s
City of Alachua
Downtown Redevelopment District
A Survey of
Architectural and Historical Resources
Report Prepared by Murray D. Laurie
October, 1999
■
City of Alachua Downtown Redevelopment District
Survey of Architectural and Historical Resources
Report Prepared by Murray D. Laurie
October, 1999
The survey of the City of Alachua Downtown Redevelopment District was made possible
by funds provided by the City of Alachua Downtown Redevelopment Board of Trustees. The
survey project consultant was Murray D. Laurie.
City of Alachua:
Mayor, Patrick Murphy
Vice-Mayor, Orien A. Hills
City Commission: Gerald Criswell, Gib Coerper, James A. Lewis
City Manager, Charles M. Morris
City Clerk, Carol Walker
Building and Zoning Department Supervisor, Margaret Taylor
Alachua Public Library Director, Linda Luke
Alachua Community Redevelopment Trust Board:
Chair, Darryl J. Tompkins
Vice-Chair, Tom Tomberlin
William W. Irby
James W. Shaw
Duane V. Helle
Bonnie Burgess
North Central Florida Regional Planning Council:
Lowell Garrett, Senior Planner
Maria Masque, Associate Planner
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 3
SURVEY CRITERIA 4
SURVEY METHODOLOGY 6
THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY OF ALACHUA:
A CHRONOLOGICAL OVERVIEW TO 1949 8
Historical Overview 8
Architectural Analysis 14
RECOMMENDATIONS 31
Specific Recommendations for the City of Alachua 32
Incentives for Historic Preservation 36
BIBLIOGRAPHY 39
APPENDICES
ONE: Inventory of Survey Sites 40
TWO: Legal Description of the Downtown Redevelopment District 43
Old Bank of Alachua, restored in 1998
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The assistance and cooperation of many people within the community contributed to the
success of this survey of the historic properties in the City of Alachua Downtown
Redevelopment District. I am most grateful for the cordial and gracious manner in which this
assistance and cooperation was granted throughout the many months it took to complete the
survey, which began in May, 1999.
The financial and administrative support provided by the City of Alachua and the
Downtown Redevelopment Board of Trustees made available the materials and services essential
to the field survey and research process. They provided technical assistance, maps, and
information for the properties surveyed.
Community organizations interested in preserving the city's past, such as the Citizens for
a Better Alachua, provided encouragement and helped me locate valuable sources of
information. The many hours I spent talking to the residents of Alachua and its environs about
the history of the city and its buildings were particularly enjoyable and rewarding. My warmest
thanks are extended to Jack Bryan, David Bush, William Enneis, Kevin Finley, Mary Lois
Forrester, Pauline Fugate, Nina May Harrison, Fletcher Stephens, and Arthur Spencer.
The downtown merchants of Alachua have kept up the city's tradition of community
involvement and were unfailingly helpful to me in many ways, telling me what they knew about
the history of their building, pointing out its significant features, suggesting others to talk to, and
sharing their hopes and plans for the future. Photographs on display in the Conestoga Restaurant
and in the First National Bank of Alachua were a valuable resource.
Finally, I thank the many residents and property owners who patiently answered my
questions, permitted me to photograph their homes, and sometimes invited me in for a visit. I
hope that this survey will encourage the continued preservation of the building fabric of the City
of Alachua and help maintain the community's cultural heritage.
Main Street
3
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2011 with funding from
LYRASIS Members and Sloan Foundation
http://www.archive.org/details/surveyofarchitecOOprep
SURVEY CRITERIA
The criteria used to place historic properties on the National Register of Historic Places
were used as a basis for the evaluation of the sites documented within the City of Alachua
Downtown Redevelopment District. (See Appendix Two for boundaries and legal description of
the District.) The survey results form an authoritatively documented foundation which can be
used by those agencies required by law to comply with state and federal regulations in regard to
the preservation of historic properties. The criteria for listing on the National Register as
published by the United States Department of the Interior are listed below.
1. A property is associated with events which have made a significant contribution to the
broad patterns of history; or
2. A property is associated with the lives of persons significant in the past; or
3. A property is significant if it embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period,
or method of construction, for example, it represents the work of a master, or if it possesses high
artistic values, or if it represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may
lack individual distinction, such as a district; or
4. A property which yields, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory
or history.
In a somewhat less restricted manner the same criteria are used to select properties to be
listed in the Florida Master Site File. Many of the properties on this master site file are of purely
state and local significance and would not be eligible for the National Register of Historic
Places. The Florida Site File, a central repository of archival material and data on the physical
remains of Florida history, is a statewide inventory of buildings, structures, objects, and sites
that can be used as a valuable planning tool.
The survey project director, who holds a master's degree in history from the University
of Florida and who has worked as a Historic Preservation Consultant for twenty years, examined
all standing buildings in the City of Alachua that appeared to be at least fifty years old or older
and recorded their location and physical description. The cut-off date of 1949 was chosen for the
survey and, with the assistance of records in the Alachua County Tax Appraiser's office, the
1912 and 1924 Sanborn maps of Alachua, and interviews with long-time residents of the city,
dates of construction were verified or estimated. Some buildings that satisfied the fifty-year
criteria but had lost the integrity of their original design through alterations and decay were
eliminated from the survey.
Many of the extant brick stores and commercial buildings on Main Street were built by
1912, when the first Sanborn map was drawn, and most of the larger homes also dated from the
turn of the century or the first decade of the twentieth century. The subsequent growth of the
City of Alachua, according to the dates of construction of the rest of the buildings in the survey,
was slow and gradual, with no apparent spurts of growth due to the great Florida land boom in
the 1920s. Most of the homes built in the 1920s and 1930s were smaller wood frame residences,
and there was little growth in the 1940s.
As there was little recorded historical information available on individual buildings other
than those sources mentioned, the information gathered from the citizens of the City of Alachua
was of primary importance. Notes taken during long conversations and casual encounters alike
helped document the intricate and fascinating historic legacy of the city's buildings. Any errors
or omissions in reporting this information are solely the fault of the project coordinator.
— I , jt AHCI
T ALACHUA COUNTY
tew n <j
Figure 1. Location of Alachua and survey area
SURVEY METHODOLOGY
An historic sites survey, which may either be thematic or geographic in scope, is a
systematic and detailed recording of historic resources. A thematic survey might, for example,
record only resources of a predetermined type, such as farm buildings or Carpenter Gothic
churches within a particular area. A geographic survey, on the other hand, is comprehensive and
includes all of the historic resources within the specified area. A geographic survey of the City
of Alachua Downtown Redevelopment District was conducted, using the boundaries indicated in
Figure 1. The survey area extended roughly from US 441 on the north to NW 142 Avenue as the
southern boundary, and three or four blocks to the east and west of Main Street. Archaeological
resources were not surveyed within the area.
The survey consisted of three phases. First, the historic literature was reviewed to
determine the period of development for the City of Alachua and the individuals and pioneer
families contributing to this development. An examination of the Florida Site Files for Alachua
County revealed that no buildings within the survey area had previously been recorded. In 1973,
a preliminary survey of historic buildings in Alachua County was conducted under the
supervision of Professor F. Blair Reeves of the College of Architecture at the University of
Florida, and these records, on file at the Art and Architecture Library on the UF campus, were
examined. No buildings within the survey area are listed on the National Register of Historic
Places, although the nearby Newnansville Cemetery is listed. The Alachua County Historical
Commission compiled a historical walking tour map, published in 1986, that identified twenty-
five buildings in Alachua as historically significant. Materials related to the history and
development of the city of Alachua in the P. K. Yonge Library of Florida History at the
University of Florida and the Alachua County Archives at the Matheson Historical Center in
Gainesville were also examined. A search of the Map Library at the University of Florida
yielded copies of the 1912 and 1924 Sanborn maps of Alachua. The Alachua County Office of
Records has plat maps related to Alachua, and these were examined and some copied for
inclusion in this report. The State of Florida Photo Archive was also consulted.
Field work is the second step of the historic site survey. A pedestrian survey of the entire
area was conducted by the consultant to determine which structures built before 1949 were still
intact. Each likely site was photographed and site data was recorded on a field form. Dates were
confirmed, as nearly as possible by interviewing property owners and long-time residents and by
reviewing property tax rolls. The ownership of stores and the merchandise and services they
offered changed over the years, and with few written records, the history of Alachua commerce
is fragmented and somewhat kaleidoscopic.
A large map of the survey area with tax numbers recorded for each lot facilitated a
computer search of these records at the Alachua County Tax Appraisers office. A map location
of each site and a thumbnail sketch were also recorded on each field form. In all, 120 sites were
determined to meet the survey criteria, and site file numbers were obtained from the Bureau of
Historic Preservation to be assigned to each historic structure. All pertinent information was
entered on computer for each site and disks including all 120 forms will be sent to the Florida
Site File along with files containing hard copies, maps, and photographs. Copies will be made
of the computerized data as well as the hard copy forms for the City of Alachua.
Finally, the analysis of the properties recorded during the survey was completed and
recommendations were made for future action. This final survey report, which includes a
chronological overview and an architectural description of the sites, will be made available to
the public through the City of Alachua Downtown Redevelopment Board of Trustees.
Figure 2. USGS Map, Alachua Quadrangle, 1966, Revised 1993
City of Alachua Downtown Redevelopment District
THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY OF ALACHUA:
A CHRONOLOGICAL OVERVIEW TO 1949
Historical Overview
The area which encompasses the city of Alachua, located in the northwest quadrant of
Alachua County, is characterized by a gently rolling landscape with a few lakes and sinkholes,
bounded on its north border by the Santa Fe River. Once densely covered by forests of yellow
pine, oak hammocks, and giant cypress trees, most of the land has been cleared for agriculture.
