Instructions:
1....Print this file.
2....At its end, click on "rules" to see a copy of the trail rules, print it, and then click where indicated at the end of the 3-page rules and patch order form to get back to the list of Florida trails.
3....If you want a hand-drawn map showing the locations of all of the sites, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Steve Rajtar, 1614 Bimini Dr., Orlando, FL 32806.
4....Hike the trail and order whatever patches you like (optional).
WARNING - This trail may pass through one or more neighborhoods which, although full of history, may now be unsafe for individuals on foot, or which may make you feel unsafe there. Hikers have been approached by individuals who have asked for handouts or who have inquired (not always in a friendly manner) why the hikers are in their neighborhood. Drugs and other inappropriate items have been found by hikers in some neighborhoods. It is suggested that you drive the hike routes first to see if you will feel comfortable walking them and, if you don't think it's a good place for you walk, you might want to consider (1) traveling with a large group, (2) doing the route on bicycles, or (3) choosing another hike route. The degree of comfort will vary with the individual and with the time and season of the hike, so you need to make the determination using your best judgment. If you hike the trail, you accept all risks involved.
This is the oldest masonry church in the city, built in 1902 for the African Methodist Episcopal Church, which was organized in 1886. Ten years later, the wooden sanctuary was destoryed by a tornado. Its replacement was built of red brick with Gothic style windows and a square tower. During a complete renovation in 1977, the bell was moved from the tower to its present location.
Organized in 1882, this church was built in 1922 of concrete blocks molded by members of the congregation. The stained glass windows are set in Gothic arched frames.
This home of Mrs. Black was built before the great windstorm of September 26, 1896, which it survived. This was built with a Frame Vernacular style, with cut shingles in the end gables.
Saul M. Thomas and Mr. Fryer owned the Palace Saloon, a wooden structure which stood here until it was destroyed by a storm in September of 1896. It was replaced by the present brick structure, which housed the J.L. Grimes Grocery in the right half of the building. Charles Nisi ran a grocery and bakery in the building after Prohibition in 1919. Grimes served as mayor of High Springs in 1909-10.
Charles and Ella Nisi lived in this home, built in about 1900. He sold bread from a horse-drawn wagon, and sold pastries at noontime at the school and the shops. Next door, they had a grocery in the front and a bakery and confectionery store in the back, and then moved it onto the old Palace Saloon site. This was remodeled by Robin True as the Tender Care Center.
This was built in the late 1890s as a boarding house by Saul M. Thomas, who also owned the Palace Saloon. Mr. and Mrs. Renfro later converted it to apartments. It features a second floor porch with a saw-cut balustrade.
This bungalow was built during the 1920s by physician Dr. Tyre. The Craftsman style utilized in this building was new to High Springs. It had been the site of the oldest house in town, which Tyre moved to the back of the lot to make room for this one.
This home was completed by 1914, and was bought by W.J. and Willie May Cone Priest in 1918. He was a Ford dealer and the owner of the Priest Motor Company. Her sister, Louise Cone, also occupied the house. The bungalow features graceful porch columns, a hipped roof and an eyebrow dormer.
This was built in 1912 by carpenter Jeheu Underwood for Samuel Phifer, who owned a lumber and building supply company. This two-story home features triple front gables, a classic portico entrance, diamond-paned windows, and a wraparound porch. Later, it was owned by Allen Smith and Jacquelyn Morie, and was then transformed into a bed and breakfast establishment.
This was probably the home of Grover W. McCall, who served as an officer of the High Springs Bank beginning in 1903 and as mayor of High Springs from 1950 to 1953. The house was built in about 1900 by Sam Phifer, and bought by McCall in 1911. Later, it was the home of his daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Dale Smith.
This Classical Revival style sanctuary was built in 1926-30 for the Baptist congregation which organized in 1883. It replaced three prior wooden Baptist churches, two destroyed by storms and one removed to make room for this brick building. When the Presbyterian congregation moved to a new sanctuary on US 441 in 1978, this became the home of the Faith Christian Fellowship Church.
This home was built in about 1897 by James S. Roach, an engineer with the Plant Railroad System. Roach built it for his wife, Ada, as a near-replica of her former house, but she wouldn't move into it. He later sold it to state legislator Burton H. Rawls and his family, who arrived in High Springs in 1925. The two-tiered open front porch is typical for Southern architecture.
