List of National Historic Landmarks in Florida

The National Historic Landmarks in Florida are representations of a broad sweep of history from Pre-Columbian times, through the Second Seminole War and Civil War, and the Space Age. There are 47 National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) in Florida,[1] which are located in twenty-two of the state's sixty-seven counties. Sixteen of the NHLs in the state are significant examples of a particular architectural style, eleven have military significance, ten are archaeological sites, three were the homes of well-known American authors, and one is associated with the development of the U.S. Space Program.

Six sites are in state parks and managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.[2]

Also included is a site determined eligible for National Historic Landmark status,[3] and a list of historical sites in Florida managed by the U.S. National Park Service which also have national significance.[4]

The National Historic Landmark program is administered by the National Park Service, a branch of the Department of the Interior. The National Park Service determines which properties meet NHL criteria and makes nomination recommendations after an owner notification process.[5] The Secretary of the Interior reviews nominations and, based on a set of predetermined criteria, makes a decision on NHL designation or a determination of eligibility for designation.[6] Both public and privately owned properties are designated as NHLs. This designation provides indirect, partial protection of the historic integrity of the properties, via tax incentives, grants, monitoring of threats, and other means.[5] Owners may object to the nomination of the property as an NHL. When this is the case the Secretary of the Interior can only designate a site as eligible for designation.[6]

NHLs are also included on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), which are historic properties that the National Park Service deems to be worthy of preservation. The primary difference between an NHL and a NRHP listing is that the NHLs are determined to have national significance, while other NRHP properties are deemed significant at the local or state level.[5] The NHLs in Florida comprise 2.6% of the approximately 1,600 properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Florida.