The boundaries of the city have been expanded in recent years to more than forty square miles,
but the highest concentration of buildings is within the fifty-block survey area, downtown
Alachua, which is about Fifteen miles northwest of Gainesville, the county seat and largest city
in Alachua County.
Prior to the discovery of Florida by the first Europeans to reach the peninsula early in the
sixteenth century, the area which now comprises Alachua County was occupied by a succession
of native peoples. The Potano, a branch of the Timucuan nation, resided in the vicinity when the
Spanish legions led by Hernando de Soto marched through the land in 1539. The Spaniards
passed near the future site of the City of Alachua as they crossed the Santa Fe River at the
natural land bridge, created as the river goes underground for three miles, a useful natural
phenomenon now encompassed within the boundaries of the O'Leno State Park, about ten miles
northwest of Alachua. Later, as the Spaniards built cities on the coasts at St. Augustine and
Pensacola and sent missionaries to the interior of La Florida to convert and control the native
peoples, several missions were established in what is now Alachua County, although none within
the survey area. These mission sites have been extensively studied and archaeological findings
published in a number of works. Dr. Jerald Milanich of the University of Florida, for example,
has done extensive research on Potano village sites and Spanish missions in this part of the
county.1
With the destruction of the La Florida mission system by English raids early in the
seventeenth century, the land remained relatively empty of human habitation and use until
remnants of the Creek nations to the north, called Seminoles, moved into north Florida, but little
is known of Seminole settlements within the survey area. When Florida became a United States
territory, white settlers from states north of the border also began to claim land in the 1820s. The
Bellamy Road, authorized by Congress in 1824 as the first federal highway project in Florida,
passed near this area as it stretched from St. Augustine to Pensacola. The Bellamy Road, which
closely followed the pathways created by the early native peoples and the Spanish who ruled
Florida for more than three centuries, crossed the Santa Fe River over the natural land bridge
and linked the remote inland heart of Florida to both the Gulf and Atlantic coasts.
Among the local pioneers of the territorial period were members of the Dell family. The
first settlement, located about a mile northeast of the present site of the City of Alachua, was
called Dell's Court House, established as a post office in 1831. The name was soon changed to
Newnansville in 1837, in honor of Indian fighter Daniel Newnan, under whom three of the Dell
brothers had served. The history of Newnansville, which became the first county seat of Alachua
County, has been extensively researched, and the Newnansville cemetery is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places. The frontier village, located at the junction of the east- west
Bellamy Road and the north-south road between Lake City and Micanopy, became a military
post and a refuge for scattered farm families when their lives were threatened by roaming
Indians during the Seminole Wars in the 1830s and early 1840s. When the Seminoles had been
pushed south and peace once more came to the area, more settlers poured into Florida, and
Newnansville, as the county seat, became a busy center of business and politics. Many of the
early land grants were recorded in the wood frame courthouse. The Methodist congregation
outgrew its log cabin and built a new church with a steeple and classical facade in the 1850s.
The town cemetery was laid out beside this church. The rich soil, gentle climate and other
natural advantages drew cotton planters as well as small farmers, and agricultural pursuits
flourished.2
Newnansville would no doubt have continued to grow had it not been for the routing of
the Florida Railroad many miles to the south as it linked the state's coasts, running from
Fernandina on the Atlantic to Cedar Key on the Gulf of Mexico. Bypassed by the cross-state
railroad, Newnansville lost out to the new town of Gainesville, created about fifteen miles to the
south in the 1850s, which became the new seat of government for Alachua County in 1854.
Webber's 1883 book, "Eden of the South," characterizes Newnansville and its environs
as "the most fertile portion of the county . . . [and] one of the greatest timber regions in the
State," although somewhat isolated by lack of railroad connections. The old courthouse was
then in use mainly as a Masonic Temple, and only a handful of stores were open along Main
Street. But at least a thousand bags of Sea Island cotton were produced annually in the precinct
by white and black farmers, who were prudently beginning to turn their attention to fruit and
vegetable crops as well.3
With the loss of its status as the county seat, Newnansville was further diminished in the
early 1880s when the Savannah, Florida and Western Railroad's tracks were laid a mile and a
half to the south. The SF&W depot (located near the present site of the First National Bank of
Alachua) became a magnet for commerce in the area, and farmers were drawn there to sell their
crops or ship them to far-off markets. Gradually the businesses in Newnansville moved to the
new town of Alachua, pronounced A-l£-chu-way. The Newnansville post office was
discontinued and re-established at Alachua in 1887, an official signal that the new town had
replaced the old one.4
Streets were laid out (but not paved for many years) and lots were platted in Alachua.
The first eight-block plat was recorded in 1887, railroad engineer George Tompsett set out
streets much as they are today in 1897, and Clarks Second Addition was recorded in 1915
(Figures 3 & 4 ). Other small platted sections of the town were recorded in the Alachua County
courthouse in the following decades. The first school house was built on Main Street (on the site
of the present AllTel building) and the Methodists and Baptists held their first church services in
this building. In 1897 the Methodists built a new church on the site of the present building, and
in the 1 890s a new brick school building was constructed in Alachua on a four- acre plot of land
north of the business district, the site of the present Alachua Elementary School.
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Figure 4. Clarks 2nd Addition to Alachua, 1915
11
To accommodate a growing population and the expanding economy, many homes and
stores were constructed in Alachua in the 1880s and 1890s, and the new century saw a brisk
continuation of progress and development. This shift in population doomed Newnansville to its
current status as one of the "Ghost Towns of Alachua County," with only the old cemetery to
mark its past. Nevertheless, many of the pioneer families in Alachua can trace ancestors back to
Newnansville and they cherish the heritage of the former county seat and its interesting past.
In 1890 the Gainesville Daily Sun reported that Mrs. Bart Stephens was opening a
millinery store, T. H. Cato had moved his beef market from Newnansville to Alachua, and F. E.
Williams was rebuilding his hotel, the Williams House. By 1903 other railroads, the Jacksonville
and Southwestern and the Atlantic Coast Line (which had absorbed the SF&W), had established
depots. Mizell and Williams had installed a new gasoline engine in their cotton gin by 1905, and
the Alachua Telephone Company had a direct line to Gainesville.5 Growing cotton was the main
occupation in the agrarian community, and the town now had a weekly newspaper, two
physicians and three druggists, a Baptist and a Methodist church, a public school, and three
hotels. At least a dozen merchants erected fine brick stores, most with decorative brickwork
adorning their handsome parapets and elegantly arched doors and windows with more brickwork
elaborations. Similar brickwork can be seen on extant buildings constructed at about the same
time in the nearby towns of High Springs and Newberry. (One of the master masons may have
been J. T. Mizell, who built the Methodist Church in 1912.)
The merchants of Alachua built fine homes for their families close to their stores,
proudly advertising their success and prosperity, and establishing their role as community
leaders. The mix of solid brick stores and attractive residences along Main Street that is the
legacy of these pioneer merchants is one of the most delightful impressions of the historic heart
of the city.
In April of 1905 Alachua was incorporated. That same year the Gainesville Daily Sun
reported that the Diamond Ice Company planned to build a plant with a twenty-ton capacity in
Alachua, and the Bank of Alachua had erected a handsome new fireproof building. C. A.
Williams, a pioneer merchant, sold his dry goods business to Mrs. M. L Maynard and her sons,
John and William Jones, and Walter H. Sealey purchased the Cable and May Racket Store.
Two years later the First National Bank opened on Main Street with $25,000 in capital stock. Its
founders. Dr. J. C. Bishop, T. W. Shands, C. A. Williams, S. J. Ellis, E. E. Bell, and J. W.
Roberts, were placing their faith in the continued prosperity of the town, which was still heavily
dependent on the local Sea Island cotton crop. Two miles of granolithic sidewalk eight feet in
width were installed along Main Street in 1912 and a new Methodist Church, to replace the one
that had burned in 1910, was completed. The town now had a population of more than a
thousand. More progress in the form of a city-owned electric plant and water works came to
Alachua in 1913, and Mr. E. S. Pierce lost little time wiring homes and businesses. Proceeds
from these utilities would form the financial base of the City of Alachua government for many
years.6
The buildings shown on the 1912 and 1924 Sanborn maps, old photographs, business
directories, and interviews with local historians reveal the details of life in this vital small city
serving the surrounding farming communities. There were several cotton gins processing the
valuable cash crop (running night and day to keep up with the inflow of cotton), packing sheds
where produce was boxed and crated for shipment, several sawmills and a grist mill, three
railroad depots to serve the three railroad lines that passed through town, an unpaved but tree-
12
shaded Main Street, brick stores offering a variety of merchandise, four churches, a cluster of
brick school buildings, an ice plant and cold storage facility, and several small hotels. There was
a pool hall, but no saloons.
Alachua was not a tourist town, but on Saturday, when the farm families came to town to
sell their crops and to shop, the tempo of life picked up and traffic swelled as wagons and trucks
lined up at the packing houses and cotton gins, lines lengthened at the two banks and the barber
shops, porches were crowded with visiting friends and relatives, and cash drawers filled up in all
the general stores and shops along Main Street. The links between town and country went both
ways: some well-to-do farmers maintained houses in town, the town doctor tended his patients
throughout the countryside, and the two car dealers sent salesmen out to the farmlands to
demonstrate the superiority of their Chevrolet sedans, Fordson tractors, Model-Ts, or Lincoln
Zephyrs. While the younger set might have enjoyed movies in town or cherry cokes at the soda
fountain in Joiner's Drug Store, they also flocked out to Pinkoson Springs or Burnett's Lake for
picnics and swimming parties.7
The devastation caused by the infestation of the cotton crop by the boll weevil around
1919-1920 proved the wisdom of diversified farming, but many small farmers, black and white,
lost their farms and either went to work for others or moved away. Those who planted
vegetables or raised hogs, chickens, and cattle survived, and the value of farm land increased.
