

CHIPCO TOWNSHIP

Location:16675 Jessamine Road
County: Pasco
City: Dade City
Description: The former town of Chipco was located here, less than six miles west of the former site of Fort Dade #2, built in 1849 during the Seminole War era. The town rose to prominence after the Civil War as an economic center. It was named in honor of Chief Chipco, a Seminole leader and uncle of Chief Tallahassee, whose band traded in the Tampa and Fort Dade area. Chief Chipco was an opponent of the Third Seminole War and later became known as a "friend of the whites." The town of Chipco boasted a cotton gin and press, as well as grist and planing mills, built in 1874-75. In 1877, a frame schoolhouse was built, which doubled as a church on Sundays. There was a post office and a thriving general store that supplied goods to local farmers. In 1887, a station for the Orange Belt Railway was built and began operating as Chipco Train Station #21. The town likely declined due to multiple factors. The Great Freeze of 1895 killed many citrus groves, and the exhaustion of the virgin pine forests negatively impacted the area’s lumber and turpentine industry. The Chipco school continued to operate until 1901. By 1909, the town had disappeared from most maps.
Sponsors: Drs. Karen and Eric Hannel, and the Florida Department of State

CHRISTMAS DAY, 1835

Location:1204 State Rd 52, Pasco Comprehensive High School
County: Pasco
City: Dade City
Description: On Christmas Day, 1835, Major Francis Langhorne Dade and his command of 111 men bivouacked near here by Fort King Road, which stretched 125 miles from Fort Brooke (Tampa) to Fort King (Ocala). Three days later, at a point about twenty miles north of their Christmas campsite, Major Dade and all but four of his men died in an ambush by Seminoles resisting removal to the West. This battle largely precipitated The Second Seminole War.
Sponsors: Pasco Comprehensive High School and Francis Dade Ladies' Auxiliary 4283 Veterans of Foreign Wars in Cooperation with Department of State

FORT DADE

Location:Treiman Blvd. between Johnny B and Globe Rd.
County: Pasco
City: Dade City
Description: Located one mile east of this point on the south bank of the Withlacoochee River at the crossing of the Fort King Road. The Fort, built in 1837, named for Major Francis Langhorne Dade, served for many years as a depot and observation post in the heart of the Seminole Indian settlement. Here, March 6, 1837, the Seminole leaders, Jumper and Alligator, met General Thomas S. Jesup to sign the "Ft. Dade Capitulation."
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

FORT KING ROAD

Location:U.S. 301 north of Dade City.
County: Pasco
City: Dade City
Description: Construction on Fort King Road, first known as the Military Road, was begun in 1825 north from Fort Brooke at Tampa Bay. By the 1830's penetration had been made to Fort King near present day Ocala, and the road assumed strategic military importance. Along this route occurred "Dade's Massacre" on December 28, 1835. Attacking near Bushnell in Sumter County, the Seminoles wiped out the detachment of Major Francis L. Dade and set off the Second Seminole War.

PASCO COUNTY

Location:on Courthouse grounds in Dade City.
County: Pasco
City: Dade City
Description: Pasco County was created from Hernando County on May 12, 1887. The are was first inhabited by Muscogee Indians and the first white men in area came with Spanish explorer Panfilo de Narvaez in May, 1528. Narvaez fought the Indians near the Withlacoochee River before moving northward. Few white settlers were in the area until the 1840's. It is home of St. Leo College and is noted for citrus and naval stores.

THE BRADLEY MASSACRE

Location:intersection of S.R.581 and 578-A (Darby Road).
County: Pasco
City: Darby
Description: On the evening of May 14, 1856, one-third of a mile northeast of this spot a Seminole war party attacked the home of Captain Robert Duke Bradley, a member of the Florida Foot Volunteers and one of the first white settlers south of the Withlacoochee River. Two of the Bradley children were killed before the Indians were driven off. This skirmish took place during the Third Seminole War, the last Indian uprising east of the Mississippi.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in Cooperation with Pioneer Florida Museum Association

ZEPHYRHILLS RAILROAD DEPOT

Location:39110 South Ave
County: Pasco
City: Zephyrhills
Description: The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACLR) Depot was built in 1927 and was used as a station/depot for passenger service and for shipping citrus, produce and other goods, thereby stimulating economic development and residential settlement. Railroad stations served as major community, commercial and social centers, linking each of the small towns with the rest of the world. With its wide overhangs and high ceilings, the depot represents the southern architectural style of the first quarter of the 20th century. Built at a cost of $13,207.21, the building was constructed of red brick and hard pine. It featured segregated waiting rooms, an office, a ware (freight) room, a raised outside platform and concrete concourses. ACLR trains traversed through Florida serving Zephyrhills from Jacksonville and Ocala to southern cities including Tampa, Bradenton and Miami. Famous trains such as the “Orange Blossom Special” and “Gulf Coast Limited” were among those stopping at the Zephyrhills station. With assistance from state and federal grants, the City of Zephyrhills acquired the depot in 1988 and restored it to its original appearance. In October 1998, it opened to the public as a local railroad and historical museum.
Sponsors: CITY OF ZEPYHYRHILLS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Pinellas

CLEARWATER POST OFFICE

Location:S.R. 60.
County: Pinellas
City: Clearwater
Description: On October 9, 1933 Clearwater's first government post office building was dedicated on this site with Postmaster General James A. Farley officiating. The local postmaster at the time was Charles R. Lee. This Mediterranean-Revival style building was designed by Clearwater architect Theodore Skinner, and built by the Palm Beach construction firm of Walt and Sinclair of Florida. It is representative of the 1930's federal works projects which reflected regional design influence and commissioned local professionals and industries. The exterior finish of the building is oolitic limestone quarried in the Florida Keys. The post office was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.
Sponsors: Sponsored by the Clearwater Historical Society in cooperation with the Department of State

DEMENS LANDING

Location:Bayshore Dr. SE & Demens Landing SE
County: Pinellas
City: St. Petersburg
Description: This city park is located on the site of the first railroad pier in St. Petersburg, built by Peter Demens in 1889. Peter Demens (pronounced de-MENS) was a Russian nobleman, Pyotr Dementyev, who left Russia in 1881, came to Florida, and changed his name to Demens. He became an entrepreneur, investing in a sawmill and a construction company in Longwood, Florida. Later he took control of the Orange Belt Railroad, which he extended from Sanford, Florida to the west coast of Florida in 1888, to a town he had named St. Petersburg, in honor of the capital city of Imperial Russia. Demens also built the first hotel, The Detroit, and the first railroad depot in St. Petersburg in 1888, and is considered one of the founders of the city. Demens Landing was dedicated as a city park to honor Demens in 1977.

GANDY BRIDGE

Location:U.S. 92 - Gandy Bridge
County: Pinellas
City: St. Petersburg
Description: Constructed as a toll bridge for auto and street car traffic by George S. Gandy, a pioneer West Coast developer, it was begun in 1922 and opened in 1924. The structure consisted of 3, miles of causeways and 2+ miles of bridge, and at its completion was one of the world's longest bridges. It cut the distance from St. Petersburg to Tampa in half and played a prominent part in the development of the Bay area.

HARBOR OAKS HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:At Bay Avenue and Druid Road W.
County: Pinellas
City: Clearwater
Description: Harbor Oaks was Clearwater's first planned residential development. Dean Alvord, a major developer in New York State, opened Harbor Oaks in 1914. Bringing modern planning concepts to the Pinellas County area, the development offered innovative features such as underground utilities, paved streets, curbs and sidewalks, a sewer system, and tree lined parkways. Deed restrictions ensured a rich architectural mix of mostly two story homes including fine examples of Mediterranean Revival, Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Mission and Bungalow styles. Local newspapers called Harbor Oaks "the Riviera of the Sunny South" and "the finest shore development on the West coast of Florida". The development was essentially completed by 1930. Harbor Oaks has been the home of such prominent persons as author Rex Beach, Brooklyn Dodgers owner Charles Ebbett, inventor Donald Roebling, industrialist Robert Ingersoll, and members of the Studebaker and Proctor and Gamble families. The Harbor Oaks Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
Sponsors: The Clearwater Historical Society in Cooperation with the Florida Department of State

MIRANDA HOME

Location:4th Street South and Oakdale South
County: Pinellas
City: St. Petersburg
Description: In this vicinity stood the home of Abel Miranda, Seminole War veteran, who moved to the Pinellas Peninsula in the late 1850's. In February, 1862, the Union blockading squadron off Egmont Key sailed into Big Bayou and attacked the home. It was burned, the animals killed, and the gardens destroyed. The Miranda family fled during the action and no one was injured. This was the only armed conflict in Pinellas County during the War Between theStates.

ROSE CEMETERY

Location:Jasmine Ave.
County: Pinellas
City: Tarpon Springs
Description: Rose Cemetery, also known as Rose Hill Cemetery, established in the early 1900s as a segregated cemetery, is the oldest African-American cemetery in Pinellas County. Located on approximately five acres of land, the cemetery reflects the social history and cultural traditions associated with Christianity and early African-American customs. Many of the African-Americans buried here were of Bahamian descent, and some of their graves are marked by large conch shells. Although the earliest grave marked states 1904, there are strong indications of earlier burials. Rose Hill Cemetery Association was first incorporated on November 22, 1916, when the Lake Butler Villa Company gave the African-American board members a 99-year lease. The following year, in 1917, the property was deeded to the Association. Through the 1950s Rose Cemetery served other black communities throughout the county. Many difficulties through those years, including destroyed records, haphazard burials, and limited funding, resulted in many unmarked and misplaced graves. Significant burials included the founders of the local African-American churches started in the 1890s, and an African American Confederate Civil War veteran, Richard Quarls (1830-1925).
Sponsors: THE ROSE CEMETERY ASSOCIATION, INC. AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

ST. BARTHOLOMEW'S CHURCH

Location:3747 34th St. S.
County: Pinellas
City: St. Petersburg
Description: Oldest church in Pinellas County, it was organized April 20, 1887. It was constructed in the summer of 1887 by a handful of pioneers equipped with crude tools. Built of unturpentined pine, Church records indicate the first building cost $673. Dr. John B.Abercrombie donated an acre of land for the church April 28, 1887. The original Church building has since been enlarged and is still used for regular services.
Sponsors: In Cooperation with St. Bartholomew's Memorial Committee

STETSON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LAW

Location:1401 61st St. So.
County: Pinellas
City: Gulfport
Description: Florida’s First Law School - Built as the Hotel Rolyat in 1925, these Mediterranean Revival buildings originally were designed by Paul Reed of the Miami architectural firm of Kiehnel & Elliot for developer Jack Taylor. In 1929, after the collapse of the Florida land boom, the hotel was purchased by the Mendels brothers from New York. They operated the hotel until 1932, when they purchased the Florida Military Academy and relocated it to the site. Dr. John Forbes, the first President of Stetson University, recognized a need for a law school, and in 1900, Stetson University opened Florida’s first law school in DeLand. When the College of Law needed larger facilities in a metropolitan area, Stetson University purchased this property in 1953 and relocated the law school to Gulfport. Classes began on this site on September 20, 1954.
Sponsors: THE STETSON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LAW AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

TARPON SPRINGS SPONGE INDUSTRY

Location:Dodecanese Blvd. at Docks across from Sponge Exchange
County: Pinellas
City: Tarpon Springs
Description: Side 1: The Gulf waters off the west coast of Florida north of Tampa Bay comprise one of the few areas of the world where the species of natural sponges suitable for commercial use are found. The natural sponge industry in Tarpon Springs dates from about 1890 when John K. Cheyney launched his first sponge-fishing boat. Sponges were retrieved by hooking until the technique of diving for sponges was introduced in 1905 by John Cocoris, a recent immigrant from Greece, where the practice of sponge diving was common. Within a few years, many Greeks had arrived in the area to work in the sponging industry. Side 2: The Tarpon Springs Sponge Exchange was incorporated in 1908 as a shareholding organization to provide for the storage and sale of sponges. The peak of prosperity for the Tarpon Springs sponge industry came in the 1930's. In 1939 the sponge beds in the area suffered from a disease which substantially reduced the crop of healthy sponges for several years. In spite of the decline in the sponge industry, the Tarpon Springs Sponge Exchange has continued to serve as a focal point for the Greek Community.
Sponsors: Sponsored by City of Tarpon Springs, Florida In Cooperation With Department of State

THE DON CE SAR HOTEL

Location:S.R. 699 near Passe-a-Grille Beach
County: Pinellas
City: St. Petersburg
Description: In the late 1920's and the 1930's, the Don Ce Sar Hotel was a renowned luxury resort which counted many notables among its guests. Thomas J. Rowe, a land developer, conceived of the establishment in the mid-20's at the height of the land sales boom then attracting flocks of tourists and investors to Florida. The "Boom" ended before the Don Ce Sar was completed in 1928, but it remained open throughout the Depression of the 1930's. During World War II, many Florida hotels suffering from the decline of tourism were converted to wartime uses. In 1942, the Don was purchased by the U.S. Government for use as a rest and rehabilitation center. From 1945 to 1967, the Don served as a federal office building. It was then vacated. Soon a committee of local citizens began to work for its preservation. In 1972, with their encouragement and community support, hotel developer William Bowman, Jr. purchased the property. He rehabilitated the Don, restoring it to its original function and elegance, and reopened it in 1973. Restoration was completed in 1975. In that year, the Don Ce Sar Hotel was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The massive edifice of stuccoed Belgian concrete remains a symbol of the colorful, exciting "Boom" period of Florida's history.
Sponsors: Sponsored by William Bowman, jr. in cooperation with department of state

TIERRA VERDE MOUND

Location:S.R. 679 on Cabbage Key
County: Pinellas
City: St. Petersburg
Description: A Large Indian burial mound was built on this spot about 1500 A.D. It was used for some years by the inhabitants of a nearby Safety Harbor culture village, Indians who were among the ancestors of the later Timucua tribe. Excavation in 1961 by State agencies added to our knowledge of these people.

WORLD'S FIRST REGULARLY SCHEDULED COMMERCIAL AIRLINE

Location:on grounds of Albert Whitted Municipal Airport,
County: Pinellas
City: St. Petersburg
Description: Within a decade after the famous Wright Brothers' 1903 flight, aviation history was being made in Florida. The first transcontinental flight landed at Jacksonville in 1912, a naval air training center opened at Pensacola in 1913, and the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line, the world's first regularly scheduled commercial airline, began service in 1914. Tom Benoist, a pioneer airboat (seaplane) manufacturer from St. Louis, started this cargo and passenger airline as well as a flying school on Tampa Bay. Backed by members of the St. Petersburg Board of Trade, he built hangars on the north edge of the yacht basin. Anthony "Tony" Jannus, Benoist's head pilot, took the airline's first passenger, former mayor A. C. Pheil, across the bay in a biplane on January 1, 1914. Pheil's high bid of $400 at an auction held before the flight brought him this honor. The twenty mile maiden flight of the new service took twenty-three minutes to complete. A few days later, a light cargo was for the first time flown across the bay. The activities of this airline demonstrated that air travel was practical although services were discontinued after only a few months due to financial and technical difficulties.
Sponsors: sponsored by the st. petersburg arts commission in cooperation with department of state

ZEPHANIAH PHILLIPS’ HOMESTEAD SITE/RANCHO DE JUAQUIN

Location:Corner of Pass-a-Grille Way and 7th Ave
County: Pinellas
City: St. Petersburg
Description: In 1783, while updating Gulf Coast navigational charts, Jose Antonio de Evia (b.1740), a Spanish naval officer, visited a Spanish fishing camp located on this site. He called it “Rancho de Juaquin.” Artifacts from the 18th and early 19th centuries, now in the Gulf Beaches Historical Museum in St. Pete Beach, indicate fishermen used this camp and its water well until the 1840s. In 1918, when digging the house foundation at 612 Pass-a-Grille Way, a complete Spanish olive jar was discovered. It was donated to the St. Petersburg Museum of History in 1951, but was authenticated as being from this site in 1999. Zephaniah Phillips (1837-1903) was a Union Army veteran who with his family became the barrier islands’ first permanent settlers when they homesteaded here in 1886. The Phillips’ home built that year was moved from 612 to 608 Pass-a-Grille Way in 1918. It was Pass-a-Grille’s first home and one of the first built on Pinellas’s Gulf Beaches.
Sponsors: FLORIDA STATE QUESTERS AND TREASURED MEMORIES #1096 AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

SERENO HOTEL

Location:1st Ave. NW between Beach Dr. & 1st St. NE
County: Pinellas
City: St. Petersburg
Description: In 1923 construction began on Soren Lund's "Million Dollar" Mediterranean Revival hotel. Prominent features were its clay-tiled roof, rough textured stucco, baroque-type arched entrance and sqraffito decorations. It encompassed the north half of the 100 block of Beach Drive. Noted regional architect Geoffrey Lloyd Preacher designed the Hotel. The Soreno, named for Lund's only son, was finished, and the majority of its rooms leased prior to the opening of the 1924 tourist season. Its completion established a new elegance on the downtown waterfront. The Soreno was the first of ten grand hotels built between 1923 and 1926, which defined St. Petersburg as a winter tourist destination, and was the climax of the Florida land boom in the 1920s. The unusual addition of a seventh floor was completed in 1929, bringing the total number of rooms to 300. Lund's lifelong experience and reputation in the hotel industry kept the hotel full throughout his ownership. During World War II, the Soreno was occupied by servicemen, then operated as a winter season hotel until it was closed in 1984. It was demolished in 1992.
Sponsors: St. Petersburg Heritage Trust, JMC Communities, and the Florida Department of State

ESPIRITU SANTO SPRINGS

Location:105 North Bayshore Dr.
County: Pinellas
City: Safety Harbor
Description: On May 18, 1539, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto reached the shores of what is now Tampa Bay, landing near these mineral springs used by the native population for nearly 10,000 years. Believing he had found the legendary Fountain of Youth somehow missed by Ponce de Leon, de Soto established a camp here, naming the crystal clear waters Espiritu Santa Springs - "Springs of the Holy Spirit." Each of the five springs located on this site was identified and said to cure certain ailments, a claim drawing thousands of visits yearly to the "Health Giving City" of Safety Harbor. The Safety Harbor Sanitorium opened its doors here in 1926, offering porcelain bath tubs and a large swimming pool for "taking the waters". In 1945 the springs and sanitorium were sold to Dr. Salem H. Baranoff, who opened the facility as a health spa. Today the springs continue to attract health-conscious travelers.
Sponsors: The Safety Harbor Resort and Spa and Florida Department of State

DUNEDIN ISLES GOLF CLUB

Location:1050 Palm Boulevard
County: Pinellas
City: Dunedin
Description: At the peak of the 1920s “land boom,” Dunedin Isles Golf Club was built to attract new residents to the City of Dunedin. Scotsman Donald Ross, one of the world’s foremost golf course architects, visited the site and designed the golf course which opened on January 1, 1927. During the Great Depression, the Club fell on hard times and in 1938, the course was deeded to the City with the stipulation that it be used for “recreational purposes.” The City was able to renovate the course with proceeds from the sale of Dunedin Isles residential lots. On July 1, 1945, the Club officially became the PGA (Professional Golf Association) National Golf Club, first home course of PGA of America. The PGA held its Senior Tour Championship here from 1945-1962 during which time golfers competed for the historic Teacher’s Trophy and the inaugural PGA Merchandise Show was held here in 1954. Many legendary PGA and LPGA professionals played here, including Tommy Armour, Patty Berg, Bobby Cruickshank, Jimmy Demaret, Walter Hagen, Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Gene Sarazen, Horton Smith, Sam Snead, Louise Suggs, Cyril Walker, Al Watrous and Babe Zaharias. Other players include golfing great Bobby Jones and baseball legend Babe Ruth.
Sponsors: SPONSORED BY THE CITY OF DUNEDIN AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

RHEBA SUTTON WHITE CHAPEL

Location:1190 Georgia Avenue
County: Pinellas
City: Palm Harbor
Description: The Florida Methodist Conference College, now Florida Southern College, relocated its campus to present-day Palm Harbor in 1902 after purchasing the San Marino Hotel, located at Florida Avenue and Omaha Street. In 1904, the college built an administration building adjacent to the hotel, which included a 700-seat chapel used for religious services. A devastating fire destroyed the main school and administration buildings in 1921. Volunteers hauled the hand-made bricks from the ruins of the administration building to this site, where they were cleaned by hand. Using those salvaged bricks, the first Palm Harbor United Methodist Church was built in 1924. The bell in the church steeple was also rescued from the college. In the 1970s, the Methodists built a larger sanctuary in Palm Harbor, but the former church building continued to serve the community, becoming its first library and later a community food pantry. Pinellas County purchased the property in 1999, restored the church, and built the adjacent Harbor Hall. In 2005, this historic building was rededicated to Rheba Sutton, a life-long Palm Harbor resident who twice fought to stop demolition of the chapel.
Sponsors: Pinellas County Historic Preservation Board

CLEARWATER ATHLETIC FIELD

Location:900 N. Nartin Luther King Jr. Avenue
County: Pinellas
City: Clearwater
Description: In 1922, the Brooklyn Dodgers agreed to hold their spring training in Clearwater with the provision that the city would create an appropriate venue. The city broke ground on the Clearwater Athletic Field in December 1922 following the City Council’s decision to issue $25,000 in bonds to construct the field and a 2,000-seat wooden grandstand. Home plate was located at what is now the intersection of Pennsylvania Ave. and Seminole St., left field ran parallel to Palmetto St., and right field ran parallel to N. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. Players dressed in a wooden clubhouse off the third-base line, stayed downtown at the New Fort Harrison Hotel, and walked to and from practice. Professional and minor league teams that made the field their training home included the Brooklyn Dodgers (1923-32; 1936-41), Clearwater Pelicans (1924), Newark Bears (1933-35), Cleveland Indians (1942 and 1946), Clearwater Bombers professional softball (1945-54), Philadelphia Phillies (1947-54) and the Negro League Clearwater Black Sox (1952). The athletic field grandstand was destroyed by fire in 1956, but this remaining field was sometimes used for team practice and as a parking lot for games at nearby Jack Russell Stadium.
Sponsors: City of Clearwater, The Philadelphia Phillies

OLD PINELLAS COUNTY COURTHOUSE

Location:315 Court Street
County: Pinellas
City: Clearwater
Description: Formed in 1912, Pinellas County quickly outgrew its original courthouse and in 1916 the Board of County Commissioners voted in favor of a $160,000 bond issue to finance the construction of a new courthouse and jail. Well-known architect Francis J. Kennard was chosen for the design, and the land was purchased for $5,000 on January 19, 1917. Contracts totaling $119,823 were awarded to Bates, Hudnall, & Jetton and G.A. Miller & Company for the construction of the courthouse and jail, respectively. The building was completed on time and within budget in 1918. The first floor contained the county's business records and commissioners' offices. The second floor housed one large courtroom, judges' offices, and jury and grand jury rooms. The courthouse is an excellent example of Neo-Classical Revival architecture, similar to other early 20th century public buildings in Florida. The Old Pinellas County Courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its significance as the first permanent building in Pinellas County erected as the seat of county government. It was designated a local historic landmark by the City of Clearwater in partnership with the Pinellas County Historic Preservation Board in 2015.
Sponsors: Pinellas County Historic Preservation Board

OZONA VILLAGE HALL

Location:341 Bay Street
County: Pinellas
City: Palm Habor
Description: In 1895, Dr. Susan K. Whitford and other local women founded the Ozona Ladies Improvement Society, which focused on community development initiatives. Early meetings were held in members’ homes, and it was quickly decided that a permanent meeting hall was needed. Members used bake sales, ice cream socials, and seafood dinners to raise funds to cover construction costs. They also secured commitments for donated materials and labor. In 1900, the Ozona Village Improvement Society (OVIS) incorporated to take over the hall’s ownership and operation. The hall served as a polling place, library, town hall, dance hall, theatre, church, and meeting place for local clubs and organizations. It survived hurricanes in 1918 and 1921, and was nearly burned down in 1933. OVIS transferred ownership to the Ozona Recreation Club in 1935 because of its younger, more active members, but regained ownership in 1999 due to the club’s declining membership. The hall is one of the oldest structures in continual community ownership in Pinellas County, and was designated a Historic Local Landmark by the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners on November 10, 2015, due to its significance in the county’s history and culture.
Sponsors: Pinellas County Historic Preservation Board

MERRY PIER- EIGHTH AVENUE

Location:801 Pass-a-Grille Way
County: Pinellas
City: St. Pete Beach
Description: When settlement began in Pass-a-Grille in the 1890s, all commerce came through the bayside dock located at the end of 8th Street, later renamed 8th Avenue. In 1902, Joseph E. Merry built a store on the end of the dock, where he rented boats and sold bait, groceries, and tools. Ferry services began operation from the pier by 1905. They brought visitors across Tampa Bay, as Pass-a-Grille was only accessible by water until 1919. Thousands of tourists walked the pier each year, and took advantage of Pass-a-Grille’s beaches and legendary fishing. As a result of the pier’s popularity, commercial development centered on 8th Street. Ripley’s Believe It or Not! dubbed it "America’s shortest and most beautiful Main Street.” When Pass-a-Grille incorporated in 1911, there were approximately twenty homes, five stores, three hotels, and a restaurant. Many of the original structures still exist, contributing to the overall character and atmosphere of Pass-a-Grille. Wilson Hubbard took over the pier’s lease in the 1950s, and he chartered boats from the pier for fishing parties. The pier was briefly known as Hubbard’s Pier, until it was rededicated in 1981 as the Merry Pier. It remains a popular fishing destination.

HISTORIC ANDREWS MEMORIAL CHAPEL

Location:1899 San Mateo Drive
County: Pinellas
City: Dunedin
Description: Early Dunedin homesteader B. M. Brown and the Emerson family donated land for the construction of a church in 1876. Before it was built, John G. Andrews lost his brother William, who was killed while riding a horse during a violent storm. Andrews pledged $200 towards the church’s construction, provided that it be named Andrews Memorial Presbyterian Church in memory of his late brother. The original church site is the present location of the Dunedin Cemetery. As the Dunedin population shifted toward downtown in the late 1880s, the original church was dismantled and a new church was built on the corner of Scotland Street and Highland Avenue. Keeping the same name, the new church was designed in the Gothic style, and featured heart pine construction with a hand-carved beamed ceiling and pews. It was renamed Andrews Memorial Chapel when it moved south on Highland Avenue in 1926 to make room for a new Presbyterian church. The Dunedin Historical Society saved the chapel by relocating it to Hammock Park in 1970. During the relocation, the building was cut in half and later restored. The chapel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and is notable as one of the oldest buildings in the area.
Sponsors: Pinellas County Historic Preservation Board

TARPON SPRINGS HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:106 E. Tarpon Avenue
County: Pinellas
City: Tarpon Springs
Description: Side One: The Tarpon Springs Historic District is comprised of two historic elements, the early winter resort and the downtown commercial district. Tarpon Springs’ original plan was laid out by Mathew Marks, a business associate of landowner Hamilton Disston. Envisioning Tarpon Springs as a winter destination for wealthy northerners, Disston and his associates invested in the town’s development, and by the late 1800s, it became the largest town on the Pinellas Peninsula. The focal point of the booming resort town was Spring Bayou. The unique, elevated topography along the bayou’s banks allowed for the construction of large Victorian-era homes, which created an elegant residential district and earned it the nickname the “Golden Crescent.” Many houses along the bayou had ornately designed boathouses, all of which are gone. Notable among the residences is a large shingle-style house built by New Yorker George Clemson, and a number of well-maintained Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, and Frame Vernacular style homes. The waters of Spring Bayou have been the focus of various events, ranging from boat races and dramatic entertainment on floating stages to the celebration of the Epiphany. Side Two: As the Spring Bayou area grew as a residential destination, the downtown commercial district, originally situated along Tarpon Avenue between the city dock and the railroad station, also expanded. The Orange Belt Railroad Station was built in 1888, but burned down in 1908. The Atlantic Coast Line Depot was built in 1909 at the corner of Tarpon and Safford avenues and later became the home of the Tarpon Springs Historical Society. The population in Tarpon Springs exploded in the early 1900s, particularly due to the influx of Greek immigrants tied to the growing sponge industry. Many buildings constructed from the 1910s to the 1920s remain. Exceptional examples include the G.W. Fernald Building, the Old Tarpon Springs City Hall (now the Tarpon Springs Cultural Center), the Meres Building, and the Shaw Arcade. The Greek presence likewise influenced the character of the downtown. The district’s largest and most architecturally significant building is the Byzantine Revival style St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, built in 1943. The Tarpon Springs Historic District was designated as a local historic district and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
Sponsors: Pinellas County Historic Preservation Board

GULF SHORE PARK

Location:Gulf Drive running from Ohio Avenue to Georgia Avenue, and land to the west
County: Pinellas
City: Crystal Beach
Description: Crystal Beach is one of the original communities in Pinellas County. The first settlers came to the area and began homesteading around 1850. In 1912, land developers Dr. J.D. Hanby and A.D. Powers of the Crystal Beach Development Co. platted the community and laid out a gridded street system. Included in that plat was a park along the Gulf of Mexico. Named Gulf Shore Park, this area was described in marketing materials produced by the company in 1927 as a “narrow strip of land entirely along the west of Gulf Drive from the north end of the drive to the south end of the property.” It is comprised of a shell path and paved portions of Gulf Drive running from Georgia Avenue to Ohio Avenue. Powers and Hanby intended the park land to be forever held as a public amenity, and wrote, “This park is for all the people all the time. It is the front yard of Crystal Beach, and you are always welcome to come and enjoy the sunsets and cooling breezes.” The company clearly believed they were building a special community and saw the Gulf Shore Park as a focal point in preserving access to the beautiful waterfront for everyone, and part of the foundational character of Crystal Beach.
Sponsors: Pinellas County Historic Preservation Board

SOUTH WARD SCHOOL SITE

Location:610 South Fort Harrison Street
County: Pinellas
City: Clearwater
Description: In 1873, the first school under public administration in present-day Pinellas County was established in a log structure originally built for the Midway Baptist Church in the area of what is now the Clearwater Municipal Cemetery. In 1884, the school relocated to a one-room, wood-framed structure built on this site. Named the Clear Water School, the building expanded in 1888, and had 90 students in attendance by 1902. A larger, two-story masonry schoolhouse was constructed in 1906 and the wooden structure was demolished. The school expanded again in 1912 with the construction of the first Clearwater High School on this site. The high school’s principal, Dixie M. Hollins, became Pinellas County’s first school superintendent later that year. In 1915, the campus was renamed the South Ward School. Beginning in 1951, the final school building on this site, which included a kindergarten classroom, was built behind the high school. The South Ward School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Though it ceased operations in 2008, the school remains an important part of Pinellas County’s cultural heritage.
Sponsors: Pinellas County Historic Preservation Board

JACK RUSSELL MEMORIAL STADIUM

Location:800 Phillies Drive
County: Pinellas
City: Clearwater
Description: Jack Russell was a local businessman, city commissioner, chairman of the Clearwater baseball committee, and former major league baseball pitcher integral in the construction of a new stadium in the City of Clearwater. Russell advocated for the construction of a new stadium to host the Philadelphia Phillies’ spring training. In 1954, Russell had plans drawn for the 4,744-seat stadium at a price tag of $317,563. The first game was played on March 10, 1955, when the Phillies defeated the Detroit Tigers 4-2. Named in his honor, the Jack Russell Memorial Stadium was the spring home of the Philadelphia Phillies from the time it opened in 1955 until 2004. During that time, the Phillies won the World Series in 1980, three National League Pennants, and six National League East Division titles. Jack Russell Memorial Stadium was also home to the Clearwater Bombers men’s fastpitch softball team, a 10-time Amateur Athletic Union World Champion. From 1985-2003, the stadium served as the home of the Clearwater Phillies Single-A minor league team. In 2018, a memorial park was constructed to recognize the National Baseball Hall of Fame members who played at the stadium.
Sponsors: City of Clearwater

NORTH GREENWOOD AFRICAN AMERICAN MEMORIAL CEMETERY

Location:1287 Holt Avenue
County: Pinellas
City: Clearwater
Description: Side One: Acknowledging the needs of Clearwater’s growing Black community, the city commission created North Greenwood Cemetery, also known as the “Clearwater Colored Cemetery.” On January 2, 1940, the city adopted a resolution that established a 1.5-acre segregated cemetery on city land. It stated that “…no burials of Negroes shall be permitted in Clearwater other than on the described property.” That action ended the use of the private cemetery at St. Matthew Baptist Church, established in 1909 in the Clearwater Heights neighborhood to the south of this location, as the primary African American burial ground. In 1947, the Pinellas County Superintendent of Schools reported that segregated school buildings in Clearwater were obsolete and a fire hazard, and undertook a search for a new school site. The city also sought a location for a “permanent Negro recreation area” that would include a pool, gymnasium, and ball field. By 1954, the city and school board joined efforts to construct Pinellas High School and a recreation area on a 30-acre tract of city land. The arrangement included a land swap whereby the North Greenwood cemetery plot would be given to the school board in exchange for land to construct the pool. Side Two: As part of the deal with the school board, the city commission agreed to relocate the graves. They approved a work order to move "no more than 375 bodies" from the city cemetery to a new location east of Dunedin, today known as Parklawn Memorial Cemetery. In 1961-62, Palmetto Elementary School was built on the North Greenwood Cemetery site. In 2019, it was discovered that only the marked graves were relocated, leaving several unmarked and displaced graves behind. This was revealed after extensive media coverage, input from the community, and help from the Clearwater/Upper Pinellas County Branch of the NAACP, Clearwater Historical Society, Florida Public Archaeology Network, the Cultural Resource Division of Cardno, Pinellas County Schools, and the City of Clearwater. This site remains a cemetery and reflects the history of the African American community with burial customs that can be traced back to the time of enslavement. Over the years, loved ones left items on graves like coins, glass flower vases, and conch shells as acts of remembrance. Though no longer visible, these artifacts and the many graves where they were placed remain here in areas on both sides of Holt Avenue.

