Floridiana Magazine

History. Heritage. Home.

The Athens of Florida: DeLand

Brief History of DeLand

DeLand’s rich history goes back to when the area was known as Persimmon Hollow and was only accessible by steamboat along the St. John’s River.  Captain John Rich built a log cabin there in 1874, then two years later, in 1876, Henry A. DeLand visited his brother-in-law who lived in Persimmon Hollow.  DeLand liked it so much he purchased a $1,000 plot of land with the idea of developing the area.  He offered settlers purchasing the property a chance to sell it back to him within a two-year period.  DeLand lived up to his word after a freeze destroyed all of their crops and they could no longer stay there.  He bought back all the land.

“Henry’s Vision”

DeLand is also responsible for the city’s nickname “The Athens of Florida.”  Although he was never a full-time resident of the state, he wanted the city to become a place of culture, education and beauty like Athens, Greece.

Stetson University

Stetson University, Florida’s oldest private college, also plays a major role in the city’s history.  Stetson sits on about 160 acres of land in the heart of DeLand.  Founded in 1883 as DeLand University, its name was changed to Stetson University in 1889 in honor of John B. Stetson, a hat manufacturer who, along with Henry DeLand (founder of the city), was one of the founding trustees of the university.

DeLand Hall

Beautiful brick buildings are part of the university’s landscape.  One of those buildings, Elizabeth Hall, was built in 1885 and sits on North Woodland Boulevard.  Elizabeth Hall and other buildings like it are the reasons the university is on the National Register of Historic Places for the state’s “oldest collection of education-related buildings.”

Elizabeth Hall, built 1885

This picturesque campus has been ranked as the 5th best regional university in the South in the 2017 U.S. News and World Report’s guide to America’s Best Colleges.

Stetson Mansion

When planning for this day trip to DeLand, I knew I also wanted to see the Stetson Mansion, but driving up to the entrance, the gate was closed and a sign indicated the start time of the next tour.   Reservations for the tours are required, which means I should have done a little more research! Nevertheless, looking through the gate at this massive mansion, it’s easy to understand why it is Florida’s first luxury estate.

The mansion is referred to as “The House that Hats Built” and served as the winter home for John B. Stetson for 20 years.  Built in 1886, the mansion is filled with intricate carvings, parquet floors and 10,000 panes of antique window glass. It is also one of the first homes in the world with electricity, thanks to the friendship between Stetson and Thomas Edison.  Although it is now a private residence, year-round tours are still offered with special tours taking place during the Christmas holidays.

Athens Theatre

It’s only fitting that the city known as The Athens of Florida is home to its own Athens Theatre.  The theatre is in Historic Downtown DeLand at the end of Indiana Avenue along North Florida Avenue.  The theatre opened its doors in 1922 and was dubbed “Florida’s Handsomest Theatre.”  The theatre has evolved over the years from vaudeville acts to a movie theatre to a dinner theatre.  It closed its doors in the early 1990s but became the focus of the MainStreet DeLand Association which recognized the role it plays in the history of the city.  It is now owned by a non-profit theatre company and produces six Broadway caliber shows per year.  The Athens Theatre Youth Company also uses the facility to educate the youth about the performing arts.

The DeLand Mural Walk

Another must-see in DeLand is the city’s Mural Walk.  With 12 official murals painted on the sides of buildings around town, it is part of the Florida Mural Trail.  Each mural offers its own story about the history of Deland and range from smaller paintings, like “Gibbs Clothing Store”

…to the city’s longest mural at Painter’s Pond Park.  At 100 feet long, it shows what train passengers would see as they were riding through DeLand in the early 1900s.

In addition to the “official” murals, there are several others painted around town that are worth seeing.  The “Wings” painting along Pill Alley is one of those that visitors seek out, perhaps in an effort to earn their own wings.

Shopping and Dining in DeLand

The streets of DeLand are filled with stores, restaurants, and drinking establishments. Music stores offer up vinyl records of some of the old favorites, while antique stores provide treasure hunters plenty of opportunities to plunder.

Three-story antique store. A dream come true!

Hometown breweries like Persimmon Hollow Brewing Company and outdoor spaces like DaVinci Gardens give patrons unique experiences to relax and unwind.

On the outside looking in

Fun during the day, but buzzing at night

Other Things to See in DeLand

If these things aren’t enough to keep a person busy, there are a couple of other opportunities to take in the city of DeLand.  Stop by the old courthouse and gaze up at the amazing architecture, or visit the Chess Park adjacent to the courthouse.  Chess pieces are not provided.

With so much to see and do in DeLand, it’s best to do a little research beforehand.  But it’s definitely a place to go to continue “celebrating all things Florida.”

Monticello, Florida

For years, I have been driving Interstate 10 west to Tallahassee either as a student at Florida State University or the parent of two daughters at FSU. In all of those years, I rarely ventured off the main highway to visit any of the smaller towns. However, now that I have moved to Tallahassee, Monticello is becoming one of my favorite small Florida towns.

First, let me say, the drive into Monticello on U.S. Highway 90 will more than likely be full of color in the coming month, as crepe myrtles lined both sides of the road. That in itself would be worth the drive, but there is much more to this charming town.