Tobacco was first planted in the mid- 1920s and became an important cash crop.8 The general
population did not rise in the 1920s and few new homes were built, but stores in town continued
to do a steady, if modest, business.
Alachua weathered the depression years better than many other parts of Florida, which
were affected by the collapse of the real estate boom. In 1930, a large packing shed, 60 x 300
feet, was built to handle the cucumber, corn, lettuce, watermelons and other crops produced on
local farms. As many as sixty to seventy people were employed at this facility, which acted also
to assure quality control. (Located behind the police station, it has been enclosed and is used for
storage.) The Bank of Alachua closed in January of 1931, never to reopen, but astute
management kept the First National Bank in business.9 It moved in 1975 from its Main Street
location to a larger bank building a block away, where it continues to serve the community.
When W. F. Duke's lumber mill burned in 1931, the company relocated on a site just east of
town. Ford dealer William Enneis catered to the motorists driving through Alachua on the Dixie
Highway by installing two gasoline pumps and offering auto repairs and service (Figure 5).
Several other service stations appeared, replacing community landmarks such as Mr. Barnett's
livery stable behind the bank and Mr. Mott's blacksmith shop. The Lions Club, which still
flourishes, was organized in July of 1931 to carry out civic betterment projects. Reverend J. H.
Copeland, Church of Christ minister and one of the founders of Copeland Sausage Company,
was the first president. The establishment of the Copeland brothers' sausage factory in Alachua
in the mid- 1920s was a big boon to the local economy. It employed hundreds of people in the
plant, supported local farmers who raised the hogs, and quickly grew into a successful statewide
operation.10
Federal relief funds brought some road improvements during the Depression years, and
the Alachua Womans Club building was constructed in 1938 with the aid of the WPA, both
projects providing jobs for unemployed men. FERA funds also contributed to the new eight-
room brick school building that opened in 1935.
The 1940s, the World War II years, brought prosperity and higher prices for agricultural
13
products. In addition, good paying jobs became available at Camp Blanding located at Starke in
Bradford County. There were few houses or stores built during the war years due to shortage of
materials. Just as Alachua escaped the building boom of the 1930s, so did it escape the post-war
building boom. Many men who had joined the service did not return to Alachua after the war;
farming had lost its luster as new jobs opened up elsewhere. The end of the railroad era brought
an increase in highway traffic, By the 1940s traffic on the Dixie Highway down Alachua's Main
Street shifted to US 441, which bypassed the old downtown shopping center. When Interstate 75
was built in the 1960s west of downtown, it also had an impact on Alachua, making it easier for
people to drive to Gainesville to shop. Modern industrial plants and shopping and service centers
have been established in Alachua in recent decades but not within the survey area, which adds to
the tax base and provides jobs without impacting the concentration of the city's historic
buildings. Stores along old Main Street, which struggled for several decades and became a
somewhat blighted area, now do a brisk business. A new generation of entrepreneurs have
renovated and rehabilitated the older commercial buildings to serve the current needs of the
community.
The fifty-block survey area has been buffered from the impact of subdivisions and
national franchise stores and has retained its small-town scale and ambiance. Its historic
buildings- homes, stores, and churches-are enduring containers of memory, meaning, and
experience that deserve preservation and protection.
Architectural Analysis
The historic architectural resources of Alachua make up a small percentage of the total
buildings within the city limits. Based on survey criteria and the geographical boundaries of the
Downtown Redevelopment District, a total of 1 20 buildings were identified as contributing to
the historic fabric of the area. Those buildings are the product of the late-nineteenth and early-
twentieth centuries and are closely associated with the development of north central Florida and
Alachua County. The majority of the buildings exhibit vernacular designs, although a
significant percentage were classified as representing various identifiable architectural styles.
Most were built as single family residences, with commercial, religious, and clubhouse being the
only other historic functions evident in the community.
To form a background for the built environment, a brief description of the present and
original physical appearance of the survey area is in order. Alachua has historically been
associated with agricultural pursuits and its location was determined not by natural features, but
by the establishment of the Savannah, Florida and Western Railroad line which built the first of
three depots in Alachua in the early 1880s. Like the surrounding land, the site of the new town,
which had formerly been known as Williams Hammock, was relatively flat with some gentle
hills. There are no lakes or other bodies of water within the survey area, but two small sinkholes
were observed. Streets were laid out in a north-south grid with East Main Street and West Main
Street running parallel to one another. Broad Street, which was later called Church Street, was
the other main north-south avenue. The east-west streets were numbered. Although streets were
not paved for many years, some improvements to sidewalks were made early in the century in
the business district on East Main Street.
Some homes and shops were built in the last years of the nineteenth century, but the
greatest boom in building took place in Alachua in the first two decades of the twentieth century.
There were several sawmills in town, and other buildings supplies for the brick stores and frame
14
homes could be brought in by rail. Two more railroads passed through Alachua, several blocks
south of the SF&W line, which had become part of the Plant System.
Other than the buildings, these railroads and the highways that connected Alachua to the
surrounding communities and to the larger world are the most significant man-made features in
Alachua. Only one of the rail lines is still in use at present, but trains no longer stop in
downtown Alachua. The last depot was removed in the 1950s. Main Street, which used to be
part of the Dixie Highway system which ran all the way down to Miami, is now used only for
local traffic. Broad or Church Street, now NW 140 Street, is County Road 235, a rather busy
highway that divides south of town leading to Gainesville and to Newberry. US 441, which
parallels the old SF&W tracks, is a major divided highway connecting Alachua to High Springs
and to Gainesville. Many new businesses were built on this corridor. In the 1960s, an interstate
highway was built just west of Alachua, passing through what was open farmland. The Alachua
exit on Interstate 75 sprouted a cluster of hotels, restaurants, service stations, and other
businesses in the ensuing decades. Because of its favorable location, Alachua has attracted a
number of large industrial plants and research complexes to its open spaces, many of which are
within the larger city limits.
Until the 1980s, there was little effort to landscape the downtown district. Now a curving
street with lush pear trees, brick crosswalks, and other urban amenities marks a section of Main
Street, with plans to extend these improvements in the near future. There is no landscaping on
NW 140 Street, but there are sidewalks on either side of this wide thoroughfare. The residential
streets are paved, but do not have curbs or sidewalks. Skinner Park, with tennis, basketball,
baseball and soccer facilities, is also the site of the Lions Club and a Scout Hut. The City of
Alachua has received a $100,000 grant to renovate Skinner Park. Another recreational facility is
located west of the survey area in the Rolling Green area. A new county library has opened on
NW 140 Street, adjacent to the City Hall.
There is little intrusion into the historic character of Main Street between NW 150
Avenue and NW 145 Avenue. The north end of the Main Street is marked by commercial
development along US 441, a large parking lot, and little attention to aesthetics. The older and
newer homes in the residential neighborhoods blend in a harmonious way, with no sharp
contrasts. Most homes less than fifty years old were built as infill rather than as a result of
intense development. Very few homes in truly dilapidated condition were observed, and there
were encouraging signs of home improvement and rehabilitation of historic houses.
A building that is in either good or excellent condition is more apt to be given
consideration for listing in the National Register of Historic Places than one that is in fair or
deteriorated condition. Alachua's historic building stock was found to possess a significant
degree of integrity. The majority of buildings included in the survey still serve their original
function. While some of the buildings that originally served as residential structures have been
converted to use as offices or other commercial uses, their adaptive use has retained the basic
integrity of their original appearance.
The historic buildings in the survey area represent an important cluster of cultural
resources that exhibit a wide range of forms and several architectural styles. Most were
designed and constructed by builders who drew upon traditional buildings techniques and
contemporary stylistic preferences for their inspirations and were primarily concerned with
providing functional spaces for their clients.
15
Residential Buildings
The Frame Vernacular is the dominant style for houses in Alachua, a style based on
tradition rather than architectural form. Builders and carpenters, many of them self-taught, often
constructed Frame Vernacular buildings from memory, using available resources that were
affordable and familiar to the community. Frame Vernacular buildings did not represent major
stylistic trends, but sometimes components of "high style" were applied to facades or porches.
In Alachua, like elsewhere in Florida, Frame Vernacular houses were one or two stories in
height, constructed of the plentiful native yellow pine using the balloon frame structural system.
This popular building technology adapts readily to additions and alterations as a family grows,
needs a larger kitchen, builds an indoor bathroom, accommodates an aging parent, or adds
central heat or air conditioning. The structures are mounted on masonry piers, mostly of brick,
and have a single front or side gable or intersecting and cross gable roofs. Horizontal drop
siding or weatherboard are the most widely used exterior wall surface, and roofing materials
may be composition shingles or the more traditional standing seam metal roofing. Some
resemble the farmhouses that dot the countryside (Figure 5), others are simple cottages for the
working man (Figure 6). E. E. Bell, a local builder and contractor whose skill is
shown in the quality of his own home ( Figure 7), was a master of the Frame Vernacular
style.
Figure 5. Dell-Dansby House, 14810 NW 144 Street
16
Figure 6. 14412 NW 144 Place
Figure 7. Bell House, 14707 ' NW 140 Street
17
The Queen Anne was one of the most popular residential styles in the United States
between 1880 and 1910. This most elaborate house type is represented in Alachua by such
examples as the Williams-LeRoy house, the Pierce-Bishop house, and the Mizell-Stephens house
on Main Street. Here we see the steeply pitched, irregularly shaped roof lines and asymmetrical
facades, as well as the free use of bay windows, patterned shingles, turned balusters, and
decorative woodwork that mark this late Victorian era style made popular by English architects
and inappropriately named for the early seventeenth-century British monarch.11 The Williams-
LeRoy house (Figure 8) is complete with an elaborate tower, and the Pierce-Bishop house is
embellished with a gazebo with a conical roof on one corner of the front verandah (Figure 9).
