Cultural resource management in state parks involves identifying, maintaining, protecting, preserving, and interpreting evidence of those who lived in Florida before us. This evidence takes the form of resources which range from Native American sites thousands of years old to military sites from World War II.
Many state parks exhibit and interpret diverse collections of cultural objects which may include archaeological artifacts, furniture, textiles, papers, tools, and agricultural implements.
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
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Florida State Parks Cultural Resource Sites
The Division of Recreation and Parks is charged by statute to ". . . provide for perpetual preservation of historic sites and memorials of statewide significance and interpretation of their history to the people . . ." Approximately 200 historic structures and 750-1000 archaeological sites are located on lands in the Florida State Park system. All but a few of the 151 parks have pre-historic or historic resources. Eighty-two parks with the most significant cultural resources are listed below:
Northwest Region - District 1
- Alfred B. Maclay State Gardens: Maclay house & plantation outbuildings, ornamental gardens.
- Camp Helen State Recreation Area: lodge.
- Constitution Convention State Museum: monument, museum.
- DeSoto Site: DeSoto 1539 encampment, Apalachee village of Anhaica. Governor John Martin House. National Register of Historic Places.
- Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park: Lodge & outbuildings, paleontological site. National Register of Historic Places.
- Florida Caverns State Park: CCC structures, fish hatchery, CCC cavern excavation for public tours.
- Eden State Gardens: Wesley House, ornamental gardens.
- Falling Waters State Recreation Area: oil well site.
- John Gorrie State Museum: John Gorrie tomb, monument to air conditioning.
- Lake Jackson Mounds State Archaeological Site: pre-Columbian temple mound & ceremonial mound complex, 1820s mill site & spillway. National Register of Historic Places.
- Lake Overstreet: pre-Columbian archaeological sites, historic homesteads.
- Letchworth Mounds: pre-Columbian temple mound & ceremonial mound complex.
- Natural Bridge Battlefield State Historic Site: 1865 Civil War battle site, monument. National Register of Historic Places.
- St. Andrews SRA: restored turpentine still, WW II installation
remains San Marcos de Apalache State Historic Site: pre-Columbian
midden site, Spanish fort sites & remains, British and American forts,
Marine Hospital, Confederate Fort Ward, cemetery. National Register of
Historic Places, National Historic Landmark, National Engineering
Landmark.
Tallahassee/St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail: historic (1830s-1980s) railroad bed. - Torreya State Park: CCC structures, 1840s Gregory House, Civil War (Confederate) gun emplacements. National Register of Historic Places.
Northeast Region - District 2
- Big Shoals: pre-Columbian site, turpentine camp, homesites.
- Big Talbot Island State Park: Grand Site pre-Columbian shell ring. National Register of Historic Places.
- Cedar Key State Museum: St.Claire Whitman House, museum.
- Crystal River State Archaeological Site: pre-Columbian ceremonial and burial mounds, museum. National Register of Historic Places.
- Dudley Farm State Historic Site: historic farmstead.
- Fernandina Plaza State Historic Site: historic Plaza San Carlos.
- Forest Capital State Museum: Cracker homestead, museum.
- Fort Clinch State Park: historic Third System masonry fort (1840s -1899), CCC structures. National Register of Historic Places.
- Fort George Island State Cultural Site: historic Ribault Clubhouse, pre- Columbian mounds and archaeological sites, pre-Columbian shell ring.
- Ichetucknee Springs State Park: pre-Columbian archaeological sites, historic phosphate mines.
- Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings State Historic Site: historic Pulitzer Prize winning author's house, outbuildings. National Register of Historic Places.
- Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park: CCC structures, mill site.
- O'Leno State Park: CCC/WPA structures, town site of Leno.
- Olustee Battlefield State Historic Site: 1864 Civil War battle site, monument. National Register of Historic Places.
- Paynes Prairie State Preserve: pre-Columbian archaeological sites, pioneer ranching remains.
- River Rise State Preserve: historic Bellamy Road (1820s -1900).
- San Felasco Hammock State Preserve: pre-Columbian archaeological sites, historic tung oil and cotton farming/transportation site.
- Stephen Foster State Folk Culture Center: historic White Sulphur Springs spring house, visitor center, exhibits, restored carillon.
- Suwannee River State Park: historic town of Columbus cemetery, stage coach road, Confederate (Civil War) fortifications.
- Yellow Bluff Fort State Historic Site: Civil War (Union) fortification. National Register of Historic Places.
- Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins: remains of 1830s sugar mill owned by Florida's first U.S. Senator. National Register of Historic Places.
Central Region - District 3
- Addison Blockhouse State Historic Site: Second Seminole War period army fortification.
- Anastasia State Recreation Area: historic Spanish coquina quarries which provided stone for St. Augustine. National Register of Historic Places.
- Blue Spring State Park: Thursby House, pre-Columbian burial and ceremonial mounds, middens.
- Bulow Creek State Park: plantation sites, pre-Columbian middens and mounds.
- Bulow Plantation Ruins State Historic Site: sugar mill ruins. National Register of Historic Places.