This corrugated metal building was built in August of 1935 for the processing and shelling of peanuts. At the time, peanuts were a crop growing in importance in the economy of this part of Florida.
The two-story Central Hotel located here was renamed the Alabama Hotel by the Eason Smith family, who moved here from Alabama. It was later sold to Mr. Price, and then to the McDowell family. They operated it beginning in the 1930s, until it burned down later.
This structure was built in 1929 as a new car showroom (but was never used as one), and was converted to a movie theater. Its first feature was "The Singing Fool", starring Al Jolson. In 1985, it was bought and refurbished by Bobby and Janice Sheffield.
At this location were two depot buildings which handled passenger and freight service for the area. The depot burned in 1901 and again in 1910.
The Savannah, Florida and Western Railroad was extended from Live Oak to Gainesville in 1884. Nine years later, it connected High Springs to Port Tampa.
This town was an important rail center and crossroads for several Atlantic Coast Line mainlines, and had a complete wheel shop, engine service facilities and a large yard. It and Alachua comprised a natural hub area, with at least eight rail routes.
This building was erected during the early 1900s in Bell, and was moved here in the 1920s. In the 1940s, this became J.W. Thomas' Drug Store, with the rooms upstairs for rent. This has also served as a watch shop, grocery store, railroad restaurant, Paul Kahlich's meat market, and R.J. O'Steen's dry goods store.
On this corner was located a two-story hotel which was torn down some time after 1913. Some old-time residents have identified photographs of it as the "Yellow Dog", so called because it was painted yellow.
This was the home of the Crews family, and later of the Markey family. James Turner Markey arrived here from La Crosse in 1890 by mule and wagon, and had a general store for 43 years on Main St.
During the 1930s and 1940s, this was the home of Roscoe and Zitha O'Steen. He operated a dry goods store and she taught music.
This was built in about 1900 and operated as a rooming house for railroad crews. Ellin Rimes ran it during the 1920s and 1930s, and it was later known as the Humphrey Apartments. It was restored by subsequent owner John Wagner and was used as his law office.
This home erected in about 1900 was built by Joseph T. Pendleton, a worker in the railroad offices. Later, it was acquired by railroad engineer M. Addison. During the 1930s, the roof line was changed, but the columns and porches on three sides are original. A later owner was Walter Isler.
This Queen Anne style home was built just before 1900 by railroad superintendent G.C. Cole, who had moved to High Springs in 1897. In 1940, it was bought by railroad employee G.C. Cothron. The home features matching gazebo corners on the front porch and an elegant second story balcony.
This was built by the Nazarene Church and was used by them from 1930s to 1965. In that year, it was purchased by Masonic Lodge No. 137, F.&A.M.
This four-square home was built of heart pine in 1898 with wraparound porches by Capt. Stewart, who ran steamboats on the St. Johns River. It was owned for many year after the 1920s by railroad employee John Day who had come here from England to make his fortune in citrus, but was severely hurt by a major freeze in 1899. After later remodeling, it was known as the Berry Apartments. It was restored by subsequent owner A.L. Audette, Jr.
This Bungalow style apartment home was built on large square piers in 1917 as the town's first bakery. Later, it accommodated railroad men and tourists. It contained the Nisi Bakery and was later expanded to two stories and converted to the Grady Apartments (later called the Hester Apartments).
The house was owned by mayor Mack L. Grady, but was lived in by his son, George. George's daughter, Georgeann, also served as mayor of High Springs.
In about 1991, Ed Shupe and his wife, Diane Linch-Shupe, restored the home as a bed and breakfast inn.
Mr. and Mrs. George W. Easterlin were early High Springs merchants and lived in this home beginning in 1898, just two years after it was built. The house is Victorian in style, with a symmetrical front and lavishly decorated porches with turned-wood spindles. This was the first home built on the "Rock Road", as 1st Ave. was known because it was paved with fist-sized rocks.
This house has also been occupied by Juanita Esterlin, nicknamed Skeet, who was born in the house in 1910. She ran a gas station and a restaurant, and became involved with a moonshine ring.
A wooden sanctuary was built here by 1895 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. A fire severely damaged it in 1938, and it was restored with a brick veneer exterior. The stained glass windows date from this restoration.
The congregation moved to a new home on US 441 in June of 1985, and the building was acquired by the Seventh Day Adventist Church.