The Mizell-Stephens house (Figure 10) has a classical portico as a focal point for its broad,
wraparound porch. The interior details of woodwork, fireplace surrounds and mantles, and the
generous size of the rooms in these homes are in keeping with the elaborations on the exterior.
Other houses in Alachua are more modestly defined by this exuberant style, with gingerbread
trim, bay windows, brackets on porches, or cut shingles in the front gable.
Figure 8. Williams-LeRoy House, 14603 Main Street
18
Figure 9. Pierce-Bishop House, 14713 Main Street
Figure 10. Mizell-Stevhens House, 14705 Main Street
19
The more symmetrical Colonial Revival style, which drew its inspiration from a rebirth
of interest in the early English and Dutch houses built during the nation's colonial period, is
represented by larger homes such as the Williams-Harrison house (Figure 11) and the Enneis
house (Figure 12) with their classical, formal entrances and balanced windows. Several smaller
homes with these characteristics indicate the enduring popularity of this style.
The Craftsman Bungalow, introduced in this country in the 1890s by California
architects, found a ready market in Florida early in the twentieth century. Its low-pitched roof,
wide unenclosed eaves, often accented with knee brackets, and thick sloping porch columns set
on brick piers were in marked contrast to older styles and gave builders and homeowners a fresh
new look at a modest price. Most were unpretentious and in harmony with any landscape or site
size. The porch was an integral part of the Bungalow design, and with the increasingly important
role of the automobile in domestic life, the carport became an element of the house design rather
than an afterthought. Bungalow plans appeared in newspapers, magazines, and pattern books,
and the popular house could even be ordered in pre-fabricated packages.12 A Bungalow could be
large, such as the David Waters house (Figure 13), or more modest in size such as the Carl
Williams house (Figure 14). The Hague house (Figure 15 ) is good illustration of the use of
natural materials, another Craftsman touch, in this case the local limestone is used to good
advantage. Smaller wood frame Bungalows (Figure 16) reveal the versatility and flexibility of
this informal and practical style.
On most of the houses in Alachua, the open front porch is still the norm. Some have
been enclosed or screened, but this inviting feature has endured longer than in many older
neighborhoods. Porches serve an important function in creating a feeling of welcome and, at the
same time, separation from the world outside. The expansive wraparound verandahs of the larger
homes (Figure 17), the smaller porch tucked in the ell of a roof (Figure 18), the tiny portico
sheltering a front entrance— all these add distinction to the homes of Alachua.
In most of the yards, garages and storage sheds in a variety of materials were noted. A
few homes have swimming pools, while some still have old barns which might once have
sheltered a horse or a cow. Early in the century people kept domestic animals in their yards,
which were sure to be fenced. Fencing, in a variety of materials, can still be seen, but it is more
likely to enclose side and rear yards and be used for privacy, rather than to exclude roaming
livestock.
There are very few vacant lots within the survey area, but a number of homes are on
large parcels that take up as much as half a block. Landscaping is varied and informal, with
many large shade trees-oak, pine, hickory, magnolia, pecan, and other native species. All streets
within the survey area are paved with asphalt. The only paved sidewalks are along Main Street
and NW 140 Street. Noncontributing houses, those built after 1950, are in scale with the older
houses and have the same setbacks (Figures 19 & 20).
20
Figure 11. Williams-Harrison House, 14209 XIV 148 Place
Figure 12. Enneis House, 14603 NW 144 Street
21
Figure 13. David Waters House, 14617 Main Street
Figure 14. Carl Williams House, 14801 NW 142 Terrace
22
'-,
figure 15. E. D. Hague House, 14722 Nl¥ 142 Terrace
Figure 16. 14412 NiV 145 Avenue
23
Figure 1 7. 14804 NW 140 Street
Figure 18. 14109 NW 146 Avenue
24
Figure 19. Noncontj-ihuling Residence, 14218 NW 145 Avenue
Figure 20. Noncontributing Residence, 14307 NW 147 Avenue
25
Commercial Buildings
Most of the extant older commercial buildings in Alachua are of brick, with two built of
rusticated cast concrete block (the Bank of Alachua and the old garage on the comer of Main
Street and NW 150 Avenue). These masonry vernacular structures are rectangular in shape and
face Main Street with no setbacks (Figure 21). Old photographs indicate that most had awnings
over the sidewalks, and this is still the case. There are several blocks of buildings where
common walls are shared and where there is evidence of connecting doorways between stores.
Two of the stores, Harvest Thyme Cafe (Figure 22) and Garden Gazebo have decorative cast
iron pilasters incorporated into the design of the front facade. Roof lines and flat parapets of the
historic stores in Alachua are distinguished by richly textured brickwork in a variety of patterns,
many in excellent condition. Arched and rounded windows and doorways with basket-handle
detailing, recessed panels, and denticulated cornices add interest and dimension. (Figure 23). In
recent years, decorative canvas awnings have been installed by some store owners. On Main
Street, there are three contributing two-story commercial buildings and about twenty-five one-
story structures. The Enneis Motor Company, located south of the railroad tracks was built
originally as a cotton warehouse, converted to a Ford agency and service center by William
Enneis in 1925 (Figure 24). Two frame buildings covered with corrugated metal (a former
machine shop and a dry cleaners) are all that remain of this type of structure. None of the
original railroad depots, which existed mostly for the benefit of agricultural activities, are extant.
Most of the noncontributing stores and business buildings observed during the survey,
those built after 1949, are concentrated along US 441, but those few newer commercial
structures on Main Street generally respect the scale and texture of the historic district (Figure
25).
&S&.
Figure 21. Oldest stores, 14925 & 14933 Main Street
26
Figure 22. Stringfellow Building (Harvest Thyme Cafe), 14822 Main Street
Figure 23. Sealey, Eddy, and Williams Stores, South Main Street
27
24. Enneis Motor Company, 14320 Main Street
Figure 25. Noncontributing commercial building, Main Street
28
Alachua Churches and Clubhouses
There are two historic churches in the survey area, the Methodist Church, built in 1912,
whose congregation dates its founding to the 1820s in Newnansville, and the Church of Christ,
built in 1921. The Methodist Church, built by J. T. Mizell, has a Gothic tower with crenelated
roof line and rounded Romanesque windows inset with very fine stained glass windows (Figure
26). The fellowship hall and educational buildings, built in recent years, are set back on the site
and do not intrude on the impact or historical character of this impressive house of worship.
The Church of Christ, stuccoed on its older section, has a 1934 addition of rusticated
block. This popular and durable building material was widely used throughout Florida as it could
be made on the site, using concrete poured into molds (Figure 27).
Alachua has several buildings within the survey area devoted to meeting places for
organizations. The most prominent is the Alachua Womans Club. The Womans Club was
founded in 1912 to work for the benefit of the Alachua School. Members met in homes or
church buildings until 1938 when, thanks to federal funds made available during the Depression,
a beautiful clubhouse was built of native limestone on land owned by the club on Main Street
(Figure 28). It is almost certain that Gainesville architect Sanford Goin was the architect, for he
designed a very similar stone building in Newberry during this same time period. The triple
arched facade, fine detailing inside and out, superior masonry work, and excellent proportions of
this building are noteworthy. Many important community events have taken place in this
building, including the annual cattlemen's banquet, sponsored by the Lions Club and catered by
the members of the Womans Club.
Masonic Lodge #26 meets on the second floor of the historic Williams Building (Figure
23), and down Main Street, south of the railroad tracks, is the home of VFW Post 9229, which
holds regular bingo games in their small clubhouse, once a tearoom.
Figure 26. Alachua United Methodist Church, 14805 NW 140 Street
29
Figure 27. Church of Christ, 14421 NW 145 Avenue
Figure 28. Alachua Womans Club, 14565 Mam Street
30
RECOMMENDATIONS
The indispensable preliminary step in the City of Alachua's preservation program has
been taken with the completion of this historic properties survey. Once the survey of historic
resources has been completed and the overview of the city's history has been recorded, the
information that has been gathered can be used in the planning and decision making process.
Because historic resources are irreplaceable, it is imperative that the City of Alachua consider its
natural resources and historic properties in all land use considerations. In addition to
government action, citizen and community support is vital. The interest and cooperation of all
segments of the community encountered during the process of this survey indicate that there are
many supporters for the protection and preservation of the historic buildings of Alachua.
There are three main reasons to support historic preservation, and they set forward a
persuasive case which should be understood and appreciated by the citizens of Alachua:
• Tradition, or the maintenance of a community's sense of time and place, is important for
citizens of all ages. Promoting the unique history and heritage of Alachua through the
remaining built environment will help clarify and strengthen the traditions that are part of
the community. Pioneer families are recognized, young people of the community have a
better understanding of local history, and newcomers are made aware of the community's
roots through its historic structures. Recognizing the past helps the Alachuans of the
present understand what sets this city apart from other towns, cities, and neighborhoods.
In this modern era of franchised architecture, many parts of Florida have become
indistinguishable one from another. Preserving familiar surroundings contributes to the
sense of continuity in community.
• Aesthetics are enhanced throughout the City of Alachua as historic structures and
streetscapes are maintained, older buildings are restored, and neighborhoods continue to
be desirable and attractive places to live. Design guidelines help reinforce the
architectural gifts of the past, and beautification projects, such as the creation of a park
within the shell of the old movie theater, encourage other property owners to value and
restore landmark buildings by respecting older building styles and traditions.
Improvements of streetscapes, distinctive signage in the commercial area, and an active
appreciation for local styles and architectural features already fortify the efforts made to
improve the aesthetic appeal and harmony of Alachua's Main Street.