GREEKTOWN HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:Bounded by the Anclote River on the north, Tarpon Avenue and Spring Bayou on the south, Hibiscus Street and Pinellas Avenue on the east, and Roosevelt and Grand Boulevards to Spring Bayou on the west
County: Pinellas
City: Tarpon Springs
Description: Side One: In 2014, Tarpon Springs’ Greektown was listed as a Historic District and Traditional Cultural Property on the National Register of Historic Places for its unique ethnic heritage and maritime character. Greektown is bounded by the Anclote River on the north, Tarpon Avenue and Spring Bayou on the south, Hibiscus Street and Pinellas Avenue on the east, and Roosevelt and Grand Boulevards on the west. In the early 20th century, Greek immigrants greatly expanded and changed Florida’s sponge industry. In the late 19th century, black and white Americans, Bahamians, and Conchs worked in Tarpon Springs’ new sponge industry. In 1905, Greeks introduced sponge diving technology to Tarpon Springs. Crews from the Dodecanese islands of Kalymnos, Halki, and Symi, and the Saronic Gulf islands of Aegina and Hydra learned about opportunities and by the end of the year, 500 men arrived. Within a few years, 100 sponge boats and up to 1,000 Greeks worked in Florida waters or related maritime businesses. Using both deep-sea diving and hooking techniques on boats with sails and engines, they revolutionized the business. Sponges were Florida’s most lucrative sea product, and the town became the largest sponge port in the country. Side Two: The influx of Greek immigrants changed Tarpon Springs forever. From 1905 to 1940, Greeks constituted the numerically dominant cultural group in Tarpon Springs. They established Greektown, with residences, stores, churches, restaurants, coffee houses, and recreational facilities eventually stretching from the sponge docks to the city center. Since Greeks came to Tarpon Springs in relatively large numbers, they maintained an unusually large portion of their culture. After World War II, the sponge industry declined due to a massive sponge blight and many residents sought other employment. Today, Greektown residents remain predominantly Greek American. Their cultural identity is reflected in their occupations, language, foodways, buildings, religious practices, music, and dance. The district includes a wide variety of vernacular buildings, such as St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, St. Michael’s Shrine, the Sponge Exchange and Sponge Docks, businesses and residences, as well as commercial industrial sponge packing warehouses that proliferated in the early 20th century. Although Greek boat builders in Tarpon Springs built more than 200 sponge boats in the style common in the Dodecanese Islands, only three survive today.

OLD TARPON SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL

Location:324 E. Pine Street
County: Pinellas
City: Tarpon Springs
Description: Side One: The Old Tarpon Springs High School is a masonry vernacular building, with limited Beaux Arts architectural details, that was designed in 1922 by St. Petersburg architect Emmitt Hull. When Tarpon Springs was incorporated in 1887, it had a population of about 300. By 1900, the population had doubled because of the city's attractiveness as a winter resort for wealthy northerners. With the arrival in 1905 of 500 Greeks who came to work in the sponge business, the population again doubled. As the industry prospered, it stimulated the general commercial and economic development of the community. Between 1910 and 1920, the population increased from 1,500 to 5,000. Tarpon Springs’ population growth coincided with the optimism and prosperity generated by the Florida Land Boom. The nationwide emphasis on high school education led to a demand for a larger, modern building that would better meet the needs of the community. In 1922, the city decided to augment the existing 1912 public school building with a separate high school complete with gymnasium and auditorium facilities. Side Two: Hull designed a two-story, T-shaped brick building with stone trim, which was deemed virtually fireproof. In accordance with standards for school buildings by William Alcott in his 1832 treatise, the plan was characterized by spacious classrooms, expansive windows, and ample office spaces. The doors to the new Tarpon Springs High School opened in 1925 for 260 students in grades 7-12. In 1962, the upper grades moved into a new high school on Gulf Road, and the building became a dedicated Junior High School. However, a new Middle School opened on North Florida Avenue in 1981-1982. The City purchased the building from the Pinellas County School Board in 1983, setting into motion plans to renovate the building to house City Hall offices in the former classrooms and a performing arts venue in the auditorium. The new City Hall was dedicated in the spring of 1987, and the building remains a prominent feature in the civic and cultural landscape of Tarpon Springs. The success of Hull's original design is evident from the fact the building survived both half a century of use as a public school facility and its conversion to use as the Tarpon Springs City Hall without significant alteration or structural modification.

TARPON SPRINGS OLD CITY HALL

Location:101 S. Pinellas Avenue
County: Pinellas
City: Tarpon Springs
Description: Completed in 1915, this was the first city hall for the rapidly growing Tarpon Springs. It was designed by noted Atlanta architect Ernest Daniel Ivey and built by J. B. McCreary. Construction was financed by a $12,000 voter-approved bond issue. The Neoclassical architecture evokes the ancient heritage of the Greek community that populates the city. The building initially housed all city administrative offices, the public library, the fire department on the south end, and the police department on the north end. On the second floor, the city council met and a city judge presided over a courtroom. In 1947, population growth necessitated the construction of a one-story addition to the north end of the building. The addition used a continuity of style and materials with the original structure. In 1989, the building was restored and repurposed as the Tarpon Springs’ Cultural Center. It served as a welcome center and a venue for a variety of cultural activities, including performing arts, theater, concerts, and art exhibitions. The Tarpon Springs Old City Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990, and has continued to be a focal point of community activity for over a century.

DANSVILLE

Location:Located south and east of the city limits of Largo, bordered by 134th Avenue N on the north; 128th Avenue N on the south; 125th Street N on the east; and Pine Street on the west.
County: Pinellas
City: Unincorporated
Description: This area was historically known as Dansville, named for one of its founding residents, Dan Henry. The twelfth of fifteen children, Henry moved here from Dawson, Georgia, with his brother Lloyd’s family in the early 1920s. At the time, citrus groves covered the sandy ridges of Pinellas County, and the brothers found employment loading citrus at freight stations on the Seaboard Air Line Railroad. Lloyd was the first to purchase property of his own. In 1928, he built a house and started a grove in nearby Baskin. Dan followed suit, and by 1946 had purchased two 40-acre tracts at this location. He built a house for his family and soon invited other African American families to settle on the property. Smaller lots were created from the master tract by “stepping off” an area large enough to accommodate a new home. Eventually, the tight-knit, self-sufficient community consisted of about 80 houses, a store, and Mt. Olive Baptist Church. On October 3, 1992, a tornado swept through the area. It destroyed 26 homes and damaged many others. As part of recovery, Pinellas County assisted residents in rebuilding, and documented the community’s history through an award-winning oral history project.

JUNGLE PRADA SITE

Location:1620 Park Street North
County: Pinellas
City: St. Petersburg
Description: From ca. 1000-1700 CE, the indigenous Tocobaga people inhabited a village whose remnants feature in the Jungle Prada site. Archaeologists hypothesize that a micco (chief) lived in a dwelling atop the 12-foot-high platform mound overlooking the plaza, which may have served as a ceremonial area. A 900-foot-long midden mound contains the refuse of Tocobaga’s primary food source, fish and shellfish harvested from the bay, as well as other items that help archaeologists better understand the lifestyle of Florida’s indigenous people. Some historians also attribute this general vicinity to the April 12, 1528 landing of conquistador Pánfilio de Narváez’s expedition to colonize Florida. Narvaez and 300 men departed on an ill-fated overland trek, of which only four survived. Over the next 8 years, those men walked to the Pacific Ocean in search of rescue, becoming the first Europeans and African to cross North America. Diseases introduced by Spanish expeditions eventually eliminated much of the native population of Florida, the likely reason this village was abandoned. Although most former Tocobaga sites along Boca Ciega Bay were destroyed by urban development in the 20th century, the Jungle Prada site remains well-preserved.

Polk

HISTORIC MYERS AND WILEY ATHLETIC FIELD

Location:915 N 8th Street
County: Polk
City: Haines City
Description: African American philanthropists, Arnie L. Myers and Ruben L. Wiley, donated this site to the City of Haines City on November 29, 1944, to help establish an athletic and recreational field for people of color living in the community during the era of Jim Crow. The field was named the Oakland Athletic Field and configured for football and baseball. Adjacent to the Oakland High School campus, it served as a dedicated home field for the school’s varsity football program until 1968, the year the school closed. It was also home field for the local Haines City Brahmans, an African American semi-pro baseball team, and functioned in this capacity well into the 1980s. In 1957, the field was renamed to Cook Athletic Field to honor a local citrus contractor who allegedly funded the erection of a cinder block wall on three sides of the field. The wall was subsequently destroyed by a storm. After 76 years, on August 6, 2020, the field was renamed Myers & Wiley Athletic Field in recognition of the African American men who gifted this historical site to the city. Today, the field is a venue for a variety of competitive athletic and sporting events.

HISTORIC OAKLAND NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESS DISTRICT

Location:Seven (7) block span, Avenue
County: Polk
City: Haines City
Description: The Oakland Neighborhood of Haines City functioned as the business/commercial district for African Americans from the early 1900s to well into the 1970s. It is a seven-block area spanning Avenue “A” through Avenue “H” of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Way (previously North 11th Street). Businesses that thrived during this period included restaurants/cafes, grocery stores, ice cream parlors/soda fountains, dry good retailers, a jewelry retailer, a dry cleaner, a movie theater, barbershops, an American Legion Hall, a pool/billiard room, beer gardens, gas/auto service stations and a wine and spirit retailer. During the seasonal citrus harvesting (September – May) period, commerce activity of Oakland’s business district equaled or exceeded that of the broader Haines City downtown commercial district. Oakland Senior High School, a historically African American high school, occupied the entire block between avenues “D” and “E,” and closed in 1968. In recent years, store front faith-based entities have established a presence in the area. Residential homes were and continue to be comingled in this seven-block district.

HISTORIC OAKLAND HIGH SCHOOL

Location:1346 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Way
County: Polk
City: Haines Street
Description: The Oakland School opened on this site in 1928. The school accommodated first through eighth grades. It operated with funds from the county school board and the Julius Rosenwald Foundation, a charitable organization that provided access to education for African Americans in the South. Black high school students in Haines City were required to travel to schools in Bartow or Lakeland until 1930, when the Oakland School was accredited as a senior high school. Its first graduating class of four students matriculated that same year. As one of five black high schools in the county, the renamed Oakland High served students from the neighboring towns of Loughman, Davenport, Dundee, Lake Hamilton, and unincorporated northeast Polk County. The school expanded in 1952 to include a gymnasium, auditorium/cafeteria, dedicated elementary school, and industrial arts and home economics building. The campus spanned from Avenue D to Avenue E, bordered by 11th Street on the east and 8th Street on the west. After the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and public school integration, Oakland High closed in 1968. Many of the school buildings were razed in 1977, but the music building still remains as part of Oakland Neighborhood Center.
Sponsors: Oakland High Alumni, Inc.

SUMICA

Location:Florida Hwy 60, ten miles East of Lake Wales, one mile West of Weohyakapka Creek bridge
County: Polk
City: Lake Wales
Description: During the early 1900s, this area’s long leaf and slash pine forests were home to several small turpentine and timber communities. One such town was Sumica, located approximately two miles south of this location. The name “Sumica” is an acronym for the French company, the Société Universelle des Mines, Industrie, Commerce et Agriculture, which built the town’s sawmill and turpentine plant. A post office was established at Sumica on March 19, 1917, and the town later grew to include approximately 50 houses, a commissary, church, and school. The Seaboard Airline Railway completed a branch line, the Kissimmee River Railway, in December 1917, to connect Sumica with the turpentine communities of Walinwa on Lake Weohyakapka and Nalaca in Highlands County. By 1922, the sawmill at Sumica had extended 4 miles of logging rails into surrounding woodlands, and was producing 35,000 feet of lumber per day. Following depletion of the region’s timber, the town’s post office closed in June 1927 and Sumica was abandoned. Today, all that remains of Sumica are foundations that mark the location of the town’s former sawmill and residences.
Sponsors: The Polk County Historical Commission and the Florida Department of State

FLORENCE VILLA TRAINING SCHOOL

Location:700 Block "O" Ave
County: Polk
City: Winter Haven
Description: The Florence Villa Training School for Negroes replaced an earlier African-American school built in 1916 on the corner of 2nd and Palmetto Street. By 1922 the first school was in disrepair and classes were held at the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church. Seeing the need for a permanent campus, local white physician Dr. Mary B. Jewett in March 1924 approached the Board of Public Instruction with construction plans and an offer to donate this land. Construction began in August 1924. Funding sources were as follows: Negro donations: $2,000; White donations: $11,000; Ad Valorem Taxes: $5,000; and Julius Rosenwald School Fund: $1,500. When the five-acre campus opened on December 1, 1924 the building consisted of six large classrooms, a Domestic Science Department and an auditorium. Enrollment peaked at 250 students. On the night of January 17th, 1925, a fire destroyed the school and its furnishings. The Florence Villa Town Council offered a $500 reward for information leading to the apprehension of those responsible, to no avail. This property was returned to Dr. Jewett in May 1925, and an alternate school location was chosen farther to the north.
Sponsors: SPONSORED BY THE CITY OF WINTER HAVEN, THE POLK COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION, THE JEWETT HIGH ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

THE WOMEN'S CLUB OF LAKELAND

Location:59 Morton Dr.
County: Polk
City: Lakeland
Description: The Woman’s Club of Lakeland was organized in 1912. In 1923 they purchased this property as the site for their clubhouse. W.B.Talley, a Lakeland architect, designed this colonial revival building in 1927 and in 1928 construction was completed by the Billman-Purdy Construction Company at a cost of $13,000. This clubhouse would serve one of the city’s oldest and most active social civic organization for the past fifty years. The Colonial Revival style was first introduced at the Philadelphia Exposition in 1876 and was brought to Florida in the late 1880’s It signified a rebirth of interest in the early English and Dutch houses of the Atlantic Seaboard and drew upon Georgian and Adam architecture for references. Typical Colonial Revival characteristics that can be seen here include an accentuated front door with a decorative pediment and sidelights, a hipped roof, and double hung sash windows in adjacent pairs. The Woman’s Club is a contributing structure to the East lake Morton Historic District, which was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
Sponsors: THE CITY OF LAKELAND HISTORIC PRESVERATION BOARD AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE.

HISTORIC KISSENGEN SPRING

Location:Mosaic Peace River Park
County: Polk
City: Bartow
Description: Historic Kissengen Spring is located approximately one mile north of this location. At one time the spring discharged up to 20 million gallons of water a day into the Peace River. The spring’s pool was 200 feet in diameter and reached a depth of 17 feet above the spring vent. Its boil reportedly was so powerful that the strongest swimmer could not reach it. Archaeological evidence shows this area of the Peace River was inhabited by Native Americans who established large villages near the river’s springs. In the late 1800s developers sought to acquire the spring as a resort destination and sanatorium. Although plans for rail lines, trolleys, and boats never were realized to exploit the spring for tourism, a dance floor, dive platform, and bathhouses were built, and thousands of locals and tourists visited over 75 years. In the 1930s the popular spring was the site of major political rallies. During World War II, it served as a rest and recuperation resort for members of the military based near Bartow. The spring ceased to be a tourist destination after its groundwater was captured for other uses.
Sponsors: IN MEMORY OF THOMAS E. JACKSON SPONSORED BY THE POLK COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION SOUTHEASTERN GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY THE GENEROSITY OF FRIENDS OF KISSENGEN SPRING AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

HISTORIC PUGHSVILLE NEIGHBORHOOD

Location:Highway 17 and Avenue "O" Southwest
County: Polk
City: Winter Haven
Description: Pughsville was one of Winter Haven's earliest neighborhoods, populated predominately by African Americans. These individuals cleared land and settled in what is now the southwest section of the city. For many decades, Pughsville remained a vibrant and thriving community. Pughsville was named in honor of one of the earliest black pioneers, the Reverend Charles Pugh, who was one of the founders of one of the oldest black churches in Pughsville, Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church. Pughsville boasted three other churches: Bethel A.M.E., St. Paul Holiness, and Church of Christ. During the peak of its existence (1900s --1950s), Pughsville had an African-American school, social halls, small grocery stores and restaurants. Many residents worked in the citrus industry, but others were restaurant owners, business professionals, educators, construction workers and domestic workers. Still others worked in local, state and federal government jobs. Pughsville produced Winter Haven's first African-American commissioner, medical doctor, mayor, fire fighter and postal worker. The original Pughsville began to decline during the late 1970s as larger commercial establishments began arriving in the area, driving up property values.
Sponsors: BY THE CITY OF WINTER HAVEN, THE POLK COUNTY COMMISSION, AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

THE RAILROAD IN DUNDEE HISTORY

Location:103 Main St.
County: Polk
City: Dundee
Description: The Dundee Passenger Depot, built ca. 1912, was the first depot on the Haines City to Sebring Line of The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. Most of Dundee’s early growth can be attributed to the railroad. With the advent of the railroad, the Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Highland Development Company brought settlers down from the Midwest, refunding their fares when they purchased land. Dundee and the railroad both prospered. Hotels and rooming houses were built to house the prospective buyers and others who came just seeking a spot in the Florida sun. The station was segregated from 1912 to 1954. Although passenger service was discontinued in ca. 1954 the depot continued to handle freight until c. 1975 when the line was discontinued. The depot was then moved to its present position and renovated into a museum commemorating the role the railroad played in the development of the town of Dundee.
Sponsors: THE DUNDEE DEPOT RESTORATION COMMITTEE AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

GRAM PARSONS DERRY DOWN

Location:297 Fifth Street Northwest
County: Polk
City: Winter Garden
Description: On December 20, 1964, Winter Haven businessman Bob Parsons opened the Derry Down in this building. The English-themed teen club’s primary purpose was to give his stepson, Gram Parsons, a performance venue for his folk band, The Shilos. The club not only provided a venue for local youth musicians, but it helped elevate Winter Haven as a destination for traveling groups in the region. The Derry Down became part of a circuit of Florida teen centers in the 1960s that provided fledgling musicians a place to hone their skills as performers. In 1968, Gram Parsons joined the American folk rock standard-bearers The Byrds. In 1969, he founded the country rock band, Flying Burrito Brothers. Parsons recorded two genre-bending solo albums with then-unknown folk singer, Emmylou Harris. He died in 1973 in Joshua Tree, California, at age 26. In 2013, author Bob Kealing raised awareness that the building was slated for demolition. The building’s owner, Six/Ten, LLC donated the building to the community-driven Derry Down Project, a Main Street Winter Haven initiative, to restore the building and preserve its legacy by nurturing new artists.
Sponsors: Derry Down Project, Main Street Winter Haven, Inc., Bob Kealing

ACTON COMMUNITY

Location:U.S. 92(E. Memoyial Blvd.) at Interlachen Parkway
County: Polk
City: Lakeland
Description: In 1884, a group of Englishmen established Acton, named after English author Lord Acton, two miles east of Lakeland. Acton lasted from 1884, until 1894, when its residents scattered after the great freeze. During its decade of existence the town had about 200 people, a hotel, sawmill, stores and a church. Its atmosphere, dress and custom were typically English. Polo, fox hunting and cricket were a part of the village's daily life.

HISTORIC PUGHSVILLE NEIGHBORHOOD

Location:1601 Third Street
County: Polk
City: Winter Haven
Description: Pughsville was one of Winter Haven's earliest neighborhoods, populated predominately by African Americans. These individuals cleared land and settled in what is now the southeast section of the city. For many decades, Pughsville remained a vibrant and thriving community. Pughsville was named in honor of one of the earliest black pioneers, the Reverend Charles Pugh, who was one of the founders of one of the oldest black churches in Pughsville, Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church. Pughsville boasted three other churches: Bethel A.M.E., St. Paul Holiness, and Church of Christ. During the peak of its existence (1900s -- 1950s), Pughsville had an African-American school, social halls, small grocery stores and restaurants. Many residents worked in the citrus industry, but others were restaurant owners, business professionals, educators, construction workers and domestic workers. Still others worked in local, state and federal government jobs. Pughsville produced Winter Haven's first African-American commissioner, medical doctor, mayor, fire fighter and postal worker. The original Pughsville began to decline during the late 1970s as larger commercial establishments began arriving in the area, driving up property values.
Sponsors: BY THE CITY OF WINTER HAVEN, THE POLK COUNTY COMMISSION, AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

OLD POLK COUNTY COURTHOUSE

Location:100 E. Main Street
County: Polk
City: Bartow
Description: Polk County was established February 8, 1861 formed from eastern Hillsborough County and western Brevard County and comprised one of two counties created after the state's secession from the union. Polk County was named after James Knox Polk the eleventh president of the United States. Polk served from 1845 to 1849, and was the first president to hold office after Florida achieved statehood. The turbulent 1860's saw Polk's seat of government changed several times. Located first at Mud Lake, the county seat soon moved to Jefferson, a surveyed town site within the present day limits of Bartow. Court and County records were maintained in the home of the county clerk the Reverend Jeremiah Hayman at Six Mile Creek. In 1867 cattleman Jacob Summerlin donated 120 acres of land at Bartow for a town site and seat of county government. Several courthouses have existed at this site, built in 1867, 1884 and 1909.
Sponsors: POLK COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

THE FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT CAMPUS OF FLORIDA SOUTHERN COLLEGE

Location:on the Florida Southern College grounds.
County: Polk
City: Lakeland
Description: At Florida Southern College is located the largest collection of buildings on one site ever created by Frank Lloyd Wright, one of America's foremost architects. Wright's plan for the campus is the only tangible example of his community planning ideas, termed "Organic Architecture." His concept was to decentralize the city by distributing urban functions to rural areas and to utilize new technologies in the building trades. Wright's involvement at the campus was the result of urgings from Ludd M. Spivey, then president of the college. Wright insisted that the college's individual buildings reflect their environment through the use of "native materials all universally adapted to the uses of young life." Eighteen buildings, only seven of which were completed, were originally planned for the campus. The Annie Pfeiffer Chapel, begun in 1938, was the first to be built, and the Polk Science Building, completed in 1959 during the presidency of Charles T. Thrift, Jr., was the last. Later buildings on the campus were designed by Nils Schweizer, an eminent Florida architect and student of Wright. The Florida Southern College Architectural district was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
Sponsors: Sponsored by Florida Southern College in cooperation with department of state

THE HISTORIC L. B. BROWN HOUSE

Location:470 Second Avenue
County: Polk
City: Bartow
Description: The L. B. Brown House was built in 1892, during the period of Bartow’s initial development. It is a good example of Frame Vernacular construction typical of that period. This house is decorated with intricate mill work and gingerbread. The house has nine rooms. The Brown house was built by Lawrence Bernard Brown (1856-1941) who was born into slavery, in Wacahoota, outside of Archer. He moved to Deland around 1882 where he built a number of houses. Lawrence moved to Bartow during the 1880s and built a large number of dwellings, one of which was the L. B. Brown House. Lawrence and AnnieBelle (1882-1938) Brown raised seven children here. Lawrence and his wife are buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Bartow. The house is now owned by the Neighborhood Improvement Corporation of Bartow, Inc. Restoration was completed in 2001 with the cooperation of the city of Bartow, citizens of Bartow, and the Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources.
Sponsors: The Neighborhood Improvement Corporation of Bartow and the Florida Department of State

THE SOROSIS CLUB BUILDING

Location:90 Lake Morton Drive
County: Polk
City: Lakeland
Description: In 1922 the Sorosis Club or sorority, a women's club in Lakeland, was organized. Named after the first incorporated women’s club in America, the Sorosis Club of New York, the Sorosis Club’s mission included service to the community, as well as social and cultural activities. This property was purchased in 1925 as the site for its new clubhouse. Plans for the Italian Renaissance building by W.B. Talley (1871-1956), a Lakeland architect, were approved in 1926, and construction was completed by N.L. Snelson in 1927 at a cost of $42,000. This clubhouse was the first community center in the city. The Italian Renaissance style was most popular in the United States between 1890 and 1935. Typical elements of the style include the symmetrical design to the front of the building, a flat roof with a low wall around it, wrought-iron railings, recessed porches with arches, and small classical columns. Goldenrod, the club flower of The Sorosis Club, is stenciled below the roof. Two large stone lanterns on each side of the front walk represent knowledge and leadership. The detailing of this building is unique in Lakeland, and unusual in the Central Florida region.
Sponsors: THE CITY OF LAKELAND HISTORIC PRESERVATION BOARD AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

THE W. HENRY LEWIS HOUSE

Location:424 North Oak Avenue
County: Polk
City: Fort Meade
Description: This house was built in 1901 by pioneer cattleman, financier, and philanthropist W. Henry Lewis (1860-1940). Lewis was born in Thomasville, GA, and came to Florida as a young man. He married Sallie Singletary in 1887. Six of their children lived to be adults: Asa, James, Lettie, Martha, Anna Belle, and Virginia. Lewis was a keen businessman, successful in cattle-raising, citrus, and real estate. In partnership with "Doc" Lightsey, he was a leading cattleman in Polk County, owning thousands of head of cattle and thousands of acres of land along the Kissimmee River. Lewis held interests in several Polk County banks and helped to organize and served as president of the First State Bank of Fort Meade. He was an advocate of good roads and was one of three trustees of a million-dollar road bond issue in Polk County, the first of its kind in Florida. Lewis chose Fort Meade, the center of his cattle enterprises, as home. After his death, his house was purchased by daughter Virginia and her husband Carlton Marsh. She lived here until her death in 1998. The two-story Lewis House combines elements of the Colonial Revival and Queen Anne architectural styles, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.
Sponsors: The Children and Grandchildren of Virginia Lewis Marsh, the Historical Society of Fort Meade, and the Florida Department of State

Putnam

LINCOLN LANE SCHOOLHOUSE

Location:116 Lincoln Lane
County: Putnam
City: Interlachen
Description: The Lincoln Lane school is a historic reminder of segregation in Putnam County. Built in 1938 at a cost “not to exceed $600,” the one-room schoolhouse served African American children from grades 1 through 8. Compared with white schools operating in the county during the same time, the school year was shorter and text books were second-hand. Moreover, teachers at this school were paid less, and publicly-funded transportation was not provided to students. In 1954, the landmark United States Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka found that the “separate but equal” doctrine, which had been used to justify segregation in public schools since the 1890s, was inherently unequal and unconstitutional. In 1956, title to the school land was conveyed to Charles E. Brush, a prominent local businessman and resident, symbolizing the end of school segregation in Interlachen. The Historical Society of Interlachen, Inc. purchased the land and building in 2013 in recognition of its historic significance.
Sponsors: The Historical Society of Interlachen, Inc.

ASA PHILIP RANDOLPH

Location:200 Cedar St.
County: Putnam
City: Crescent City
Description: Civil Rights Activist, Trade Union Leader, Crusader for Justice – 1889-1979 “Salvation for a race, nation or class must come from within. Freedom is never granted; it is won, it is never given; it is exacted.” Asa Philip Randolph was born in Crescent City, Florida on April 15, 1889 to Rev. James Williams and Elizabeth Robinson Randolph. His father was a minister at this church where Randolph attended as a youth. In 1925 he became the founder and president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and remained president until 1968. He founded a group that later became the League of Non Violent Civil Disobedience Against Military Segregation. He was the first president (1960-66) of the Negro American Labor Council. Randolph was the originator of two major marches on Washington. One was held in 1941; the other was the “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom,” which brought more than 200,000 people to the capital on August 28, 1963. Two years later he formed the A. Philip Randolph Institute for community leaders to study the causes of poverty. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Johnson in 1964. He died May 16, 1979 in New York City. In 1989 Randolph became the second Union President to be honored on a U. S. Postage Stamp. “No individual did more to help the poor, the disposed and the working class in the United States and around the world."
Sponsors: THE A. PHILIP RANDOLPH INSTITUTE AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

CROSS FLORIDA BARGE CANAL

Location:S.R. 19 south of Rodman.
County: Putnam
City: Rodman
Description: Two and a-half miles to the east, at Rodeheaver Boys Ranch, President Lyndon B. Johnson, on February 27, 1964, dedicated the Start of Construction on the 185-MILE CROSS FLORIDA BARGE CANAL. An estimated audience of 15,000 attended.
Sponsors: Canal Authority of Florida, Design and Construction by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District

CROSS FLORIDA BARGE CANAL MEMORIAL

Location:on private road off S.R. 19, S. of Rodman at Roden
County: Putnam
City: Rodman
Description: President Lyndon B. Johnson Dedicated the Start of Construction of the 185-Mile Long Canal at this Site on February 27, 1964.
Sponsors: Canal Authority of Florida, Design and Construction by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District

FORT SHANNON

Location:S.R. 100 in Fort Shannon Park
County: Putnam
City: Palatka
Description: Established in May, 1838, this fort was one of the major quartermaster depots in Florida during the Second Seminole War. It operated under Gen. William J. Worth until he assumed command of the armies in Florida. Military facilities included a hospital, barracks, blockhouses, and stables for more than 400 horses. During the fort's existence, Palatka was military in appearance and under military control.
Sponsors: In Cooperation with Palataka Junior Chamber of Commerce

MELROSE WOMAN'S CLUB

Location:307 Pine St., in front of Woman's Club
County: Putnam
City: Melrose
Description: Since its beginning as the Literary and Debating Society in 1890, the Melrose Woman's Club has been a major contributor to community development. The formation of the Improvement Society for Melrose in 1891 was one of its first accomplishments. The club has also undertaken beautification projects, given scholarships, sponsored educational programs, and in 1895, opened its library to the public. The clubhouse was planned and built of heart pine by a local carpenter. First known as "The Hall," the structure has been in continuous use as a clubhouse since 1893. the building became the Melrose Woman's Club in 1946.
Sponsors: sponsored by the melrose woman's club in cooperation with department of state

PALATKA

Location:S.R. 100 in front of Police station.
County: Putnam
City: Palatka
Description: Established as a trading post in 1821, the settlement was burned in the Seminole War (1836). In 1838, the U.S. Government constructed Fort Shannon which served as a garrison, supply depot and hospital for the forts in the southern area of Florida. Winfield Scott, Zachary Taylor, and William T. Sherman were stationed here. During the Civil War the city was occupied by Federal troops. In the postwar period, Palatka became one of the leading tourist centers of Florida.

ROLLESTOWN

Location:U.S. 17, east side of St. Johns River, E.Palatka P
County: Putnam
City: Palatka
Description: Site of the colony of Denys Rolle, English philanthropist. The settlement, composed of 200 indentured servants from the streets of London, was founded in 1767. It did not prosper and the settlers scattered. Negro slaves were imported to tend cattle, cultivate citrus and extract turpentine. The colony was abandoned in 1783 when Britain ceded Florida to Spain. Rolle returned to England and the Negroes resettled in the Bahamas.