Current NHLs

[7]Landmark nameImageDate designated[8]Location CountyDescription
1Mary McLeod Bethune Home
Mary McLeod Bethune Home
December 2, 1974
(#74000655)
Daytona Beach
29°12′39″N 81°01′56″W / 29.210789°N 81.032098°W / 29.210789; -81.032098 (Mary McLeod Bethune Home)
VolusiaHome of Mary McLeod Bethune, educator and civil rights leader[9]
2Bok Tower Gardens
Bok Tower Gardens
April 19, 1993
(#72000350)
Lake Wales
27°56′06″N 81°34′37″W / 27.935°N 81.576944°W / 27.935; -81.576944 (Bok Tower Gardens)
PolkConstructed by Ladies Home Journal editor Edward W. Bok on the highest hill in the area to create "a spot of beauty second to none in the country"[10]
3British Fort
British Fort
May 15, 1975
(#72000318)
Sumatra
29°56′23″N 85°00′45″W / 29.939767°N 85.012499°W / 29.939767; -85.012499 (British Fort)
FranklinBuilt during the War of 1812 and also known as Negro Fort, it was the location of a fortification occupied by runaway slaves, as well as Native Americans living in the area. Due to a massive explosion near the end of the war, nothing remains of the fort.[11]
4Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
April 16, 1984
(#84003872)
Cocoa
28°29′20″N 80°34′40″W / 28.488889°N 80.577778°W / 28.488889; -80.577778 (Cape Canaveral Space Force Station)
BrevardThe East Coast space launch facility of the United States Space Force, and adjacent to the Kennedy Space Center[12]
5Cathedral Of St. Augustine
Cathedral Of St. Augustine
April 15, 1970
(#70000844)
St.Augustine
29°53′29″N 81°18′45″W / 29.891286°N 81.312368°W / 29.891286; -81.312368 (Cathedral Of St. Augustine)
St. JohnsCompleted in 1797, it was severely damaged by fire in 1887, but restored over the next two years. It is part of the St. Augustine Town Plan Historic District[13]
6Crystal River Site
Crystal River Site
June 21, 1990
(#70000178)
Crystal River
28°55′01″N 82°36′33″W / 28.916944°N 82.609167°W / 28.916944; -82.609167 (Crystal River Site)
CitrusA ceremonial center and burial complex, occupied during the Deptford, Weeden Island, and Safety Harbor periods[14]
7Dade Battlefield
Dade Battlefield
November 7, 1973
(#72000353)
Bushnell
28°39′08″N 82°07′36″W / 28.652222°N 82.126667°W / 28.652222; -82.126667 (Dade Battlefield)
SumterSite of the Dade Massacre during the Second Seminole War, it is now a state park[15]
8Marjory Stoneman Douglas House
Marjory Stoneman Douglas House
February 27, 2015
(#15000312)
Miami
27°57′37″N 82°26′32″W / 27.960253°N 82.442283°W / 27.960253; -82.442283 (Marjory Stoneman Douglas House)
Miami-Dade CountyHome of noted environmentalist and activist Marjory Stoneman Douglas.
9Dudley Farm
Dudley Farm
January 13, 2021
(#100006234)
18730 West Newberry Road
29°39′15″N 82°32′37″W / 29.6542°N 82.5436°W / 29.6542; -82.5436 (Dudley Farm)
AlachuaA fine example of a late-19th to early-20th century farm.
10El Centro Español de Tampa
El Centro Español de Tampa
June 3, 1988
(#88001823)
Tampa
27°57′37″N 82°26′32″W / 27.960253°N 82.442283°W / 27.960253; -82.442283 (El Centro Español de Tampa)
HillsboroughHome of the first mutual aid society in Florida, and part of the Ybor City Historic District[16]
11Ferdinand Magellan - U.S. Car No. 1
Ferdinand Magellan - U.S. Car No. 1
February 4, 1985
(#77000401)
Miami
25°37′03″N 80°24′00″W / 25.6175°N 80.4°W / 25.6175; -80.4 (Ferdinand Magellan - U.S. Car No. 1)
Miami-DadeThe first passenger railcar built for a President since the one made for Lincoln in 1865. It was used by FDR, Truman, Eisenhower, and briefly by Reagan.[17]
12Florida Southern College Historic District
Florida Southern College Historic District
March 2, 2012
(#75000568)
Lakeland
28°01′52″N 81°56′48″W / 28.031111°N 81.946667°W / 28.031111; -81.946667 (Florida Southern College Historic District)
PolkContains the largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.
13Fort King Site
Fort King Site
February 24, 2004
(#04000320)
Ocala
29°11′20″N 82°04′56″W / 29.188889°N 82.082222°W / 29.188889; -82.082222 (Fort King Site)
MarionSite of fort prominent before and during the Second Seminole War. It was located at a nexus of military roads reaching from Tampa to Jacksonville[18]
14Fort Mose Site
Fort Mose Site
October 12, 1994
(#94001645)
St.Augustine
29°55′40″N 81°19′31″W / 29.927689°N 81.325169°W / 29.927689; -81.325169 (Fort Mose Site)
St. JohnsFirst free Black settlement legally sanctioned in what would become the United States. Runaway slaves from the Southern colonies escaped to freedom here during the early to mid 18th century, making this a precursor to the Underground Railroad.[19]
15Fort San Carlos De Barrancas
Fort San Carlos De Barrancas
October 9, 1960
(#66000263)
Pensacola
30°20′52″N 87°17′51″W / 30.347839°N 87.297561°W / 30.347839; -87.297561 (Fort San Carlos De Barrancas)
EscambiaSite of a series of forts going back as far as 1698, now part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore.[20]
16Fort San Marcos De Apalache
Fort San Marcos De Apalache
November 13, 1966
(#66000271)
St. Marks
30°09′18″N 84°12′40″W / 30.155°N 84.211111°W / 30.155; -84.211111 (Fort San Marcos De Apalache)
WakullaWooden or masonry forts were at this site during Spanish or British colonial periods, and the Second Seminole War. The Spanish fort's capture in 1818 by Jackson led the U.S. to acquire Florida in 1821.[21]
17Fort Walton Mound