• Economics is a driving force in our society, and the preservation of historic buildings in
the City of Alachua pays off for property owners and the entire community in a number
of ways. Federal tax benefits provide incentives to owners who restore older income-
producing buildings according to the standards set by the Secretary of the Interior, and
real estate values of well maintained and properly restored and renovated heritage homes
and stores continue to rise. The State of Florida has passed enabling legislation
permitting local governments to offer ad valorem tax relief for residential property if
they so choose. Certain grant funds are available to government agencies and nonprofit
organizations for a variety of historic preservation projects through the Bureau of
Historic Preservation. Economic benefits also arise because of jobs created in the local
construction industry and the jobs that result when rehabilitated buildings are put back in
31
use, adding to the local tax base. In addition, the special appeal that historic buildings
create for tourists and out-of-town visitors, as well as individuals and businesses
considering settling in or near the City of Alachua, is a valuable promotional asset.
Specific Recommendations for the City of Alachua
Recognition of Historic Properties
The next step in historic preservation is the formal recognition of historic properties at
the Federal and local level. The National Register of Historic Places, maintained by the US
Department of the Interior, in addition to listing individual buildings, sites, and structures, also
lists historic districts. This listing is essentially honorary and provides no protection for
properties, nor does it restrict a property owner's ability to alter the structure in any way. The
only exception is in the case of federal funds or activities that might impact the property,
whereupon a review process is required before federal funds can be used. Listing of a
commercial property as a contributing structure within a historic district makes the owner
eligible for the Tax Rehabilitation Credit offered by the Federal government. I strongly
recommend that a historic district be nominated. The recommended boundaries of the historic
district, where the greatest concentration of significant and contributing resources exists, are
indicated in Figure 29. The City of Alachua historic district possesses a signficant concentration
of structures united hitoricaily and aesthetically by their physical development. The material
gathered during this survey will support the documentation necessary to prepare a nomination
proposal.
Expanded Survey of Historic and Archaeological Resources
This report, with its accompanying Florida Site File forms, completes the survey of the
City of Alachua Downtown Redevelopment District. In total, 120 forms were completed for
properties built before 1949. These forms and the survey report should be retained by the
Downtown Redevelopment Council and the City of Alachua Planning and Zoning Department to
be used as a basis for making decisions concerning historic preservation in this area. The survey
area comprised an area of approximately fifty city blocks.
As the total area of the City of Alachua is more than forty square miles, I recommend
that a second phase be undertaken to survey the historic resources in the rest of Alachua. A
number of buildings that would have met the survey criteria were observed in adjacent streets
and neighborhoods not included within the boundaries of the Downtown Redevelopment
District, and many more can be found in rural parts of Alachua. As most of the sites included in
the survey area were those of white property owners, the rich history of the African American
community of Alachua and the buildings associated with its neighborhoods and institutions have
yet to be documented. It is also highly likely that important archaeological sites may be found in
the surrounding area as evidenced by past archaeological investigations. A search of the Florida
Site Files revealed sites already recorded (Figure 30). Grant funds that could be matched by the
City of Alachua are available from the Bureau of Historic Preservation, Florida Department of
State, for historic resource and archaeological surveys. The application and instructions,
including deadlines, may be downloaded as a Microsoft Word for Windows file. The address is
http://dhr.dos. state, fl.us/bhp/grants/grantapp.html.
32
Figure 29. Survey area and suggested Historic District boundaries
33
#
SITE NAME
TYPE
STATUS
1
NN
PREHISTORIC
NEW
2
NN
PREHISTORIC
NEW
3
PECAN BRANCH FIELD
UNKNOWN
NEW
4
NN
HISTORIC
NEW
5
BURNETTS LAKE
PREHISTORIC/HISTORIC
NEW
6
ALACHUA FIELD
PREHISTORIC
NEW
7
NN
PREHISTORIC
NEW
8
NN
PREHISTORIC
NEW
9
FLINT SINK
PREHISTORIC
NEW
10
BEVERLY HILLS
UNKNOWN
NEW
11
NN
PREHISTORIC
NEW
12
MINERAL SPRINGS
PREHISTORIC
NEW
NN
PREHISTORIC
NEW
13
NN
PREHISTORIC
NEW
NN
PREHISTORIC
NEW
14
NN
PREHISTORIC
NEW
NN
PREHISTORIC
NEW
NN
PREHISTORIC
NEW
NN
PREHISTORIC
NEW
HARG RAVES
ARCHAIC/PREHISTORIC
NEW
15
CELLON FENCE LINE
PREHISTORIC
NEW
CELLON
ARCHAIC
NEW
NN
ARCHAIC
NEW
TWIN PONDS SITE
UNKNOWN
NEW
16
NN
ARCHAIC
NEW
17
NN
PREHISTORIC
NEW
18
SAN FELASCO MOUND
PREHISTORIC
NEW
I
Source: Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources, Florida Master Site File,
1991 and 1998
Figure 30. Sites in the City of Alachua previously included in the Florida Site File
34
When the full survey of Alachua is completed, it would also be appropriate for the City
to apply for a grant to educate the public concerning historic preservation and the history of
Alachua. In the past State funds have financed brochures of historic districts. A walking and
driving tour brochure would be helpful for school children, tourists, and the general public, and
would strengthen preservation activities in the City.
Historic Preservation Ordinance
The single most effective tool necessary to protect historic structures at the local level is
the passage of an Historic Preservation ordinance to provide the regulatory framework necessary
to pursue a comprehensive preservation program. Such an ordinance would create an Historic
Preservation Board or Architectural Review body empowered to locally designate historic sites,
using the criteria of the National Register. A local historic register is more effective in regulating
alterations, modifications or demolitions than the National Register, which is more of an
honorary designation.
Article Eleven of the City of Alachua Comprehensive Plan, "Historic Sites and
Structures Preservation Regulations," lays out the framework for designating landmarks,
landmark sites, and historic districts. Alachua currently designates the city's Planning and
Zoning Board as its Historic Preservation Agency.
The Bureau of Historic Preservation in Tallahassee can provide technical advice and
guidance and sample ordinances. In addition, the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation, a
statewide partner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, presents continuing education
workshops on a number of timely topics including the art of writing and reading preservation
ordinances, buying and selling property in historic neighborhoods, and documenting historic
buildings. Visit the Florida Trust's website at www.floridatrast.org for dates, venues, and
subjects of future workshops.
Educational Programs
Historic preservation creates countless educational opportunities for schools, community,
and the visiting public. A photographic display of some of Alachua's historic buildings has been
displayed in the Alachua Public Library, and Mrs. Courtney Mitchell, a teacher at Mebane
Middle School, has worked with her students to create a local history component that can be
accessed on the internet. A walking tour organized by the Alachua County Historical Society and
led by local residents drew a large and enthusiastic crowd last year. There are many other ways
that the knowledge and appreciation of the past can be shown. Contests of art or photography
that focuses on historic buildings can be sponsored for students, and many young people enjoy
interviewing pioneer members of the community to learn about the way things were "way back
when." University and community college students could be offered an opportunity to
participate in preservation programs through internships, research and fellowships.
Tours of historic homes sponsored by local organizations are popular in many
communities as a fund-raising event and have become standbys at annual cultural and heritage
festivals. Promotional posters and walking-tour brochures are valued by visitors as souvenirs.
Plaques on homes and stores that record dates of construction and names of the early owners
recognize pioneer families and merchants. Knowing that a restaurant was once a funeral parlor, a
grocery, and a five-and- ten-cent store, as the Conestoga's history reveals, intrigues patrons, as
does the display of historic photographs and a thumbnail sketch of the building's history.
35
Workshops and community meetings involving the restoration, maintenance, and
interpretation of historic buildings; development of design guidelines for alterations and
modifications of historic buildings; and financial incentives available to property owners would
provide information to interested individuals. Banners that recognize historic buildings for
outstanding renovation or restoration or for continuing care and maintenance foster pride and
encourage others to follow suit.
Incentives for Historic Preservation
Federal Protections and Incentives
The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 declares our national policy of historic
preservation and provides for an expanded National Register program. Section 106 of this act
requires that all projects which are federally funded or require a federal license or permit take
into account the potential impact of the project upon archaeological sites, historic structures or
other historic resources that are listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic
Places. The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, established by this act, reviews the
actions under Section 106 and encourages the various agencies to consider measures that will
protect historic properties. The Department of Transportation Act of 1966 mandates a national
policy that special efforts be made to preserve historic sites. The Tax Reform Act of 1986
provides for a twenty percent federal tax credit for the expenses incurred in the rehabilitation of
a certified income producing historic structures. In order to qualify, the structures must be listed
on the National Register or be a contributing structure to a National Register Historic District.
State of Florida Incentives
The Historic Preservation Act of 1966 was amended in 1980 to create the Certified Local
Government (CLG) Program. This Act established a means by which local governments could
create an Architectural Review Commission, empowered to enforce the municipality's
preservation ordinance, conduct historic site surveys, and to review and approve all National
Register nominations. The Commission must include as members professionals in architecture,
architectural history, and history. The CLG is eligible for matching grants from the State
Historic Preservation Office to carry out its duties.
The Historic Preservation Trust Fund was established in 1983 as a depository for
legislated funds, and as a result of continued legislative support, the State of Florida is currently
one of the largest investors in historic preservation in the nation. Grants are reviewed by the
Florida Historic Preservation Advisory Council, awarded by the Secretary of State and
administered by the Division of Historical Resources, Department of State. In three annual grant
cycles, funding is provided for acquisition and development, survey and planning, educational
programs, and the Main Street program. Some of the funds are distributed through a 50/50
match of in-kind services and cash. Once a year, Special Category funds are available for large
scale restoration projects. Units of government and registered non-profit organizations are
eligible to apply.