ST. MARKS EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Location:Main Street & Second Street.
County: Putnam
City: Palatka
Description: Episcopal services in Palatka were first conducted in 1846 by the Rev. John F Young, later Bishop of Florida (1867-1885). The parish was organized in 1853, and the church completed in 1854. During the Civil War, St. Mark's was used as a barracks by Federal troops and suffered considerable damage. After the war the church served as the missionary center of the Episcopal Church in the St. Johns Valley. The original building, though altered, is still in use today.
Sponsors: In Cooperation with Putnam County Historical Society

THE MOUNT ROYAL SITE

Location:Mount Royal Mounds site, Off C.R. 309, 3 mi. S. of
County: Putnam
City: Welaka
Description: Indians constructed the mound and earthworks of this site between A.D. 1250 and 1500. They built the mound as a place to bury their dead, and it grew in phases. When Clarence B. Moore excavated portions of the mound in the 1890s, he discovered burials and artifacts scattered throughout. One of those artifacts was a copper plate embossed with designs identical to those which decorated a plate found in a mound at Spiro, Oklahoma. The Mount Royal Site is important because it helps demonstrate the extent of the prehistoric trade networks established by Eastern American Indians.
Sponsors: sponsored by department of state

THE EDGAR POST OFFICE

Location:1 Keuka Road
County: Putnam
City: Edgar
Description: During the 1870s, Scotsman Charles S. Edgar mined kaolin clay deposits for the Edgar Brothers Clay Company of Metuchen, New Jersey. This clay was used to make heat- resistant bricks and hearth tiles. As the company expanded, Edgar began searching for higher purity kaolin white clays. After learning of a phosphate discovery in Florida, Edgar traveled to Florida where he located a deposit of kaolin between Interlachen and Hawthorne. By 1888, Edgar had developed a process to mine the kaolin from the surrounding fine-grained, white sand. In 1892, he incorporated the Edgar Plastic Kaolin Company. To provide for the needs of his approximately 50 employees, he founded the Town of Edgar in 1883. The town included housing, a company store, a chapel, and a post office. The Edgar Post Office began operations in 1894 and was originally located in the town’s company store. Later, the post office relocated to this small building which was constructed in 1960. The Edgar Post Office served the community until it closed in June 2010.
Sponsors: Edgar Minerals, Inc. and the Florida Department of State

THE MOUNT ROYAL SITE

Location:County Road 309
County: Putnam
City: Welaka
Description: Mount Royal has been a favored location for people to live for thousands of years. Archaeological sites include a Native American burial mound, earthworks, village area, and evidence of a British plantation, as well as the remains of a Spanish mission occupied by the Timucus Indians. British naturalist William Bartram visited Mount Royal in 1765–1766, and again in 1774. His description of the large mound, fields, earthen causeways and an artificial pond was published in 1791 and is one of the earliest accounts of an Indian mound in North America. Bartram’s plan of the mound was later published in 1848 by newly formed Smithsonian Institution. Archaeologist Clarence B. Moore excavated the mounds in 1893 and 1894. Moore found human burials with hammered and embossed sheet copper ornaments, polished stone tools, pearl and shell beads, and decorated ceramic vessels. The copper ornaments are similar to those found at Mississippian sites in Georgia, Alabama and Oklahoma and date between 1000 and 1500 A.D. Archaeologist B. Calvin Jones’ salvage excavations at the village site in 1983 and in 1994–1995, revealed evidence of six structures. These buildings contained Spanish artifacts and were probably part of the Mission of San Antonio de Anacape (1587–1675).
Sponsors: The Florida Department of State

MELROSE CEMETERY

Location:S.R. 21 by Campbells Ln. at Eliam Cemetery
County: Putnam
City: Melrose
Description: Formerly known as the "Banana burying grounds," the Melrose non-denominational cemetery was established in 1860 by the Eliam Baptist Church, founded in 1859. The farming community of Banana consisted of small farms, a post office / general store and a gristmill owned by Dr. G.W. McRae (1829 - 1900), local physician and postmaster. The Baptists built their first church on the N.E. corner of the cemetery in 1860 and a second, larger church in 1883. In 1924 they relocated the church site to the town of Melrose where they built a third, larger church. Veterans of eight wars are interred here dating from the Mexican-American War (12846-1848) to the Vietnam War (1964-1973). The Civil War (1861-1865) account for six Union and 35 Confederate veterans graves. General of the Melrose area, fought in the Mexican - American War and the Civil War. In 1895 the church formed a Memorial Association to care for the cemetery property. The Melrose Cemetery Association and volunteers continue to maintain the grounds today. In 2007 a Veterans Memorial honoring veterans of all wars was erected on the site of the 1883 church at the front of the cemetery.
Sponsors: Sponsored by the Eliam Baptist Church and the Florida Department of State 2009

MELROSE HIGH SCHOOL

Location:401 State Road 26
County: Putnam
City: Melrose
Description: Established to educate children of west Putnam County and surrounding communities, Melrose High School began in 1882 as a wooden building on Wynwood Street. In 1927, the school moved to this location when Putnam County constructed a new wooden building with a stucco exterior finish to service grades one through twelve. Wood from the 1882 school building was used in the construction of the new gymnasium. Fire damaged the school in 1945 and the Board of Public Instruction devised a plan to keep children from missing school days. Classes for the first and second graders were held in Melrose Methodist Church, third and fourth in the Episcopal Boy Scout House, and the fifth and sixth in the Women’s Clubhouse. Classes for grades seven through twelve were held in the Eliam Baptist Church basement. It took one and a half years to rebuild the school using plans from the original 1927 building. During World War II, a few students left to serve in the military. The last senior class graduated in 1968, after which grades six through twelve were moved to Interlachen, Florida. This school has been a significant educational institution in the Melrose community for generations.
Sponsors: The Melrose High School Alumni Association

BRONSON-MULHOLLAND HOUSE

Location:100 Madison Street
County: Putnam
City: Palatka
Description: Side One: The Bronson-Mulholland House was constructed for Isaac H. Bronson around 1853. A lawyer and United States congressman from New York, Bronson served as a member of the Committee on Territories in the late 1830s. He proposed the act for Florida statehood. After Florida attained statehood in 1845, Bronson was appointed to the US District Court for Florida by President James Polk. He lived in St. Augustine with his wife Sophronia and two daughters, Gertrude and Emma. Through a settlement in a land transaction, he acquired ten acres of land along the St. Johns River in Palatka and began construction of his estate, calling it “Sunny Point.” This Greek-Revival Style mansion was surrounded by groves of orange trees. Bronson prepared and sponsored the charter for the City of Palatka and petitioned for it to become the Putnam County seat. He donated the land both for the Putnam County courthouse and St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. Judge Bronson died in 1855 and was buried on the property as was customary at that time. His widow lived in the house until 1861, when the outbreak of the Civil War prompted her return to New York. Side Two: During the Civil War, Union and Confederate troops separately occupied the house. A friend of Sophronia Bronson, Charlotte Henry, established a school for freed slave children in the house from 1866 to 1868. Henry purchased the property and married Nathaniel P. White in 1873. In the 1890s, Mary Mulholland, a nurse from Boston, provided care for an ailing Mr. White. She inherited the estate when Charlotte White died in 1904, and subdivided the land. Mulholland employed a housekeeper, Taurina Rivero, who lived at Sunny Point with her sister Edelmira. In 1935 Edelmira Rivero inherited the property from Mulholland, which she sold in 1945. The house eventually was divided into apartments. In 1965 the City of Palatka acquired the property with intent to demolish the house. Prompted by the Putnam County Historical Society and concerned citizens, the house was saved. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, and in 1975 a grant was obtained to restore the house. The Putnam County Historical Society provided period furnishings while the City of Palatka owns and maintains the property.
Sponsors: Putnam County Historical Society, The Palatka North Historic District Neighborhood Association, The Palatka Community Redevelopment Agency

TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Location:204 State Road 26
County: Putnam
City: Melrose
Description: Side One: In 1881, the Rev. Mr. Franklin of St. John’s Episcopal Chapel in Earleton led the service that began Trinity Church. The congregants met fortnightly in a member's home. When the congregation grew to 9 families, members organized a Ladies’ Aid Society and Sunday school. The congregation purchased land and made plans to build a church facing Bellamy Road, the first federal highway in Florida. In 1885, Bishop John Freeman Young organized Trinity Mission. In 1885-1886, carpenter E. L. Judd used locally cut heart pine to construct this Carpenter Gothic style church, designed by Richard Upjohn, architect of New York City’s Trinity Church. The walls are one board thick with battens inside and out. Simple modified scissor trusses support the roof. The Bishop's chair was purchased; a church member constructed the matching priest's chair and rererdos. The pier foundations and chimney were of brick from the nearby Campville Brick Works. The total cost for construction was $327.71. Trinity prospered as Melrose grew and by 1886, there were forty-eight baptized members. ". . . the priest's words echoed off the same lovely, dark walls that were there in 1885 . . ."-Al Burt. Side Two: The freeze of 1894-95 wiped out the citrus industry and brought an economic depression to the area. Despite difficulties, Trinity continued to be active, led by Bishop Edwin Gardner Weed. In 1895, Mr. Judd added a transept to the north end of the chapel. Stained glass lancet windows, shipped from England via Lake Santa Fe on the Alert steamboat, were added in 1915. The window behind the altar was installed in 1926. Boy Scout Troop 109 was formed in the 1920s. To encourage attendance, boys could come to meetings even if they had no shoes. In 1938-39, under the Rev. Mr. Fred G. Yerkes, Archdeacon of the Diocese of Florida, the church acquired additional property and the Scouts constructed a Scout Hut, later used as the Melrose Library. In 1948, a Camp Blanding chapel building was moved onto church property, and served as the parish house. It burned down in 1985. The replacement, Yerkes Hall, was completed in 1986. In 1987, to install a 1936 Moller organ originally from St. James Episcopal Church in Leesburg, the chimney was removed and a loft built for the pipes. The Gano-Norton building was constructed in 1996. Trinity Mission called its first full time priest in 2008 and became a parish in 2010.

CENTRAL ACADEMY SCHOOL

Location:1207 Washington Street
County: Putnam
City: Palatka
Description: Central Academy School was established in 1892 as the only public school for Palatka’s Black population. It originally served first through eighth grades. Later, the school expanded to include all twelve grades. In 1925, due to the efforts and leadership of Principal Clarence C. Walker, Central Academy School received accreditation from the State of Florida Department of Public Instruction. It was the first “Negro standard high school,” and the first public school in the state to be accredited. In 1936, fire destroyed the 1892 school building. That same year, the Putnam County Board of Public Instruction purchased lots for a new school, and construction began with assistance from the Works Progress Administration. The first classes at the new Central Academy School building were held during the 1937-1938 school year. Still serving first through twelfth grades, the school sought to maintain the high academic standards that were set by Principal Walker. Central Academy School ceased operation in 1971 as part of the integration of Putnam County public schools. In 1998, the Central Academy School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Santa Rosa

HISTORIC MT. PILGRIM AFRICAN MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH

Location:Dr. Martin L. King Drive
County: Santa Rosa
City: Milton
Description: The original members of Mt. Pilgrim African Baptist Church came from Milton’s First Baptist Church. Established in 1845, First Baptist’s membership was comprised of 83 whites and 33 blacks by 1849. Some of the black congregants were likely enslaved laborers working for one of the largest slaveholders in Florida, Jackson Morton, whose plantation was near Milton. In 1866, First Baptist’s black congregants broke away to form Mt. Pilgrim. The first services, led by the Rev. Nay, were held in a scuppernong arbor. In 1880, the church purchased property on Canal Street in Milton and built a wood frame church building. Community members and church leaders met in 1888 to organize a Benevolent Colored Cemetery Association, and elected Deacon A. Odum to be its first president. The association purchased land for the burial ground, later named Keyser Street Cemetery. In 1916, fire destroyed the church on Canal Street. Under the Rev. King David Britt’s leadership, the W.A. Rayfield & Company, a prominent black architectural firm from Alabama, designed this brick Gothic Revival style church. Mt. Pilgrim continued to be a focal point for Milton’s black community, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

BAGDAD UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Location:4540 Forsyth Street
County: Santa Rosa
City: Milton
Description: The First United Methodist Church of Bagdad traces its roots to a brush arbor in 1830. Dr. John Wesley Talley, a former missionary to the Choctaws, delivered the first sermons beside the Blackwater River and earned a $13 salary that first year. In 1837, the congregation erected a small wooden church building at the site, but it was destroyed by fire in the early 1880s. Construction of a new sanctuary began in 1885 on property provided by members W.H. Sindorf, H. W. Thompson, and W.A. Watson, who were partners in the Bagdad Sash and Blind Factory. The Rev. E.E. Cowan conducted the first worship service in the unfinished building that same year. Charles H. Overman drew the architectural design for the new church, and A.J. Brown led the construction. Brown later became the first Sunday School Superintendent. Built with choice lumber from the Bagdad mills, the church’s shiplap siding was attached with square-cut nails. With funds raised by the Ladies Aid Society, electricity was added in 1909. The church bell was replaced in 1912, after a lightning strike. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 as a contributing building in the Bagdad Village Historic District.

BAGDAD MILL SITE

Location:6953 Main Street
County: Santa Rosa
City: Milton
Description: Side One: In 1829, Joseph Forsyth saw economic potential in the vast pine forest of North Florida. Old growth yellow pine was one of the world’s most prized building materials and the deepwater juncture of Pond Creek and the Blackwater River was an open door to the world market. By the early 1830s, Forsyth and his partner Ezekiel Simpson produced 250,000 feet of lumber yearly at Arcadia Mill on Pond Creek. The lumber was moved by flatboat down to the Blackwater River, loaded on larger vessels and shipped to buyers. In 1835 the Florida territorial legislature granted a charter to the Arcadia partners for Florida’s third railroad, The Pond Creek and Blackwater River Canal Company. The railway used mule-drawn carts on iron-covered wood rails to transport lumber from Arcadia to the Bagdad Mill here. A steam-powered sawmill installed at Bagdad in the early 1840s expanded production. Eventually Bagdad’s shipping market reached beyond the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean to North and South Atlantic ports and to Western European, Mediterranean, and Scandinavian countries. When the mill closed in 1939, trade journals recalled the Bagdad Mill as home to one of the most successful lumber organizations in the Western Hemisphere. Side Two: The deepwater channel and abundant forests along the Blackwater River made this area ideal for building wooden ships. During the Revolutionary War, Welsh brothers Jonas and Evan Jones repaired British warships in the vicinity. A shipyard was established near Bagdad by Captain John Gardner in 1833. William Ollinger and Martin Bruce built a repair facility and marine railway at Bagdad’s Shipyard Point in 1858, which operated for 60 years. In 1861 Confederate President Jefferson Davis awarded a contract to Ollinger & Bruce for construction of a 110-foot gunboat for the coast and river defense of Florida. On March 11, 1862, facing Union invasion and racing to demolish anything of use to the federal troops, Confederate forces set fire to industrial facilities in Santa Rosa County, destroying the shipyard, the completed gunboat, and lumber mills at Bagdad. The shipwrights saved their pine-built 500-ton floating dry dock by sinking it in the river. After the war, the dry dock was lifted, used for decades, and then re-submerged. Later it was raised again and found to be in remarkably good condition whereupon it was towed to Pensacola and used continuously and successfully for many years.
Sponsors: Bagdad Waterfronts Florida Partnership, Blackwater Pyrates, Florida Public Archaeology Network

ARCADIA MILL

Location:5709 Mill Pond Lane
County: Santa Rosa
City: Milton
Description: The Arcadia Mill site was the first and largest water-powered industrial complex in antebellum Florida. Arcadia Mill originated in 1817 as part of a Spanish land grant of approximately 680 acres. The site’s ironstone outcropping, a desirable mill seat, a sufficient source of water, and an abundant stand of virgin pine made it well-suited to the timber industry. Between 1828 and 1855, the Arcadia industrial complex developed into a multi-faceted operation that included a railroad, two water-powered sawmills, a bucket factory, shingle mill, textile mill, and an experimental silk cocoonery. In addition to its industrial facilities, the surrounding Arcadia community was an ethnically diverse settlement, populated by enslaved African-American laborers, Anglo-American workers, and an elite management class. In the late 1980s, efforts made by the Santa Rosa Historical Society and the University of West Florida helped to save a portion of the Arcadia Mill site from modern development. Through ongoing archaeological and historical research, many aspects of the site have been investigated including its dam, first sawmill, textile mill, and the residential areas of the Arcadia settlement.
Sponsors: The Santa Rosa County Tourist Development Council and the Florida Department of State

FORCADE HOUSE

Location:6865 Allen Street
County: Santa Rosa
City: Milton
Description: Side One: The property for the Forcade House was purchased in 1918 for $85 from the Oakland Lodge No. 18 of Bagdad. Completed in 1919, it is an outstanding example of Shingle style architecture, rarely seen in the South. Elzear “Exie” Fournier, a French Canadian, built this house from locally cut and milled heart pine for his sister Emma Fournier Forcade, with the help of his brother-in-law, Edward V. Forcade. The two men worked for the Bagdad Land and Lumber Company. The home features excellent craftsmanship, including a curved upper front porch, along with multiple roof styles, including hip, gable, and shed. One of the most striking elements of the exterior are the butt shingles on the upper section of the home, which were all made of locally-cut heart pine. The home also boasts a Dutch front door in which the top half can be opened for ventilation while keeping bottom half closed for safety. Another feature is a narrow window in the dining room that could be opened all the way up and used as a door. Side Two: While employed at the Bagdad lumber mill, Edward Forcade brought home small pieces of scrap end cuts of heart pine to create designs in the floors, walls, and ceilings. The floors’ styles vary from room to room, ranging from herringbone and parquet with intricate borders to various squares of different sizes. The end cuts have the grain turned in opposing directions to create an appealing effect. The walls were also designed in different styles, using the heart pine cut from the mill. Some interior walls included exterior wood versions turned in different directions to create a unique visual impact. The dining room ceiling features a striking curved design on all four sides, all made with heart pine. The house stayed in the Forcade family until 1952, when Donald and Nina Youngblood purchased it. In 1987, the Forcade House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing building in the Bagdad Village Historic District. When it was purchased in 2004, Nina Youngblood issued a stern warning never to paint the original woodwork.
Sponsors: David & Luci Bailly

THOMPSON HOUSE/SKIRMISH/BLACKWATER

Location:4620 Forsyth Street
County: Santa Rosa
City: Bagdad
Description: This antebellum home, constructed ca. 1847 by Benjamin Woodson Thompson (1809-1876), partner in the Forsyth and Simpson sawmill enterprise in Bagdad, is the best remaining Florida Panhandle example of a symmetrical Greek Revival structure having a double verandah with balustrade and gable roof. The house was built of local heart pine lumber with the structure of columns, windows and doors reflecting the Doric order. Interior walls are plaster reinforced with animal hair. Window sashes with rolled glass are flanked by operable shutters. During the Civil War, Union troops from the 2nd Maine Cavalry, 1st Florida Cavalry, 19th Iowa Infantry and United States Colored Troops of the 25th, 82nd and 86th regiments raided Bagdad and Milton and camped in and around the house, leaving graffiti including drawings and signatures on the plaster walls. In 1913 the house, which originally faced the Blackwater River, was moved directly back to its present location when the mill complex expanded. Confederate forces, evacuating Pensacola in early 1862, burned Bagdad’s lumber mills. During the remainder of the Civil War, both sides maintained a presence in Santa Rosa County. Union forces periodically conducted reconnaissance raids and captured building materials for use at the Pensacola Navy Yard. Confederate forces posted cavalry troops to watch for Union movement towards the critical rail junction at Pollard, Alabama. During one such raid on October 18, 1864, Lt. Colonel A. B. Spurling, commanding Union troops consisting of some 200 men of the 19th Iowa Infantry Regiment and a section of the locally recruited 1st Florida Battery aboard the steamer Planter, landed 3.5 miles south of here to salvage logs intended for the Bagdad mills. Some 300 Confederates, including Company I, 15th CSA Cavalry Regiment and local militia, were alerted and engaged Spurling’s force. After a two-hour skirmish, the Confederate forces withdrew and Spurling’s men, sustaining minor casualties, re-embarked while managing to salvage 140 logs. One week later Spurling again raided Bagdad and Milton routing Confederate forces in a running battle through town. Afterward, Union troops briefly occupied Bagdad and the Thompson House.
Sponsors: SPONSORED BY THE BAGDAD VILLAGE PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

BLACKWATER LANDING / BLACKWATER RIVER SHIPWRECKS

Location:Milton Riverwalk Park, S Willing Street
County: Santa Rosa
City: Milton
Description: Side 1: Blackwater River was first named Rio Del Almirante by Spanish explorers in the late 17th century. During Pensacola’s British Period (1763-1781) it was called Middle River because of its location between the Yellow River to the east and the Escambia River to the west. In 1821, the river became known as Blackwater River because of its dark-colored water. In the 1830s, Blackwater Landing included the present-day cities of Milton and Bagdad. The City of Milton, which became the hub of the Blackwater River’s lumber trade during the 1800s because of the river’s prominent bluffs, was incorporated in 1844. Lumbermen referred to these bluffs as Blackwater Landing, Scratch Ankle, and Mill Town. Logs felled up river were floated in rafts to Blackwater Landing where they were loaded on barges and schooners for shipment around the world. Each day Blackwater Landing’s docks were busy with local lumbermen, farmers, textile workers, and manufacturers who sold their goods to brokers from the Southeast and overseas ports. These goods included such items as bricks, lumber, buckets, marine parts, sashes, textiles, fresh produce, and raw cotton. This trade helped make Blackwater Landing a major hub of commerce for Northwest Florida. Side 2: The advent of steam power around 1800 allowed cargo ships to travel farther up rivers and inlets, which resulted in an economic boom to Northwest Florida’s inland towns. From them, merchandise was loaded onto ocean-going sailing ships and steamers for shipment around the world. When local vessels reached the end of their useful life, they were often scuttled and burnt to the water line. Remains of at least 15 commercial vessels are located in the Blackwater River near Milton and Bagdad. The Bethune Blackwater Schooner, located near the former Morton Brickyard and Mill, is well-preserved, with nearly its entire hull intact. Other shipwrecks include the Cedar Wreck in Wright Basin and the Snapper Ketch above Bagdad’s Shipyard Point. The most visible shipwrecks are located in Shield’s Cove near the historic Bay Point Mill. Ships sunk here, including the “Palafox”, “Dinty Moore”, “George T. Locke” and “Guanacastle”, transported lumber. In the 1920s, the passenger steamer “City of Tampa” caught fire, and was pushed from the Bay Point docks and sank in Blackwater Bay. These and other shipwrecks are part of Santa Rosa County’s vibrant maritime heritage that made this region a center of commerce from the late 1800s through the 1930s.
Sponsors: The Blackwater Pyrates and the Florida Department of State

SITE OF PENSACOLA - ST. AUGUSTINE ROAD

Location:Intersection of Gulf Breeze Parkway and Fairpoint Dr.
County: Santa Rosa
City: Gulf Breeze
Description: Begun by a military detachment from Pensacola in 1824, the first federal highway in Florida was designed to connect the two principal cities of the new territory. Construction was later contracted to John Bellamy, wealthy Jefferson County planter, and the majority of the road was built under Bellamy's direction by slave labor. It was completed in May, 1826 at a cost of $23,000.

MARQUIS BAYOU BRIDGE

Location:US 90 (SR 10) at Marquis Bayou
County: Santa Rosa
City: Milton
Description: The Marquis Bayou Bridge, named for George Marquis, the owner of a local saw mill that operated in the mid-1800s, opened in 1937. A Santa Rosa County delegation that included future Florida Governor Millard Caldwell helped to make the bridge a reality. The bridge was designed by the Florida State Road Department, and Federal funds, some from the Works Progress Administration, were used in the bridge’s construction. Tidewater Construction Company, George D. Auchter Construction Company, and Duval Engineering & Construction Company helped to build the bridge, which provided an economic boost to Milton during the Great Depression. The Marquis Bayou Bridge was a two-lane, reinforced concrete T-beam bridge with a slight curve and a single sidewalk on the north side. Its historic cast concrete railings with distinctive vertical, oval openings were typical of 1920s-30s bridges but few remain in Florida. When the need arose for a new bridge, the Florida Department of Transportation worked closely with the community to design this new two-lane bridge on the same alignment and incorporating some of the historic railings from the original bridge.
Sponsors: The Florida Department of Transportation, and the Florida Department of State

LIVE OAKS & NAVAL SHIP TIMBERS

Location:1801 Gulf Breeze Pkway.
County: Santa Rosa
City: Gulf Breeze
Description: This is the site of the first federal tree farm in the United States. Live oaks were once valued for their superior shipbuilding qualities. The U.S.S. Constellation and U.S.S. Constitution (“Old Ironsides”), both launched in 1797, were built of live oak (using c. 160 and 460 trees, respectively). Timber theft led to congressional acts in 1817 and 1822 for the purpose of supplying timber for the United States Navy. These acts prohibited sale of public lands containing live oaks. An 1826 report to the Secretary of the Navy claimed two million cubic feet of live oak had been stolen from the South Atlantic Coast, probably “consumed abroad." This resulted in the Timber Trespass Act of 1827, authorizing penalties for timber theft and the establishment of a live oak plantation. In 1828, President John Q. Adams introduced a congressional resolution establishing this site for the plantation and appointed West Florida District Judge Henry Marie Brakenridge superintendent. Brakenridge studied live oak history and began growing live oaks here. Some 1,300 acres of the original live oak reservation are now preserved by the National Park Service as part of Gulf Islands National Seashore.
Sponsors: THE FLORIDA SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FORESTERS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Sarasota

HARDING CIRCLE

Location:John Ringling Blvd. & Blvd. of the Presidents
County: Sarasota
City: Sarasota
Description: In 1923 circus magnate John N. Ringling (1866-1936) purchased St. Armands Key, an uninhabited, 150-acre, oval-shaped island. He planned a community of fine residences with a central circle park surrounded by shops. The park was named in memory of his friend, President Warren Harding (1865-1923). The landscape plan for the island consisting of the central park, boulevards and medians, was designed by a prominent landscape architect, John J. Watson (1876-1950). The development work was done by Ringling’s partner, Owen Burns (1869-1937). The grand opening of St. Armands occurred in 1928 when the bridge to the mainland was completed. Lots were sold and subsequently a few homes of Mediterranean and Spanish architecture were built. Although the Depression (1929-1941) halted the progress of his plan, John Ringling’s vision was realized with the development of the residential area, beaches and shopping district since 1945. On January 16, 2001, Harding Circle, with its associated medians and boulevards, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places for its unique early community planning and development.
Sponsors: BY THE CITY OF SARASOTA, THE ST. ARMANDS RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION, AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

LANDING OF THE SCOTS

Location:Corner of Main St. & Gulfstream Avenue
County: Sarasota
City: Sarasota
Description: On December 23, 1885 a number of Scottish families came ashore on or near this spot to settle land they had purchased for their homes in a new country. They met wilderness and hardship instead of the established town promised them; causing many to return in disappointment to Scotland. The remaining colonists along with the American settlers who welcomed them upon their arrival, platted the Town of Sarasota on July 27, 1886.
Sponsors: In Cooperation with the Sarasota County Historical Commission and Sarasota County Historical Society

SARASOTA WOMAN'S CLUB

Location:1241 N Palm Ave
County: Sarasota
City: Sarasota
Description: In 1903, what later became the Sarasota Woman’s Club was founded as the (Sarasota) Town Improvement Society. Members were active Sarasota Women who successfully lobbied town leaders to install streetlights and sidewalks, and undertook horticultural projects to beautify the area. In 1913, they began raising funds to build a clubhouse to accommodate the club’s social activities and to serve as the town’s first library, which remained there until 1941. In 1914, this site was purchased for $2,000 and members and the community raised the funds to begin constructing a clubhouse. In April 1915, the handsome Jacobethan Revival-style clubhouse, designed by local architect H.N. Hall and built by local contractor George Lysat, was completed. For 61 years, the clubhouse was a focal point for the group’s varied activities and was the scene of numerous social, literary and entertainment gatherings. In 1976, the Sarasota Woman’s Club moved to new quarters. Nevertheless, the former clubhouse continued its use as a center of Sarasota culture and entertainment for many more years until 1977, when it was placed in use as the home of Florida Studio Theatre, a non-profit, professional, regional theater company.
Sponsors: THE FLORIDA STUDIO THEATRE, INC. AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

YELLOW BLUFFS

Location:U.S. 41 & 11th Street
County: Sarasota
City: Sarasota
Description: This area, so named for its outcroppings of yellow limestone, was the home of Sarasota's first inhabitants-the pre-historic and Calusa Indians. Yellow Bluffs later became the homesite of William H. Whitaker, Sarasota's first known white settler. It was also the embarkation point of Judah P. Benjamin , member of the Confederate Cabinet, who fled America at the end of the War Between The States in 1865.
Sponsors: In Cooperation with Sarasota County Historical Commission and Sarasota County Historical Society

Seminole

DR. SETH FRENCH (1824-1896)

Location:1700 French Avenue on grounds of Sanford Middle School
County: Seminole
City: Sanford
Description: Born in Potsdam, New York on May 2, 1824, French served as a Surgeon with the 21st and 35th New York Regiments, New York Volunteers during the early years of the Civil War. In 1863 he moved to Eau Clair, Wisconsin but susceptibility to rheumatism caused him to seek a warmer climate. French arrived in Sanford in the early 1870's coming up the St. Johns River on the steamship, Darlington. Soon thereafter, he bought 20 acres of land and built his house which stood on this land from 1872 until 1954. Part of the land was later donated by his son for a school on this site and the State Farmers Market. The street on which both are located has been known as French Avenue for many years. In 1876, Dr. French moved to Orange City in Volusia County and became involved in promoting the early settlement of the community. He served as a member of the Florida Senate in 1879 representing Volusia County and was appointed Florida's first Commissioner of Immigration for the years 1879 and 1880. About 1881, he moved back to his house in Sanford. He was a Mason, and a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and owned citrus groves and property throughout Central Florida. Dr. French died in Sanford on January 29, 1896.
Sponsors: The Seminole County Historical Commission in Cooperation with the Florida Department of State

HENRY SHELTON SANFORD GROVE AND EXPERIMENTAL GARDENS

Location:520 East First St. In front of the Sanford Museum,
County: Seminole
City: Sanford
Description: In this vicinity, Henry Shelton Sanford, pioneer citrus grower, established the St. Gertrude grove in 1871. There, and at his Belair grove and experimental gardens, he advanced the industry through development of some 140 types of citrus. The Sanford gardens experimented with other tropical fruits, planting 30,000 exotic trees from South America and Africa. Much of the labor in the groves was performed by Swedish immigrants who settled at nearby New Upsala.

ALTAMONTE CHAPEL

Location:825 East Altamonte Drive
County: Seminole
City: Altamonte Springs
Description: Built in 1885, this chapel began as the Lake Brantley Union Church due to its proximity to Lake Brantley. Designed by a Boston architect, the chapel originally served as a place of worship for settlers from New England. A devastating freeze in 1895 destroyed citrus groves in the area, and forced the settlers to relocate. Ownership was transferred to Rollins College. As the town of Altamonte Springs grew, two pioneers bought the chapel from the college for $600. In 1906, they had it dismantled and relocated by wagon, first to where the current main sanctuary stands and later to this location. By 1955, the chapel was holding year-round services. An example of Carpenter Gothic style architecture, the chapel's pristine wooden structure is laced with the original stained glass windows along its sides and at the front of the church. It is topped with a chapel bell that calls people to worship every Sunday and for special occasions. The chapel features original wooden floors and pews, and an antique organ. The Altamonte Chapel continues to operate as a community church, and is often used for weddings, funerals, baptisms and other church events.

FOSTER CHAPEL

Location:Southeast intersection of S.R. 426 and Aulin Avenue across from Oviedo High School
County: Seminole
City: Oviedo
Description: Side One: The first reported worship service for the settlers around Lake Jesup was in 1869, under a brush arbor. For months, interdenominational services were held for Methodists and Baptists. By 1873, the Methodists were holding separate services under their own brush arbor. That year, the Florida Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church South appointed a circuit rider, James G. Tyson, to serve the Lake Jesup area. In 1878, the 44-person congregation began construction of a church on land belonging to John R. and Henryetta Mitchell. Many of the new church’s furnishings were provided by Dr. Henry and Mary Foster, who were from Clifton Springs, New York. The Fosters, who had been wintering in the Lake Charm area since 1874, provided the church with a pulpit, altar rail, pews, an Estey reed organ, and stained-glass windows. The Fosters also frequently donated financially to the church, despite not being members of the congregation. In gratitude, the church congregation named the building Foster Chapel. The Rev. Robert H. Barnett preached a sermon in 1879 to dedicate the chapel. In 1882, the congregation purchased from the Mitchells the five-acre lot where Foster Chapel stood. Side Two: In 1887, the congregation decided to relocate the chapel to a “more suitable and convenient location.” Henryetta Mitchell gave the church a lot at the northwest corner of King Street and Lake Jessup Avenue. Two teams of oxen pulled the church on a series of logs down a path cleared through the woods to its new destination. Congregants recalled that Captain Meredith Brock played the organ and children sang as the building rolled along. The original site was converted into a cemetery. Rather than sell burial plots, the church opted to lease them for a period of 999 years. In 1889, a fire driven by high winds swept through the cemetery, burning oak trees and some of the wooden grave enclosures. Having been moved a year earlier, Foster Chapel escaped the fire. The chapel grew with the construction of a belfry and purchase a new church bell. The size of the congregation grew along with the building, and by the 1920s, there were around 150 members. In 1955, after years of fundraising, construction began on a new church building just to the west of Foster Chapel. It remained in use until 1956 when the new sanctuary held its first service.