Fort Walton Mound
July 19, 1964
(#66000268)
Fort Walton Beach
30°24′13″N 86°36′27″W / 30.403611°N 86.6075°W / 30.403611; -86.6075 (Fort Walton Mound)
OkaloosaType site of the Fort Walton Culture[22]
18Fort Zachary Taylor
Fort Zachary Taylor
May 31, 1973
(#71000244)
Key West
24°32′46″N 81°48′37″W / 24.546094°N 81.810292°W / 24.546094; -81.810292 (Fort Zachary Taylor)
MonroeControlled by the Union during the Civil War, later used heavily during the Spanish–American War, it is now a state park[23]
19Freedom Tower
Freedom Tower
October 6, 2008[24]
(#79000665)
Miami
25°46′48″N 80°11′23″W / 25.78°N 80.189722°W / 25.78; -80.189722 (Freedom Tower)
Miami-DadeThe original headquarters and printing facility of the Miami News & Metropolis newspaper; later made a memorial to Cuban immigration to the U.S.[25]
20González-Alvarez House
González-Alvarez House
April 15, 1970
(#70000845)
St.Augustine
29°53′17″N 81°18′36″W / 29.888004°N 81.310038°W / 29.888004; -81.310038 (González-Alvarez House)
St. JohnsThe oldest house in St. Augustine, built in the early 18th century, and part of the St. Augustine Town Plan Historic District[26]
21Governor Stone (schooner)
Governor Stone (schooner)
December 4, 1992
(#91002063)
Panama City
30°10′03″N 85°42′09″W / 30.167521°N 85.702600°W / 30.167521; -85.702600 (Governor Stone (schooner))
BayBuilt in 1877, it is the oldest surviving Gulf-built two-masted coasting schooner[27]
22Ernest Hemingway House
Ernest Hemingway House
November 24, 1968
(#68000023)
Key West
24°33′04″N 81°48′03″W / 24.551179°N 81.800903°W / 24.551179; -81.800903 (Ernest Hemingway House)
MonroeA home of author Ernest Hemingway[28]
23Hotel Ponce de Leon
Hotel Ponce de Leon
February 17, 2006
(#75002067)
St.Augustine
29°53′32″N 81°18′51″W / 29.892129°N 81.314252°W / 29.892129; -81.314252 (Hotel Ponce de Leon)
St. JohnsBuilt in 1887-88 by Carrère and Hastings for real estate and railroad tycoon Henry Flagler, it is the first large scale building constructed entirely of poured concrete. The only Flagler Hotel to survive the Great Depression, it later became part of Flagler College. Part of St. Augustine Town Plan Historic District[29]
24Zora Neale Hurston House
Zora Neale Hurston House
December 4, 1991
(#91002047)
Fort Pierce
27°27′39″N 80°20′31″W / 27.460777°N 80.342009°W / 27.460777; -80.342009 (Zora Neale Hurston House)
St. LucieA home of author Zora Neale Hurston[30]
25Ingham (USCGC)
Ingham (USCGC)
April 27, 1992
(#92001879)
Key West
24°38′08″N 81°48′28″W / 24.635555555555555°N 81.80777777777777°W / 24.635555555555555; -81.80777777777777 (Ingham (USCGC))
MonroeBuilt at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in 1935 and launched in 1936. Served on North Atlantic Convoys and credited with sinking u-boat 626. Served in Mediterranean and African Convoys and then landings in the Philippines. Served through Korea and received two Presidential Unit Citations for service in Viet-Nam. Served in Key West during the Mariel Boat lift in 1980 and retired in 1988 after 52 years of service. She remains the most decorated cutter in Coast Guard History.
26Llambias House
Llambias House
April 15, 1970
(#70000846)
St.Augustine
29°53′16″N 81°18′39″W / 29.887907°N 81.310969°W / 29.887907; -81.310969 (Llambias House)
St. JohnsBuilt in the late 18th century, and part of the St. Augustine Town Plan Historic District[31]
27Maple Leaf (shipwreck)
Maple Leaf (shipwreck)
October 12, 1994
(#94001650)
Mandarin
30°09′30″N 81°41′12″W / 30.158333°N 81.686667°W / 30.158333; -81.686667 (Maple Leaf (shipwreck))
DuvalLaunched in 1851, it was sunk by the Confederates in 1864, and is one of the best preserved Civil War shipwrecks[32]
28Mar-a-Lago
Mar-a-Lago
December 23, 1980
(#80000961)
Palm Beach
26°40′40″N 80°02′10″W / 26.677885°N 80.036057°W / 26.677885; -80.036057 (Mar-a-Lago)
Palm BeachThe former estate of Marjorie Merriweather Post.[33]
29Miami Biltmore Hotel & Country Club
Miami Biltmore Hotel & Country Club
June 19, 1996
(#72000306)
Coral Gables
25°44′28″N 80°16′45″W / 25.741111°N 80.279167°W / 25.741111; -80.279167 (Miami Biltmore Hotel & Country Club)
Miami-DadeA luxury Biltmore Hotel opened in 1926, it was the tallest building in Florida until 1928, and also served as a hospital during World War II.[34]
30The Miami Circle at Brickell Point Site
The Miami Circle at Brickell Point Site
January 16, 2009
(#01001534)
Miami
25°46′10″N 80°11′24″W / 25.769381°N 80.189919°W / 25.769381; -80.189919 (The Miami Circle at Brickell Point Site)
Miami-DadeAn important site related to the Tequesta[35]
31Mud Lake Canal
Mud Lake Canal
September 20, 2006
(#06000979)
Flamingo
25°10′26″N 80°56′17″W / 25.174°N 80.938°W / 25.174; -80.938 (Mud Lake Canal)
MonroePrehistoric long-distance canoe canal[36]
32Norman Film Manufacturing Company
Norman Film Manufacturing Company
October 31, 2016
(#14001084)
Jacksonville
30°20′02″N 81°35′37″W / 30.33379°N 81.59365°W / 30.33379; -81.59365 (Norman Film Manufacturing Company)
DuvalA rare, extant silent film studio and the only surviving race film studio in America; it never transitioned to sound production.[37]
33Okeechobee Battlefield
Okeechobee Battlefield
July 4, 1961
(#66000269)
Okeechobee
27°12′04″N 80°46′09″W / 27.201111°N 80.769167°W / 27.201111; -80.769167 (Okeechobee Battlefield)