Ad Valorem Tax Relief may be made available to owners of historic houses. Florida has
passed legislation permitting counties to offer property tax abatement to property owners in
historic districts.
The Community Redevelopment Act of 1969, amended in 1977, was established to
36
improve the growing problem of blighted areas. Tax Increment Financing is used to finance
redevelopment projects such as those that have already been implemented on Alachua's Main
Street. Many other Florida cities and towns have used this vehicle to improve slums and blighted
business districts. The Florida Main Street Program, which operates under the Division of
Historical Resources, also offers incentives for the revitalization of historic commercial districts.
Stability and an improved local tax base, as well as protection for those who have already
invested in downtown, are the payoffs for these programs.
Local Historic Preservation Protection and Incentives
In the early 1980s, the City of Alachua took the first steps toward developing a
Community Redevelopment Plan addressing the Main Street area, engaging both the public and
private sector. This plan recognized that the downtown area is a showcase of the city's past and a
source of pride. It also recognized the need for renovation of underutilized or empty stores and
the need for an organized effort to improve the appearance of the street and provide adequate
parking. A Tax Increment Financing District was proposed to fund some of these enhancements.
The Alachua City Commission established a Community Redevelopment Agency as
authorized by Florida Statutes, Chapter 163, Part III and authorized the Alachua Community
Redevelopment District in October of 1998. Ordinance O-99-03 also established a Downtown
Redevelopment Trust Fund and named the six members of the Trust Board .
Article Eleven of the City of Alachua Land Development Regulations refers to Historic
Sites and Structures Preservation Regulations. The Planning and Zoning Board serves as the
Historic Preservation Agency in matters pertaining to the alteration, demolition, relocation and
new construction of historic buildings, including the procedures for applying for a Certificate of
Appropriateness. The Agency also can adopt guidelines for changes to designated properties and
is empowered to recommend the designation of historic districts and individual landmarks and
landmark sites.
With the completion of this survey of the Downtown Redevelopment District, the City of
Alachua has taken another important stride in its plan to protect its historic resources.
NOTES
1 Milanich, Jerald T. "Hernando de Soto and the Expedition in Florida" Miscellaneous Project
Report Number 32, Florida Museum of Natural History, August, 1988, "Spanish Missions of
Florida" Miscellaneous Project Report Number 39, Florida Museum of Natural History,
September 1988.
2. " Newnansville Cemetery," National Register Nomination, 1976; F. W. Buchholz, Alachua
County, Florida, 1929, p. 59, 90, 108, 153,
3. Charles Henry "Carl" Weber, Eden of the South, p. 66-71
4. Jess Davis, History of Alachua County, p. 126.
37
5. Gainesville Daily Sun. 10-20-1890, 8-23-1905; Georgia, Florida and Alabama Business
Directory, 1903.
6. Gainesville Daily Sun. 8-26-1903; 1-8-1905; 1-10-1905; 10-3-1905; 11-19-1911, 8-27-1912,
6-19-1913; Florida State Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1 906- 1 907; 1 9 1 1 - 1 9 1 2
7. Sanborn Maps, Alachua, 1912, 1924, interviews with many pioneer residents of Alachua
8. Great Bowl of Alachua, Gainesville: Chamber of Commerce, 1926
9. Gainesville Daily Sun. 5-12-1930, 1-23-1931, 12-27-1931; 8-29-1935
10. Gainesville Daily Sun 7-4-1931, 7-31-1931, "At Copeland Sausage, They Use Everything
but the Squeal," Gainesville Sun, 1-17-76
1 1 . Virginia and Lee McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses, p. 268.
12. McAlester, p 454.
38
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Alachua County, Florida. Gainesville, Chamber of Commerce, 1925.
Buchholz, F. W. History of Alachua County . St. Augustine: The Record Company, 1929.
Davis, Jess G. History of Alachua County. Gainesville: Alachua County Historical Society,
1966.
Georgia, Florida, and Alabama Business Directory . Washington, DC: State Publishing
Company, 1903.
Great Bowl of Alachua, Gainesville: Chamber of Commerce, 1926.
McAlester, Virginia, and Lee McAlester. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Knopf,
1986.
Milanich, Jerald T. "Hernando de Soto and the Expedition in Florida" Miscellaneous Project
Report Number 32, Florida Museum of Natural History, August, 1988.
Milanich, Jerald T. "Spanish Missions of Florida" Miscellaneous Project Report Number 39,
Florida Museum of Natural History, September 1988.
"Newnansville Cemetery," National Register nomination, 1976
Webber, "Carl" Charles Henry. The Eden of the South New York: Leve & Alden's, 1883
39
APPENDIX ONE
Inventory of Survey Sites
Site number
Address
Name
Date
AL3527
14205 Main Street
cal930
AL3528
14213 Main Street
Stringer House
cal930
AL3529
14310 Main Street
VFW Post 9229
cal900
AL3530
14311 Main Street
Standard Oil Station
cal930
AL3531
14320 Main Street
Enneis Motor Company
ca!900
AL3532
14507 Main Street
Masonic Ldg/Williams Store cal900
AL3533
14515 Main Street
Eddy Store
cal900
AL3534
14520 Main Street
Old Cigar Factory
cal900
AL3535
14521 Main Street
Sealey Dry Goods
cal900
AL3536
14525 Main Street
Sealey Dry Goods
cal900
AL3537
14545 Main Street
Sealey Dry Goods
cal900
AL3538
14565 Main Street
Alachua Womans Club
cal938
AL3539
14603 Main Street
Williams-LeRoy House
1901
AL3540
14616 Main Street
Futch House
cal900
AL3541
14617 Main Street
David Waters House
cal900
AL3542
14705 Main Street
Stephens House
1910
AL3543
14706 Main Street
Bank of Alachua
1904
AL3544
14712 Main Street
Annie Turner House
cal900
AL3545
14713 Main Street
Pierce-Bishop House
1898
AL3546
14720 Main Street
Thigpen House
1920
AL3547
14721 Main Street
Dr. Goode's Office
1948
AL3548
14815 Main Street
Old Produce Packing Shed
cal930
AL3549
14822 Main Street
Stringfellow Building
cal900
AL3550
14823 Main Street
Consignment Shop
cal900
AL3551
14827 Main Street
Main Street Equipment
cal900
AL3552
14830 Main Street
Deer Stand
cal900
AL3553
14838 Main Street
Ace Hardware
cal900
AL3554
14839 Main Street
Bejano Furniture
cal900
AL3555
14841 Main Street
The Connection
cal900
AL3556
14844 Main Street
Direct Mail Services
cal900
AL3557
14850 Main Street
Old First National Bank
1909
AL3558
14856 Main Street
Elite Consignment
1909
AL3559
14862 Main Street
Burch Antiques
1909
AL3560
14874 Main Street
Garden Gazebo
cal910
AL3561
14900 Main Street
Old Movie Theater
cal910
AL3562
14906 Main Street
Alachua Design Printing
cal900
AL3563
14920 Main Street
Karate
cal900
AL3564
14925 Main Street
Book Store
1898
AL3565
14933 Main Street
Allstate Insurance
1898
40
AL3566
14940 Main Street
Conestoga Restaurant
cal900
AL3567
14952 Main Street
Santa Fe Hair Design
cal920
AL3568
14960 Main Street
Texas Pete
1920
AL3569
15005 Main Street
Old Enneis Motor Co.
cal923
AL3570
15310 Main Street
cal945
AL3571
15316 Main Street
Dr. Bagwell House
cal935
AL3572
15320 Main Street
cal930
AL3573
14009 Peggy Road
cal930
AL3574
14405 Peggy Road
Florida Machinery Service
cal935
AL3575
14502 NW 138 Terrace
1945
AL3576
14521 NW 138 Terrace
McCoy-Pettit House
1935
AL3577
14623 NW 140 Street
Presbyterian Church
1952
AL3578
14706 NW 140 Street
McCann House
cal900
AL3579
14902 NW 140 Street
Hinkelman House
cal929
A13580
14707 NW 140 Street
Bell-Rist House
cal900
AL3581
14805 NW 140 Street
Alachua Methodist Church
1912
AL3582
14804 NW 140 Street
Pearson-Braswell House
cal900
AL3583
14818 NW 140 Street
Bob Wells House
1941
AL3584
14819 NW 140 Street
Traxler House
1929
AL3585
14825 NW 140 Street
Swick Realty
1929
AL3586
14816 NW 140 Street
H.M. Harris House
1935
AL3587
14212 NW 142 Terrace
cal930
AL3588
14402 NW 142 Terrace
Langford House
cal920
AL3589
14410 NW 142 Terrace
Eddy House
cal930
AL3590
14520 NW 142 Terrace
D. S. Waters House
cal920
AL3591
14609 NW 142 Terrace
1929
AL3592
14707 NW 142 Terrace
Turner House
1947
AL3693
14710 NW 142 Terrace
Wheeler House
1938
AL3694
14722 NW 142 Terrace
E.D. Hague House
1920
AL3695
14723 NW 142 Terrace
Dr. Goode House
1945
AL3596
14801 NW 142 Terrace
Carl Williams House
cal939
AL3597
14806 NW 142 Terrace
Futch-Stephens House
cal920
AL3598
14919 NW 142 Terrace
Alachua Child Care
cal930
AL3599
13820 NW 143 Place
1940
AL3600
14106 NW 143 Place
1935
AL3601
14109 NW 143 Place
Cato House
1920
AL3602
14502 NW 143 Place
1927
AL3603
14321 NW 144 Place
cal940
AL3604
14409 NW 144 Place
Duke House
1929
AL3605
14412 NW 144 Place
1942
AL3606
14508 NW 144 Place
1942
AL3607
14602 NW 144 Street
1929
AL3608
14611 NW 144 Street
Palmer House
1935
AL3609
14620 NW 144 Street
Loften-Duke House
1926
41
AL3610
14630 NW 144 Street
Enneis House
1930
AL3611
14708 NW 144 Street
Lyman House
1920
AL3612
14717 NW 144 Street
Fugate House
cal900
AL3613
14810 NW 144 Street
Dell-Dansby House
cal900
AL3614
14906 NW 144 Street
Leland Waters House
1915
AL3615
14915 NW 144 Street
Mott-Reaves House
1935
AL3616
14206 NW 145 Avenue
cal930
AL3617
14323 NW 145 Avenue
1937
AL3618
14403 NW 145 Avenue
R. L. Wood House
1915
AL3619
14417 NW 145 Avenue
Dr. Dale House
1942
AL3620
14412 NW 145 Avenue
Minister's House
1928
AL3621
14421 NW 145 Avenue
Church of Christ
1921
AL3622
13626 NW 146 Avenue
1940s
AL3623
13917 NW 146 Avenue
J. Walker House
cal920
AL3624
13921 NW 146 Avenue
Ernest Spencer House
cal930
AL3625
14109 NW 146 Avenue
Waters-Powell House
cal930
AL3626
14204 NW 146 Avenue
Sealey House
1910
AL3627
14216 NW 146 Avenue
McCullough House
1929
AL3628
14319 NW 146 Avenue
Dew House
1929
AL3629
14405 NW 146 Avenue
Joseph Fugate House
1930
AL3630
14013 NW 147 Avenue
Williams-Enneis House
1925
AL3631
14109 NW 147 Avenue
1935
AL3632
14205 NW 147 Avenue
1935
AL3633
14211-17 NW 147 Ave.