St. Johns

ST. AUGUSTINE WATER WORKS

Location:184 San Marco Avenue
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: The St. Augustine Waterworks Pumping Station was constructed by the City of St. Augustine in 1898 on land conveyed to the city by Henry Morrison Flagler for their mutual benefit. Flagler saw the need to provide a sanitary supply of water to his hotels and other developments in the city. This paralleled the national movement that recognized the connection between water sources and disease outbreak. Furthermore, the construction improved fire protection and coincided with employment of the city’s first professional firemen. The building is a rare example of a brick masonry structure in St. Augustine, being second in age to the St. Augustine Lighthouse built by 1874. Following its decommissioning in 1927, city officials hired prominent local architect F.A. Hollingsworth to prepare plans for adapting the building to a new use. The community center served the St. Augustine Art Association, the Little Theatre, and Camp Fire Girls from 1928 until 1964. From 1964 until 2005, the building housed the St. Augustine Garden Club. Preservation efforts by the City removed non-historic additions and alterations beginning in 2015, and resulted in the restoration of original finishes and features.

FISH ISLAND PLANTATION

Location:1429 Plantation Island Drive South
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: Fish Island is named for Jesse Fish, of British descent, who arrived in St. Augustine in 1736. Fish was a slave-owner and purchased enslaved Africans to work his groves and other properties, eventually owning at least 133 people. By the mid-1700s, the area was part of his large commercial orange plantation on Anastasia Island called El Vergel (orchard/garden). Fruit from 3,000 trees, noted for sweetness and thin skins, was shipped as far as London. On Fish Island, he built a home of native coquina stone, establishing outbuildings, canals, wells, a boat basin, and a wharf. These are now archaeological features, along with pottery and oyster shell debris left by Native Americans in prehistoric times. Fish was buried here in 1790, and likely others as well. Late 1800s visitors described mansion ruins, pathways, fields, furrows, and aged orange trees. This archaeologically and historically significant island links Florida’s orange history, plantation life, and trans-Atlantic slave trade in early St. Augustine. Supported by the Friends of Fish Island, it was purchased by the State in 2019 and is managed by the City of St. Augustine. The Fish Island Site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

MODEL LAND COMPANY NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:Well-defined twenty block neighborhood bounded on the east by Cordova Street, on the west by U.S. 1, on the north by Orange Street, and on the south by King Street.
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: Side One: Early Spanish colonists settled in this area in the 1700s and used it for small-scale farming. By 1720, in order to improve St. Augustine’s defenses, settlers built the Rosario and Cubo defense lines through the area. By 1737, a Franciscan mission had been established to minister to the indigenous Guale, who had settled nearby in the village of Tolomato. In 1885, Henry M. Flagler spurred development of the area, envisioning the tract as the “Winter Newport,” with his Hotel Ponce de Leon surrounded by grand “cottages” of wealthy seasonal residents. After purchasing the 40-acre tract, he named the streets, such as Valencia, Sevilla, and Saragossa, to recognize the city’s Spanish heritage. Carriages transported passengers to Flagler’s hotel from the Union Train Station at the San Sebastian River. Winter residents enjoyed the Railroad Park gardens and the Ponce de Leon baseball field where the Cuban Giants of the segregated Negro League played. The first homes were built for hotel and railroad executives and as winter rentals for Flagler’s guests. In 1896, he incorporated the Model Land Company to manage his extensive land holdings in Florida. Side Two: In the 1920s, the train station was replaced by the Florida East Coast Railway General Office Buildings, which became the Model Land Company headquarters. Flagler failed to realize his dream of an upper-class community, and in 1903, the Model Land Company started to sell smaller lots, and more modest homes predominated. Following World War II, the neighborhood entered its final development phase as Flagler’s mansion, Kirkside, along with other structures of the early years, including the YMCA, the hotel’s laundry and dormitory, and the baseball field were demolished. New construction began to include Ranch and Art Moderne style homes. In 1983, the Model Land Company Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Although it has changed throughout the years, the twenty-block historic district still contains some of St. Augustine’s early colonial history, as well as many of the city’s most outstanding late-19th and early-20th century residential and religious buildings. Some of these local landmarks include the National Historic Landmark Hotel Ponce de Leon, the Memorial Presbyterian Church, the Grace United Methodist Church, and the Markland House.

FULLERWOOD PARK HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:San Marco Avenue- east side, north of Florida School for Deaf and Blind
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: Fullerwood Park reflects multiple periods of housing growth for St. Augustine’s middle class. The district exhibits design characteristics from the periods of World War I, the 1920s Florida land boom, and post-World War II. The district, featuring gridded streets, lies east of San Marco Avenue, the primary route north from downtown. The eastern boundary curves at the tidal marshes and Hospital Creek. The district is anchored by two Mediterranean Revival institutional structures, Fullerwood School and Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. Many of the one- and two-story buildings feature Colonial Revival and Bungalow styles, mixed with Mediterranean Revival, Tudor Revival, Mission, Spanish Eclectic, Ranch, and vernacular building examples. Although the district is primarily a 20th century development, it retains vestiges of an earlier era through the ca. 1870 Abel Adams Hildreth House, at 65 Fullerwood Avenue. The Hildreth citrus grove was an attraction during the late 19th century. Evidence of this legacy is found with Hildreth Drive and the Hildreth Back Bay Subdivision north and east of Fullerwood. The Fullerwood Park Residential Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.
Sponsors: The Fullerwood Neighborhood Association, The City of St. Augustine

OLD KING'S ROAD

Location:Cordova Palm Residential Development
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: In 1763, Spain transferred control of Florida to Britain. This area was part of East Florida, Britain’s fourteenth American colony, with its capital at St. Augustine. The first governor, Colonel James Grant, arrived in 1764 and quickly made improving transportation in the colony a priority. Grant’s goal was to attract settlers southward by connecting the St. Mary’s River in Georgia with the New Smyrnea settlement in East Florida. Founded in 1768, New Smyrnea was Britain’s largest single attempt at colonization in the Americas. Following an earlier Native American trail and Spanish route, construction began in 1765 on the highway, later named the King’s Road. The full length of the road was completed in 1775. During the Revolutionary War, the American and British forces vied for control of the route. When the tide of the war turned in 1777, thousands of British loyalists used the road to escape the advancing Continental Army or guerilla raiders, and to seek asylum in East Florida. In the late 1700s, the King's Road crossed at this location, and continued to be a principal southern highway throughout the 1800s and early 1900s.
Sponsors: Alsop Companies, LLC

WORLD WAR II-OPERATION PASTORIUS / ST. JOHNS COUNTY

Location:200 Ponte Vedra Boulevard, In front of Vedra Inn & Club.
County: St. Johns
City: Ponte Vedra
Description: Side 1: On the night of June 16, 1942, German U-boat U-584 landed four trained Nazi agents here dressed as American civilians. After burying four boxes containing explosives and incendiaries in the sand, they boarded a bus en route to New York to rendezvous with another team of saboteurs. Two members of the New York team betrayed the operation to the FBI. All were apprehended, tried and convicted. The informers went to prison and the others were electrocuted on August 8, 1942. Side 2: On July 21, 1821, Major General Jackson, Florida's first Territorial Governor, established St. Johns County, with St. Augustine as the county seat. It contained all of Florida east of the Suwannee River, approximately 39,400 square miles, with over 1,100 miles of coastline. Since 1821, more than 2/3 of Florida's present 67 counties have been carved from St. Johns County's original boundaries reducing our County to 609 square miles.
Sponsors: The Beaches Area Historical Society, Inc. in Cooperation with the Florida Department of State

REMNANT OF RODRIGUEZ ARSIAN HOUSE

Location:40 Avenida Menendez
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: These low stone walls are the remnants of a building constructed during the First Spanish Period (1513-1763) from native rock known as coquina. The building belonged to Antonio Rodriguez Arsian, a soldier whose family lived in St. Augustine for several generations. When Britain took over Florida in 1763, Arsian left with his family for Campeche, Mexico. When Spain reacquired Florida in 1784, the heirs of Arsian attempted to reclaim their father’s house on the bay. The house belonged to King Charles III of Spain in 1788 but was occupied by John Leslie of the firm of Panton, Leslie and Co., which dominated the Indian trade in the southeast during the Second Spanish Period. In 1790, the house became the legal property of the Arsian heirs, who then sold it to Francisco Xavier Miranda. In 1887, Dr. John Vedder, a local dentist and taxidermist, leased the house. Vedder transformed the house into a curiosity museum and menagerie. Vedder’s museum was a popular tourist attraction but a local nuisance. Following his death in 1899, the St. Augustine Historical Society bought the building and most of Vedder’s collection. The Society used the building as their headquarters until it was destroyed by a fire in 1914.
Sponsors: Kantibhai & Kalavati Patel

FIRST SPANISH MUSTER SITE IN FLORIDA

Location:11 Magnolia Avenue
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: The first muster of Spanish militiamen in the newly-established presidio (fortified encampment) of St. Augustine took place in September of 1565. During the onset of the San Mateo hurricane of 1565, Adelantado Pedro Menendez de Aviles assembled 500 regular soldiers to attack the French settlement at Fort Caroline on the St. John’s River while the French sailed south towards St. Augustine. Staying behind in the presidio was a group of some 100 civilians including craftsmen, laborers, farmers, priests, wives, and children. Among them, free white men were pressed into military service in accordance with Spanish law to defend the community and protect its supplies against a possible counterattack. Menendez’s victory at Fort Caroline helped to secure St. Augustine against further French threat. The Florida National Guard honors September 16, 1565, as the first muster of Florida’s militia and therefore the birthdate of the militia in what was to become the United States. St. Augustine is the oldest permanently occupied European settlement in the continental United States.
Sponsors: Department of Military Affairs, Florida National Guard

BELUTHAHATCHEE

Location:S.R. 13 between Wedgewood and Roberts Rd.
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: "Beluthahatchee" as defined by noted author Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960) is a mythical "Florida Shangri-la, where all unpleasantness is forgiven and forgotten." When Florida author/activist Stetson Kennedy (b. 1916) moved here, the site was named and set aside as a wildlife sanctuary. After WWII, he infiltrated and exposed the KKK and other domestic terrorist groups. Kennedy's books include Palmetto Country (1942), Southern Exposure (1946), Jim Crow Guide (1956), and The Klan Unmasked (1957). The latter two were translated around the world. This site served as headquarters for his pioneering 1950 "total equality" write-in bid for the U.S. Senate. His book, After Appomattox, was completed here in 1995, with the help of his wife Joyce Ann. That year he won the Gustavus Meyer Award for doing the most to combat bigotry in the USA. In April 2005 Kennedy was inducted into the Florida Artist’s Hall of Fame. Beluthahatchee also served as a Florida hangout for America's legendary folk balladeer, Woody Guthrie. Here, Guthrie completed his autobiographical book, Seeds of Man, and over 80 Florida songs, including "Beluthahatchee Bill.” This site was designated a Literary Landmark by Friends of Library-USA in 2003.
Sponsors: THE ST. JOHNS COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

BLACK CATHOLIC HERITAGE

Location:86 Martin Luther King Blvd.
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: This block of property owned by the Catholic Church contains three historic buildings that embody an important part of African American heritage of St. Augustine. It was part of “Yallaha” orange grove plantation before the Civil War and was conveyed to the church by the Dumas family in 1890. The first building was constructed in 1898 was the school, originally called St. Cecilia, later St. Benedict. It is the oldest surviving brick schoolhouse in St. Augustine. With a tower and original wraparound porch, it was a landmark of Victorian architecture. It was the gift of Mother Katharine Drexel (1858-1955), a wealthy Philadelphia heiress who founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored People and established more than 60 parochial schools around the country. On October 1, 2000, Pope John Paul II named Mother Drexel a saint, and two St. Augustinians attended the canonization ceremony at the Vatican. The Sisters of St. Joseph, a teaching order that was brought here in 1866, operated St. Benedict School. They were involved in a celebrated civil rights case when, on Easter Sunday 1916, three of the nuns - Sisters Mary Thomasine Hehir, Mary Scholastica Sullivan, and Mary Beningus Cameron - were arrested for violating a 1913 Florida law that made it a criminal offense for whites to teach in a black school. They were released when a judge ruled the law did not apply to private schools. After serving many generations of students (of several religions) from kindergarten through eighth grade, St. Benedict School was closed in 1964 when local Catholic schools were integrated. St. Benedict the Moor Church, on the north end of the property, was begun in 1909 and completed in 1911. It was designed by the Savannah architects Robinson and Reidy, who designed Orange Street School at the same time. The church was named for a Sicilian friar (1526-1589) who was known as “The Holy Negro” for his charitable work and canonized in 1807. The use of his name here had earlier roots in the St. Benedict Benevolent Society, begun before the Civil War and incorporated in 1872 by St. Augustine’s black Catholics. The red brick rectory building between the church and the school was constructed in 1915, and for many years housed the Josephite Fathers out of Baltimore who pastored here. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. visited the rectory in 1964.
Sponsors: THE DIOCESE OF ST. AUGUSTINE AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

CAPTURE OF OSCEOLA

Location:1/4 mile south of Moultrie Bridge, U.S. Hwy 1.
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: About 400 yards west of this point in 1837, during the Seminole Indian War, General Joseph Hernandez, acting under orders, seized the famous Seminole leader and seventy of his braves, while assembled under a white flag. They were taken to St. Augustine and imprisoned in its fort. Osceola died a captive at Fort Moultrie, S.C., January 20, 1838.

CATHEDRAL OF ST. AUGUSTINE

Location:38. Cathedral Place.
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: The parish of St. Augustine, which dates from the celebration of a mass on September 8, 1565, by the Spaniard Pedro Menedez and his men, is the oldest Catholic parish within the present day United States. During Queen Anne's War, the English Governor of South Carolina, James Moore, raided St. Augustine and destroyed an earlier church. Plagued by financial difficulties, the parish was unable to construct a new church until this coquina edifice was begun in 1793. Completed in 1797, it became a cathedral in 1870 when St. Augustine was elevated to a diocese. Augustin Verot was invested as the first bishop. In 1887, fire severely damaged the cathedral, but the facade and walls remained standing and were preserved when the building was restored in 1887-1888. The chancel, transcept and campanile were added at that time. Further restoration was carried out in 1965.
Sponsors: Sponsored by St. Johns County Historical Commission In Cooperation With Department of State

DAVIS SHORES

Location:North End, Anastasia Island
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: Until the 1920s the northwest corner of Anastasia Island was a swampy lowland with occasional peaks of high ground. In 1925, wealthy Florida land developer D.P. Davis, purchased the lowlands and raised them in a massive 1,500 acre dredge and fill operation. Davis designed and subdivided the new land to provide for 50 miles of streets, 100 miles of sidewalks and curbs, parks, plazas, two 18 hole golf courses, a casino, Roman pool, yacht club, hotel, apartments, residences and business districts. Its distinctive curving street patterns, wide boulevards, unusual triangulated lots in a garden-like setting exhibit key elements of the most influential city planning movements of that time: the City Beautiful, Picturesque and Garden City movements. While many lots were sold, Florida's Land Bust of 1926 ended Davis' dream. Only eleven Mediterranean Revival style structures were built: six houses, four apartments, and a sales office for the Davis Corporation. By 1927, the newly completed Bridge of Lions led to a depressed area. Not until the prosperous post-World War II years did Davis Shores see revived interest and rapid growth. Today, Davis Shores still retains much of the original design and most of its 1920s structures.
Sponsors: THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

DOUBLE BRIDGES AND OLD KING'S ROAD 1772

Location:Dark Horse Ln, near Pellicer Creek
County: St. Johns
City: Hastings
Description: The King’s Road, an overland highway constructed during Florida’s British Colonial period (1763-1784), once traversed the Double Bridges property at this location. The road spanned Pellicer Creek, Hulett Branch, and swamp wetlands over a system of wooden bridges and raised earthen causeways. This crossing has long been called Double Bridges, named for the unusual combination of the two spans built so close together. Remnants of the King’s Road, marked by road cuts through high sandy bluffs and a short section of a causeway, are visible here. A longer section of causeway can be seen on the south side of Pellicer Creek. The bridges are gone, but remaining piers and extensive earthworks serve as monuments to this historic crossing. The causeways and bridges, spanning some 625 feet of swampland, were once an important part of the 18th century road that connected St. Augustine and New Smyrna. This major project, commissioned in 1772, was built to solidify East Florida as the British Crown’s 14th colony. Double Bridges and the Old King’s Road were recorded to the Florida Master Site File as historic sites 8SJ4892 and 8SJ4893 in 2002.
Sponsors: THE DOUBLE BRIDGES COMMUNITY AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

DR. PECK HOUSE

Location:St. George Street.
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: The stone walls of this building date from before 1750 and were a part of a house owned by the Royal Treasurer late in the First Spanish Period. During the British Period it served for a time as the home of Governor John Moultrie. In 1837 Dr. Seth S. Peck purchased the house and rebuilt it using the old walls and adding the frame second-story. It remained in the Peck family until willed to the City in 1931. A generous grant from the Flagler Foundation permitted extensive restoration in 1968.
Sponsors: St. Johns County Historical Commission in Cooperation with Department of State

EVERGREEN CEMETERY

Location:SE. 10th Ave. at Evergreen Cemetary
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: Established in 1886 outside the city limits when St. Augustine closed its small urban graveyards due to overcrowding, Evergreen became the region’s largest Protestant cemetery of the late 1800s and early 1900s. The design was strongly influenced by America's Rural Cemetery Movement stressing that burying and commemorating the dead was best done in a tranquil, natural landscape set apart from urban life. These principles are reflected in Evergreen’s garden setting and its winding roads and pathways. Many styles of funerary embellishments popular during the period are evidenced in large monuments, elegant statuary, ornamental plantings and formal landscaping. Grave marker iconography includes reclining lambs, praying angels, broken columns, Celtic crosses, flower motifs, Woodmen of the World "trees", and monuments featuring classical revival designs and shapes. Evergreen is the final resting place of Randolph Caldecott (1846-1886), considered the originator of children's picture books and after whom the national Caldecott Medal for distinguished children’s picture book is named; and Heath Canfield (1849-1913), winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor for gallantry in action as a U.S. Cavalryman in 1870.
Sponsors: THE ST.JOHNS COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

FLAGLER MEMORIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Location:Sevilla Street.
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: St. Augustine had no Protestant church when it became an American town in 1821. At first a united Protestant church was favored. Many denominations sent missionaries such as Presbyterian Eleazer Lathrop, who first arrived in 1821. By October, 1823, the few resident Presbyterians had decided to build their own church. Rev. Wm. McWhir arrived to organize the congregation. In 1824, the First Presbyterian Church was constituted and a cornerstone was laid for a structure. That church, which was located on St. George Street, housed Florida's first formally constituted Presbyterian congregation until 1890.

FORT SAN DIEGO (DIEGO PLAINS)

Location:Landrum Ln, 0.2 miles West of CR 210
County: St. Johns
City: Ponte Vedra Beach
Description: In 1736 Diego de Espinosa owned a cattle ranch on Diego Plains, a flat, open area east of here. For protection against Indians, his house was surrounded by a 15-foot high palisade with two bastions at opposite corners. Manned later by Spanish soldiers, this post was known at Fort San Diego. On May 23, 1740, during the British expedition against St. Augustine, General James Oglethorpe's 400 man army captured the fort and its 50 defenders. The British added a ditch and breastwork, and used the fort to protect the St. Johns River-St. Augustine supply line. They evacuated the fort on July 25. By 1743 it lay in ruins.
Sponsors: Sponsored by St. Johns Historical Commission In Cooperation With Department of State

GONZALEZ-ALVAREZ HOUSE - THE OLDEST HOUSE

Location:on St. Francis Street, next door to Tovar House.
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: For more than three centuries this site has been occupied by St. Augustinians. Beginning about 1650, a succession of thatched wooden structures were their homes. This coquina stone house was built soon after the English burned St. Augustine in 1702, and originally was a one -story rectangle with two rooms. As times changed during the Spanish, British and American occupations, a wooden second story, an off-street porch, and other features were added. Preserved by the St. Augustine Historical Society since 1918, the house became a registered national landmark in 1970.
Sponsors: Sponsored by The St. Johns County Historical Commission In Cooperation With the Department of State

GOVERNOR GRANT'S PLANTATIONS

Location:2690 S. Ponte Vedra Blvd.
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: In 1768, James Grant (1720-1806), Governor of British East Florida from 1763 to 1773, established Grant's Villa Plantation at the juncture of the Guana and North Rivers. Enslaved Africans cleared the 1,450-acre tract of land, planted indigo seeds, and processed the plants into blue indigo dye. Indigo dye became East Florida's main export, and Grant's Villa was its most profitable plantation. By 1780, due to declining soil fertility and the disruption of transportation routes during the American Revolution, indigo cultivation was no longer profitable. Ordered to develop a new estate 12 miles north at the headwaters of Guana River, overseer William Brockie and the slaves completed Mount Pleasant Plantation in 1781. Just south of today's Mickler Road, between SR A1A and Neck Road, the slaves built two earthen dams which enclosed a 220-acre rice field. The dam on the south blocked the flow of salty tidal water. The barricade to the north created a fresh water reservoir. In 1784, following the return of East Florida to Spain, both plantations were abandoned and the enslaved Africans were transported to The Bahamas, from where they were sold to rice planters in South Carolina.
Sponsors: ST. JOHNS COUNTY AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

GRACE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Location:8 Carrera St.
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: Grace United Methodist Church is a reminder of the tremendous physical impact Henry M. Flagler had on St. Augustine. This complex of structures resulted from a compromise between Flagler and the congregation of Olivet Church. That group of northern Methodists agreed to exchange the land on which their church and parsonage stood for a new complex designed by John M. Carrere and Thomas Hastings. Flagler, in turn, employed the same architects in designing his Alcazar Hotel, which rose on the former Olivet Site. Construction began in 1886 and was completed in late 1887. Grace Methodist Episcopal Church was dedicated in January 1888. The church and parsonage are excellent examples of the Spanish Renaissance Revival Style of architecture, and the decision to execute the design in poured concrete resulted in unusual and aesthetically pleasing structures which have stood the tests of time and the elements. Grace United Methodist Church was entered in the National Register of Historic Places on November 29, 1979.
Sponsors: Sponsored by Grace United Methodist Church In Cooperation With Department of State

KING’S ROAD

Location:On Palencia Club Drive just east of Highway U.S. 1
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: The British laid the original route for King’s Road between 1772 and 1775 in an effort to encourage settlement into this area. Extending from St. Mary’s, Georgia to Andrew Turnbull’s Minorcan colony at New Smyrna, King’s Road intersects Palencia Club Drive at this point. The initial construction of King’s Road included bridges for crossing creeks & wetlands. When the American Colonies declared independence from England in 1776, nearly 7,000 Loyalists used this route to seek asylum in Florida, which remained loyal to the British Crown. When the British left Florida as part of the 1783 Treaty of Paris ending the Revolutionary War, maintenance of King’s Road lagged until Florida became a U.S. territory in 1821. During the early 20th century, oyster shell was added to the road bed & some areas were paved with red brick. Portions of the original course of King’s Road have been incorporated into modern trails and roads, particularly US 1, or are abandoned such as the portion visible here.
Sponsors: THE MARSHALL CREEK COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DISTRICTAND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

LINCOLNVILLE HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:Intersection of MLK Ave & Bridge St.
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: Once the site of Indian Villages, colonial plantations and orange groves, Lincolnville began as a settlement of emancipated slaves in 1866. African-Americans, who trace their origins to the City’s 16th century founding, played an integral role in the history of St. Augustine for centuries before the forced segregation of the late 1800s led them to create their own community institutions. Here, they built churches, schools, and a vibrant business center surrounded by residences that displayed the ornate architecture of the age. By 1930, Lincolnville had become a major part of the City, encompassing both the African-American community itself and the adjacent white residential areas that had grown up with it. In 1964, civil rights demonstrations organized in Lincolnville attracted attention and influenced Congressional debated that led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Today, the fifty-block Lincolnville neighborhood still contains the Ancient City’s largest concentration of late Victorian Era buildings, most of them private homes. The Lincolnville Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.
Sponsors: Sponsored by the City of St. Augustine and the Florida Department of State

MAJOR DADE AND HIS COMMAND MONUMENTS

Location:St. Augustine National Cemetary
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: On December 28, 1835, during the Second Seminole War, a column of 108 U.S. Army soldiers dispatched from Fort Brooke (Tampa) to relieve the detachment at Fort King (Ocala) was surprised by a strong force of Seminole Indians near Bushnell in Sumter County. Except for three soldiers and an interpreter, the entire column of 108 men, led by Major Francis Langhorne Dade, perished in battle that day. On August 15, 1842, Dade and his command, as well as other casualties of the war, were re-interred here under three coquina stone pyramids in a ceremony marking the end of the conflict. Among those buried with Dade are Captain George W. Gardiner, U.S. Military Academy (U.S.M.A.) 1814, first Commandant of Cadets at West Point, and Major David Moniac, U.S.M.A., 1822, a Creek Indian and first Native-American graduate of the Military Academy.
Sponsors: THE WEST POINT SOCIETY OF NORTH FLORIDA AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

MASSACRE OF THE FRENCH-MATANZAS INLET

Location:200 ft. S. of Matanzas Inlet Bridge, W. side A1A.
County: St. Johns
City: Summer Haven
Description: In 1565 some 300 French castaways, under Jean Ribault, were massacred here by Spaniards, crushing their attempt to occupy Florida. The French ships, sailing from Fort Caroline to attack St. Augustine, were driven ashore by a storm. At this inlet most of the survivors were put to the knife by Don Pedro Menendez. Hence it was named Matanzas, meaning Slaughters.
Sponsors: In Cooperation with St. Johns County Historical Commission

MISSION NOMBRE DE DIOS

Location:San Marcos Avenue on grounds of Prince of Peace Ch
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: On this site, September 8, 1565, Pedro Menendez de Aviles landed with a band of settlers to found St. Augustine, first permanent Christian settlement in the United States. Father Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Grajales, Spanish diocesan priest, offered here the first Mass in the Nation's first parish. The Spanish pioneers named this landing site Nombre de Dios-Name of God-and founded here the first mission in the United States.
Sponsors: In Cooperation with St. Johns County Historical Commission

OLD SPANISH CHIMNEY AND WELL

Location:Intersection of Old Beach Rd. and Riviera St.
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: These ruins are all that remain of what was probably a Spanish barracks which housed the quarry overseer, master masons, and stonecutters who were involved in the construction of the Castillo de San Marcos. The quarry, located directly across the road from this site, contained rich veins of coquina which the Indian workers shaped into rough blocks. Under the supervision of the quarry overseer, Alonso Diaz Mejia, the blocks were transported by wagon and then by raft to the site of the Castillo. Completed in 1695, the great fortress was the keystone of the Spanish system of defense of Florida.
Sponsors: Sponosred by St. Johns County Historical Commission In Cooperation With Department of State

OLD SPANISH QUARRIES

Location:Anastasia Island State Recreation Area.
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: About 200 yards east of this point, and extending a mile south, are the remains of the Old King's Quarries. Here scouring, a native shellac, was cut into blocks and ferried across the bay for the building of Caudillo DE San Marches (1672-1669). Many other early structures in St. Augustine were built of scouring from these pits.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in Cooperation with St. Johns Historical Commission

OLD SPANISH QUARRIES

Location:Anastasia Island State Recreation Area, Anastasia Rd. south of Flamingo Dr.
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: About 200 yards south-east of this point are the remains of the King's Coquina Quarries. (Coquina, a type of limestone composed of mollusk shells and sand, is found along the north-east coast of Florida.) Coquina was used in the building of many early colonial structures in St. Augustine, including the fortress Castillo de San Marcos (1672-1696). On July 21, 1821, Major General Andrew Jackson, Florida's first Territorial Governor, established St. Johns County, with St. Augustine as the county seat. It contained all of Florida east of the Suwannee River, approximately 39,400 square miles, with over 1,100 miles of coastline. Since 1821, more counties have been carved from St. Johns' original boundaries, reducing it to 609 square miles of land area.
Sponsors: Sponsored by the St. Johns Historical Commission In Cooperation With Department of State

PALM VALLEY

Location:148 Canal Blvd.
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: This rich hammock land once covered with oaks, magnolias and especially palms was originally known as the Plains of Diego, after Don Diego de Espinosa, who built a small fort nearby in the 1730’s. Around 1900, the community of Diego was renamed Palm Valley after the Sabal Palm. The Sabal or Cabbage Palm, Florida’s state tree, was for many years an important contributor to the local economy, adding hundreds of dollars annually to the meager income of area settlers. Each winter, orders came from the nation’s churches for fresh cut palm buds for the celebration of Palm Sunday. Palm buds were cut by the thousands, packed in bunches of twenty-five or fifty, and taken to Durbin Station on the Florida East Coast Railway where they were picked up by the train. Later, after the Intracoastal Waterway was opened in 1912, stacks of palms were taken to a dock on the canal where they were picked up by the Navajo or the Alamo, two packet boats that hauled freight between Miami and Jacksonville over the new waterway. The completion of the Intracoastal Waterway through Palm Valley, in addition to allowing boat passage, effectively drained much of the area that was formerly marshland.
Sponsors: THE ST. JOHNS COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

PICOLATA "PASS OF THE SALAMATOTO RIVER"

Location:S.R. 13 & S.R.208 (Picolata Road)
County: St. Johns
City: Picolata
Description: Here where the St. Johns River narrows, was a natural crossing used by Indians, and later by the Spaniards, in pushing west. A Spanish fort, built in 1700, protected the crossing and trail that led to Apalache, near Tallahassee. From 1836 to 1870, a stage line, connecting with river steamers, ran from this point to St. Augustine.
Sponsors: In Cooperation with St. Johns County Historical Commission

PONCE de LEON HOTEL

Location:King St. at Flagler College
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: The magnificent structure was erected between 1885 and 1887 by Henry M. Flagler, the hotel and railroad magnate whose activities contributed greatly to the development of Florida's eastern coastal area. Designed by the New York architectural firm of Carrere and Hastings, the building reflects the Spanish Renaissance style throughout. The hotel was the first major edifice in the United States to be constructed of poured concrete, a mixture of cement, sand, and coquina shell. The interior is decorated with imported marble, carved oak, and murals painted by Tojetti and George W. Maynard. Its stained glass windows were created by Louis Tiffany of New York. The Ponce de Leon Hotel was the flagship of the Flagler hotel system which soon extended all along the east coast of Florida. Located in the "Winter Newport," this resort hotel entertained celebrities from around the world, including several U.S. Presidents. During World War II, the hotel served as a Coast Guard Training Center. In 1968, this historic landmark was converted into Flagler College, an accredited liberal arts institution. Independent and coeducational, the college serves students from across the nation.
Sponsors: Sponsored by St. Johns County Historical Commission In Cooperation With Department of State

PUBLIC BURYING GROUND

Location:St. Augustine, vicinity of City Gate, on grounds o
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: During the yellow fever epidemic of 1821, this half-acre plot was set aside as a public cemetery. Many Protestant pioneers to the new Florida Territory are buried here. Often such burials, make at public expense, went unmarked. The Presbyterian Church has owned and maintained the cemetery since 1832. Interments were discontinued in 1884.
Sponsors: St. Johns County Historical Commission