OkeechobeeSite of the Battle of Lake Okeechobee, one of the major conflicts during the Second Seminole War[38]
34Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge
Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge
May 23, 1963
(#66000265)
Sebastian
27°48′00″N 80°26′00″W / 27.8°N 80.4333°W / 27.8; -80.4333 (Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge)
Indian RiverEstablished by an executive order of President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903, this was the first national wildlife refuge in the United States.[39]
35Pensacola Naval Air Station Historic District
Pensacola Naval Air Station Historic District
December 8, 1976
(#76000595)
Pensacola
30°20′52″N 87°17′50″W / 30.3478°N 87.2972°W / 30.3478; -87.2972 (Pensacola Naval Air Station Historic District)
EscambiaOpened in 1914, as the first U.S. permanent naval air station, first Navy pilot training center, and first U.S. naval installation to send pilots into combat.[40]
36Plaza Ferdinand VII
Plaza Ferdinand VII
October 9, 1960
(#66000264)
Pensacola
30°24′27″N 87°12′50″W / 30.407406°N 87.213948°W / 30.407406; -87.213948 (Plaza Ferdinand VII)
EscambiaPlace where Florida was formally transferred from Spain to the U.S., in 1821[41]
37Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station
Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station
August 5, 1998
(#72000355)
Ponce Inlet
29°04′44″N 80°55′42″W / 29.078961°N 80.928334°W / 29.078961; -80.928334 (Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station)
VolusiaCompleted in 1887, it is the tallest lighthouse in Florida (at 175 feet (53 m) in height)[42]
38Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings House and Farm Yard
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings House and Farm Yard
September 20, 2006
(#70000176)
Cross Creek
29°28′49″N 82°09′42″W / 29.4803°N 82.1617°W / 29.4803; -82.1617 (Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings House and Farm Yard)
AlachuaA home of author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings[43]
39The Research Studio (Maitland Art Center)
The Research Studio (Maitland Art Center)
August 25, 2014
(#14000920)
Maitland
28°37′32″N 81°22′03″W / 28.625556°N 81.3675°W / 28.625556; -81.3675 (The Research Studio (Maitland Art Center))
OrangeArtist J. Andre Smith founded the Center as an artist colony in 1937. With over 200 carvings and reliefs, it is an important example of Art Deco fantasy and Mayan Revival architecture in the United States.[44]
40Safety Harbor site
Safety Harbor site
July 19, 1964
(#66000270)
Safety Harbor
28°00′32″N 82°40′39″W / 28.008889°N 82.6775°W / 28.008889; -82.6775 (Safety Harbor site)
PinellasThe largest remaining mound in the Tampa Bay area, and believed to have been the location of the "capital city" of the Tocobaga[45]
41San Luis De Talimali (formerly San Luis de Apalache)
San Luis De Talimali (formerly San Luis de Apalache)
October 15, 1966
(#66000266)
Tallahassee
30°26′57″N 84°19′12″W / 30.44909°N 84.319905°W / 30.44909; -84.319905 (San Luis De Talimali (formerly San Luis de Apalache))
LeonA Spanish Franciscan mission was built here in 1633 in the descendent settlement of Anhaica, capital of Apalachee Province. It was abandoned and destroyed in 1704 to prevent use by the British.[46]
42St. Augustine Town Plan Historic District
St. Augustine Town Plan Historic District
April 15, 1970
(#70000847)
St.Augustine
29°53′31″N 81°18′51″W / 29.89204°N 81.31428°W / 29.89204; -81.31428 (St. Augustine Town Plan Historic District)
St. JohnsThe district's boundaries are roughly those of the original town of St. Augustine, and covers the period of development from 1672 to 1935.[47]
43Tampa Bay Hotel
Tampa Bay Hotel
May 11, 1976
(#72000322)
Tampa
27°56′44″N 82°27′50″W / 27.945472°N 82.464013°W / 27.945472; -82.464013 (Tampa Bay Hotel)
HillsboroughBuilt by railroad magnate Henry B. Plant in a Moorish Revival style, and considered his premier hotel, it covers 6 acres (24,000 m2) and is .25 miles (0.40 km) long[48]
44Vizcaya
Vizcaya
April 19, 1994
(#70000181)
Miami
25°44′37″N 80°12′37″W / 25.743611°N 80.210278°W / 25.743611; -80.210278 (Vizcaya)
Miami-DadeWinter residence of industrialist James Deering[49]
45Whitehall (Henry M. Flagler House)
Whitehall (Henry M. Flagler House)
February 16, 2000
(#72000345)
Palm Beach
26°42′52″N 80°02′30″W / 26.714307°N 80.041653°W / 26.714307; -80.041653 (Whitehall (Henry M. Flagler House))
Palm BeachA home of industrialist Henry Morrison Flagler[50]
46Windover Archeological Site
Windover Archeological Site
May 28, 1987
(#87000810)
Titusville
28°32′19″N 80°50′36″W / 28.538537°N 80.843239°W / 28.538537; -80.843239 (Windover Archeological Site)
BrevardA peat deposit preserving artifacts and human burials dating to the Early Archaic period. One of the largest collections of human skeletal material of its time, and of fiber arts from any New World archeological site.[51]
47Ybor City Historic District
Ybor City Historic District
December 14, 1990
(#74000641)
Tampa
27°57′54″N 82°26′06″W / 27.965°N 82.435°W / 27.965; -82.435 (Ybor City Historic District)
HillsboroughHas the largest collection of buildings related to the U.S. cigar industry; was a rare multi-ethnic & multi-racial industrial community of the Deep South in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[52]