1944
AL3634
14304 NW 147 Avenue
C.B. Waters House
1920
AL3635
13707 NW 148 Place
Old Methodist Parsonage
1911
AL3636
13715 NW 148 Place
Jeffcoat-hague House
1939
AL3637
13805 NW 148 Place
Hague House
1929
AL3638
13903 NW 148 Place
Harrison- Johnson House
1920
AL3639
14203 NW 148 Place
cal935
AL3640
14209 NW 148 Place
Williams-Harrison House
cal900
AL3641
14305 NW 148 Place
Woodard House
1945
AL3648
14308 NW 148 Place
Emeiy Williams House
1928
AL3649
14404 NW 148 Place
Charlie Waters House
1915
AL3650
14416 NW 148 Place
Baldwin House
1915
AL3651
14712 NW 148 Place
A. J. Williams House
1929
AL3652
14115 NW 150 Avenue
Dixon House
1935
42
APPENDIX TWO
Legal Description of Downtown Redevelopment District
DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT-CITY OF ALACHUA
LEGAL DESCRIPTION:
BEGINNING AT THE INTERSECTION OF N.W. 142nd TERRACE AND U.S. HIGHWAY NO. 441
AND PROCEED SOUTH ALONG N.W. 142nd TERRACE TO N.W. 150th AVENUE; THENCE WEST
ON N.W. 150th AVENUE TO N.W. 145th TERRACE; THENCE SOUTH ON N.W. 145th TERRACE TO
N.W. 142nd AVENUE; THENCE EAST ON N.W. 142nd AVENUE TO NW 138th STREET; THENCE
NORTH ON NW 138th STREET TO THE SOUTH BOUNDARY LINE OF BLOCK 44 OF CLARKS
FIRST ADDITION TO ALACHUA (PLAT BOOK A, PAGE 108), THENCE EAST ALONG SAID
SOUTH BOUNDARY LINE OF BLOCK 44 TO NW 137th TERRACE; THENCE NORTH ON NW 137th
TERRACE TO ITS END AT THE SOUTH LINE OF THE ABANDONED ATLANTIC COASTLINE
RAILROAD; THENCE WEST ALONG SAID SOUTH LINE OF THE ABANDONED ATLANTIC
COASTLPNE RAILROAD TO THE BEGINNING OF NW 137th TERRACE RUNNING NORTH;
THENCE NORTH ON NW 137th TERRACE TO U.S. HIGHWAY NO. 441 ; THENCE WEST ON U.S.
HIGHWAY NO. 441 TO THE POPNT OF BEGINNING.
EXCEPT FOR THE FOLLOWING PARCELS:
A) THE WEST Vz OF BLOCK I OF C.A. WILLIAMS ADDITION TO THE CITY OF
ALACHUA AS PER PLAT BOOK "C, PAGE 79B OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF
ALACHUA COUNTY, ALSO KNOWN AS TAX PARCELS 3782-1, 3782-2, 3782-3, 3782, 3784-1, 3784,
AND 3783.
B) THE WEST Vz OF BLOCK 4 OF C.A. WILLIAMS ADDITION TO THE CITY OF
ALACHUA AS PER PLAT BOOK -C, PAGE 79B OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF
ALACHUA COUNTY, FLORIDA, ALSO KNOWN AS TAX PARCELS 3792-3, 3792, 3794-2, 3794-1,
3795, AND 3794.
C) THE WEST Vi OF BLOCK 5 OF C.A. WILLIAMS ADDITION TO THE CITY OF
ALACHUA AS PER PLAT BOOK C", PAGE 79B OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF
ALACHUA COUNTY, FLORIDA, ALSO KNOWN AS TAX PARCELS 3799, 3801-1, 3802, AND 3801.
D) LOTS 6 AND 7 AND THE WEST Vz OF LOT 5, BLOCK 8 OF C.A. WILLIAMS ADDITION TO
THE CITY OF ALACHUA AS PER PLAT BOOK "C", PAGE 79B OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF
ALACHUA COUNTY, FLORIDA, ALSO KNOWN AS TAX PARCEL 3815.
D) LOTS 19, 20, 2 1 , AND 22, BLOCK I OF WOODS SUBDIVISION AS PER PLAT BOOK "B",
PAGE 60 OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF ALACHUA COUNTY, FLORIDA, KNOWN AS TAX
PARCELS 3825 AND 3826.
E) LOTS 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, AND 24, BLOCK 6 OF LYNWOOD PARK AS PER PLAT BOOK
B', PAGE 73 OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF ALACHUA COUNTY, FLORIDA, KNOWN AS TAX
PARCELS 3846 AND 3884-1.
F) LOT 3, BLOCK 18 OF TOMPSETTS ADDITION TO ALACHUA AS PER PLAT BOOK -A', PAGE
68 OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF ALACHUA COUNTY, FLORIDA KNOWN AS TAX PARCEL
3721.
43
G) THE WEST 70 FEET OF THE SOUTH 90 FEET OF LOT 4, BLOCK 4 OF OLMSTEAD'S SURVEY
OF THE CITY OF ALACHUA AS PER PLAT BOOK C, PAGE 79B OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF
ALACHUA COUNTY, FLORIDA, KNOWN AS TAX PARCEL 3643-4
H) LOTS 10, H, AND 12 BLOCK 1 1 OF TOMPSETTS ADDITION TO ALACHUA AS PER PLAT
BOOK A, PAGE 68 OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF ALACHUA
COUNTY, FLORIDA KNOWN AS TAX PARCEL 3692
I) LOTS 8 AND 9 BLOCK 2 1 OF TOMPSETTS ADDITION TO ALACHUA AS PER
PLAT BOOK "A", PAGE 68 OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF ALACHUA COUNTY,
FLORIDA KNOWN AS TAX PARCEL 3742-1
J) THE NORTH 25 FEET OF THE SOUTH 60 FEET OF THE WEST 150 FEET OF BLOCK 12 OF
TOMPSETTS ADDITION TO ALACHUA AS PER PLAT BOOK "A", PAGE 68 OF THE PUBLIC
RECORDS OF ALACHUA COUNTY, FLORIDA KNOWN AS TAX PARCEL 3695
K) BEGINNING AT THE S.W. CORNER OF LOT 2, BLOCK I OF OLMSTEADS SURVEY AS PER
PLAT BOOK "C", PAGE 79B OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF ALACHUA COUNTY, FLORIDA AND
RUN EAST 144 FEET, THENCE NORTH 100 FEET; THENCE WEST 62 FEET; THENCE SOUTH 73
FEET; THENCE WEST 82 FEET; THENCE SOUTH 27 FEET TO POINT OF BEGINNING, KNOWN AS
TAX PARCEL 3610-1
L) LOTS 8, 9 AND THE SOUTH 10 FEET OF LOT 7 BLOCK 37 OF CLARK'S FIRST ADDITION TO
ALACHUA AS PER PLAT BOOK H A", PAGE 108 OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF ALACHUA
COUNTY, FLORIDA KNOWN AS TAX PARCEL 3434-3
M) THAT PART OF THE ABANDONED ATLANTIC COASTLINE RAILROAD (200 FOOT RIGHT
OF WAY) LOCATED NORTH OF BLOCK 37 OF CLARKS'S FIRST ADDITION TO ALACHUA (PLAT
BOOK 'A, PAGE 108), SOUTH OF U.S. HIGHWAY NO. 441, EAST OF NW 140th STREET AND
WEST OF THE LANDS OWNED BY WENDELL LEWIS AND A NORTHERLY PROJECTION OF THE
WEST LINE OF SAID LANDS OWNED BY WENDELL LEWIS, KNOWN AS TAX PARCEL 3376
N) LOTS 12, 13, AND 14 BLOCK 32 OF CLARKS FIRST ADDITION TO ALACHUA AS PER PLAT
BOOK "A", PAGE 108 OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF ALACHUA COUNTY, FLORIDA KNOWN AS
TAX PARCEL 3392-1
0) LOT 3 BLOCK 30 OF CLARKS FIRST ADDITION TO ALACHUA AS PER PLAT
BOOK A', PAGE 108 OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF ALACHUA COUNTY, FLORIDA KNOWN AS
TAX PARCEL 3385-2
P) LOTS 1,2, AND THE EAST 28.32 FEET OF LOT 3 BLOCK 28 OF TOMPSETTS SURVEY AS PER
PLAT BOOK C, PAGES 79B AND 79C OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF ALACHUA COUNTY,
FLORIDA KNOWN AS TAX PARCEL 3428
Q) THE EAST 100 FEET OF BLOCK 44 OF CLARKS FIRST ADDITION TO ALACHUA AS PER
PLAT BOOK 'A, PAGE 108 OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF ALACHUA COUNTY, FLORIDA
KNOWN AS TAX PARCELS 3438-1 AND 3438-2.