SANKSVILLE CEMETERY

Location:2380 Joe Ashton Rd.
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: This cemetery was most likely established after the Civil War to serve the settlement of Bakersville. The cemetery was used by both black and white members of the community, with black families buried in the eastern half of the property. The earliest marked death date is 1869, though many graves are unmarked. Originally named Bakersville Cemetery, the cemetery’s present name reflects the legacy of the Sanks family of African-American heritage. The first Sanks to settle in the region was Peter Sanks, born a slave in 1819. Following emancipation, Peter purchased large tracts of land in this area. His son, Tip Harrison Sanks, was born in St. Johns County in 1841. Tip also purchased land in the area following the Civil War including this cemetery, acquired in 1901. Tip’s daughter, Julia, became custodian after his death and the cemetery has remained in the Sanks family. Julia is thought to be the inspiration for the black-inspired works of composer Frederick Delius (1862-1934) who heard her singing when he lived near here in Solano Groves on the St. Johns River. Lewis Sanks, Tip’s grandson, honored his ancestors buried here, by renaming the cemetery and its adjacent land “Sanksville” in 1989.
Sponsors: THE ST. JOHNS COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

SEGUI-KIRBY SMITH HOUSE

Location:12 Aviles Street
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: The Segui-Kirby Smith House is one of only 36 Spanish Colonial houses remaining in St. Augustine. The house dates from the late 1700s. The site on which it is situated has been continuously occupied since the late 1500s. In 1786 it became the home of Bernardo Segui, a prosperous merchant of Minorcan descent who was also baker to the garrison and a Spanish militia official. Judge Joseph Lee Smith, first Judge of the Superior Court for East Florida, rented the home about 1823 from Segui's heirs, and in time the family purchased it. Edmund Kirby Smith was born here in May 1824. A West Point graduate, he became at 38 the youngest lieutenant general in the Confederate Army and was the last Confederate general to surrender his command. When General Kirby Smith and his sister sold the home in 1887, it became a boarding house with offices. The small building on the west was the kitchen and dining room. In 1895 John L. Wilson and Frances Wilson, gave the lot and building in trust to a private organization for use as a free public library. Today the St. Augustine Historical Society holds the property under this trust as its historical research library.
Sponsors: The St. Johns County Commission in Cooperation with the Florida Department of State

SENTINELS OF THE COAST

Location:Lighthouse Park.
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: Since early times, coastal towers were important in the defense of St. Augustine. From the wooden lookout here in 1586, Spanish sentries warned of approaching English raiders under Sir Francis Drake. Later the tower was built of stone. It served during the 1740 siege, was converted to a lighthouse in 1823 and used until it was lost to the sea. The present light replaced it in 1874.
Sponsors: St. Johns County Historical Commission in Cooperation with the Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

SPANISH DRAGOON BARRACKS

Location:61 Cordova St.
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: A first Spanish period two-story coquina, shingle roofed structure, 33' x 19', erected on the east side of this lot became the barracks for the Spanish dragoons in 1792. Each story had two rooms. One upper room contained a rack for 20 muskets and 40 pistols, another rack for saddles and bridles, a table and two benches. A detached kitchen, coquina curbed well, stable and privy were located adjacent to the barracks. In the yard, a cultivated vegetable garden, orange, lemon and fig trees flourished. By 1822 the barracks had deteriorated and was razed.
Sponsors: The St. Johns County Historical Commission and the Security Federal Savings & Loan Association in Cooperation with Department of State

ST. AMBROSE PARRISH

Location:6070 Church Road
County: St. Johns
City: Hastings
Description: The intact buildings and grounds of St. Ambrose Parish reflect the commitment of the Roman Catholic Church to reach small rural communities in Florida. Catholic Mass was first celebrated with settlers in a barn here at Moccasin Branch in the early 1800s. In 1875, St. Ambrose Parish was established when a small wood frame church was built by Father Stephen Langlade. Father Langlade was a skilled carpenter from France who also built a rectory, school, convent, and a larger church by 1907. A second convent was built after the first one burned in 1917, and a new parish hall was built in 1938. Students attended the school from 1881 through 1948 under the tutelage of the Sisters of St. Joseph, who lived in the convent. The early settlers of the area were farmers of Spanish, Irish, Minorcan, Greek, and Italian heritage. Their descendants, with names such as Ashton, Floyd, Lopez, Masters, Ortagus, Pacetti, Pappy, Pellicer, Rogero, Sanchez, Solana, Solano, Triay, Weedman, and others, continue to live in the area and attend the small parish church. The pioneers whose daily lives were intertwined with St. Ambrose Parish are buried in the cemetery nearby.
Sponsors: THE ST. JOHNS COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

ST. AUGUSTINE ALLIGATOR FARM

Location:Anastasia Island, 999 Anastasia Boulevard.
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: The St. Augustine Alligator Farm is one of the oldest continuously operated attractions created specifically for the purpose of entertaining visitors to Florida. Its origins date to the early 1890s, the first decade of St. Augustine's emergence as a popular tourist destination. Alligators were initially used to attract visitors to a small museum and souvenir shop on St. Augustine Beach at the terminus of a tram railway that ran across Anastasia Island. The owners soon discovered the public's fascination with the reptiles and in 1909 incorporated the South Beach Alligator Farm and Museum of Marine Curiosities, which they moved to its present location in 1920. W.I. Drysdale and F. Charles Usina purchased ownership in 1936 and, after a disastrous fire, began at once to rebuild the facilities, expand the collection, and create national publicity for the attraction. Thousands of servicemen who visited the Alligator Farm during World War II helped to broadcast its popularity. The collection of alligators and other animals in a controlled environment has provided a unique opportunity for scientists who have conducted research in cooperation with the institution. The St. Augustine Alligator Farm's role in the development of tourism in the state was recognized in 1992 with its listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sponsors: The St. Augustine Alligator Farm in Cooperation with the Florida Department of State

ST. AUGUSTINE SEA WALL

Location:Avenida Menendez Near Marine St
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: This portion of the St. Augustine sea wall, extending from King Street to the south end of St. Francis Barracks, was constructed during the period 1833 to 1844. The coquina wall with granite top served as protection for the homes and businesses on the waterfront. Stone for the walls was quarried across the Matanzas River on Anastasia Island. The granite coping came from Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Together with the refurbishing of the Castillo de San Marcos, renamed Fort Marion by the Army, this project was an early example of the work assigned to graduates of the United States Military Academy at West Point, the first engineering school in the United States. This was one of the earliest federally funded projects in the Territory of Florida. The West Point graduates who designed and supervised the work were: 1st Lieutenant Stephen Tuttle (1797-1835; Class of 1820); 1st Lieutenant Francis L. Dancy (1806-1890; Class of 1826), 1st Lieutenant Henry W. Benham (1818-1884; Class of 1837) and 1st Lieutenant Jeremy F. Gilmer (1818-1883; Class of 1839).
Sponsors: THE WEST POINT SOCIETY OF NORTH FLORIDA AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

SURFSIDE DANCE HALL AND BATH HOUSE

Location:3072 Coastal Hwy. (SR A1A)
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: Here from the early 1900s stood Surfside “Casino.” Casinos did not offer gambling - they were entertainment centers. Surfside was built as part of the Capo family resort destination of 165 acres. The yacht Pauline II ferried visitors from St. Augustine up the North River to Capo's Landing at the west end of Surfside Avenue where they could stay at Capo's Hotel and have a five course meal at a 120-seat restaurant for 25 cents. A horse drawn trolley brought visitors to Capo's Beach where the casino offered an upstairs dance hall, a downstairs bathhouse, and a venue for horse races, organized sports and picnic events. A bathing beauty might have her photo taken in front of a biplane on the beach. The North Shores Improvement Association began meeting here in 1939 to improve the quality of life on this barrier island. During and after World War II, Surfside was popular with military personnel where local bands and jukebox music were enjoyed. The building remained a favorite place for young people to have parties through the 1960s. In the 1970s the aging building was torn down and the site converted to a county oceanfront park.
Sponsors: THE ST. JOHNS COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

THE OLD ST. JOHNS COUNTY JAIL

Location:167 Marco Ave.
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: Built in 1891, the St. Johns County Jail held prisoners until 1953. The previous county jail was located next to the Hotel Ponce de Leon in downtown St. Augustine, Florida. Henry Morrison Flagler (1830-1913), co-founder of the Standard Oil Company, founder of the Florida East Coast Railroad and major real estate developer, donated $10,000 towards construction of this new jail. It is the oldest surviving government building in St. Johns County. The architecture is Romanesque Revival with elements of Queen Anne Victorian. It was constructed by the Pauly Jail Building and Manufacturing Company of St. Louis, which would later build Alacatraz prison in California along with several other jails throughout North America. Up to 72 inmates could be housed in the building along with living quarters for the sheriff and his family. The conditions were primitive for most of its history with up to four inmates in a cell, no indoor plumbing until 1914 and open barred windows. When the last inmates were transferred out in 1953, the old jail building became a tourist attraction recreating what life was like for prisoners at the turn of the century.
Sponsors: THE OLD JAIL, INC. AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

TOVAR HOUSE

Location:St. Francis Street
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: The infantryman Jose Tovar lived on this corner in 1763. The original site and size of his house remained unchanged during the British period, when John Johnson, a Scottish merchant, lived here. After the Spanish returned in 1784, Jose Coruna, a Canary Islander with his family, and Tomas Caraballo, and assistant surgeon, occupied the house. Geronimo Alvarez, who lived next door in the Gonzaliz-Alvarez House, purchased the property in 1791. It remained in his family until 1871. A later occupant was Civil War General Martin D. Hardin, USA. The Tovar House has been owned by the St. Augustine Historical Society since 1918.
Sponsors: The Board of Commissioners of St. Johns County In Cooperation with the Florida Department of State

TREATY PARK

Location:Treaty Park on Wildwood Drive
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: In 1823, two years after Florida was acquired by the United States, leaders of the Seminole and Miccosukee Tribes met with government officials on the banks of the creek near this site to settle conflicting claims to Florida lands. After twelve days of negotiation, they signed the treaty of Moultrie Creek on September 18, 1823. The tribes were to occupy a four million acre reservation of the interior peninsula extending roughly from Lake George to the Everglades. The Government was to assist their relocation and help support them there for a period of twenty years. Failure on both sides to comply with the terms of this and later treaties led to the Second Seminole War (1835-1842). The longest, most costly of American Indian wars decimated the Seminole and Miccosukee Tribes and led to the surrender of most of the survivors for transportation to the reservations in the West. Some of the surviving natives escaped this forced migration by taking refuge in remote areas of the Everglades. Today their descendants still maintain the Seminole and Miccosukee cultural identity and contribute to Florida's diverse ethnic heritage. The exact site of the treaty signing is unknown. This park is dedicated in commemoration of that historic event.
Sponsors: The St. Johns County Commission in Cooperation with the Florida Department of State

VILANO BEACH CASINO

Location:Anahama Dr. by Ferrol Rd.
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: Formerly at this site stood the Vilano Beach Casino, constructed in 1926-27. Casinos of the early 1900s were a source of social entertainment. Gambling was not provided. Big name bands from New York, vaudeville acts, theme parties and dances were hosted here. This unique oceanfront casino had monumental architecture on property 300 feet wide and 250 feet deep, a salt water swimming pool 150 feet long by 50 feet wide, and fine dining. A palm log bridge over the North River provided access to the island by car. The casino was the cornerstone of a major development platted as Vilano Beach by the St. Augustine & Atlantic Corporation headed by New York Philanthropist August Heckscher. Automobile and rail travel brought potential buyers during the 1920s Florida Land Boom, however, the plan failed during the Great Depression, and storms of 1938-1939 washed the casino into the sea. Today Mr. Heckscher’s dream is being revitalized. A public recreation area was built in 2004 on the casino site, and the 1920s era layout is the basis for a sustainable town center master plan by the Vilano Beach Main Street Waterfronts Group, a partnership between North Shores Improvement Association (est. 1939) and St. Johns County.
Sponsors: THE ST. JOHNS COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

VILLA ZORAYDA

Location:83 King St. LOCATED ON KING STREET (BUS, U.S. 1) BET
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: The Villa Zorayda was constructed in 1883 as the winter home of Franklin Smith, a Boston millionaire who was so impressed by the magnificence of the Alhambra Palace which he saw during a visit to Granada, Spain, that he decided to build his house as an exact replica of one wing of the palace at one-tenth of the original size. The 12th century palace had been built by the Moors who ruled Spain for six centuries before being expelled in 1492. Smith, a gifted amateur architect, designed the house himself, using the innovative technique of constructing the building with poured concrete reinforced with crushed coquina stone. Many other materials used in finishing the residence were imported from Spain. In 1913, the building was bought by Abraham S. Mussallem. In 1922, it became a nightclub and gambling casino which closed in 1925 when Florida outlawed gambling. In 1936, it was opened as a tourist attraction called the Zorayda Castle, exhibiting items fitting the architectural theme of the building. The property was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.
Sponsors: Zorayda Castle and Florida Department of State

WARDEN WINTER HOME

Location:19 San Marco Avenue
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: The Warden Winter Home was built in 1887 for William G. Warden of Philadelphia. A partner with Henry Flagler and John D. Rockefeller in the Standard Oil Company, Warden was also the President of the St. Augustine Gas and Electric Light Company and Financial Director of the St Augustine Improvement Company. One of the most imposing private residences in the city, it was a center of winter social activity. Its Moorish Revival architecture and elaborate interior reflect the exuberance of the Gilded Age and St. Augustine's role as a winter resort. It remained in the Warden family through the 1930s. In 1941 it was purchased by Norton Baskin and remodeled as the Castle Warden Hotel. Baskin and his wife, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (author of The Yearling), had an apartment on the top floor. Many writers and other distinguished visitors came here during its decade as a hotel. Locally known as Warden Castle, it has served as Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum since 1950.
Sponsors: Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum in Cooperation with the Florida Department of State

WILLIAM BARTRAM'S PLANTATION

Location:Near intersection SR 16 & 13
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: In 1766 on the banks of the St. Johns River at Little Florence Cove, William Bartram attempted to farm a 500-acre land grant. Bartram had spent much of the previous year exploring the new British colony of East Florida with his father, John Bartram, the Royal Botanist for America under King George III. When John Bartram returned home, near Philadelphia, the younger Bartram stayed in Florida. He hoped like many other settlers to make a fortune exporting cash crops such as indigo and rice. Using six enslaved Africans, Bartram cleared the forest and planted, but within a year he abandoned his farm and returned home. Bartram was known in England for illustrating his father s botanical specimens. Between 1773-1777 patrons financed Bartram’s further exploration of the American Southeast. In 1791, he published his observations in Travels through North and South Carolina, Georgia, East and West Florida, one of the most influential travel accounts of the American frontier. Rather than write a mere scientific catalog, Bartram produced a joyful and tender portrait of a virgin land with an infinite variety of animated scenes, inexpressibly beautiful and pleasing which inspired the poets of England’s Romantic Movement.
Sponsors: ST. JOHNS COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

ZORA NEALE HURSTON

Location:791 W. King St..
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: Noted author Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960) rented a room in this house in 1942. One of the few surviving buildings closely linked with Hurston’s life, it is an example of frame Vernacular construction, with cool, north-facing porches on both floors. The owners frequently rented to female students at nearby Florida Normal and Industrial Institute (now Florida Memorial College in Miami). While living here Hurston taught part time at the Institute and completed her autobiography, Dust Tracks on a Road. Also, she met novelist Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, a St. Augustine resident and author of The Yearling. Earlier in 1927 Hurston married Herbert Sheen, a Chicago medical student, at the St. Johns County Courthouse. Hurston was one of the first to appreciate the significance of Fort Mose north of St. Augustine, the first town settled by free black people in the United States. Her article on Fort Mose appeared in the October, 1927 issue of the Journal of Negro History. During her lifetime Hurston traveled the back roads of Florida collecting folk stories and songs that she used to write musical plays, short stories, and novels.
Sponsors: ST. JOHNS COUNTY AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

SOLLA-CARCABA CIGAR FACTORY

Location:88 Riberia Street
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: The Solla-Carcaba Cigar Factory, completed in 1909, is the last remnant in St. Augustine of the cigar industry, whose local origins date to the 1830s. Political unrest drove many Cuban cigarmakers to Florida after 1868. Their numbers in St. Augustine were enough by 1892 to attract a visit by revolutionary leader José Martí. One Cuban, P.F. Carcaba, born in Oviedo, Spain, brought his cigar-making business from Cincinnati to St. Augustine in 1893, selling pure Havana “Caballeros” in boxes featuring images of Henry Flagler’s great hotels. After Carcaba’s death in 1906, his son, W.H. Carcaba, partnered with his brother-in-law, Agustín Solla, to construct this building. Local architect Fred A. Henderich, a specialist in revival and Bungalow styles, melded Italianate and Mediterranean Revival elements in his design for the building. The Carcaba Company failed in 1917, its assets purchased by the Pamies-Arango Cigar Company, which itself collapsed in 1926 along with the Florida economy. The building then housed a number of businesses before its restoration in 1985. The oldest surviving major industrial building in the city, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.
Sponsors: James M. Byles and the Florida Department of State

30° 8’ NORTH LATITUDE

Location:SR A1A in North Beach Access Parking Lot of GTM Research Reserve
County: St. Johns
City: Ponte Vedra Beach
Description: This site is believed by some historians to correspond with the offshore location where Juan Ponce de León calculated his fleet’s position when he first sighted Florida. Ponce’s fleet of three vessels set sail from Puerto Rico in early March 1513. On Sunday, March 27, the day of the Festival of the Resurrection, they sighted what they thought was an island. After sailing northwest along the coast, the fleet moved close to shore, and at noon on April 2 a sighting of the sun was taken, probably with either a quadrant or mariner’s astrolabe. In his work, "Historia General de los Hechos de Los Castellanos en las Islas Y Tierra Firme del Mar Océan", published in 1601, Spanish historian Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas recorded that the location was 30° 8’ [north latitude]. Herrera’s appointment by Phillip II of Spain as the major chronicler of the Indies gave him access to authentic sources, including documents made during Ponce’s voyage that would not have been available to other writers. This site has been preserved in its natural condition by the State of Florida and is likely what Ponce de León would have seen as he approached Florida for the first time in 1513.
Sponsors: Guana Tolomato Matanzas Research Reserve and the Florida Department of State

THE XIMENEZ-FATIO HOUSE

Location:20 Aviles Street
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: This two-story coquina house and detached kitchen was built for Spanish merchant Andres Ximenez ca. 1789 fir use as a general store, tavern and family residence. After Florida became a US Territory in 1821, Margaret Cook bough the property in 1823 and, with Eliza Whitehurst, operated it as “Mrs. Whitehurst’s Boardinghouse.” Sarah Petty Anderson bought the house in 1838 and in 1851 she retained Lousia Fatio to manage it as a boarding house. Fatio bought the property four years later and ran it as a fashionable in for twenty years, proving lodging for Florida’s earliest tourists who came to seek a healthier climate. In 1939, the Fatio heirs sold the house to the National Society of Colonial Dames of America- Florida for use as a house museum. Considered one of St. Augustine’s best preserved Spanish Colonial Dwellings, the Ximenez-Fatio House depicts the boarding house lifestyle of Florida’s territorial/Early Statehood Period. It is one of the first museums in America to interpret 19th century women’s history. Multiple archeological excavations document the properties occupation by the Native Americans, Spanish, and British. A rare Spanish Caravaca Cross (ca. 1650) was found on this site.
Sponsors: The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Florida and the Florida Department of State.

ORANGE STREET SCHOOL

Location:40 Orange St
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: St. Augustine High and Grade School opened on October, with an enrollment of more than 400 students in Grades 1-12. The new public school, billed locally as “the finest school in Florida,” was the inspiration of W.S.M. Pinkham, Mayor of St. Augustine and Superintendant of Public Instruction in St. Johns County. The three-story eclectic-revival style school was designed by Robinson & Reidy, Associate Architects, of Savannah and New York, and was constructed at a cost of $60,000. It features a clay tile work, carved rafter ends, an arched entranceway, stepped gables, hipped roof towers, and decorative tile work. The school’s first floor basement contained lunch and recreation rooms and bicycle storage areas. The second and third floors housed 23 classrooms, a large auditorium, and a library. Two science labs were located on the small fourth floor. Theodore Culp, former principle of the DeLand Schools, was appointed as the school’s first principal. The School’s first graduating class in May 1911 included six students. When the school closed in December 1981, it was known as Orange St. Elementary School. Since 1983, the building has housed the St. Johns County School Board and District Administration Offices.
Sponsors: Sponsored by the St. Johns County School Board and the Florida Department of State.

FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILWAY-GENERAL OFFICE BUILDINGS

Location:Malaga St. between Oviedo and King St.
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: Henry M. Flagler built the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) to link his resort empire and establish the east coast of Florida as "The American Riviera." Flagler, partner with John D. Rockefeller in Standard Oil, developed the Atlantic shoreline with a chain of luxury hotels from Jacksonville to Key West. Perhaps Flagler's greatest achievement was construction of the Key West Extension finished shortly before his death in 1913. By 1916, the FEC Railway included 23 railroads, terminals, and bridge companies along 739 miles of track. Steamships linked the railroad at Miami to Nassau, Bahamas, and at Key West to Havana, Cuba. The Florida East Coast Hotel Company owned 14 resorts joined by the rail lines. In St. Augustine, Flagler's 1888 railway station west of downtown was replaced by three office towers built starting from south to north in 1922, 1923, and 1926. They served as the Railway's headquarters until 2006, when the FEC provided a $7.2 million gift-in-equity, making possible the transfer of the property to Flagler College. The College is committed to preservation of the buildings and adapting them for College uses.
Sponsors: Flagler College and the Florida Department of State

FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK

Location:Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park, by ticket booth
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: The Fountain of Youth Park commemorates the 1513 arrival of Juan Ponce de Leon in Florida and the legend of the Fountain of Youth. People have lived on this site for over 3000 years, since the Archaic Period of Florida’s history. In 1565 Spanish Admiral Pedro Menendez de Aviles established the first successful European colony in America at St. Augustine and his first settlement was built here on the grounds of the Fountain of Youth Park. At that time it was part of the large Timucua town of Chief Seloy. Within nine months Timucua resistance forced the Spaniards to move the colony across the bay. In 1572 it was moved back to the mainland to its present downtown location. In 1587 the first Franciscan mission to the American Indians was built here and named Nombre de Dios. The Mission remained here until the middle of the 17th century. Archaeological excavations at the Fountain of Youth Park since 1934 have revealed the shell mounds of the Archaic inhabitants, parts of Seloy’s town, remains of the Spanish colony and the church and cemetery of the Nombre de Dios mission. There is probably no other single property in Florida that contains such an array of important archaeological resources for our state’s early history.
Sponsors: The Fraser Family and the Florida Department of State

THE 1886 OLD DRUGSTORE

Location:31 Orange Street
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: Before the construction of this two-story wood frame structure in 1886, this site marked the intersection of the Cubo and Rosario lines, earthen embankments that fortified colonial St. Augustine during the late 18th century. Tolomato Indians established a mission village in the eastern corner of the property in the 18th century. The village was later converted to a Catholic cemetery in the 1770s. Henry Flagler’s Model Land Company acquired the property in the 19th century to be developed as part of an upscale Victorian residential neighborhood. The drugstore is the lone surviving Italianate commercial structure, once common in St. Augustine. The structure housed the Speissegger Drugstore as early as 1887. T.W. Speissegger, a druggist from Charleston, and his two sons, T. Julius and R.A., continued to operate the drug store company and sundries store until the 1960s when the building became a tourist attraction. From 1910 through the first half of the 20th century, generations of Orange Street School children bought penny candy here after school. The building then became home to the Potter’s Wax Museum, America’s oldest wax museum.
Sponsors: Historic Tours of America, Inc.

MARINELAND- THE WORLD'S FIRST OCEANARIUM

Location:9600 North Ocean Boulevard
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: Born from the partnership of W. Douglas Burden, C. V. Whitney, and Count Ilia Tolstoy, Marine Studios opened in 1938. The attraction was designed for filmmakers to shoot underwater footage and give visitors an opportunity to see marine life live and up close. An estimated 20,000 visitors attended the opening of the world’s first oceanarium. During the 1940s, the attraction evolved into one of the world’s leading marine research institutions. In the 1950s, with the help of trainers from the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Marine Studios became the birthplace of dolphin training. Dolphin shows helped elevate the attraction, now called Marineland, to become one of the most popular tourist destinations in Florida. It provided scientists opportunities to study the behavior of dolphins, and led to the discovery of echolocation, also known as biosonar. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986, Marineland closed for a complete renovation in 2004. Many buildings were torn down and the attraction was converted into a dolphin conservation center in 2006. Georgia Aquarium purchased and rehabilitated the property in 2011.
Sponsors: The Marineland Dolphin Adventure, Georgia Aquarium

NELMAR TERRACE HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:Milton & Alfred St. (N), San Marco Ave (W), San Carlos Ave (S), Hospital Creek €
County: St. Johns
City: St. Augustine
Description: Side One: The Nelmar Terrace area has been the site of portions of a Timucuan Indian village, a plantation under British Governor James Grant in the 1770s, and parcels of Spanish land grants after 1784. From 1844-1869 the area was the southern part of the plantation owned by Florida Supreme Court Justice Thomas Douglas. During St. Augustine’s Henry Flagler era, Dr. J. K. Rainey, a preeminent physician, acquired the Douglas Plantation and platted it in 1886. It was re-platted in 1913 following its purchase by C.M. Fuller and L. Orin Larson, who were among the most prominent developers in St. Augustine. They named the area Nelmar Terrace after Fuller’s two daughters, Nellie and Mary. Marketed as an exclusive, upscale, suburban neighborhood, lots were among the largest in the city with deed restrictions and subdivision regulations, which controlled the design and quality of construction. By 1914 a trolley line ran up San Marco Avenue from downtown to the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind and served as a catalyst for development of the area. Many of St. Augustine’s most prominent residents built homes in this prestigious subdivision in the North City area during World War I and the 1920s Florida land boom. Side Two: Between 1914 and 1930 the quality of design and construction was among the best in the city. Construction receded during the Great Depression, but renewed after World War II. “Los Robles” at 24 Nelmar Avenue, designed by California architect Wallace Neff, is an outstanding example of Spanish Revival style. On the water are two excellent examples of Mediterranean Revival architecture: “Los Cedros,” built for L. O. Larson at 30 Nelmar Avenue; and 27 Milton Street, built for Sidney Harrison, the secretary/treasurer of the Flagler’s Model Land Tract. Larson’s house became the home of composer Sidney Homer and opera diva Louise Homer, and then of Adjutant General Vivian Collins. Harrison’s house became the home of St. Augustine Mayor O.D. Wolfe, and then of the president of the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. The Moorish Revival castle at 16 May Street was the home and studio to sculptor C. Adrian Pillars. Fine examples of Georgian and Dutch Colonial Revival, Spanish Revival, Tudor, Craftsman, and Bungalow style are located throughout the neighborhood. The Nelmar Terrace Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011 for architecture and its role in St. Augustine’s development.
Sponsors: Nelmar Terrace Neighborhood Association

St. Lucie

OLD FORT PARK

Location:901 South Indian River Drive
County: St. Lucie
City: Fort Pierce
Description: Side One: Fort Pierce (1838-1842) was a significant Second Seminole War U.S. military post built during General Thomas S. Jesup’s winter campaign of 1837-38. Strategically located on a high bluff along the Indian River’s western shore, the fort was constructed by artillerymen from readily available palmetto logs. Named for Brevet Lt. Col. Benjamin K. Pierce, Fort Pierce briefly served as the Army of the South headquarters when General Jesup arrived with his staff and troops on January 14, 1838. Jesup’s large mounted force included more than 1,000 troops. A nearby fresh water spring supplied water, and the bounty of the river helped feed the fort’s occupants. Fort Pierce bustled with activity as troops engaged in the unsuccessful campaign to force Florida’s Seminole Indians to relocate west of the Mississippi River. During the first battle with the Seminoles on the Loxahatchee on January 15, 1838, Lt. Levin Powell and his Navy force suffered four casualties, including their doctor, and retreated north to Fort Pierce, where the wounded were treated by the fort’s doctor. Never engaged in battle, the fort was deactivated in February 1842 at the end of the Second Seminole War. The fort was destroyed by fire in December 1843. Side Two: The mound at Old Fort Park contains human remains and was the centerpiece of an Ais Indian culture dating back 500 to 1,000 years. Once one of Florida’s largest indigenous groups, the Ais contained several thousand people who lived in east central Florida before first contact with Ponce de Leon and the Spanish in 1513. The Ais territory ranged along the coast, north to Cape Canaveral and south to Jupiter. The Ais thrived by hunting, gathering, fishing and collecting. They were largely dependent on the Rio de Ais (Indian River) and the Atlantic Ocean to provide subsistence. They collected oysters, set up fish traps, and fished with hooks made from deer toe bones. They gathered sea grapes, coco plums, sea oats, and palm berries, hunted deer and other small game. The Ais built thatched huts of wood and palm fronds. Their primary means of transportation were dugout canoes made from pine trees. The Ais did not have a written language. Written accounts and drawings of the Ais come from early Spanish explorers and the journal of Pennsylvanian, Jonathan Dickinson. They were all but wiped out by 1740, having suffered invasions and enslavement by the Spanish and other European nations like other early Florida tribes.
Sponsors: Fort Pierce Lions Club

GOVERNOR'S HOUSE - DANIEL THOMAS McCARTY, JUNIOR

Location:Indian River Drive, on grounds of house. December 2006 -- marker reported missing
County: St. Lucie
City: Fort Pierce
Description: Was born in Ft. Pierce, St. Lucie County, January 18, 1912, was educated here and at the Univ. of Florida. He served in the 1937, 1939 Legislatures and was Speaker of the 1941 House of Representatives. In WWII, he was a Colonel in the U.S. Seventh Army. He was elected Governor in 1952 and died September 28, 1953. He attended St. Andrew's Episcopal Church across Indian River Drive and was buried from there in Palms Cemetery, Ankona.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

ST. LUCIE COUNTY

Location:Indian River Drive at Courthouse
County: St. Lucie
City: Fort Pierce
Description: St. Lucie County was formed in 1844 and recreated in 1905. Named for St. Lucie of Syracuse, the region's original inhabitants were the Tequesta Indians. Ft. Pierce, the county seat, was named for Major B.K. Pierce, brother of Pres. Franklin Pierce. The fort was the headquarters of the Army of the South under Gen. Jesup during the Seminole Indian wars. A settlement about the fort began soon after its establishment about 1838.