Eligible National Historic Landmark

The following property was determined eligible for National Historic Landmark status, but did not become one.[53] It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Landmark nameImageDate declaredLocationCountyDescription
1Hialeah Park Race Track January 11, 1988[3][54]Hialeah[3][54]
25°50′46″N 80°16′37″W / 25.846°N 80.277°W / 25.846; -80.277 (Hialeah Park Race Track)
Miami-Dade[3]Built in 1921, the greyhound track is one of the oldest existing recreational facilities in southern Florida, and contributed to South Florida's popularity as a winter resort for the rich and famous. It became so well known for its flamingo flocks that it was officially designated a sanctuary for them by the Audubon Society.[3]

Historic areas of the NPS in Florida

National Historic Sites, National Historical Parks, some National Monuments, and certain other areas listed in the National Park system are historic landmarks of national importance that are highly protected already, often before the inauguration of the NHL program in 1960, and are then often not also named NHLs per se. There are six of these in Florida. The National Park Service lists these six together with the NHLs in the state.[1]

Landmark name[54][55]ImageDate
established
[56]
LocationCountyDescription[57]
1Castillo de San Marcos National Monument October 15, 1924St.AugustineSt. JohnsThis fort was built in 1672-95 to protect early Spanish settlers.
2De Soto National Memorial March 11, 1948west of BradentonManateeCommemorates the landing of Spanish explorer, Hernando de Soto in 1539. De Soto's expedition was the first extensive exploration by Europeans of what is now the southern United States.
3Dry Tortugas National Park January 4, 1935west of Key West in the Gulf of MexicoMonroeProtects several islands, associated coral reefs and marine life, and Fort Jefferson, a huge pre-Civil War masonry fort. The name "Tortugas" was given to these islands by Ponce de Leon in 1513, for the large numbers of sea turtles ("tortugas") found in the area.
4Fort Caroline National Memorial January 16, 1953JacksonvilleDuvalCommemorates the first French attempt to establish a settlement in the present United States. The fort model overlooks the original site of the French Juguenot colony of 1564-65. The French and Spanish began two centuries of colonial rivalry in North America here.
5Fort Matanzas National Monument October 15, 1924south of St.AugustineSt. JohnsBuilt to protect Spanish settlers. Two hundred and forty-five Frenchmen who challenged Spanish dominion were killed by Spaniards here in 1565. The name Matanzas means "slaughters."
6Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve February 16, 1988JacksonvilleDuvalA partnership between the National Park Service and local government agencies to protect the wetlands, river systems, and historic sites within Duval County near Jacksonville, Florida. Kingsley Plantation, the oldest remaining plantation in Florida, is part of the preserve.

See also

References

External links