From simple cracker homes to palatial mansions, 20 Best Historic Homes in Florida covers a diverse collection of historic attractions that are all open to the public for tours. Each chapter focuses on a particular historic home and its occupants, tracing the development of Florida through each descriptive tour to create an excellent resource for anyone with an interest in Florida's history and heritage. From Florida's oldest house (Gonzales-Alvarez House in St Augustine) to the replacement Governor's Mansion in Tallahassee, these hand-picked residences create a timeline of Florida history from 1723 to the present day. Tours of these historic residences bring Florida's history vividly to life for visitors of all ages. They cover Spanish and British colonial history (Oldest House), settler history (Pena-Peck House), civil war history(Gamble Plantation), social history (Burroughs House), presidential history (Harry S. Truman's Little White House), railroad history (Whitehall), political history (Governor's Mansion), religious history (Seven Sisters House, Koreshan State Historic Park), plantation history (De Bary Hall) and even circus history (Ringling's Ca' d'Zan).
Those interested in some of America's greatest politicians, writers, leaders, pioneers, inventors and entrepreneurs will enjoy a virtual tour of the former homes of Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, John Ringling, Edward William Bok, Henry Morrison Flagler, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, James Deering and Ernest Hemingway through the descriptive pages and photographs of this book.
The book is divided into geographical regions for those wanting to visit the historic homes in their local area. It also includes a fascinating timeline of the residences in context with the American Revolution, Seminole Wars and the American Civil War for those wanting to read about these homes in chronological order. The book shows how settlers arrived in Florida primarily by boat and later by railroad to eventually occupy the farthest reaches of the Florida Keys.
From Tallahassee to Key West, this fascinating book takes you on an in-depth tour of Florida through the eyes of curators, docents and volunteers who facilitate these public tours. Enjoy each chapter, and perhaps be inspired to visit some of these unique properties that chart Florida's remarkable history and development in such a tangible and entertaining way. *With an introduction from the Curator of the Florida Governor's Mansion*