Sumter

BATTLE OF WAHOO SWAMP

Location:West of Bushnell on S.R. 48, vicinity of Wahoo.
County: Sumter
City: Bushnell
Description: The Battle of Wahoo Swamp occurred near here on November 21, 1836. The 2nd Seminole War, a seven-year struggle resulting from competition between Seminole Indians and white settlers over central Florida lands, had begun almost a year earlier. By November, 1836, Indian forces had concentrated in Wahoo Swamp to oppose General (and Territorial Governor) R.K. Call's pursuing army. The attack of November 21 began with the advance of a mil-long line of about 2500 men including Tennessee Volunteers, regular army artillery and officers, Florida militiamen, and several hundred Creek Indians. In the fierce engagement fought from tree to tree in mud and water, American troops pushed the Seminoles across the slough south of this marker. The Indians' return fire resulted in the death of Major David Moniac, a Creek regular army officer who led a bold attack across the swamp. Near nightfall, army commanders decided not to pursue the Indians further due to the seemingly impassable terrain and to the lack of supplies. Army casualties were low; the number of Indian losses remains unknown. The Seminoles withdrew southward, but the 2nd Seminole War continued until 1842.
Sponsors: sponsored by sumter county historical society in cooperation with department of state

ROYAL SCHOOL SITE

Location:CR 235 at Public Park
County: Sumter
City: Wildwood
Description: Side 1: Royal Community Park is the site of the former segregated Royal School. Founded in 1865, the community of Royal was originally known as Picketsville, which was named for the white picket fences that marked its 40-acre homesteads. It was settled by former slaves from the Old Green Plantation located on the Withlacoochee River. The settlement was called Royal by the late 1880s and the community's post office was established on June 26, 1891. Royal's first industries were farming, logging, and naval stores. In 1874, the Reverend Alfred Brown built the community's first school, a one-room schoolhouse. Because the school was centrally located, children, staff, and teachers were able to walk to school. Later, a three-room school constructed of wooden planks and board windows was built. Perman E. Williams, the school's first officially appointed principal, served during the 1937-38 school year. Men from the community, along with Principal Williams, served as trustees for the school. During the 1930s, the trustees requested and received approval from the Sumter County School Board to build a new Royal school. Side 2: The last and largest Royal School was built following an agreement that Sumter County would furnish materials and the Royal Community would provide the labor to construct the new school. Richard Smith donated the land for the school, and workers from the Depression-era Works Progress Administration (WPA) joined a group of local volunteers to build the facility. The ten-room school was constructed of wooden planks and accommodated 108 students. In 1947, Alonzo A. Young began his tenure as the school's last principal. In 1954, the Supreme Court's landmark ruling in the Brown vs. Board of Education case ended years of organized segregation in public education. At the time, there were eight black schools in Sumter County. The county, however, did not embrace integration until the 1970-71 school year. Following integration, students from the Royal School transferred to the Wildwood elementary, middle, and high schools. In 1984, the Royal School was torn down and a combination community center and fire station was built on the site. The school's 1945 cafeteria, a separate building, was retained and still stands at its original location.
Sponsors: The Royal Library Association, Sumter Board of County Commissioners, Sumter,LLC, T&D Concrete,Inc., Young Performing Artists,Inc., and the Florida Department of State

PILAKLIKAHA/ ABRAHAM'S TOWN

Location:Site of town of Pilaklikaha
County: Sumter
City: Center Hill
Description: Side One: One mile east of here is the site of the town of Pilaklikaha, established in 1813 by Black Seminoles. Meaning “many ponds” in the Mikasuki language, Pilaklikaha was the largest and most prosperous Black Seminole town in Florida, with a population of 100 men, women, and children. Many Black Seminoles were formerly enslaved peoples of African descent who fled bondage to Spanish Florida following the American Revolution. Driven into the Alachua and Suwannee regions by Georgia and Tennessee militias, they joined and mingled with the native Seminoles. Black Seminoles, though not formally adopted into the Seminole Tribe, formed a relationship with the native Seminoles who protected them from slave catchers in exchange for military aid and a portion of their crops as tribute. At its peak, Pilaklikaha contained timber, thatch-and-daub homes, corn cribs, and fences. Residents may have accumulated few possessions beyond simple dishes, arms, beads, and hand-made brushed pottery. During the 1820s, the settlement was visited by two American officials, Horatio Dexter and Lt. George McCall, who reported herds of cattle and horses along with fields of rice, beans, melons, pumpkins, and peanuts. Side Two: Pilaklikaha was also known as “Abraham’s Old Town,” named after Abraham, who came to the area after escaping slavery in Pensacola around 1826. Abraham served as a skilled interpreter and the voice of the Seminoles during treaty negotiations with the United States government. He rose to prominence as the counselor for Chief Micanopy, even accompanying him on a diplomatic trip to Washington, D.C. Abraham was later released from service in appreciation for his work. Assuming a connection to the Dade Massacre in 1835, United States Army soldiers, under the command of Brigadier General Abraham Eustis, burned Pilaklikaha to the ground on March 30, 1836, during the second escalation of the Seminole War. All the residents of Abraham’s town escaped weeks before its destruction. During the conflict, many native Seminoles and some Black Seminoles, including Abraham, were forcibly relocated to Indian Territory, in present-day Oklahoma, as part of the “Trail of Tears.” Abraham died in Indian Territory sometime after 1870.
Sponsors: Sumter County Historical Society, Dade Battlefield Society, Seminole Wars Historic Foundation, Scenic Sumter Heritage Byway, Explore Sumter County

WILD COW PRARIE CEMETERY

Location:5822 County Road 673
County: Sumter
City: Bushnell
Description: Side One: The earliest local history of Wild Cow Prairie Cemetery describes the wetland just south of the cemetery as a lush feeding ground for the wild cows and ponies left by the Spanish. At sun-up and sunset, it was said to be covered with pink flamingos, white egrets, and thousands of other beautiful birds. Wild Cow Prairie Cemetery sat at the corner of Stagecoach Road and Wire Road. Britton Branch Jr. deeded the property for the cemetery and, in 1849, Branch’s son-in-law, William D. Boulden Sr., was the first to be buried here. For the next 75 years, the town of Pemberton, located just one mile southwest, used Wild Cow Prairie Cemetery as a segregated burial ground for whites. Interred here are two Sumter County commissioners, Charles L. Branch and James Weeks; one Hernando County commissioner, Frank L. Smith; and a member of the Board of Public Instruction for Hernando County, Stephen Weeks. James Hunter Pemberton, the last person laid to rest here, was interred in 1924. By the Great Depression, Pemberton was in ruins, and the federal government bought the property. In 1958, the federal government leased the property to the State of Florida, and the town site became part of the Withlacoochee State Forest. Side Two: James T. Pemberton founded the town of Pemberton in 1876. The town developed around a ferry that helped early settlers and stagecoaches cross the Withlacoochee river, from Sumter to Hernando County. The town was an important early transportation hub for Sumter County. As a critical cog in Henry B. Plant's transportation empire, it served as a junction of two busy railroads, and as a landing for steamboats traveling the Withlacoochee River. In his 56 years, Pemberton fought in the Civil War, and served as the first postmaster for Pemberton, the proprietor of the Pemberton Hotel, and as an Inspector of Marks and Brands. In his political career, he served as one of five delegates from Sumter County for Florida’s Democratic Party convention during the presidential election of 1896. Pemberton was the first county resident to be recommended by the Sumter County Board of Commissioners in 1902 for the position of Fish and Game Warden, but he died before the State of Florida could finalize his appointment. Pemberton was laid to rest in Wild Cow Prairie Cemetery on May 15, 1905.

Suwannee

EDWARD WATERS COLLEGE ORIGINAL SITE

Location:Glass Street NE and Clay Street NE along Lisle Avenue NE
County: Suwannee
City: Live Oak
Description: Live Oak was the birthplace of Edward Waters College, Florida’s oldest black college. Here, the Rev. Charles H. Pearce, Elder of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, envisioned an institution to educate newly-freed slaves. In 1866, aided by the Rev. William G. Steward, Florida’s first AME pastor, Pearce raised funds for a school offering elementary, high school, college, and seminary level education. In 1870, the AME Church resolved to expand Pearce’s school. Live Oak was chosen for the school site in 1872 due to its proximity to railroads, and 10 acres of land was purchased for the construction. Named Brown Theological Seminary, the school was renamed in 1873 to Brown University. The school relocated to Jacksonville in 1883, and in 1892, was renamed Edward Waters College in honor of the Florida AME Church’s third bishop. Edward Waters College operates in Jacksonville but its roots are here in Live Oak at the site of its first building. For over 150 years, the college has played a significant role in higher education in northeast Florida, which is embodied in its alma mater, “Dear ole Edward Waters College, you’re the world to me.”
Sponsors: Adam Jefferson Richardson, Jr., Bishop of the 11th Episcopal District, Tony D. Hansberry, Presiding Elder, 11th Episcopal District, Dr. Nathaniel Glover, President, Edward Waters College, Malachi Beyah, President, Jacksonville Alumni Chapter, Lillie M. Vereen, Event Chair, Alumnae, The Jacksonville Alumni Chapter

HARRY TYSON MOORE- A NATIVE SON OF SEWANNEE COUNTY

Location:700 Howard Street E
County: Suwannee
City: Live Oak
Description: Side One: Harry Tyson Moore was born on November 18, 1905, in Houston, a rural unincorporated community near Live Oak. He was the only child of Johnny and Rosa Moore. His father worked for the railroad and owned a small store in the front of their house. In 1915, after his father’s death, Moore left home and lived with aunts, first in Daytona and then in Jacksonville. In 1919, he returned home to enroll in Florida Memorial College. He graduated as valedictorian in May 1925 with a Normal School degree, and became an educator for black schools in Brevard County. His first teaching position was at an elementary school in Cocoa, where he met fellow school teacher Harriette Vyda Simms from Mims. The couple married in 1926 and had two daughters, Annie Rosalea and Juanita Evangeline. He later became a principal in Titusville. In 1934, Moore entered the spotlight when he founded the Brevard County chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and his efforts led to the formation of 50 NAACP branches in Florida. In 1937, he filed the first lawsuit in the South to call for salary equalization for white and black teachers. Moore lost that case, but it sparked similar lawsuits throughout the state. Side Two: Harry T. Moore organized the Florida State Conference NAACP and served as its executive secretary. He advocated for equality, focusing on teacher salaries, segregated schools, and the lack of black registered voters. By 1943, his activism had expanded to include lynchings and police brutality. He began collecting sworn affidavits from victims' families on every lynching that had occurred in Florida. In 1944, he helped form the Florida Progressive Voters League, which registered tens of thousands of black Americans throughout the state. In 1946, due to his public civil rights activism, Moore and his wife were dismissed from their teaching jobs, and he became a full-time paid organizer for the Florida NAACP. On Christmas night in 1951, Harry and Harriette were murdered in their home in Mims, Florida, when a bomb was planted beneath their house. The Moores’ deaths were the first assassinations of prominent civil rights leaders; the tragedy was one of the sparks that ignited the broader Civil Rights Movement in the United States. The renowned African American poet, Langston Hughes, wrote the “Ballad of Harry T. Moore” in honor of Moore. In 2013, the Moores were inducted into the Florida Civil Rights Hall of Fame.

FLORIDA MEMORIAL COLLEGE- ORIGINAL SITE

Location:621 6th Street
County: Suwannee
City: Live Oak
Description: Side One: The Florida Institute, renamed Florida Memorial College in 1918, was established on this site in 1879. It stood as a lighthouse of promise for generations of African Americans. After the Civil War and Reconstruction periods, there were few opportunities for African Americans pursuing an education. The Black Baptists of Florida petitioned the American Baptist Home Mission Society to establish a co-educational school in Florida to educate ministers and teachers. In October 1879, the Education Board of the Bethlehem Baptist Association met in Gainesville to establish a school in Live Oak. The Board awarded $600 for construction, hired teachers, and established a curriculum. The Rev. J.L. Fish was appointed president, and his wife, Ada Fish, served as a teacher. Nine members were appointed to the school’s Board of Trustees, including Dr. Henry Morehouse, founder of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. The Florida Institute opened in Live Oak in 1880, and offered students a 40-week term costing $1 for every four weeks of attendance. By 1884, the school had grown to consist of ten acres of land, classrooms, dormitories, an office, an auditorium, and the president’s residence. Side Two: In the early 1920s, the General Baptist Convention moved Florida Baptist Academy, a sister school to Florida Memorial College, from Jacksonville to St. Augustine and renamed it the Florida Normal and Industrial Institute. It became an instant rival with Florida Memorial College when competing for philanthropic support. During this time, Florida Memorial College was plagued by low enrollment and financial limitations, and its administration building was destroyed by fire. In 1941, the General Baptist Convention voted to merge Florida Memorial College with Florida Normal and Industrial Institute into Florida Memorial University, and relocated to south Florida. The buildings that remained on this site were sold at public auction in 1948; the proceeds were used to build Suwannee County’s first public hospital. Florida Memorial University is a private, co-educational institution offering thirty undergraduate and graduate degree programs, located in Miami Gardens. The university is the only HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) in south Florida, and is one of the thirty-nine member institutions of the United Negro College Fund.

SUWANNEE COUNTY

Location:200 Ohio Ave S at County Courthouse
County: Suwannee
City: Live Oak
Description: This region was originally the land of the Timucuan Indians. Suwannee County was created in 1858. The county seat was moved from its original site at Houston to Live Oak in 1868 because of the latter's superior geographical position and railroad facilities. Settled by people from the upper South, the county soon became an important agricultural region. It is bounded on the north, west, and south by the Suwannee River.

STEAMBOATING ON THE SUWANNEE RIVER

Location:intersection of U.S. 27 and Ivey Memorial Park Drive
County: Suwannee
City: Bradford
Description: In the late 19th century, steamboats docked regularly at the old depot in Branford (originally called Rowland's Bluff) when the settlement was a major port on the Suwannee River. From here the steam powered vessels carried the region's cotton, lumber, and naval stores to market. In 1882, the depot also became the terminus for the Live Oak and Rowland's Bluff Railroad. Steamboat traffic ended on the Suwannee before 1920, but the depot continued in use as a railroad station for many years. The wrecks of the steamboats "Madison", the "City of Hawkinsville" and others that lie on the river's bottom are reminders of a vanished era. In 1982, the Branford Shrine Club purchased the depot from the S.C.L Railroad and moved it to its present site for use as a club house and community center.
Sponsors: THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

THE DOUGLASS CENTER

Location:112 Douglas Street Southwest
County: Suwannee
City: Live Oak
Description: Side One: This is the site of the Douglass Center, a consolidated school complex that offered elementary, junior, and high school level classes to African American students. The center’s origin can be traced back to the Reconstruction era. Public education for African Americans in Suwannee County began in 1869 with the formation of two schools, one in the town of Live Oak and the other in unincorporated Houston. The Live Oak school was renamed after famous African American abolitionist Frederick Douglass, and located on the west side of South Houston Avenue. This school occupied a two-story wooden building and was only open from June through September. A second school, also named after Douglass, was built in the 1920s. Donations from the African American community, combined with matching funds from the Julius Rosenwald Foundation, financed the construction of a single-story brick school house on the east side of South Houston Avenue. In 1939, it was the first African American school in Live Oak to offer high school level classes. The school built on this site was the third in the district to be named after Douglass. Construction began in 1950 on the new 30-classroom school facility that housed grades one through twelve. Side Two: The new school was operational for the 1956/1957 school year. The campus featured a music room, teacher's lounge, office space, clinic, cafeteria, library, chemistry lab, and agricultural and homemaking departments. The physical education department had locker rooms with showers, and offered multiple athletic programs, including football, basketball, baseball, and softball. After the acquisition of school buses, many rural African American students gained access to a high school education. In 1965, construction on a new gymnasium was completed, the first one for an African American school in Suwannee County. With the integration of Florida’s public schools, Douglass School graduated its final high school class in 1969, the last segregated class to graduate in Suwannee County. The school then served as Suwannee Middle School until 1990. It was renamed the Douglass Center and used as an alternative school until 2006. The Suwannee County Board of County Commissioners acquired the campus in 2008 and adapted it to a community center. The Douglass Center is the last publicly-owned, historically African American school site in Suwannee County, and remains a vital part of the Live Oak community.
Sponsors: Douglass High School Alumni & Historical Assn., Inc., Board of Directors: Robert I. Ford, Rev. F.W. Williams, Jr., Annette Herring, Ruthie M. McClendon, Otis Johnson, James Cooper, Annie M. Herring, Gary Caldwell, Jimmy Cherry, Rev. Nelson Perry, Susan H. Ford

Taylor

PERRY ARMY AIRBASE

Location:South Perry Byron Parkway
County: Taylor
City: Perry
Description: The Perry Army Air Base of World War II stood in an 862 acre area south and west of this point. The 441st and 312th Fighter Squadrons of the Third Army Air Force trained replacement pilots for combat units worldwide. The 338th Fighter Group single engine aircraft included the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, and North American P-51 Mustang. The first troops arrived on June 9, 1943, and last departed in early September, 1945. Approximately 120 pilots per month received their final training here before overseas duty. Their service contributed to the successful conclusion of the war and was possible through dedicated support of both civilian and military permanent party personnel. In spite of a frequently commended safety training program, more than a score of trainees lost their lives to flying mishaps here. William Jaques (Sgt.), an Armorer of C Flight, 441st Fighter Squadron, in a diary kept during his 27 months of service here, paid this tribute: "Remembering the young airmen who died at Perry Army Air Field, June 1943 to September 1945... they died in the air, in the gulf, in the woods, and in the swamps. Some gave too much...but we got the job done."
Sponsors: Taylor County Historical Society and Florida Department Of State

DEADMAN BAY, STEPHENSVILLE AND STEINHATCHEE

Location:104 15th St. NE
County: Taylor
City: Steinhatchee
Description: Located at the mouth of the Steinhatchee River, Deadman Bay was on Spanish maps by the early 1500s. Spanish Conquistador Panfilo de Narvaez came through the area in 1529 followed by Hernando de Soto ten years later. DeSoto crossed the Steinhatchee River at the "Falls." In 1818 General Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) also crossed at the Falls on his way to dispatch the Seminoles who were raiding "white" settlements. In 1838 General Zachary Taylor (1784 -1850) was sent to put down the Seminoles during the Second Seminole War. Fort Frank Brook was established up the Steinhatchee River in the same year and abandoned in 1840. In 1879 James Howard Stephens (1825-1906), a local pioneer, offered land for a post office changing the name from Deadman Bay to Stephensville. In 1931 the community was renamed Steinhatchee after the river. The name Steinhatchee was derived from the Native American "esteen hatchee" meaning river (hatchee) of man (esteen). Steinhatchee's long history of human habitation includes prehistoric man dating from 12,000 BC, pirates from 15th through 18th centuries, loggers in the 1800s, sponge divers in the 1940s and 50s and commercial fishermen, shrimpers, and crabbers today.
Sponsors: UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

HAMPTON SPRINGS HOTEL

Location:Hampton Springs Hotel Site Park, Hampton Springs Rd.
County: Taylor
City: Perry
Description: The Hampton Springs Hotel was built in 1908 and was destroyed by fire in 1954. The hotel was world renowned for its sulphur springs and baths known for their healing and medicinal powers. The luxurious hotel boasted lush gardens with elaborate fountains and planters. The resort had a covered pool with foot baths fed by the springs, a golf course, tennis courts, stables, casino, grand ballroom, outdoor dance pavilion, and railroad depot. The nine-hole golf course was among the first in the region. The hotel had its own bottling plant and shipped the healing sulphur water nationwide. It also had its own power plant and the majority of the food served in the dining room was grown and raised at the hotel farm. The hotel had a private hunting and fishing lodge on Spring Creek six miles from the hotel site and an excursion boat with a covered launch. From the mid 1930s to mid 40s the hotel served as barracks for military personnel testing aircraft at Perry-Foley Airport in nearby Perry. Archaeological excavations here revealed the formation of the hotel and outbuildings.
Sponsors: THE TAYLOR COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

TAYLOR COUNTY

Location:400 Block N. Washington St. at Old Taylor Count Jail,
County: Taylor
City: Perry
Description: Taylor County was created from Madison County on December 23, 1856. It was named for Zachary Taylor, 12th president of the United States and commander of U.S. Army forces in Florida during part of the Second Seminole War. The name of the county seat was changed from Rosehead to Perry in 1875 in honor of Madison Starke Perry, governor of Florida from 1857-1861. This former jail is the oldest surviving public building in Taylor County. Erected in 1912, the Colonial Revival building was designed by Benjamin Bosworth Smith, an architect from Montgomery, Alabama, who had designed the Taylor County Courthouse erected four years earlier. The courthouse was demolished in the 1960s. A new jail was constructed in 1958.
Sponsors: THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

TAYLOR COUNTY SALT WORKS

Location:U.S. 19 & S.R. 361, five miles south of Perry
County: Taylor
City: Perry
Description: Taylor County's 50-mile coastline and shallow coastal waters made it ideal for manufacturing salt for the Confederacy. By 1862 works were in operation at Jonesville (now Adam's Beach) and near the mouth of Blue Creek. Trading on a barter basis, the region furnished salt for adjacent counties and South Georgia. Union forces never destroyed the salt industry and it continued operations until 1868.

JERKINS HIGH SCHOOL

Location:1201 Martin Luther King Ave
County: Taylor
City: Perry
Description: This outstanding historical site began as the Spring Hill Missionary Baptist Church. The church was built in 1853 in what was known a Rosehead, later named Perry. The roots of the education of African Americans in Taylor County are tied to that church, which had the distinction of being the oldest church in the county. In subsequent years, several school buildings were erected and destroyed by fire. The worst of the fires followed the 1923 Rosewood Massacre, which occurred in nearby Levy County. The campus which housed Jerkins High School was built with Rosenwald funds and was erected in 1950. Originally named Perry Negro High School, the school was renamed after its principal Henry R. Jerkins after his death. Jerkins High School was the first school in Taylor County to be named after an African American and was one of the few black schools in Florida to teach all 12 grades. Jerkins High School officially closed its doors in 1970 after integration.
Sponsors: SPONSORED BY THE TAYLOR COUNTY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

SHADY GROVE METHODIST CHURCH

Location:3625 Alton Wentworth Road
County: Taylor
City: Shady Grove
Description: Robert M. Hendry moved from Georgia and purchased farmland in the Shady Grove area in 1852. Reverend Hendry, a Methodist Circuit Rider in Florida and Georgia, served as the pastor of Friendship Church in Madison County. In 1872, members of the congregation, including Hendry and his son Thomas, organized the Shady Grove Methodist Church. The congregation held its first services in an old log schoolhouse, but moved a few years later to a new log building. This 1900 wood-framed church building with white clapboard siding was moved to this land, once part of the Hendry homestead, in 1909. The building’s front door, flanked by sash windows on each side, opened to pews of rough-hewn native timber, polished smooth by use, and separated by a central aisle. Hymnals and stick fans advertising area businesses littered the pews. In 1963, a brick church building was constructed, and was dedicated as the Robert M. Hendry Memorial Methodist Church. For over a century, the church has served as a locus for religious and community activity.
Sponsors: Robert M. Hendry Memorial Methodist Church

Union

MOUNT ZION PRIMITIVE BAPTIST CHURCH AND SWIFT CREEK CEMETERY

Location:C.R. 231A, near NW 150th Cir.
County: Union
City: Lake Butler
Description: Continuous religious services have been held on this site since 1844. The first church, of hand hewn logs was erected, and the following were elected elders at the time of constitution, February 20, 1847: Cornealus Buey and Sham Peacock. The first pastor was Elder Elias Knight. Other charter members were Jonas, Sarah, Penny, and Emily Driggers, John Wester and James Johnson. One of the oldest marked graves is John Roberts, 1778-1854. This church is now and has been since constitution a member of the Suwannee Association of the Primitive Baptist Faith and Order.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in Cooperation with the Board of County Commissioners, Union County

UNION COUNTY

Location:155 West Main Street, Union County Courthouse.
County: Union
City: Lake Butler
Description: Union County, established on October 1, 1921, is the smallest of Florida's 67 counties. Its 245 square miles are bounded by Baker County on the north and by the natural boundaries of Olustee Creek, the Santa Fe River and the New River. Once occupied by the Timucuan Indians, this area was a part of the Spanish Florida colony ceded to the United States in 1821. Early settlements, centered around Providence, a stage stopover, and Worthington Springs on the Santa Fe River, which were protected by military posts at Fort Ward and Fort Call during the Second Seminole War (1835-1842), while Fort Crabb secured the area north of Lake Butler. Cattle, lumber, and sea island cotton provided a basis for economic development, and in 1859, the town of Lake Butler was established as the county seat of the newly created New River County (later Bradford County in 1861). The lake and town were named after Colonel Robert Butler, the first Surveyor General of the Florida Territory. Growth and prosperity in the area were forestalled by the Civil War, and then hampered by the lack of adequate transportation facilities. But by 1890, the Georgia Southern and Florida Railroad had crossed the county, with depots at Lake Butler and Guilford. Lake Butler prospered and was incorporated as a city in 1893. The Jacksonville and Southwestern Railroad (later a branch of the Atlantic Coast Line) was completed in 1899, serving Raiford, Johnstown, Lake Butler, Danville, Dukes and Worthington Springs. Cattle, dairy and food crop production expanded after the boll weevil struck the cotton fields in 1918. Raiford was the center of lumber and naval stores operations, while Worthington Springs became a popular resort noted for its health-giving waters, and in 1913, a state prison farm established near Raiford provided additional economic stimulation and diversity to the local economy. By 1920, the demand for division of the area from Bradford County had peaked and on May 20, 1921, the State Legislature created Union County, from that portion west of the New River. The name Union was chosen to reflect unity. With a population of more than 10,000, Union County has retained its rural character. Forest products and agriculture continue to provide its economic base, supplemented by the state prisons, light manufacturing, and the trucking industries that have replaced the railroads as its transportation link with the nation.
Sponsors: The Union County Historical Society, Inc. in Cooperation with the Florida Department of State

Vero Beach

GIFFORD SCHOOL/ HOSIE SCHUMANN PARK

Location:1760 39th Street
County: Vero Beach
City: Indian River
Description: In 1901, William E. Geoffrey, a black man, donated this land for a black school in Gifford. Funded with help from the Julius Rosenwald Foundation, which provided support for hundreds of black schools across Florida and the Southeast, the Gifford School was constructed to serve grades 1-6. Used textbooks, furniture, and equipment were donated to the school. On cold days, the students huddled around a fire on the outdoor basketball court. During the early years, parents and the local church operated the school. Classes ran for three months during the year for blacks, when there were no beans to pick. In the late 1930s, the school transitioned into a high school. The principals were Professors W.A. Peck (1936-40), Lamar Fort (1940), Arthur C. Madrey (1941-45), Marcellus Goodwin (1945-50), and James R. Wiggins (1951-60). In 1938, three students graduated in Gifford High School’s first senior class. During the period of 1938-51, approximately 68 students graduated. In 1971, owners of the property donated it to Indian River County as a community park. Gulf & Western Sugar dedicated it to Hosie Shumann, a longtime employee, who had worked for them from 1942 until his death in 1971.

Volusia

THE HOME OF MR. HAROLD V. LUCAS, SR

Location:718 Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Boulevard
County: Volusia
City: Daytona Beach
Description: Harold V. Lucas, Sr., a native New Yorker and alumnus of New York University, was working as a stenographer when he was recruited by Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune to set up the first accounting system for Bethune-Cookman College. In 1920, he accepted the offer and moved to Daytona Beach, Florida. Relocation to a warmer climate proved beneficial for Lucas due to a physical disability that presented life-changing challenges. He did not allow this to prevent him from achieving his goals. Lucas' roles at Bethune-Cookman consisted of developing and maintaining a school-wide accounting system, serving as Dr. Bethune’s corresponding secretary and he was the first male faculty member. From inside his home, Lucas operated a printing and copying business. He also offered classes on typing and shorthand to the community and students. During World War II, these classes helped over 70 students of color achieve government jobs in Washington, D.C., and across the nation, which was rare at the time. Dr. Bethune learned of the success of the classes and commissioned Lucas to teach them at Bethune-Cookman, which led to him founding the college's business department. Lucas served there in faculty and administrative positions for 37 years.

NATHAN COBB COTTAGE

Location:137 Orchard Lane
County: Volusia
City: Ormond Beach
Description: The Nathan Cobb Cottage is a rare historic home built using local traditions and cultural practices in the frame vernacular style, and is one of the last standing structures erected from salvaged ship lumber and wood freight in Florida. It was built in 1897 by William Fagen using railroad ties for its walls from the wreck of the schooner Nathan F. Cobb. The ship capsized during a nor’easter storm off the coast of North Carolina which drowned two of her crewmen. It then drifted for 375 miles until it ran aground off the coast of Ormond (now Ormond Beach) on December 5, 1896. During a rescue attempt to save the surviving six crewmen, Freeman Waterhouse, a bookkeeper for the Ormond Hotel, drowned, his body never recovered. It originally included a dog-trot, detached kitchen structure, wood plank front porch with ship balustrade railing, exposed railroad ties on its exterior walls and a wood shake shingle roof with two dormer windows. An indoor kitchen, bathroom and electricity were added which modernized the cottage. It is unlikely that such a building will be constructed again since wood schooners have not been built since the 1920s, and almost all have been decommissioned and salvaged decades ago.

GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Location:4110 S. Ridgewood Avenue
County: Volusia
City: Port Orange
Description: Originally part of a 1790 Spanish land grant, the settlement now known as Port Orange began in 1885. The 1888 Diocesan Journal listed the church as a mission church, and the Bishop of Missionaries, the Rt. Rev. William C. Gray, consecrated it in 1894. The church was a mission for 92 years before it was granted full parish status in 1982. The Vicar, Bishop Gray, became the first Rector to serve the church. In 1893, a 65-feet-long and 33-feet-wide Florida Carpenter Gothic style chapel, with white batten framing and a tall bell tower with a cross, was built of native cypress and heart pine. Dr. Charles Meeker and his wife, Mary, donated the bell and hanger, both ordered from Europe. The Meeker family donated a three-part signed Tiffany window, which hung behind the altar and depicted Jesus as The Good Shepherd watching over the sheep. This window dramatically changes color each afternoon. In 1902, Mary Meeker donated another three-part Tiffany window in honor of her husband. Located on the east side of the chapel, it portrays St. Luke the beloved physician. It is the only one depicting St. Luke that Tiffany made. Grace Episcopal chapel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.

BETSY ROSS AIRFIELD FOR WOMEN

Location:The 160 acre airfield was generally located at the northwest corner of W. Rhode Island Avenue and S. SparkmanAvenue
County: Volusia
City: Orange City
Description: Side One: On May 9, 1931, the land beyond this sign was donated to the Betsy Ross Air Corps, a pre-World War II organization of female pilots. Designated the Betsy Ross Airport, the airfield was the only airport in the nation entirely owned and operated by women. Its purpose was a place for female pilots to learn to fly and improve their skills. In the northeast corner of the 160-acre site was Arawana Lodge, used as the Corps regional headquarters and a place for the pilots to vacation. The vision, gift, and construction were all realized by Orange City's Dr. Frances Dickinson. She was an educator, woman's rights advocate, ophthalmologist and club woman. A flyer herself, Dickinson noted female pilots were not provided equal opportunity in the growing field of aviation. By 1932, Dickinson completed construction of one 1,000-foot runway and a 600-foot central axis designed to serve seven more runways. On January 13, 1932, the Betsy Ross Air Corp's National Commander, Opal Kunz, and Lt. Commander, Lillian Perkins, assumed operations and continued development of the airfield. Side Two: The Betsy Ross Air Corps' period of existence was short-lived (1931-1933), and never formally recognized by the U.S. Military. Dickinson secured funding to complete the airport construction from Florida's Federal Emergency Relief Administration in December 1934. By 1935, Volusia County signed a five-year lease to use the airfield as an emergency landing field. After World War II, the airfield was renamed to the DeLand-Orange City Airport. In January 1945, J. Wade Coleman of the Orange State Flying Services leased the airfield to operate an educational facility. Coleman contracted with Stetson University to provide flight training supplementing the university's existing aviation ground school courses. Before Dickinson's death on May 19, 1945, four women earned their solo pilot’s licenses from her airfield. The field remained an active private airfield until a television tower was constructed over the western edge in the mid-1960s. Portions of the former airfield are now home to Manatee Cove Elementary and River Springs Middle School. The Compass Landing Subdivision pays tribute to the legacy of the Betsy Ross Airport and Dr. Frances Dickinson’s vision to advance women fliers.

SETTLEMENT AT SPRUCE CREEK

Location:Slow Flight Drive
County: Volusia
City: Port Orange
Description: This cemetery is all that remains of a small community of pioneers who settled this area in the early 1880s. The name Spruce Creek showed up on maps as early as 1859 as the name for the creek that winds through the area, but Orange and Oriana were used as alternate names. In 1909, the Spruce Creek name was formally adopted by the community. By that time, it boasted a community house, sawmill, church, two cemeteries, and a one-room schoolhouse. In this cemetery are interred 56 United States military veterans, with records of service that include the Florida Seminole Wars, Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf. Civil War veteran John Allen Jackson has the distinction of being the earliest recorded grave. Families that called Spruce Creek home in the 1900s included the Bennetts, Chandlers, Fairs, Johnsons, McDaniels, Prevatts, Selfs, Sparkmans, and Yelvingtons. Eugenia Fair was the schoolteacher, and her husband, Andrew, was a watchmaker. Other notable residents included: George Self, a minister; LaFane McDaniel, butcher; Simmons Bennett, carpenter; George Prevatt, watchman; and John Yelvington, steer raiser. Descendants of the original pioneers still call Spruce Creek home.