- DeLeon Springs State Recreation Area: grist mill, cane syrup boiler, pre- Columbian burial and ceremonial mounds.
- Fort Mose: 1752 African-American settlement. National Register of Historic Places.
- Green Mound State Archaeological Site: pre-Columbian mound.
- Guana River State Park: pre-Columbian mounds & archaeological remains, 1800s well.
- Hontoon Island State Park: pre-Columbian burial and ceremonial mounds.
- Ravine State Gardens: historic WPA structures, ornamental gardens, Civil War site. National Register of Historic Places.
- Sebastian Inlet State Recreation Area: 1715 Spanish treasure wreck site, McLarty Museum. National Register of Historic Places.
- Tomoka State Park: Oswald Plantation site (British), pre-Columbian mounds, F .D. Marsh museum, Tomokie sculpture. National Register of Historic Places.
- Washington Oaks State Gardens: Young House and outbuildings, gardens, Washington House site, pre-Columbian midden.
- Wekiwa Springs State Park: historic resort site, historic logging tramways.
- William Beardall Tosohatchee State Reserve: pre-Columbian archaeological sites and middens, pioneer ranch site.
Southwest Region - District 4
- Anclote Key State Preserve: lighthouse & keeper's quarters. National Register of Historic Places.
- Cayo Costa State Park: pre-Columbian mounds.
- Collier-Seminole State Park: settlement, visitors center, historic Walking Dredge, Seminole village. National Register of Historic Places.
- Dade Battlefield State Historic Site: 1835 site of battle which began Second Seminole War, memorials, portions of historic Fort King Military Road (1830s), visitor center. National Register of Historic Places, National Historic Landmark.
- Egmont Key State Park: Seminole War(s) Indian prisoner camp, fortifications from Spanish-American War era (1898) through World War II, lighthouse. National Register of Historic Places.
- Fort Cooper State Park: Second Seminole War (1830s) fort site. National Register of Historic Places.
- Gasparilla Island State Recreation Area: lighthouse and keeper's house.
- Highlands Hammock State Park: CCC structures, Florida CCC Museum.
- Hillsborough River State Park: Fort Foster Historic Site (Second Seminole War, 1830s), CCC structures. National Register of Historic Places.
- Judah P. Benjamin Confederate Memorial at Gamble Plantation State Historic Site: plantation house & other remains. National Register of Historic Places.
- Koreshan State Historic Site: historic Koreshan Unity settlement. National Register of Historic Places.
- Madira Bickel Mound: pre-Columbian mound. National Register of Historic Places.
- Mound Key State Archaeological Site: pre-Columbian mound. National Register of Historic Places.
- Myakka River State Park: CCC structures including overnight cabins, Potter Palmer ranch site.
- Paynes Creek State Historic Site: Third Seminole War fort site.
National Register of Historic Places.
Ybor City State Museum: Museum (Ferlita bakery), restored cigar makers' homes (casitas). National Register of Historic Places.
Southeast Region - District 5
- Bahia Honda State Park: Florida East Coast Railway Bridge. National Register of Historic Places.
- Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Recreation Area: restored Cape Florida lighthouse & keeper's quarters. National Register of Historic Places.
- Fort Zachary Taylor State Historic Site: Historic Third System masonry fort, Spanish American War gun emplacements (1840s -1970s). National Register of Historic Places.
- Hugh Taylor Birch State Recreation Area: Birch House.
- Jonathan Dickinson State Park: Trapper Nelson homesite, WW II Camp Murphy.
- Lignumvitae Key State Botanical Site: Matheson House.
- Indian Key State Historic Site: 19th century historic town site and ruins. National Register of Historic Places.
- Oleta River SRA: pre-Columbian mounds.
- San Pedro State Underwater Archaeological Preserve: Spanish shipwreck available for diving. National Register of Historic Places.
- Windley Key Fossil Reef State Geological Site: quarrying, rock cutting machinery.
- The Barnacle State Historic Site: Ralph Munroe house, boathouse, restored marine railway. National Register of Historic Places.
Oversight, consultation and coordination for these activities is provided by the Bureau of Natural and Cultural Resources. The Bureau of Natural and Cultural Resources trains park personnel in many areas of cultural resource management, including collections management, site documentation and evaluation, and specific techniques for repairing historic buildings. The Bureau instituted a continuing Cultural Resource Management Initiative to foster greater awareness and understanding of cultural resource management procedures for some 50 parks with significant cultural resources. A key program of the initiative is Archaeological Monitor Training, a cooperative program with other land management agencies, in which over 150 park service staff have received training.
Related Links for Cultural Resources
- Florida Photographic Collection
- Florida Heritage Education Program
- Archaeological Monitoring Training
- Archaeological Resources Best Management Practices
- Florida Archaeology Publications
- Florida Historical Contexts--history of aboriginal Florida
- Florida Archaeology Month
- National Park Service Museum Management Publications
- Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) history and links
- National Association of CCC Alumni--NACCCA
- National Association for Interpretation--NAI