This church, Carpenter Gothic in style, was built by railroad carpenters during their spare time in 1895-96. It is built of heart pine and board-and-batten siding, and the Gothic style stained glass windows were added later. The plans were drawn up by John F. Young with the intention that lay carpenters could handle the work. A similar design is found throughout the diocese. This was the only High Springs church to survive the 1896 hurricane.
M.G. Knight was the mayor of High Springs in 1912, and operated a blacksmith shop at this site. He manufactured buggies, wagons and farm implements.
The Woman's Club was founded in 1899 as the New Century Women's Club, with Mrs. L.C. Gracy as its first president. The following year, it affiliated with the national organization of woman's clubs. This Craftsman style clubhouse was built of concrete blocks cast of rough-cut stone in 1912. James Paul, then the mayor of High Springs, donated the lot and built and financed the clubhouse.
During the 1930s, this brick cottage-style filling station was built by Henry McL. Grady. Grady was the mayor of High Springs and a business entrpreneur. It was later occupied by a real estate company.
This building was erected in 1896, and the brick facade with Romanesque arches was restored to its original appearance in 1986. The opera house was on the second floor, used by touring theatrical companies. Downstairs was a succession of businesses, including Hector McL. Grady's ready-to-wear store beginning in 1904, and later the Great Outdoors Trading Company owned by Robert and Leslie Justis.
A building was erected here during the early 1920s by W.J. Priest, and used by him for the Priest Motor Company. A later occupant was Melton Automotive which burned down on March 29, 1966.
After the great windstorm of 1896, this wooden church was rebuilt of heart pine milled in O'Leno. During the 1950s, the belfry was enclosed to exclude pigeons and the sand-colored brick veneer was added.
This home was built by railroad worker Will Godwin during the 1890s. The front porch was later enclosed, but the original triple gables and cut shingles remain. In 1969, it became the office of the High Springs Herald, published by Robert and Jillian Sharkey. It was later used as the Main Street Gallery.
During the 1920s, this was the home of Hector McL. Grady. He had come to High Springs in 1899 and ran a mercantile business until 1919, selling cold drinks, ice cream and confectioneries. After retiring from that, he served as mayor, county commissioner and state representative.
This was the home of druggist Jim "J.A." Stevens, and was built by M.G. Knight in July of 1911 for $1,500. It is of Frame Vernacular style with cross gables and a deep front porch. The home was transformed by Kip and Sandy Pierce into an antique store, Wisteria Corner, during the 1980s.
Stevens' first drug store burned down, and he replaced it with the Stevens Building by 1915. In 1917, Mr. and Mrs. Stevens sold their buggy and bought a new Model T Ford.
This home was built in another location, and after decades was moved here. It was the residence of John D. Neel, who worked for the railroad as a mill lead man for over 28 years.
Built in the 1890s, this was the home of justice of the peace Elias Godwin. It is typical Queen Anne architecture, with lacy decorative woodwork on the porches and a romantic balcony. Originally, it had a circular cupola on the south corner of the porch. This was later owned by Ed Mosely and converted into the Bloomsbury Inn, a bed and breakfast establishment, and has also served as the home of First Street Antiques.
Alachua County, Florida Historical Tour Series: Alachua, Hague, High Springs, La Crosse, Santa Fe, Bellamy Road & Traxler, by Alachua County Historical Commission (1984)
Florida Bed & Breakfast Guide, by Valerie C. Bondy (Queen of Hearts Publications 1995)
Florida Historic Stained Glass Survey: Sites of Historic Windows in Public Facilities in the State of Florida, by Robert O. Jones (Florida Members of the Stained Glass Association of America 1995)
Florida Historical Markers & Sites, by Floyd E. Boone (Gulf Publishing Company 1988)
Florida Off the Beaten Path, by Diana and Bill Gleasner (The Globe Pequot Press 1993)
Guide to Florida Walking Tours, by Roberta Sandler (Pineapple Press, Inc. 1996)
High Springs: A Photo Album, by Joel Glenn (North Florida Publishing Co., Inc. 1984)
High Springs Historic District - A Walking Tour, by High Springs Chamber of Commerce
History of Alachua County 1824-1969, by Jess G. Davis (Alachua County Historical Commission 1969)
Rails 'Neath the Palms, by Robert W. Mann (Darwin Publications 1983)
Wish You Were Here: A Grand Tour of Early Florida Via Old Post Cards, by Hampton Dunn (Byron Kennedy and Company 1981)