KELLY FIELD AND JACKIE ROBINSON

Location:925-981 George West Engram Boulevard
County: Volusia
City: Daytona Beach
Description: Side One: The year was 1946. Daytona Beach was the only city in racially segregated Florida, perhaps in the entire South, that accepted integrated modern professional baseball. City officials ignored the Jim Crow laws when the Brooklyn Dodgers and their top minor league team, the Montreal Royals, held spring training in Daytona Beach. Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, a nationally recognized Civil Rights leader who founded nearby Bethune-Cookman College, influenced city politics. Dodgers president Branch Rickey, in an attempt to reintegrate organized baseball after nearly 70 years of segregation, had signed two Negro League players, infielder Jackie Robinson and pitcher Johnny Wright, to play for the Royals in 1946. Before and after his historic appearance at City Island Ballpark in Daytona Beach on March 17, 1946, where he broke Major League Baseball's color barrier, Robinson and the Montreal team spent most of their time practicing and playing games with other minor league teams at Kelly Field. Located just steps from this spot, Kelly Field was for decades a key community gathering spot for African Americans in Daytona Beach's Midway neighborhood. Side Two: On March 6, 1946, two African American ballplayers, Jackie Robinson and Johnny Wright, and their white Montreal Royals teammates began spring training in Daytona Beach. The site was Kelly Field, which was located just a few steps from here. Part of that initial practice was a scrimmage game, in which Robinson played four innings at shortstop. Baseball Hall of Fame sportswriter Sam Lacy of the Baltimore Afro-American wrote in his nationally syndicated column, "It was the first time in history that a colored player had competed in a game representing a team in modern organized baseball." Following spring training in Daytona Beach, the only city to allow integrated baseball during that spring training, Robinson went on to lead Montreal to a 1946 minor league championship. He was promoted to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 and helped the Dodgers to six National League pennants and one World Series championship. Following his ten-year major league career, Robinson was enshrined in baseball's Hall of Fame in 1962.

HISTORIC CHILDHOOD HOME OF DR. HOWARD THURMAN

Location:614 Whitehall Street
County: Volusia
City: Daytona Beach
Description: Side One: Born in West Palm Beach in 1899, Dr. Howard Washington Thurman spent much of his childhood in this house. Built circa 1888, the house was owned by Nancy Ambrose, Thurman’s maternal grandmother, a former slave whose faith influenced his own. At the age of one, Thurman moved with his family to live with his grandmother in Daytona Beach. Family friend Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune was a mentor to Thurman, and her work in African American education influenced him greatly. While in Daytona, he was able to finish the 8th grade, an opportunity rarely afforded to African Americans in the area at that time. Thurman moved to Jacksonville to attend secondary school at the Florida Baptist Academy. He continued his education at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, and was graduated in 1923 as valedictorian. In 1925, he was ordained as a Baptist minister after completing seminary training at the Colgate-Rochester School of Divinity in New York. The school only accepted two black students per year. In the late 1920s, Thurman transitioned from student to teacher, working at multiple religious and educational institutions. In 1929, he returned to Atlanta to serve as the Director of Religious Life at Morehouse College. Side Two: From 1932 until 1944, Thurman served as the first Dean of Rankin Chapel at Howard University, where he became one of the most influential early voices shaping the nonviolent philosophy of the modern Civil Rights Movement in America. In a 1935 pilgrimage to India, Thurman led the first African American delegation to meet with nonviolent resistance leader Mahatma Gandhi. This experience led him in 1944 to cofound the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples in San Francisco, California. It is an interracial and interdenominational Christian church, described by Thurman as “a pilot development of the integrated church movement in America.” Thurman published his most famous book, Jesus and the Disinherited, in 1949, a work that would go on to influence a host of activists and leaders in the Civil Rights Movement, including a young Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1953, Harold C. Case, the president of the predominantly-white Boston University, appointed Thurman as the first black Dean of Marsh Chapel. He served in the position until 1965. As a result of Thurman’s contributions to education, African American civil rights, and religious integration, this house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

EMATHLA (KING PHILIP)

Location:Sugar Mill Gardens
County: Volusia
City: Port Orange
Description: Emathla (1739-1839), also known as King Philip, was a respected Seminole leader of the Alachua region in the early 1800s. Known for his diplomacy, Emathla was firmly committed to keeping Seminoles in Florida and opposing President Andrew Jackson’s Indian removal policy. During the Second Seminole War, Emathla was a skilled strategist. He planned several victorious military campaigns alongside his son, Coacoochee (Wild Cat), and his brother-in-law, Chief Micanopy. In 1836, Emathla and Coacoochee led an attack on a sugar mill and plantations in this region. The following year, at almost 100 years of age, Emathla was captured by the U.S. Army while encamped near the ruins of Dunlawton Plantation. He was used as a pawn to lure Osceola and Coacoochee to meet under a flag of truce at Fort Marion, where they were betrayed and taken captive. Osceola remained imprisoned for the rest of his life, but Coacoochee escaped and continued to lead his people. Emathla died in 1839 as he was forced west to the Indian Territory on the “Trail of Tears.”

HISTORIC VOLUSIA COUNTY COURTHOUSE

Location:120 W. Indiana Avenue
County: Volusia
City: DeLand
Description: In 1888, Henry A. DeLand donated land for the construction of a wooden courthouse after the city of DeLand became the new seat for Volusia County. Starting in 1927, construction began on a new courthouse designed in the Neoclassical style. Completed in 1929 for a final cost of $500,000, the new courthouse was described as “one of the most beautiful county administration buildings in the South.” It featured fluted Corinthian columns, vaulted arches, marble staircases, a distinctive copper clad dome, and an interior cupola featuring a stained glass dome. Additionally, it had elaborate twin facades containing ornate balustrades and terra cotta entablature. The dedication ceremony on November 18, 1929, was attended by more than 3,000 locals who enjoyed a pork barbecue, concerts from the Stetson Symphony Orchestra and the DeLand Concert Band, and circus performers provided by the Johnny J. Jones Show. The first woman to graduate from Stetson College of Law and to be registered with the Florida State Supreme Court, Mary Stewart Howarth-Hewitt, practiced law here. In 1987, the Volusia County Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a part of the Downtown DeLand Historic District.

TURNBULL GRAND CANAL

Location:Corner of SR 44 and South Walker Drive
County: Volusia
City: New Smyrna Beach
Description: The Turnbull Grand Canal, also known as the Grand Canal, was built by indentured servants brought to the area by Scottish physician Dr. Andrew Turnbull in 1768. As part of the largest single attempt at British colonization in North America, Smyrnea Settlement, Turnbull attracted more than 1,400 Minorcans, Corsicans, Greeks, and Italians who sought the promise of new opportunities in Florida. Turnbull was impressed by the Egyptian canal system and wanted to replicate it in Smyrnea. Three canals ran east-west and were linked with a fourth, longer canal known as the Grand Canal that ran north-south and connected to Turnbull Bay. These hand-dug canals provided irrigation and drainage for rice, hemp, cotton, and indigo crops, and served as a mode of transportation within the colony. After nine years of harsh treatment under Turnbull, drought, and crop failures, the colony’s population fell to about 600 people. In 1777, a group of Smyrnea colonists walked 70 miles to St. Augustine to petition British East Florida Governor Patrick Tonyn for release from their indentures. After hearing the case, Governor Tonyn gave them their freedom and granted them land north of St. Augustine.

HISTORIC VOLUSIA COUNTY COURTHOUSE

Location:120 West Indiana Avenue
County: Volusia
City: DeLand
Description: In 1888, Henry A. DeLand donated land for the construction of a wooden courthouse after the city of DeLand became the new seat for Volusia County. Starting in 1927, construction began on a new courthouse designed in the Neoclassical style. Completed in 1929 for a final cost of $500,000, the new courthouse was described as “one of the most beautiful county administration buildings in the South.” It featured fluted Corinthian columns, vaulted arches, marble staircases, a distinctive copper clad dome, and an interior cupola featuring a stained glass dome. Additionally, it had elaborate twin facades containing ornate balustrades and terra cotta entablature. The dedication ceremony on November 18, 1929, was attended by more than 3,000 locals who enjoyed a pork barbecue, concerts from the Stetson Symphony Orchestra and the DeLand Concert Band, and circus performers provided by the Johnny J. Jones Show. The first woman to graduate from Stetson College of Law and to be registered with the Florida State Supreme Court, Mary Stewart Howarth-Hewitt, practiced law here. In 1987, the Volusia County Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a part of the Downtown DeLand Historic District.
Sponsors: County of Volusia

BATTLE OF DUNLAWTON PLANTATION

Location:950 Old Sugar Mill Road, Sugar Mill Botanical Gardens
County: Volusia
City: Port Orange
Description: During the First Seminole War, 1836, the Mosquito Roarers, a company of Florida militia under Major Benjamin Putnam, engaged a large band of Seminoles pillaging Dunlawton, a sugar plantation on the Halifax River. Heavy fighting ensued, but the militiamen were unable to disperse the Indians. The extensive system of sugar plantations on Florida's east coast was eventually destroyed by Seminole raids and the sugar industry in this area never recovered.

CORONADO BEACH HOUSE

Location:1705 S. Atlantic Ave.
County: Volusia
City: New Smyrna Beach
Description: Coronado Beach was settled by Foster G. Austin in 1885. Austin built a series of beachside cottages approximately one mile south of Flagler Avenue. In its early days, Coronado Beach, named after Austin’s native community in California, served primarily as a retreat for hunting and fishing during the winter. The community center shifted north to the Flagler Avenue area after the construction of a bridge that connected the mainland and the beachfront. Not many of the original houses withstood the ensuing decades of beachfront development. This house is one of the original houses built in Coronado Beach by Austin and is an excellent example of the type of housing built in this area in the late 19th century. Its original location was one half block south, at the northeast corner of Hill Street and 8th Avenue. Notable architectural features of this frame Vernacular house include the cross gable roof, veranda with cut-out stars in the brackets, chamfered posts, alternate shingle siding and ornate attic light in the east gable end. Coronado Beach was incorporated into the City of New Smyrna Beach in 1946.
Sponsors: MALIBU CONDOMINIUMS, LLC AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

DeBARY HALL / FLORIDA FEDERATION OF ART, INC.

Location:210 Sunrise Boulevard at DeBary Hall
County: Volusia
City: DeBary
Description: Side 1: Built in 1871 by Baron Frederick de Bary. Born 1815 in Germany of Belgian descent, de Bary came to New York in 1840 as agent for Mumm's Champagne. His estate of many hundred acres here in Florida was a hunting and fishing preserve and his family's winter home, where many notables of the day were entertained. Presidents Grant and Cleveland and members of Europe's royalty were guests. He died in 1898 in his 84th year, and his son Adolphe inherited the property. De Bary's residence here was during the steamboat era of the St. Johns River, and his interests included ownership of a steamship line. Side 2: Organized 1927 in Orlando for the purpose of promoting, developing, and advancing art in the State of Florida. DeBary Hall, with about five acres of land, was given to the Federation in 1959 by the Property Owners Association of Plantation Estates and became the Federation's State Headquarters and Art Galleries. In 1967 the property was acquired by the Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials, which then leased it to the Federation for its continued use. The Federation Committee that negotiated this sale and lease was Mrs. G.J. Brooks, Chairman; Mrs. Willard Bielby, Secretary; Dr. and Mrs. A.E. Brandt; Mr. William Daniell; and Mrs. Mabel Bullis.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

DUMMETT PLANTATION

Location:At Addison Block House Ruins near Tomoka State Park
County: Volusia
City: Ormond Beach
Description: Near this site on the Tomoka River, stood "Carrikfergus Plantation", settle by Thomas H. Dummett, a native of Barbados, B.W.I., in 1825. The Dummett holdings were extensively planted in sugar and contained a sugar mill and large rum distillery. Worked by slaves, "Carrikfergus" and other plantations were destroyed in 1836 by Indians during the Seminole War. This disaster permanently destroyed the plantation economy of thisarea.

FREEMANVILLE SETTLEMENT

Location:S. Ridgewood Ave. between 4th Ave. and Murray Way
County: Volusia
City: Port Orange
Description: Founded soon after the U.S. Civil War, the settlement that would become “Freemanville” was established by Dr. John Milton Hawks, an abolitionist and Union Army surgeon, along with other Union Army officers and the Florida Land & Lumber Company. In 1866, roughly 500 former slaves, many of whom had fought for the Union during the war, and their families initially settled here. An additional 1,000 freed slaves would arrive via steamboats in the following months. Of the 3,000 blacks that made Florida their home, roughly half settled near the Halifax River, thus making this area the most populous in Volusia County at that time. In 1867, Dr. Hawks named the settlement Port Orange. Due to harsh farming conditions and poor supplies, the settlement, the Florida Land & Lumber Company, and the integrated school, disbanded in 1869. Many of the settlers returned to their home states or headed for area citrus groves looking for work. However, a few of those original freed slaves stayed. Over time, the settlement became known as “Freemanville.” Mt. Moriah Baptist Church is the last remaining structure from the pioneering African-American community in Port Orange known simply as Freemanville.
Sponsors: THE CITY OF PORT ORANGE AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

GAMBLE PLACE

Location:1819 Taylor Road (off S.R.431)
County: Volusia
City: Port Orange
Description: In 1898, James N. Gamble, of the Procter and Gamble Company and a longtime winter resident of Daytona Beach, bought this land on Spruce Creek for use as a rural retreat. In 1907, he built a small cracker cottage with an open front porch and a breezeway connecting a separate kitchen and dining room, which he named "Egwanulti," a Native American word meaning "by the water." At the same time, he rebuilt an existing packing house to process citrus from his grove. In 1938, Gamble's son-in-law, Alfred K. Nippert, completed the "Snow White House," a Black Forest style cottage inspired by the Disney animated film classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The house is surrounded by a Witch's Hut, the Dwarfs' Mine Shaft, and an elaborate network of rock gardens. Collectively, these buildings and grounds form a historic landscape now known as Gamble Place. This property was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.
Sponsors: The Museum of Arts and Sciences of Daytona Beach and The Nature Conservancy in Cooperation with the Florida Department of State

HOTEL ORMOND

Location:S.R. 40 (Granada Boulevard). Near John Anderson Dr.
County: Volusia
City: Ormond Beach
Description: Hotel Ormond, named for Volusia County pioneer James Ormond, was built in 1887 by John Anderson and Joseph Price. The large frame building was bought and enlarged by Henry M. Flagler in the 1890's. Operated by Flagler's Florida East Coast Railway, it was one of the first Flagler hotels in Florida. After 1890, the hotel and adjoining Ormond Beach Golf Club became major Florida tourist centers. John D. Rockefeller, a nearby resident, was a patron of both.
Sponsors: Restored in January 2017.

NOCOROCO

Location:At Tomoka State Park.
County: Volusia
City: Ormond Beach
Description: On this site was the Timucuan Indian Village of Nocoroco. It was mentioned in the report of Alvaro Mexia's expedition down the Florida east coast in 1605. It was the first Indian village south of St. Augustine noted by Mexia. The site was used during the British Occupation of Florida (1763-83), and probably remained under cultivation until the Seminole wars (1835-42).

OLD KING'S ROAD

Location:Ormond Lakes Blvd. between Emerald Oaks Ln. and Lakebluff Dr.
County: Volusia
City: Ormond Beach
Description: The King's Road (also called Old King's Road named for King George of England) crossed north to south near this site. It was the first graded road built in Florida. Approximately 1.14 miles extends through Ormond Lake’s subdivision. Centuries ago, it originated as an Indian trail connecting Timucuan Indian villages along Florida’s East Coast. The Spanish laid out the primary trail during their first occupation of Florida (1513-1763). The British developed the winding trail into a working road (1763-1773) as area residents and the British Parliament put up funds for the highway’s construction. Among other uses during the British Period (1763-1783), it served the many large plantations being created along Florida’s East Coast. During the Second Spanish occupation (1784-1821) the Spanish regained control but preferred water routes to land passages and the King’s Road fell into disrepair. Following the American acquisition of Florida in 1821, the United States Congress appropriated funds to reconstruct the road. U.S. Army engineers completed the work between 1828 and 1831. The King’s Road was constructed from St. Mary’s, Georgia, to New Smyrna Beach, Florida, where it terminates at the remains of a stone wharf.
Sponsors: Ormond Lakes, Ltd., The Ormond Lakes Homeowners Association and the Florida Department of State

ORMOND TOMB

Location:North of Tomoka State Park on S.R. 5A (Old Dixie H
County: Volusia
City: Ormond Beach
Description: Near this site lies the tomb of James Ormond II. Ormond and his father, a Scot who immigrated to Florida via the Bahamas about 1804, made "Damietta," the family plantation, one of the most productive in the Halifax region. When Florida became a U.S. territory, Ormond became prominent in civil affairs, and during the Seminole War of 1836, commanded a platoon of the "Mosquito Roarers" at the Battle of Dunlawton. Ormond Beach was named for his family.

ST. MARY'S EPISCOPAL

Location:U.S. Highway 1 at Ridgewood Avenue
County: Volusia
City: Daytona Beach
Description: The Florida frontier remained relatively empty until after the Civil War. during the late 1860s, both northerners and native southerners perceived great potential in Florida. Among the places they settled was Tomoka, which became Daytona in 1871. Daytona settlers remained unchurched until various Protestant denominations established the Mission circuits so typical of frontier America. One early mission was St. Mark's begun in 1877. The parishioners of St. Mark's early felt the need for permanence and began planning a church building in the late seventies. Their efforts were crowned with success with the completion of St. Mary's, a Gothic Revival structure with board-and-batten exterior sheathing. St. Mary's has remained on its original site, growing with the community it serves. The structure has been enlarged several times to accommodate the expanding parish; however, the original St. Mary's remains the core of the present building, a visible reminder of Daytona's earliest years.
Sponsors: sponsored by jay adams and associates in cooperation with department of state

THE ORMOND GARAGE

Location:S.R. 40 (East Granada Boulevard).
County: Volusia
City: Ormond Beach
Description: Built by Flagler's East Coast Hotel Company in 1903 for the 1904 races. This landmark in the history of the American automobile industry was the setting for the preparation, testing and servicing of some of the most famous racing cars of the world which made racing history and records on the nearby beach. It was a proving ground for pioneer automobile manufacturers such as Olds, Winton, Ford and Chevrolet. Some of the famous drivers who made world speed records here were William K. Vanderbilt, Jr., Arthur MacDonald, Fred Marriott, Ralph DePalma, Barney Oldfield and Tommy Milton.
Sponsors: The Birthplace of Speed Association, Inc. in Cooperation with Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

SAUL'S HOUSE SITE

Location:880 Osteen Cemetery Rd, Osteen Cemetery
County: Volusia
City: Deltona
Description: Central Florida opened to settlers at the end of the 2nd Seminole War. The creation of Mosquito (later Volusia) County in 1843 signified rising interest in the area. George and Adaline Sauls were among those who came to Volusia County in the 1850s. Sauls built a two-room home near the road from Enterprise to the east coast in an area which became known as Saulsville. He added a second floor and other rooms as his family increased. After the 1880s, population centered on the railroad town of Osteen. Sauls family members remained in their home until the early 20th century. The Sauls house stood for over 100 years until fire destroyed it in 1972.
Sponsors: SPONSORED BY THE VOLUSIA COUNTY PRESERVATION BOARD

THE CASEMENTS

Location:25 Riverside Drive
County: Volusia
City: Ormond Beach
Description: Side One: Built in 1913 by Reverend Dr. Harwood Huntington, The Casements is named for its casement-style windows. Retired Standard Oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, Sr. purchased it in 1918 as a winter residence, in hopes that it would support his desire to live to age 100. Known locally as “Neighbor John,” Rockefeller spent winters here enjoying golf, watching automobile racing on the beach, and meeting “Birthplace of Speed” race drivers. He also spent time socializing at the Hotel Ormond, and welcoming the company of friends such as Will Rogers, Harvey Firestone, Thomas Edison, and Henry Ford. Rockefeller died in his bedroom here in May 1937, just short of his 98th birthday. Allegedly his heirs intended to have The Casements razed following his death. Instead it was sold in 1940 to Maud Van Woy, owner and headmistress of the Fairmont Junior College of Washington, D.C. Van Woy transformed the building into the Casements Junior College. Following the closing of the college in 1951, The Casements then served as a religious retirement facility and school. Later it became Casements Manor, a secular retirement facility and transient hotel, and finally, the Ormond Hotel-Casements. Side Two: The property, which included a separate cottage called “South House,” was expanded through the years by each owner’s addition of staff residences, garage apartments, and dormitories. It fell into an extended period of owner neglect and was finally abandoned. Again destined to be razed in the late 1960s, The Casements was saved by local citizens. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and the City of Ormond Beach purchased the property in 1974. It was restored with a federal Economic Development Administration grant under the Local Public Works Act in 1978 and reopened in 1979 as The Community Enrichment Center of Ormond Beach, a historical, educational and cultural facility also hosting community events. With the additions removed, The Casements evokes the residence built by Rev. Dr. Huntington and purchased by John D. Rockefeller. The State of Florida designated John D. Rockefeller “A Great Floridian” in November 2000.
Sponsors: The Casements Guild of Ormond Beach, The Friends of the Casements

SANDS FISH & OYSTER COMPANY

Location:100 Ocean Avenue
County: Volusia
City: Port Orange
Description: Side 1: The Sands Fish & Oyster Company supplied oysters to markets and restaurants up and down the Atlantic seaboard from 1916 until 1955. Founded by William Sands, Sr., the company earned Port Orange, Florida, the title of “Oyster Capital of the World” by harvesting fresh, delicious oysters known far and wide. In addition to oysters, the company supplied clams, fish, and shrimp. Sands managed oyster leases along the Halifax River as far south as New Smyrna Beach and as far north as St. Augustine. Before starting his company, he had worked as a bookkeeper for Daniel DuPont’s Port Orange Oyster Company. Originally located just north of Herbert Street along Halifax Drive, the Sands oyster house moved one block north to the corner of Ocean Avenue and Halifax Drive in the 1930s. In exchange for use of City of Port Orange property, the company provided the city with oyster shells for local roads. As the business grew, the oyster house expanded eastward over the river on pilings. Harvesting an average of 500 gallons of oysters per week, the company reached a high mark of 905 gallons during one week in 1943. Packed in gallon size metal cans, the oysters were shipped out by truck. Side 2: A mainstay of the Port Orange business community, the Sands Fish & Oyster Company provided numerous jobs. Workers traveled from New York and Georgia to work the eight-month oyster season. During the off season, workers replenished the oyster beds and fished the river. For each gallon of oysters shucked, workers received a token known as a “Sands Dollar” that could be turned in for pay or used in local stores. In 1947, William Sands, Sr., passed away and his wife Mabel Sands and her son William Sands, Jr., took over the company. Success of the oyster business continued, but the water quality of the river declined after the construction of the second Dunlawton Bridge in early 1951. The bridge’s earthen causeway design, known locally as the “Port Orange Dam,” restricted the water's tidal flow. Contaminants from septic tanks coupled with restricted flow raised bacterial levels in the river enough to end oyster harvesting. Sands Fish & Oyster remained in business selling fish, smoked mullet, clams, shrimp, and oysters that were supplied from other parts of the state. Mabel Sands sold the company to Fred and Martha Downing in 1956. The Downings continued the fish and shrimp market until 1961.
Sponsors: The Port Orange Historical Trust, City of Port Orange

ORANGE CITY COLORED SCHOOL

Location:200 East Blue Springs Avenue
County: Volusia
City: Orange City
Description: Side One: The Orange City Colored School was the first building in town constructed for the education of African Americans. Before it opened in 1927, various buildings had been adapted for use as classrooms but were small and poorly lighted. Inspired by her progressive values and the needs of the growing black population, Dr. Frances Dickenson donated five acres of land for the school. Funding was provided by the Board of Public Instruction of Volusia County and a grant from the Julius Rosenwald Foundation, which furnished plans and $1,100 to build the four-teacher community school. Associated with what is now Tuskegee University, the Rosenwald program was a major force in rural school design, creating models of positive, orderly, and healthy environments for learning. Herman L. Nordman built the masonry structure with large banks of windows according to “Floor Plan No. 400." This school is one of four Rosenwald Schools built in Volusia County. Historically, the school taught students from first through eighth grade, but the upper grades were discontinued in the 1930s. When black schools in Osteen and Enterprise closed in the early 1950s, those students who could find transportation attended the Orange City School. Side Two: The first principal was William King. Early teachers included Marian L. Coleman, Eva King, Henry J. King, Pauline Poole, Turie Thornton Small, T.E. Thornton, Rosa E. Williams, and Louis King. Marian Coleman was educated in Jacksonville and attended Edward Waters College and Bethune-Cookman College, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree. Her pay in the 1930s amounted to seventy dollars per month, and her appointment as principal in 1943 brought in another ten dollars monthly. In the early 1960s, the Orange City school was renamed the Marian L. Coleman School in her honor. One of the school’s prominent students was Evelyn Wiggins Sharp, who received a Ph.D. from New York University and taught in Volusia County. She was appointed an advisor to the Iranian Ministry of Education for the U.S. State Department in 1960, and worked in Tehran to raise standards of living, literacy, and agricultural practice. When the school closed in 1969, students were transferred to DeLand. The building then served as a community center, recreation facility, and a church. In 1984, it housed the Marian L. Coleman Head Start program. The former school was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
Sponsors: Volusia County Historic Preservation Board, Village Improvement Association, Orange City Woman's Club

DELEON SPRINGS COLORED SCHOOL

Location:330 East Retta Street
County: Volusia
City: DeLeon Springs
Description: Side One: African American families living in DeLeon Springs in the 1920s needed a better school. The Mt. Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church was no longer adequate and classes moved to St. Joseph Lodge, but it also was too small. In 1928, a group of African American residents, including teacher Carrie Malloy, approached the school board about building a new school. The board rebuffed them, and they turned to school trustee and businessmen Fred N. Burt for help. Burt, a New York native who arrived in DeLeon Springs in 1909, developed the Burwyn Park subdivision, Burt’s Park, and Spring Garden Ranch, which included stables, horse track, and quarters for black laborers. A respected local leader, Burt was a benefactor to the African American community and took up the mission to build the new school. Burt donated the land, financed the construction, and used his own carpenters. Plans for the school house and additional funds were provided by the Julius Rosenwald Foundation, which helped build schools for African Americans all over the south. The school was completed in 1929, and the school board reimbursed Burt half the cost, about $2,000. Side Two: The two-teacher community school faced north as required by the Rosenwald foundation. It taught grades first through eighth. Younger students sat at the front of the classrooms, while older students sat in the rear. Teachers employed between the 1920s and early 1950s included Jamie B. Allen, Carrie L. Malloy, Lou Alyce M. Reddick, Mary Turner Simmons, Eliza H. Staples, Mayo D. Staples, Annetta V. Stokes, Frankye A. Straughter, and Annie May Washington. After World War II, the few high school students who attended were transferred to the Euclid Avenue School in DeLand. The school was renamed the Malloy School in 1955 to honor Carrie Malloy’s early efforts here for black children. Renewed growth compelled the school board to expand the campus in 1954, adding two buildings and a kitchen. Due to the integration of the Volusia County public school system, the school was closed. In 1969. That same year, Doris McWilliams, an educator who had attended the school in the 1940s, started a community center and Head Start Program here. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003 and is one of the few Rosenwald schools left in Florida.
Sponsors: Volusia County Historic Preservation Board, West Volusia Historical Society, Inc., DeLeon Springs Community Association, Inc.

THE GABORDY CANAL

Location:South Riverside Drive
County: Volusia
City: New Smyrna Beach
Description: The Gabordy Canal, also known as the South Canal, was built by colonists brought to the New Smyrna area in 1768 by the Scottish physician, Dr. Andrew Turnbull. As part of the largest single attempt at British colonization, New Smyrna attracted more than 1,400 Minorcans, Corsicans, Greeks, and Italians who sought new opportunities as indentured servants. Turnbull, impressed by the Egyptian canal system, wanted to replicate it in New Smyrna. Three canals, including this one, ran east-west and were linked with a fourth, longer canal that ran north-south. These hand dug canals provided irrigation and drainage for rice, hemp, cotton, and indigo crops grown by the colonists, and served as a mode of transportation within the colony. Local historians believe that the Gabordy Canal was named after the Gabardis, an original colonist family who lived in the vicinity of the canal. After nine years of harsh treatment, drought, and crop failures, the population was reduced to about 600 people. A group of colonists petitioned English Governor James Grant of St. Augustine in 1777 for release from their indenture. The governor granted land north of St. Augustine to these colonists.
Sponsors: City of New Smyrna Beach, Historic New Smyrna Beach Preservation Commission, Mayor James Hathaway, Vice Mayor Judy Reiker, Commissioner Jake Sachs, Commissioner Jason McGuirk, Commissioner Kirk Jones

BETHUNE-VOLUSIA BEACH

Location:6656 South Atlantic Avenue
County: Volusia
City: New Smyrna Beach
Description: Side One: When Daytona Beach was founded in 1876 two of its founders, John Tolliver and Thaddeus S. Gooden, were African American. Over the years, Jim Crow laws changed the state drastically, and by the 1920s, African Americans were banned from most of Florida’s public beaches. In response, beaches opened that catered specifically to African Americans like Butler Beach in St. Augustine, American Beach on Amelia Island, and Paradise Park at Silver Springs in Ocala. In 1935, only two places in Volusia County allowed African Americans beach access, and only during the summer and on specific holidays. Bethune-Cookman College co-founder and president Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune wanted to create a beach in Volusia County for African Americans to enjoy without restriction or fear of harassment. Born in Mayesville, South Carolina, to formerly enslaved parents, Bethune moved to Daytona Beach in 1904. She opened the Daytona Literary and Industrial School for the Training of Negro Girls, which later merged with Cookman Institute in Jacksonville to become Bethune-Cookman College. Bethune was an active crusader for educational advancement and civil rights for African Americans in Florida and throughout the nation. Side Two: Bethune approached architect and developer Mr. Dana F. Fuquay about purchasing a two-and-a-half mile strip of land south of New Smyrna Beach. Fuquay owned most of the land along the Intracoastal Waterway in Volusia and Flagler counties. In need of investors, Bethune used her influence to arrange a meeting at the Rogers Hotel in Tampa with some of the wealthiest African Americans in Florida, and on December 9, 1945, the Bethune-Volusia Beach Corporation was formed. The charter members included president, Mr. G.D. Rogers; executive vice-president, Mr. George W. Powell; vice-president, Dr. W.H. Gray; secretary, Mr. James A. Colston; and treasurer, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune. The new beach quickly became a popular vacation destination for African Americans from all over the country. During the July 4th celebration in 1950, over 5,000 people came out to enjoy the festivities. Bethune-Volusia Beach was open to all races, though ownership of land and businesses was retained solely by African Americans. Following the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the beach lost popularity, and many visitors, particularly those from out of state, stopped coming as other local options became more available.
Sponsors: Volusia County Coastal Division, Bethune Beach Property Owners Association, Bethune Foundation

GREEN MOUND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

Location:4400 Block of South Peninsula Drive
County: Volusia
City: Ponce Inlet
Description: The Green Mound is one of the best preserved and last remaining shell mounds in the region. The site holds a rich history of the prehistoric Florida Indians who inhabited the site for hundreds of years. Archaeological studies of the mound date artifacts to the St. Johns period (500 BC - 1565 AD). Mounds like this typically contain discards from daily life such as bones, shells, pottery, and tools. Archaeological studies of the mound show that people during the St. Johns I period (500 BC - 800 AD) occupied the site year round, while in the St. Johns II period (800 AD -1565 AD) people may have occupied the site seasonally. A botanical survey of Green Mound by John K. Small in 1922 revealed a unique botanical environment that included several rare plant species. Some of the plant species he noted are still visible in the area surrounding the mound, including wild-coffee, marlberry and snowberry. By 1933, a significant portion of the mound had been mined for shells used in road construction. In 1948, the Green Mound Historical Society, led by R.J. Longstreet, recognized the significance of the mound. The organization purchased it for preservation and turned it over to the Florida State Board of Forestry.
Sponsors: The Town of Ponce Inlet

ORMOND FIRE HOUSE

Location:160 East Granada Boulevard
County: Volusia
City: Ormond Beach
Description: The Ormond Fire House, the only Works Progress Administration (WPA) structure in Ormond Beach, was built in 1937. The eclectically-designed two-story building features elements of Mission and Spanish Colonial Revival style architecture and is constructed of brick with a coquina veneer. It was designed by Alan J. MacDonough whose WPA projects include the Holly Hill City Hall and the Daytona Beach Bandshell and Armory. McDonough also designed the Peabody Auditorium and the Streamline Hotel in Daytona Beach, where the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) was founded. Construction of the Ormond Fire House began in 1935 using 52 local workers. It was used continuously as a firehouse and police station until 2006. The building was also used as a polling station, City Court, and a hurricane shelter. A wooden Civil Defense aircraft warning tower stood behind the building during World War II, as well as a city water tower from 1947-1971. The Ormond Fire House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a City of Ormond Beach Historic Landmark.
Sponsors: x