Jefferson County Courthouse

Monticello is the county seat of Jefferson County, named after Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States and author of the Declaration of Independence. If you know history, you might know Jefferson’s home in Virginia also bore the name Monticello. The town was named after that home and serves as the hub of the county. The Jefferson County Courthouse sits in the center of town and was built in 1909. The Latin phrase “Suum Cuique”, can be seen above its doors, meaning “to each his own” or “may all get their due.”

Walking and Driving Tour of Monticello

Monticello is known for its historic buildings. If you want to get a glimpse of them, all you have to do is to take a drive off the main highway through town and meander through the side streets.  In all, there are more than 600 buildings in the area that were built before 1920. A walking and driving tour has been established to lead visitors to 26 of those structures.

Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce

Make sure to stop at the Chamber of Commerce on the way in to pick up a brochure showing the route along with a brief history of those buildings.

Tour brochures can be picked up at the Chamber of Commerce

The Avera-Clarke House was built in 1890 by state legislator Thomas L. Clarke.  It sits on the corner of U.S. 90 and Pine Street and now serves as a bed and breakfast. With its red shutters and white picket fence, the building itself seems to say “welcome home.”

Avera-Clarke House in Monticello

Other homes in Monticello represent those typical of the Old South.

Budd-Pafford House (1833)

Monticello Opera House

One of the primary historic structures is The Monticello Opera House, built in 1890 by businessman John H. Perkins, in what is known as the Perkins Block. Sitting across from the courthouse, it still serves as a cultural and arts center for the area.  The second floor of the building houses the theatre itself, which is often said to have nearly perfect acoustics.  Local companies regularly put on musical and theatrical shows, as well as other musical groups. (Check the calendar of events for dates and times.)

Monticello Opera House | Photo by Doris Keeler, Floridiana Magazine

Shopping and Other Activities in Monticello

We visited on a Sunday, and other than church activities, the streets of Monticello were relatively empty. The shops were closed, but the town still showed off its charm with antique stores, restaurants and other locally owned businesses.

 

As is the case with small towns, Monticello also lays claim to other activities. The second weekend in May is the Southern Music Rising Festival featuring musicians from all over the country. They set up in the Opera House and on the porches of the houses throughout downtown to entertain visitors with old time music. The town also comes to life during the third weekend in June with the Jefferson County Watermelon Festival.

And if you are into haunted ghost tours, Monticello is known as the “South’s Most Haunted Small Town.” Historic Monticello Ghost Tours are held through September and cemetery scavenger hunts are also offered through reservations.

Monticello is a small town with a big heart and a big history.  This trip definitely taught me a lesson: make it a point to get off the main highways and visit some of the smaller towns in the state. Those towns are where you will experience the “real Florida.”

Micanopy: The Town that Time Forgot

A quiet Saturday morning on Cholokka Boulevard in Micanopy.

A Saturday visit to Micanopy demonstrated the laid back way of life in this small Florida town.  Closing in on 10:00 a.m., the streets were void of cars and the shops had not yet opened.  The only life in this little town at that time of the morning was at the Coffee n’ Cream Café.  Guests sat outside on the porch, having their morning coffee and catching up on each other’s lives.  They were the early birds.  We were told most people didn’t start showing up in town until sometime between 10:00 a.m. and noon.

Micanopy is the oldest inland community in Florida and was named for Seminole Indian Chief Micanopy.  The town started out as an Indian trading post in 1821.  When a 45-mile road from present-day Palatka to Micanopy was built in 1822 by a select group of settlers and craftsmen from New York, it opened the area up to what would become a vegetable growing hub and busy market town in this section of the state.

The town fell into some hard times during the Second Seminole War in the 1830s and had to be rebuilt. Some of those buildings are now on the National Register of Historic Places.

Just one of the buildings holding this distinction.

 

Known as “The Town that Time Forgot,” Micanopy is home to about 600 people.  The main street through town, Cholokka Boulevard, is lined with gift shops and antique stores, from the eclectic to the traditional.  Those shops are a draw for tourists.

Another draw is The Herlong Mansion Historic Inn and Gardens which epitomizes the charm of Micanopy.  A long brick sidewalk leads to the front doors of this bed and breakfast.  Built in 1845, the mansion now hosts a series of suites, rooms and cottages.

An inviting entrance to the Herlong Mansion

The charm of this little town has also been the backdrop for a couple of movies.  Micanopy was the setting for Cross Creek in 1985 and then in 1991 turned into Grady, South Carolina for a few short months during the filming of Doc Hollywood, starring Michael J. Fox.  If you look close enough, you can see where the building that served as the garage where Dr. Stone’s car was repaired.

This building served as the garage in the 1991 movie Doc Hollywood starring Michael J. Fox.

Not everything is always quiet here.  One weekend out of the year, the town transforms into a two-day arts and crafts festival which draws in tens of thousands of people into the small downtown area.  The main boulevard is closed off for vendors from around the state for the Micanopy Fall Festival.

Food, crafts and art.  A winning combination for Micanopy.

Crowds are the norm for the Micanopy Fall Festival.

A descendant of the original Florida Highwaymen shows off his talents at the festival.

Once the festival ends, the town goes back to the way it was:  one of those little gems that can be found off the main highways.  If you want to get out early on a Saturday to do a little antique shopping, wait until after 10:00 a.m.  But if you’re looking for a quiet way to start the day, this little town is the perfect place.

A quaint little town.

This antique store is permanently closed. FM Facts

The 42nd Annual Micanopy Fall Festival will be held Saturday and Sunday, October 28 and 29, 2017.