R) THE EAST Vz OF BLOCK 43 OF CLARKS FIRST ADDITION TO ALACHUA AS PER PLAT
BOOK A, PAGE 108 OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF ALACHUA COUNTY, FLORIDA, KNOWN AS
TAX PARCELS 3436 AND 3436-1
S) LOTS 1, 2, 3, 4, 13, 14, 15, AND 16 BLOCK 42 AND THE SOUTH Vz OF THE CLOSED STREET
LOCATED IMMEDIATELY NORTH OF LOTS 1, 2, 3, AND 4 OF CLARKS FIRST ADDITION TO
ALACHUA AS PER PLAT BOOK A ", PAGE 108 OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF ALACHUA
COUNTY, FLORIDA, KNOWN AS TAX PARCEL 3420
T) THAT CERTAIN PARCEL OF LAND LOCATED AT THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE
INTERSECTION OF NW 137th TERRACE AND U.S. HIGHWAY NO. 441 BEING LEASED BY LEWIS
OIL COMPANY FROM BLANCHE LEROY LEASE RECORDED IN OFFICIAL RECORD BOOK 1600,
PAGE 1413 OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF ALACHUA COUNTY, FLORIDA KNOWN AS TAX
44
PARCEL 3367-1
U) Commence at the intersection of the Southerly right of way line of the abandoned Atlantic Coastline
Railroad with the Westerly line of Block 19 of Downings Addition to the City of Alachua, as per plat
recorded in Plat Book "C", pages 79, 79 A, 79B, and 79C of the public records of Alachua County, Florida
for the point of reference and run S.55'56'00"E., along said Southerly right of way line, a distance of 10.02
feet to a concrete monument on the Easterly right of way line of NW 1st Street and the True Point of
Beginning; thence continue S.55'56'00"E., along said Southerly right of way line, a distance of 208.17 feet
to a steel rod and cap; thence run N.33'38'30"E., a distance of 172.51 feet to a steel rod and cap on the
Southerly right of way line of State Road No. 25 (A.K.A. U.S. Highway No. 441); thence run
N.55'56'00'W. , along said Southerly right of way line, a distance of 28 1 .79 feet to a concrete monument at
the beginning of a curve concave Southeasterly, said curve having a radius of 27.53 feet; thence run
Southwesterly, with said curve, through an arc angle of 127'02'15' an arc distance of 61.04 feet (chord
bearing and distance of S.60032'33*W., 49.29 feet respectively) to a concrete monument at the end of said
curve, thence run S.02'58'15"E., along the aforementioned Easterly right of way line of NW 1st Street, a
distance of 160.83 feet to the True Point of Beginning, containing 1.063 acres more or less, known as tax
parcel 3595-200-1.
END OF EXCLUDED PARCELS
ALSO:
THAT PART OF THE ABANDONED ATLANTIC COAST LINE RAILROAD RIGHT OF WAY
LOCATED NORTH OF AND ADJACENT TO CLARKS SECOND ADDITION TO ALACHUA BEING
125 FEET NORTH AND SOUTH MEASUREMENT AND 652.70 FEET EAST AND WEST
MEASUREMENT BEING OWNED BY THE STATE OF FLORIDA AND USED AS A DEPARTMENT
OF TRANSPORTATION STORMWATER DRAINAGE BASIN, KNOWN AS TAX PARCEL 3376-1
ALSO:
THAT CERTAIN PARCEL OF LAND BEING BOUNDED ON THE EAST BY NW 142nd TERRACE,
BOUNDED ON THE SOUTH BY NW 150th AVENUE, BOUNDED ON THE NORTH BY U.S.
HIGHWAY NO. 441, AND BOUNDED ON THE WEST BY THE NORTHERLY PROJECTION OF NW
145th TERRACE, LESS THAT PART CONTAINED WITHIN THE STATE OF FLORIDA DRAINAGE
BASIN, KNOWN AS TAX PARCEL 3605-1
ALSO:
COMMENCE 295.4 FEET NORTH OF THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE S.E. 1/4 OF THE S.E. 1/4
OF SECTION 15, TOWNSHIP 8 SOUTH, RANGE 18 EAST, ALACHUA COUNTY, FLORIDA BEING
ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE RAILROAD RIGHT OF WAY; THENCE SOUTHWESTERLY ALONG
SAID RAILROAD RIGHT OF WAY, A DISTANCE OF 360 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING;
THENCE CONTINUE SOUTHWESTERLY, ALONG SAID RAILROAD RIGHT OF WAY, A
DISTANCE OF 420 FEET; THENCE N.35W., A DISTANCE OF 267.12 FEET TO THE SOUTH RIGHT
OF WAY LINE OF SEABOARD AIRLINE RAILROAD; THENCE NORTHEASTERLY, ALONG SAID
RIGHT OF WAY LINE, A DISTANCE OF 410. 18 FEET; THENCE S.35'E., A DISTANCE OF 140. 1
FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING. KNOWN AS TAX PARCEL 3535-3.
ALSO:
45
BEGINNING AT THE INTERSECTION NW 154th PLACE AND U.S. HIGHWAY NO.
441 AND PROCEED EAST ON NW 154th PLACE TO NW 142nd TERRACE;
THENCE SOUTH ON NW 142nd TERRACE TO NW 154th AVENUE; THENCE
EAST ON NW 154th AVENUE TO NW 141st STREET; THENCE SOUTH ON NW 141st STREET TO
NW 152nd PLACE; THENCE EAST ON NW 152nd PLACE TO NW 140th STREET; THENCE SOUTH
ON NW 140th STREET TO U.S. HIGHWAY NO. 441; THENCE WEST ON U.S. HIGHWAY NO. 441
TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING.
EXCEPT FOR THE FOLLOWING PARCELS:
A)
LOTS 15 AND 16 BLOCK 9 OF GUINN, WILLIAMS, AND REEVES ADDITION TO ALACHUA AS
PER PLAT BOOK C, PAGE 79A OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF ALACHUA COUNTY, FLORIDA
KNOWN AS TAX PARCELS 3584 AND 3584-1 B) LOT 2 AND THE NORTH Vz OF LOT 3 BLOCK 14
OF GUINN, WILLIAMS, AND REEVES ADDITION AS PER PLAT BOOK "C", PAGE 79A OF THE
PUBLIC RECORDS OF ALACHUA COUNTY, FLORIDA KNOWN AS TAX PARCEL 3591 C) THAT
PART OF LOT I BLOCK 14 OF GUINN, WILLIAMS, AND REEVES ADDITION AS PER PLAT BOOK
"C", PAGE 79A OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF ALACHUA COUNTY, FLORIDA NOT PREVIOUSLY
DEEDED OUT TO JOIN WITH LAND IMMEDIATELY TO THE SOUTH, KNOWN AS TAX PARCEL
3591-1 END OF EXCLUDED PARCELS
ALSO:
COMMENCE AT THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF SECTION 14, TOWNSHIP 8 SOUTH, RANGE 18
EAST, ALACHUA COUNTY, FLORIDA FOR THE POINT OF REFERENCE AND RUN S.00054WE.,
ALONG THE WEST LINE OF SAID SECTION 14, A DISTANCE OF 2201.84 FEET TO THE
INTERSECTION OF SAID WEST LINE WITH THE NORTHERLY RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF THE
ATLANTIC COASTLINE HIGH SPRINGS TO ROCHET IE TRACK (A.K.A. ABANDONED
SEABOARD COASTLINE RAILROAD); THENCE RUN S.54'00'00"E., A DISTANCE OF 129.00 FEET;
THENCE RUN N.36'00'00E., A DISTANCE OF 89.99 FEET TO A CONCRETE MONUMENT ON THE
NORTHERLY RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF U.S. HIGHWAY NO. 441 AND THE TRUE POINT OF
BEGINNING; THENCE CONTINUE N.36'00'00,E., A DISTANCE OF 222.01 FEET TO A CONCRETE
MONUMENT; THENCE RUN N.54'00'00"W., A DISTANCE OF 170.34 FEET TO A STEEL ROD AND
CAP; THENCE RUN S.83024WW., A DISTANCE 1 14.62 FEET TO A DRILL HOLE IN CONCRETE
ON THE EAST RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF STATE ROAD NO. 235; THENCE RUN S.00054'00"E.,
ALONG SAID EAST RIGHT OF WAY LINE, A DISTANCE OF 197.61 FEET TO A DRILL HOLE IN
CONCRETE ON THE AFOREMENTIONED NORTHERLY RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF U.S. HIGHWAY
NO. 441 ; THENCE RUN SOUTHEASTERLY, ALONG SAID RIGHT OF WAY LINE WITH A CURVE
CONCAVE NORTHEASTERLY, SAID CURVE HAVING A RADIUS OF 3480.83 FEET THROUGH
AN ARC ANGLE OF 02015'03", AN ARC DISTANCE OF
136.74 FEET (CHORD BEARING AND DISTANCE OF S.59-4223-E., 136.73 FEET
RESPECTIVELY) TO THE TRUE POINT OF BEGINNING, CONTAINING 46,439
SQUARE FEET MORE OR LESS. KNOWN AS TAX PARCEL 3226-1
46
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