November 2010

The long history of the Mission of Nombre de Dios and Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche stretches back to the 1565 founding of America's oldest city, St. Augustine. After landing on Florida's shores, Spanish explorer Pedro Menendez de Aviles kissed the wooden cross presented to him by the exploration party's chaplain and titled the location, to be the future site of America's first mission, "Nombre de Dios." Today the Mission is gone, but there remains the Shrine, a 208 foot tall cross, and an outdoor altar commemorating the 1565 mass that coincided with the founding of the mission.

In about 1875 James E. Merrill started a small iron works in Jacksonville after learning the black-smithing trade from his father. Known as the Merrill-Stevens Engineering Co. by the late 1880's, the iron works became one of the largest shipbuilding companies in the South. In 1886 Merrill built this house at 229 Lafayette Street, just a short walk from his iron works on East Bay Street. It exemplifies the Queen Anne style, with a square tower on the southwest corner and an elaborate vergeboard in the north gable. The porch posts, brackets, and spindles reflect the Eastlake style.

The museum is flanked by three other sites: The Matheson House dates from 1867 and incorporates elements of Classical Revival and Gothic architecture; the Tison Tool Museum contains an extensive and diverse collection of tools; and Sweetwater Park offers an outdoor walk through local history, guided by signs along a pathway. Inside the Matheson Museum building, Gainesville's old American Legion Hall, permanent and temporary exhibitions tell the story of Alachua County. Permanent exhibits offer a brief look at area history from the Timucuan Indians to the Spanish occupation of the area to William Bartram's travels and more. The Trust administers the 1867 Matheson House, the second-oldest residence in Gainesville. Built by James Douglas Matheson, an emigrant from South Carolina and a prominent merchant, the house was bequeathed to his son Chris, the city’s mayor from 1910 to 1917, a state legislator, and later, a minister. Chris’ wife Sarah deeded the house to the Trust upon her death in 1996.

Author, activist, and Medal of Freedom honoree Marjory Stoneman Douglas lived and worked in this house for more than 70 years. When she died in 1998 at age 108, Douglas was probably best known as an environmentalist. In 1947, she focused national attention on Florida's unique natural resources with her book, The Everglades: River of Grass, which she wrote in this house. The building is an excellent local example of Masonry Vernacular architecture featuring an eclectic combination of Tudor Revival and Medieval Revival details.

This site was the home of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, the author of many major literary works, including The Yearling, which received the 1939 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, the novels South Moon Under, and Golden Apples, and her memoir, Cross Creek. She was elected to the National Academy of Arts and Letters. The Rawlings house also is a notable example of the Cracker (descendents of pioneer settlers) style of architecture, derived from a variety of influences to suit the climate and available technology of the rural South. Rangers offer guided tours and dress in period attire to evoke the era in which Rawlings lived and wrote.

After seven years of planning, the Maritime & Yachting Museum of Florida, Inc. was incorporated in 1993 when a small group of interested and dedicated individuals acted upon their knowledge that this community of unique waterways was a significant center of boating and maritime interests. They believed that the historic, economic and ecologic heritage of their unusually rich boating area deserved a permanent and expanding historical record for present and future generations.

This one-and-one-half story Frame Vernacular house was constructed by one of Coconut Grove's first African-Bahamian residents and is thought to be one of the first houses with a black owner. Mariah Brown, who immigrated to Florida in 1880, was working at the Peacock Inn when she built this house within walking distance of the hotel. The Brown residence is typical of the wooden houses built in Key West and the Bahamas in the late 1800s. At this time, the house is undergoing reconstruction work.

The Napa Valley Museum is dedicated to promoting the cultural and environmental heritage of the Napa Valley.

The Museum's special, changing exhibits represent a diverse range of subjects from fine arts to history to natural sciences. "The Land and People of the Napa Valley" focuses on the unique environment and fascinating history of the Napa region. Areas of interest include: Napa County, geography, geology, Wappo Native Americans, Mexican Rancho Days, Pioneers and Settlers, Chinese, Ranching, Farming, Viticulture, Wine, Mining, Transportation, and Hot Spring Resorts. Another exhibit, "California Wine: The Science of an Art" the complete winemaking process using 26 video disc players, 9 micro computers, 24 monitors, and 11 audio speakers integrated into glowing three-dimensional panels. The electronic magic combined with music, spoken word and images in accelerated time, allow visitors to enjoy and explore at their own pace.

In the 1800s, Mandarin was a small farming village that shipped oranges, grapefruit, lemons and other fruits and vegetables to Jacksonville and points north on the steamships that traveled the St. Johns River. In 1864, the Union steamship, the Maple Leaf, hit a Confederate mine and sank just off Mandarin Point. Author Harriet Beecher Stowe wintered in the village from 1867 to 1884. Mandarin now is a small section of the City of Jacksonville, Florida, but its natural beauty, parks and historic buildings draw visitors from around the world. (from website.) Housed in the historic Mandarin Store and Post Office, it includes the Harriet Beecher Stowe Garden.

The Manatee Village Historical Park features a number of original buildings, including a courthouse, general store, and settler’s home, that date from 1860 to 1912.