Florida is an interesting place, with a very interesting history. It makes sense that some of the best places in our state are the charming and historic towns, especially the oldest ones. It’s difficult to pin down the oldest places in the state, because so many of our towns predate Florida as a state, or even as a U.S. territory. We settled on using the official date of incorporation to help us find the 10 oldest towns in Florida, but it’s all open to interpretation. These towns also happen to be great places to visit.
The towns include:
The towns include:
St. Augustine Founded in 16565, St. Augustine is one of the oldest continuously inhabited city in the United States. Walk the back streets and you will find it retains a lot of its historic charm. It served as the capital of Spanish Florida, and of U.S. Territory of Florida before it was changed to Tallahassee. See more St Augustine photos here.
Key West (April 2018)
Apalachicola
Apalachicola is known as the oyster capital of the world. Remnants of its colorful and diverse past remain very visible today through its many historic homes and buildings. A British trading post called "Cottonton" was founded at this site on the mouth of the Apalachicola River. In 1827, the town was incorporated as "West Point". Apalachicola received its current name in 1831". View all my Apalachichola photos here.
Micanopy "This small town just south of Gainesville is known for its historic buildings and great antique stores. It was incorporated in 1837, but its roots go all the way back before Florida became a U.S. territory. Historic Micanopy, settled in 1821, is the oldest inland town in Florida" ... and we found a great little Bar-B-Q named The Pearl that served excellent pork, ribs and chicken with many 'sides'. View all my Micanaopy photos here.
Marianna, Florida is one of the oldest towns in the state, founded in 1827. It was one of the important agricultural centers of north Florida's plantation economy before the Civil War. Downtown Marianna once had many nice shops and restaurants, but over the last two visits, much of the town 'appears' less than active and not at all prosperous. Our first visit was in September 2018. Our most recent visit in February 2019 was to capture additional photos of downtown, but we were sad to see that Marianna suffered badly from Hurricane Michael. Homes, schools, treed areas were devastated and everywhere one looked was piles of debris - trees, limbs, household and personal belongings. (first three photos 2018, last photo 2019)
Pensacola, FL.
Pensacola Update Oct 2018 Travel to the Scarlet Pearl in D’Ibersville (Biloxi) MS was moved forward in anticipation of Hurricane Michael crossing the Panhandle - and our travel routs on Wednesday. We left at 8:30 am to include additional time to the trip and also to locate/setup two photo opportunities - a (rusty) Ford Truck Collection somewhere in Crawfordville and sunset/low-light in Pensacola. Throughout the trip we saw over 85 utility vehicles heading easy on I-10 (we expect they were heading to the Carolinas). Arriving just before sunset in Pensacola we were able to capture several sunset shots and low-light street scenes. Town was quiet and half the local dining and pubs were closed and sand bagged. See more photos here.
Pensacola "Located on the Gulf Coast of Northwest Florida, Pensacola is one of America's most historic cities. The first Spanish settlement here dates back to 1559, more than 47 years before Jamestown and 61 years before the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock. Spanish explorers were in the Pensacola Bay area even before then. View all my Pensacola photos here.