Secretary Detzner Announces Recent Designation of Florida Properties on National Register of Historic Places

Tallahassee –

Secretary of State Ken Detzner announced today that several Florida properties have recently been listed on the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places.

“I am pleased to announce the listing of these historic Florida resources on the National Register of Historic Places,” said Secretary Detzner. “These properties are an important reminder of the resilience of Florida residents throughout the state’s history.”

Florida properties recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places include:

The Cape San Blas Lighthouse, in Port St. Joe, Gulf County is a 60-ton screw-pile type lighthouse constructed in 1885. The lighthouse originally marked the shores of Cape San Blas, which juts into the Gulf of Mexico, 12 miles south of the coastal town of Port St. Joe. Due to shore erosion, over the last 100 years the lighthouse and its associated buildings were moved several times on the Cape to prevent collapse into the Gulf waters. In 2014, through local preservation efforts and grant funding from the Florida Division of Historical Resources, the lighthouse, two keeper’s quarters and oil house were moved again, this time from the Cape to the town of Port St. Joe, allowing more protection from erosion and better public access for visitors.

The Axline House, in Alachua County, is a two-story frame vernacular house and one of the last remaining residences in the community of Cross Creek, adjacent to the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park. Constructed in 1885 by Jasper Axline, a successful whole fruit distributor working in Cincinnati, this home exemplifies the Folk Victorian style in its ornamental woodwork found on the porch and roof eaves. Original elements also remain inside the house, including its colored glass windows, period lighting, and fireplace mantles.

The Hopper Academy, in Sanford, Seminole County, is a two-story frame vernacular school building constructed in 1906 for African-American students living in Sanford and the surrounding areas. For its time this was a large and impressive facility, measuring at just over 8,500 square feet, and replaced a smaller school established in 1886 within the neighboring Georgetown. Hopper Academy is associated with the locally renowned Professor Joseph Nathaniel Crooms, who served as principal from 1906 until he opened up his own secondary school, Crooms Academy, in 1926. Although Hopper Academy closed in the 1960s due to integration, the community has continued to use the space for local gatherings and functions. The Hopper Academy is the recipient of a recent Historic Preservation grant from the Division of Historical Resources and will soon be undergoing restoration.

The Hawthorne Cemetery, in Hawthorne, Alachua County is a rural cemetery that contains over 2,000 graves and reflects the wide-ranging burial traditions for the community. The cemetery started with the burial of the town founder’s wife, Parazade Hawthorn. Although homesteads were established by the 1850s, little remains of the early agricultural settlement. The town of Hawthorn (spelled Hawthorne after 1950) served as the cross-roads for both the Peninsular and Florida Southern railroads, shipping mainly cotton, oats, and corn. Many of Hawthorne’s historic resources have been lost to memory, or to development, thereby making Hawthorne Cemetery one of the best inclusive representations of the early town and its inhabitants.

The Fruitland Park Community Center, in Lake County, is a large wood frame assembly building constructed in 1914 by George T. Clark to provide a social gathering place for residents throughout the area. The large central room is lit by many windows, and contains a stage on the west end. More than any other building in the City, it embodies the social history of the community. As soon as it was completed, it provided a meeting place for the local government, church functions, and cultural and social improvement groups who gathered there monthly. It remains one of the last buildings from the early days of the Fruitland Park settlement.

For more information about the National Register of Historic Places program administered by the National Parks Service, visit nps.gov/nr.

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About the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is a list maintained by the National Park Service which includes historical or archaeological properties (buildings, structures, sites, objects, and districts) that are considered worthy of preservation because of their local, statewide and/or national significance. Nominations for properties in Florida are submitted to the National Park Service through the Division of Historical Resources, Florida Department of State. Florida has over 1,600 listings on the National Register, including 275 historical districts and 170 archaeological sites. To learn more, visit dos.myflorida.com/historical/preservation/national-register/.

About the Bureau of Historic Preservation

The Bureau of Historic Preservation conducts historic preservation and folklife programs aimed at identifying, evaluating, preserving and interpreting the historic and cultural resources of the state. The Bureau manages a grants-in-aid program to help preserve and maintain Florida’s historic buildings and archaeological sites, and coordinates the State Historic Markers program and the Florida Main Street Program.  Under federal and state laws, the Bureau oversees the National Register of Historic Places program for Florida, maintains an inventory of the state's historical resources in the Florida Master Site File, assists applicants in federal tax benefit and local government ad valorem tax relief programs for historic buildings, and reviews the impact that development projects may have on significant historic resources. The Florida Folklife program identifies and promotes the state's traditional cultures, and coordinates folklife apprenticeship and award programs. For more information, visit dos.myflorida.com/historical/preservation/.