THE THREE CHIMNEYS

Location:715 West Granada Blvd.
County: Volusia
City: Ormond Beach
Description: The Three Chimneys, originally known as the Swamp Settlement, was a British period sugar plantation established c. 1768 on a portion of 20,000 acres granted by King George III in 1764 to Richard Oswald (1700-1784), a wealthy and influential Scottish merchant. The Swamp Settlement covered 300 acres. This site was the first successful and the oldest British sugar plantation of its kind in North America. The sugar making facility consisted of a long brick structure containing four separate furnaces feeding two chimneys which disappeared long ago. These ruins were restored in 2007. The run distillery had two furnaces feeding one chimney which stood until 1997. Mr. Richard Oswald went on to serve as the British representative for the Treaty of Paris in 1783 which ended the Revolutionary War. He helped obtain treaty terms favorable to the United States of America, including the establishment of the Mississippi River as its western boundary.
Sponsors: Sponsored by the Ormond Beach Historical Society, Inc. and the Florida Department of State

OLD ST. RITA COLORED MISSION CHURCH

Location:314 North Duss Street
County: Volusia
City: New Smyrna Beach
Description: The old St. Rita's Catholic Church Mission Building is one of the oldest surviving church buildings in the city. It was built in 1899 as the Sacred Heart Catholic Church of New Smyrna Beach, moved to this site in 1956 to serve the colored Catholics in the Westside Community, and was named St. Rita's Colored Mission Church. The building represents an important architectural landmark. The distinctive belfry, wood shingles in the gable end and pointed arch molding on the windows represent important architectural characteristics. After integration in 1969, the Diocese of Orlando converted the church into a neighborhood clinic and day care facility. The former church served that function until 1980, when the city condemned it in 1991. A committee of citizens, organized by Father Rudi Cleare of the Orlando Diocese, supported by Mark Rokowski, city planner and chaired by Mary Harrell, a retired educator and founder of the Black Heritage Festival, received state grants in 1997-98. These grants, coupled with private donations, funded the restorations, completed in 1999. The Orlando Diocese deeded the building and grounds to the Black Heritage Festival in 1999. The building currently serves as the Black Heritage Museum
Sponsors: Black Heritage Festival of New Smyrna, Inc. and the Florida Department of State

FLORIDA UNITED METHODIST CHILDREN'S HOME

Location:51 Main Street
County: Volusia
City: Deltona
Description: The Florida United Methodist Children’s Home was established here in 1908 as the Florida Methodist Orphanage. Children come from situations of abuse, neglect, broken and dysfunctional families, abandonment and other troubling circumstances. This institution began with the acquisition of one building, eight town lots and a tract of 40 acres of land purchased for $1,250. Articles of Incorporation were filed with the State of Florida on June 3, 1908. In 1939 the name was changed to The Florida Methodist Children’s Home, and renamed The Florida United Methodist Children’s Home in 1971. The site features three buildings—Brinkley Hall, built in 1923, Hardin Hall, 1926-27 and Randall Hall, built in 1933. Hardin Hall, the campus centerpiece, was renovated in 1980 and 1998. For a century the Florida United Methodist Children’s Home has operated to care for children in need
Sponsors: SPONSORED BY THE FLORIDA UNITED METHODIST CHILDREN’S HOME AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Wakulla

OCHLOCKONEE RIVER STATE PARK

Location:Ochlockonee River State Park
County: Wakulla
City: South of Sopchoppy
Description: On March 11, 1968, a Special Permit for the use of this property in the St. Marks Wildlife Refuge was issued to the Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials by the United States Department of the Interior. These organizations contributed greatly towards the park's establishment: Trustees of the Internal Improvement Fund Board of Commissioners of State Institutions Florida Outdoor Recreational Development Council St. Joe Paper Company Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission Florida Forest Service Wakulla County Board of County Commissioners Wakulla County Development and Parks Commission Established March 11, 1966, through the leadership of Congressman Don Fuqua State Senator George G. Tapper Representative Ernest Roddenberry Ochlockonee River State Park Advisory Council Myron B. Hodge Steve R. Revell Ernest Roddenberry Harry G. Smith Claxton Vause, Jr., Chairman
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

OLD SOPCHOPPY HIGH SCHOOL

Location:164 Yellow Jacket Avenue
County: Wakulla
City: Sopchoppy
Description: Constructed in 1924 and accredited in 1928, this was the first high school built in Wakulla County. The original stucco section, an “H”shaped design with one central area and three classrooms on each side, was made possible when Sopchoppy citizens voted in 1921 for a bond issue to cover construction costs. In the 1930s, the New Deal’s Works Progress Administration (WPA) used local labor to construct the first limestone addition, containing two wings of seven classrooms and the present auditorium. The limestone portions are characteristic of Spanish mission construction and exemplify1930s master craftsmanship. In 1938-39, the second limestone addition was built, running in a north-south direction and featuring three classrooms with an adjoining hallway. Across the street, the “Spanish mission”-style gymnasium, also built during this time, has been restored for use during private, cultural and civic events. The school was integrated in 1966-67 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building is architecturally significant due to its style and the master craftsmanship used in cutting its 18- to 20-inch thick walls of native limestone, which was mined approximately 12 miles north of Sopchoppy.
Sponsors: WAKULLA COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

PORT LEON

Location:SR-363
County: Wakulla
City: St. Marks
Description: Port Leon, located three miles south of St. Marks on Apalachee Bay, was founded in 1838 and incorporated in 1841. It was developed by and became the terminus of the Tallahassee Railroad Company. It was a prosperous port for a few years and was the county seat of Wakulla County. Completely destroyed by a hurricane and tidal wave in September 1843, the town was not rebuilt. The residents moved further inland and established Newport.

SAN MARCOS de APALACHEE

Location:At the San Marcos de Apalachee State Historic Site
County: Wakulla
City: St. Marks
Description: Side 1: Wooden stockades were built here by the Spanish in 1680 and 1758. In 1758, these were destroyed by a hurricane which drowned the garrison. A masonry fort was begun in 1759 but was soon abandoned to the Indians for a trading post and Indian rendezvous. It was occupied by the Spanish in 1783. General Andrew Jackson seized and occupied the fort in 1819. It became a United States possession in 1821 upon purchase of the territory from Spain. Side 2: It was occupied as an army post until 1824 when the Indians were moved to a reservation. The Town of St. Marks was created by an act of Congress in 1830 and became a port of entry before railroads were extended to the seaboard. The fort was re-established and occupied by the Confederate Army during the Civil War and a Federal Naval attack on the fort was repulsed in 1865.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in Cooperation with Florida State Society and Dominie Everadus Bogardus Chapter Colonial Dames XVII Century

SITE OF FORMER TOWN OF MAGNOLIA

Location:8046 Coastal Highway, Newport Park
County: Wakulla
City: Newport
Description: Two miles north of this site was located the town of Magnolia, founded in 1827 by the four Hamlin brothers of Augusta, Maine. The Hamlin family had been attracted to the new territory of Florida by the availability of land. The Hamlins chose a site on the St. Marks River which had potential for development into a port town. Because of the lack of overland routes to the north, coastal outlets were particularly important to the settlers and planters of Middle Florida. Magnolia quickly developed into a small but busy port, and in 1829, a U.S. customs house was established there. In the early 1830's, the town had a number of stores and warehouses as well as a bank. Increasing cotton production contributed to magnolia's commercial growth, but soon the climate and navigational difficulties on the river presented problems for the community. Competition came from the nearby town of St. Marks, and in the mid-1830's the customs house was transferred there. Litigation over land claims in the area also contributed tot he decline of the community. Bypassed in 1836 by the new railroad from Tallahassee to St. Marks, Magnolia was gradually abandoned. Today nothing remains of the town except a small cemetery.
Sponsors: Sponsored by the wakulla county bicentennial committee in cooperation with department of state

ST. MARKS LIGHTHOUSE

Location:St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.
County: Wakulla
City: St. Marks
Description: Noted lighthouse builder, Winslow Lewis, began work on the Saint Marks structure in 1829. Eroding shores forced relocation a short distance inland, in 1842 to its present location. The adjoining keeper's house is not original having been rebuilt on several occasions. During the Civil War the lighthouse played a role in military affairs primarily because of its strategic position on the coast. Coastal raids launched from the blockading squadron comprised much of the hostile action against the Confederacy in Florida. One such raid in June of 1862 resulted in the destruction of a fortification located near the lighthouse. In response to the danger of raids of this nature, Confederate Army pickets were positioned in or near the lighthouse on a regular basis. To deter the use of the lighthouse as a lookout tower, a naval party landed and burned the steps and interior woodwork on July 15, 1863. In March of 1865 Federal troops landed near the lighthouse for a major raid into the interior only to be repulsed at the battle of Natural Bridge. Restored to service after the war it resumed the role of a navigational aid for Gulf Coast commerce.
Sponsors: Sponsored by The Florida Society Colonial Dames XVII Century In Cooperation With Department of State

TALLAHASSEE - ST. MARKS RAILROAD

Location:5148 Woodville Highway
County: Wakulla
City: St. Marks
Description: The Tallahassee to St. Marks railroad began operations in 1837. It was owned by the Tallahassee Rail Road Company, incorporated in 1834. The road was single track, twenty-three miles long, and had mule drawn cars. In 1839 a steam locomotive was added and the line extended to Port Leon. With a seaport terminus to serve a rich agricultural hinterland, the railroad did a large volume of business in cotton during the antebellum period.

WAKULLA SPRINGS ARCHAEOLOGICAL & HISTORIC DISTRICT

Location:1 Spring Drive
County: Wakulla
City: Wakulla Springs
Description: This location is significant as it represents relationships between human culture and natural resources from the settlement systems of the Paleoindian period to the recent historic past, a period of nearly 15,000 years. There are 55 recorded archaeological sites located on the property. A variety of archaeological site types are represented, including Paleoindian kill sites, campsites, village areas, and a mound/village complex. Evidence of visits by Spanish and other European explorers has also been found. Late nineteenth and early twentieth century use included heavy timbering and naval stores activities and until the late 1930s it was a favorite place for picnics and political rallies. The acquisition of the area by Edward Ball in 1934 resulted in its development as an attraction, but one which focused on the preservation of wildlife and conservation of natural features. The construction of Wakulla Springs Lodge was completed and open to the public in September 1937. It is a fine example of the use of Mediterranean Revival architecture in an elegant, yet restrained application of the style, such that it does not detract from its natural surroundings. The district was listed on the National Register in 1993.
Sponsors: DEPARTMENT OF STATE AND THE DIVISION OF RECREATION AND PARKS, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

FATAL B-17 CRASH ON ST. MARKS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Location:Northeast of the St. Marks Lighthouse within the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
County: Wakulla
City: St. Marks
Description: On July 30, 1944, thirteen B-17s from the 325th Bomber Squadron left Avon Park Army Airfield on a routine mock-bombing exercise over Tallahassee and Waycross, Georgia. Severe thunderstorms near Tallahassee caused the formation to separate as individual planes sought calmer air. One plane suffered structural failure and broke into sections that fell on St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. One crewmember parachuted to safety before the crash. Pvt. Marvin J. Magee, the sole survivor, wandered through thick swamps in the summer heat before finding Abel Strickland on his horse. Magee accepted a ride to Lighthouse Road, where he proceeded to the Coast Guard station at the St. Marks Lighthouse. Crash crews from Dale Mabry Army Airfield in Tallahassee and the Coast Guard Station combed the crash area and found the remains of the other crew members. Killed in the crash were: 2nd Lt. Gordon E. Thrall, Manchester, CT, pilot; 2nd Lt. John W. Smidt, Wilmington, NC; 2nd Lt. Charles W. Shannon, Chelsea, MA; 2nd. Lt. Donald Price, Panaca, NV; Cpl. James Dracopoulos, Newport, RI; Cpl. Arthur L. Davis, San Francisco, CA; Pvt. Horace W. Newton, Texarkana, TX; Pvt. William Gehman, Gibbstown, NJ; and Pvt. Albert. C. Fries, Westmont, IL.
Sponsors: The St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, The Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge, and the Florida Department of State

OLD WAKULLA COUNTY COURTHOUSE

Location:23 High Drive
County: Wakulla
City: Crawfordville
Description: In 1892, fire destroyed the first Wakulla County courthouse. Two years later, George Washington Tully and Thomas McGlynn completed this courthouse using native heart pine material. Located in the center of the town plat, this wood frame building featured a prominent intersecting gable roof, which was complemented inside by mitered joined hallway floorboards. In addition to wide hallways and large windows, the building’s cupola was topped with a hand-carved mullet weathervane. From 1893-1949, it housed court activities and all constitutional officers. Wakulla County was still very rural, with livestock roaming the yard and outhouse facilities serving the building’s users. In 1948, plans were made for the construction of a modern masonry courthouse at the same site. This building was relocated 500 feet southwest, a move that tested its construction. It was winched across the site using giant roller logs; observers noted that it did not sag, crack, or show any sign of strain. Since the masonry courthouse’s dedication in 1949, the building has been used by the health department, library, and chamber of commerce. In 1976, the Old Wakulla County Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

OLD WAKULLA COUNTY JAIL

Location:24 High Drive
County: Wakulla
City: Crawfordville
Description: Constructed in 1948, the Old Wakulla County Jail is a concrete and stucco building in the Art Deco style. The architect was James A. Stripling and builder was the S. J. Curry Company, who also constructed the nearby Wakulla County Courthouse. From 1949 to 1973, the building served as the county jail and the jailer’s residence. The first floor was constructed as a three-bedroom residence. The front room, on the east side of the building, served as the jailer’s office. The stairs, accessed through the east door, led to the jail cells on the second story. Jailer R. E. Whaley served as the first jailer, and his wife, Geraldine, served as the police dispatcher, cook, and laundry person. The couple lived here until 1972, when Whaley retired and John Henry Taylor took over as jailer. In 1973, a new jail was built, and from that time until 1999, the old jail building housed various county offices. The building was slated for demolition in 1997, but the Wakulla County Historical Society pushed for its preservation. In 1999, the Wakulla County Board of County Commissioners agreed to lease the building to the Wakulla County Historical Society for the creation of a museum and archives.

Walton

EDEN

Location:181 Eden Gardens Road, Eden Gardens State Park
County: Walton
City: Point Washington
Description: "Who loves a garden, still his 'Eden' keeps." Amos Bronson Alcott The estate was bought in 1963 by Lois Genevieve Maxon, who planned the gardens which enhance the lovely natural setting and restored the mansion in antebellum style. Built in 1895 by lumberman William Henry Wesley, the house had elaborate Victorian trimming. The restoration fulfills a local legend which claims that the original design was inspired by an antebellum plantation house where the builder was given shelter on his way from the War Between the States. Wesley's lumber partner and father-in-law, Simeon Strickland, had an identical house nearby, of which a portion still stands. Traces of their mill, where lumber for the two houses was cut, may still be seen on the "Eden" grounds.
Sponsors: Given to the Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials, December 1968 by Lois Genevieve Maxon in loving memory of her parents: Harry Russell Maxon 1883-1960 and Lois Adelheide Gustava Margarethe von Purucker Maxon 1888-1960

EUCHEEANNA COMMUNITY

Location:McKinnon Bridge Rd.
County: Walton
City: Defuniak Springs
Description: Eucheeanna, the first Scottish settlement in territorial Florida, was named in honor of the Euchee Indians. Tradition holds that the first slave child was born in the settlement. Eucheeanna consisted of a school, court house, jail, Masonic and Odd Fellows halls, general stores, a sawmill and a grist mill. The first monument in Florida erected to confederate dead was located in Eucheeanna in 1868 by the Ladies’ Monument Association. At that time, Eucheeanna was the county seat for Walton County until the court house was burned by an arsonist in May, 1885. On May 27, 1886, a commission approved moving the Walton County seat to DeFuniak Springs. Finally, the monument was moved to Euchee Valley Presbyterian Church and later moved to DeFuniak Springs. The Civil War came to Eucheeanna on September 23, 1864 when the federal troops, under General Ashboth, came to raze and plunder on their way to Marianna and Tallahassee.
Sponsors: THE WALTON COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

FLORIDA'S EDUCATION ASSOCIATION: THE BEGINNING

Location:95 Circle Drive, In front of Chamber of Commerce
County: Walton
City: Defuniak Springs
Description: Florida teachers and administrators numbering 700 met here in Chautauqua Hall for a "teachers institute" called the Florida Chautauqua. The meeting was called to order by J.A. Graham, City Superintendent of Schools, Key West, at 12:30 p.m., on Thursday March 4, 1886. The major purpose of the gathering was a short but intensive training period mainly in subject matter fields, for many teachers were mere "grammar school grads." Here was the beginning of the Florida Education Association. A separate black teachers' association was formed in 1890. On July 1, 1966 the black and white organizations merged. The name Florida Education Association was continued for this combined organization and, in 1975, the word "United" was added when FEA and Florida's American Federation of Teachers merged. The Florida Education Association has become a symbol of the achievements of the past and an inspiration to those who will promote excellence for Florida's public schools, colleges, and universities in the future.
Sponsors: sponsored by the walton county education association,florida education association/united,in cooperation with the florida department of state

FLORIDA'S FIRST CONFEDERATE MONUMENT

Location:571 E Nelson Ave on Courthouse lawn.
County: Walton
City: Defuniak Springs
Description: Shortly after the Civil War, the women of Walton County organized a "Ladies' Memorial Association," with Jeannet I. McKinnon as president, to erect a marble monument honoring Walton County's Confederate dead. The Association raised $250, and the monument was first erected in 1871 at Valley Church. It was moved to Euchee Anna, the county seat, and then to DeFuniak Springs when it became the county seat.
Sponsors: Walton County Chamber of Commerce, Florida Historical Society and Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

KNOX HILL ACADEMY 1848

Location:Intersection of Knox Hill Road and Pulsey Hill Road
County: Walton
City: Defuniak Springs
Description: The Knox Hill Academy, a boarding school, was founded in 1848 by the Rev. John Newton (April 22, 1814-Nov. 21, 1871), who was also the head master and a Presbyterian minister. It was first located near a spring northeast of the Morrison Place on Knox Hill. The original sponsors were the Campbells, McLeans, Gunns, Morrisons, Gillies, McCaskills, McPhersons, and McDonalds. It replaced the log Henry School House. The first building was a split log house built on the top of a hill and furnished with single desks and blackboards. Slates and chalk were used for writing. Eighty-four to 100 regular pupils attended. In January 1859 the academy was moved to a large, two-story frame building north of the original site. Class for older students was held on the second floor and the younger students on the first floor. This academy was highly acclaimed and provided education for students from West Florida, Southwest Georgia and Southern Alabama, from Pensacola to Tallahassee. It also included a laboratory for chemistry and physics. Reverend John Newton closed Knox Hill Academy in 1871 and moved to Mary Esther where he opened a school. Reverend Newton’s motto was: “You must learn and obey.”
Sponsors: THE WALTON COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

WALTON-DEFUNIAK LIBRARY

Location:Intersection of Live Oak Avenue and Circle Drive
County: Walton
City: Defuniak Springs
Description: The Walton-DeFuniak Library opened during the first decade of the existence of the town of DeFuniak Springs. This community originated in the early 1880's as a station on the new Pensacola and Atlantic Railroad. The town was named for Frederick de Funiak, president of the P. and A. Railroad, a subsidiary of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. Railroad officials promoted the development of the area's recreational resources. In the mid-1880's, representatives of the widely popular Chautauqua association, an adult education movement combining education with religion and recreation, selected DeFuniak Springs as the Florida assembly grounds site. In 1885, the first annual session of the Florida Chautauqua Association was held here. Local women realized that library resources were needed for the Florida Chautauqua. In 1886, an "Aid Society" was formed which the next year became the "Ladies Library Association." By the end of 1887, the DeFuniak Library building was completed. The institution became the Walton County Public Library in 1966 and in 1975 was named the Walton-DeFuniak Library. At that time, the library building was the oldest structure in Florida built as a library and still serving that purpose.
Sponsors: sponsored by the defuniak springs ladies library associationin cooperation withdepartment of state

CHAUTAUQUA BROTHERHOOD HALL

Location:132 Circle Dr
County: Walton
City: DeFuniak Springs
Description: The original Chautauqua Institution was founded in 1874 on Lake Chautauqua in western New York state as a vacation school for Sunday school teachers. The idea of providing a retreat for improving religious and secular education for the general public spread rapidly throughout the nation in the 1880s, giving birth to independent Chautauquas that became platforms for discussion of the latest thinking in politics, economics, literature, science and religion. The first Florida Chautauqua convened on the banks of Lake DeFuniak in 1885. It was the second Chautauqua founded in America and was one of many nationwide attracted noted educators and famous lecturers. The Hall of Brotherhood, containing an auditorium seating 4,000 people was completed in 1910 at a cost of $28,000. By the beginning of the 20th century the national Chautauqua movement had declined and the Florida Chautauqua closed in 1920. The Hall of Brotherhood was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, but in 1975 a hurricane destroyed the auditorium wing and severely damaged the rest of the structure. Since then, there has been an ongoing program to fully restore the building.
Sponsors: THE WALTON COUNTY HERITAGE ASSOCIATION, INC. AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

ALFORD'S MILL (SITE OF)

Location:Near Intersecton of Oak Grove and Alford Rd.
County: Walton
City: North of Defuniak Springs
Description: Just prior to 1860, Francis Marion Alford, Sr. selected Limestone Creek for his grist mill. The numerous springs feeding the creek created a good flow of water even during a severe drought. This particular site was chosen for its high banks on both sides of the creek, simplifying the installation of a weir (barrier). Construction was completed probably in early 1864. Soon this site became the focal point of the community. A post office was established as well as a stage coach stop. Alford’s Mill is also denoted on Yankee invasion maps. Marion sold the mill in 1883 and the post office was changed from Alford’s Mill to Limestone. The mill came back into the Alford family in 1897 when William David (Shug) Alford and his father-in-law, Ace Washington Dannelley, purchased the old mill and converted it into a saw mill. They operated the saw mill until 1904. Many stories have been handed down about how during the last years of the Civil War, many hungry mouths were furnished bread from the Alford’s Mill.
Sponsors: THE WALTON COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

GULF CEMETERY

Location:1466 County Road 393 South
County: Walton
City: Santa Rosa Beach
Description: Gulf Cemetery was established circa 1910 when the town of Santa Rosa was established on Hogtown Bayou. The town’s first families began to bury their loved ones at this site, the area’s highest elevation with a view of the Gulf of Mexico. The cemetery was formally established as a U.S. Government parcel on June 17, 1914, when President Woodrow Wilson signed patent 414345, which authorized the sale of 40 acres of land to the Gulf Cemetery Association. Gulf Cemetery and the Alango Cemetery in St. Louis County, Minnesota, are the only two U.S. patented cemeteries still in operation east of the Mississippi River. Gulf Cemetery has faced numerous obstacles since its establishment. It was sold in error three times for delinquent property taxes and, more recently, was threatened by private development. Originally the cemetery was subdivided by various religious denominations but now the grounds are interdenominational. The cemetery contains the remains of many veterans, as well as those of pioneer families, some marked by wooden crosses and weathered monuments, who were instrumental in the founding of the South Walton community. The cemetery’s long tradition of volunteer care and preservation is still in place.
Sponsors: Gulf Cemetery Association Inc. and the Florida Department of State

COSSON FAMILY TRAGEDY

Location:Cosson rd
County: Walton
City: DeFuniak Springs
Description: In 1936, James Marvin Cosson Sr. moved his family to this location about one-half mile east of the Eglin Army Airfield to have more land to farm and to provide for his wife, Annie Bell Cosson, and their four children. During World War II, Eglin Airfield served as a major testing and training ground for bombing missions. The Army Air Corps regularly performed training missions at the Eglin bombing range, located about three miles west of the Cosson home. On the evening of August 11, 1944, as nine members of the Cosson family gathered at the house to socialize, live fragmentation bombs accidentally began to fall on the family homestead. Two bombs fell near the house, killing four and seriously injuring five members of the Cosson family. The accident occurred during a normal bombing test run and was attributed to the failure of a mechanical releasing device, which caused the aircraft’s bombs not to be released until after the plane had traveled past the bombing test area. Other training accidents took place in Florida during World War II, but the Cosson family tragedy was the worst of the war. In 1980, Congress passed a bill providing a yearly payment to the most seriously injured survivor of the Cosson family tragedy.
Sponsors: The Walton County Board of County Commissioners and the Florida Department of State

EUCHEE VALLEY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AND CEMETERY

Location:CR 183 Near CJ Laird Rd.
County: Walton
City: Ponce De Leon
Description: This is the site of one of Florida’s oldest organized Presbyterian Church which was the largest Presbyterian Church in Florida until 1885. On May 27, 1827, the Reverend Murdoch Murphy of the Alabama Synod presided with one Elder, Donald McLean, Sr., and 15 families. This log church served the community for 20 years until a new 50 by 100 ft. church with large inside galleries was built adjacent to the log church on November 26, 1848. Reverend Robert Quarterman Baker, civil war veteran from Georgia, served the church until his death in October 1923. The third and present church was erected, using foundation supports from the original log church. The cemetery contains the remains of many original settlers, including two signers of Florida’s first Constitution, veterans of all wars dating from the Revolutionary War, civic leaders, elected officials and ministers. There are more than 3,000 graves in the old cemetery, many unmarked, and many brought home from Alabama and Northwest Florida.
Sponsors: Walton County Board of Commissioners and the Florida Department of State

Washington

FALLING WATERS STATE PARK

Location:State Park Rd, Falling Waters State Park parking lot,
County: Washington
City: Chipley
Description: Side 1: Park development started in 1963 on this hill, which has an elevation of 322 feet and a limestone base. A stream flowing from the hill plunges over a cliff and disappears through an underground channel. Some sinks and caverns are near the falls, which powered an early grist mill. A pioneer era whisky distillery was nearby. Indians and others mined the area for colorfully pigmented rocks used in making paints and dyes. The area was the scene of early oil-drilling efforts, as well as the site of a one-room school and a large horticultural nursery. Side 2: Local Advisory Council (Members during Initial Development Era) E.W. Carswell, Ralph C. Carter, Mrs. Jane Horne, W.M. Nelson, Hubert A. Prescott, Mrs. Ola Robertson, W.C. Snaidman Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials Robert S. Baynard, E.W. Carswell, Dr. James T. Cook, Dr. Kathryn Abbey Hanna, N. Earl Jones, John D. Pennekamp John Fite Robertson, Mrs. G.T. Smith, Jr. Local Legislative Delegation State Sen. Dempsey J. Barron - State Rep. Ralph C. Carter Director, State Board of Parks N.E. "Bill" Miller
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

KUDZU DEVELOPED HERE

Location:U. S. 90 at West Blvd. in front of Agriculture Cen
County: Washington
City: Chipley
Description: Kudzu, brought to this country from Asia as an ornamental, was developed near here in the early part of the Twentieth Century and given to the world as a soil-saving, high-protein forage plant by Mr. and Mrs. C.E. Pleas. The fast-growing, deep-rooted leguminous vine has been widely grown in the United States as a drought-resisting, erosion-controlling plant that compares with alfalfa in pasture and hay-making values.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in Cooperation with Washington County Historical Commission

MOSS HILL

Location:On C.R. 279, 3.6 miles southeast of C.R. 79, South
County: Washington
City: Vernon
Description: Early settlers, attracted by the fertile Coosada (later Holmes) Old Fields, established a log schoolhouse Methodist mission near here soon after Spain ceded Florida to the United Stated in 1820. The first Methodist ministerial assignment between the Apalachicola River and Pensacola was made to the Holmes Valley Mission. During the early history of Washington County, court terms were held here or in the home of a nearby settler. A church was erected here in 1857.
Sponsors: In Cooperation with Rural Areas Development Council of Washington County

VERNON, FLORIDA

Location:Park at Rochelle Ave. and Main St.
County: Washington
City: Vernon
Description: In the 1820s, settlers arrived in the area around present-day Vernon. One of the earliest was Stephen J. Roche who built a trading post on Holmes Creek and called it “Roche’s Bluff.” The town of Vernon developed near the trading post. On December 9, 1825, Washington County became the third county in west Florida. In 1851, Vernon was named as the first permanent county seat of Washington County. Located at the intersection of a military road and Holmes Creek, Vernon became a natural crossroads for travelers and commerce between Tallahassee and Pensacola. Stagecoaches and small steamships transported passengers, mail, and merchandise through Vernon. When a railroad was built across the northern part of the county, Vernon lost its prominence as a center of business and government. In 1927, the county seat was moved to Chipley. Vernon played a significant role in the history of northwest Florida and, today, remains an important link in the network of towns that serve the citizens of the area.
Sponsors: THE CITY OF VERNON AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

VERNON OLD SCHOOL

Location:2808 Yellow Jacket Avenue
County: Washington
City: Vernon
Description: In 1931, during the Great Depression, Vernon High School was constructed for white students in grades nine through twelve with eight classrooms, offices, and an auditorium. In 1947, four junior-high and nine elementary classrooms were added, which centralized education and ended the need for one-room schools in western Washington County. Reflecting the community’s school spirit, the site became the home of the Vernon Yellow Jackets. Following public school integration in 1965, the addition of the new Vernon Elementary School and Vernon Middle School along with Vernon High School resulted in three educational facilities in the local area. In 2006, the high school relocated to Moss Hill Road, and the City of Vernon took ownership of the old building from the Washington County School Board. Renovation of the main structure allowed it to be used as a city hall and community center. Numerous organizations occupied offices there, including the Vernon Historical Society, Washington County Council on Aging, WIC, Literacy Program, and the Sheriff's Department Annex. Made of red brick, the "Vernon Old School" has stood the test of time ensuring its continuation as a notable community resource.

THE E.J. STOKES HOUSE

Location:681 Main Street
County: Washington
City: Chipley
Description: This house was built in 1906 by Edward Jacob and Georgia Ophelia Stokes. This one-story frame structure with Queen Anne Cottage architectural elements embodies a residential building style popular in northern Florida between 1880 and 1910. Its Queen Anne styling is expressed by a flat hip roof, a cross-gable, front-facing gables, bay windows, and a veranda. Fenestration consists of double-hung windows. The exterior wall fabric is drop siding. The chimneys were constructed from masonry furnished by the local brick factory in Chipley, which is identified by its distinctive light and pinkish-gray coloration. With few alterations, the building has retained most of its architectural integrity. E.J. Stokes (1850-1922) was born in Charlton County, Georgia. Moving to Florida at the turn of the 20th century, he was a pioneer settler in Washington County engaged as a naval stores merchant in the local turpentine business. For years, the Stokeses were the unofficial hosts for visitors travelling through Chipley. This house stands as a testament to the prosperity brought to the surrounding area during the 19th and early 20th centuries, when Chipley was considered the world’s largest inland shipping center for naval stores.

SHADY GROVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN

Location:3187 Shady Grove Road
County: Washington
City: Vernon
Description: Side One: In the 1950s, there was a broad effort in the South to expand African American education and preserve the dual school system. To centralize the education of African American students in Vernon and the surrounding area, the Washington County School Board purchased six acres of land from Roland and Ida Pompey for a new school. The school board allocated $58,185 for the building of a new schoolhouse. Construction began in 1952, and was completed in time for the 1953 school year. Named Shady Grove Elementary School, the school offered grades 1-8. Students who completed eighth grade were bused to Roulhac High School in Chipley. Although the landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court Brown v. Board of Education decision declared public school segregation unconstitutional, school integration did not immediately go into effect. It was not until May 28, 1965, a year after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, that the Washington County School Board voted to end segregation in the county’s publicly funded schools. The resolution gave all pupils the freedom to choose to attend any school in the county, regardless of race, color, or national origin. Side Two: Following the Washington County School Board’s resolution, the 1965-66 school year saw two major changes. The dual school system in Washington County public schools ended, and the segregated transportation of African American high school students in Vernon to Chipley to attend high school ceased. The school board deactivated Shady Grove Elementary in 1969. The building was cut into sections and moved. Portions of it were used as classrooms in the newly built Vernon Elementary School. In 1991, the Washington County School Board transferred ownership of the Shady Grove Elementary property to the City of Vernon for use as a recreational space in perpetuity. This marker stands as a silent reminder of the role that Shady Grove Elementary School played in the education of African American children in Washington County. Shady Grove Teaching Staff Principals: Thomas J. McDougald, James McNeil, George Vann; Teachers: Alma K. Jenkins, Delores G. Jenkins, Mildred McDougald, Martha Barge, Maudlynn C. Johnson, Elenor Powell, Bobbie Moultrie, Elaine Smith, Benjamin Williams, Kay Frances Houston, Margaret Dotson, Mamie Roulhac Jackson, Dorothy Mae Slayton, Joseph Williams, and Alma Vann
Sponsors: The Vernon Historical Society, the City of Vernon, and the Floida Department of State