Instructions:
1....Print this file.
2....At its end, click on "rules" to see a copy of the trail rules, print it, and then click where indicated at the end of the 3-page rules and patch order form to get back to the list of Florida trails.
3....If you want a hand-drawn map showing the locations of all of the sites, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Steve Rajtar, 1614 Bimini Dr., Orlando, FL 32806.
4....Hike the trail and order whatever patches you like (optional).
WARNING - This trail may pass through one or more neighborhoods which, although full of history, may now be unsafe for individuals on foot, or which may make you feel unsafe there. Hikers have been approached by individuals who have asked for handouts or who have inquired (not always in a friendly manner) why the hikers are in their neighborhood. Drugs and other inappropriate items have been found by hikers in some neighborhoods. It is suggested that you drive the hike routes first to see if you will feel comfortable walking them and, if you don't think it's a good place for you walk, you might want to consider (1) traveling with a large group, (2) doing the route on bicycles, or (3) choosing another hike route. The degree of comfort will vary with the individual and with the time and season of the hike, so you need to make the determination using your best judgment. If you hike the trail, you accept all risks involved.
This three-story brick building was erected in 1885 and was acquired by Edward Holder. This is one of the first constructed after the fire of 1883, and included the 700-seat Marion Opera House on the third floor. It was the site of the first national convention held in Florida, that of the Farmers Alliance and Industrial Union, held in December of 1890.
The convention had a liberal platform calling for the abolition of national banks, prohibition of land ownership by aliens and railroads, cheap federal loans to farmers, direct election of senators, free coinage of silver, and a graduated income tax. These were known as the "Ocala Demands" of the Populist Party, which had some support in the western states.
In 1983, it was renovated for use as offices and a restaurant.
Previously on this site was the First Baptist Church, built of brick in 1884. Dedicated in 1885, it replaced a frame building used by the congregation at the northwest corner of Lime and Washington Sts.
Peebles and Ferguson designed this seven-story Mediterranean Revival style hotel. It was built in 1927 and is one of the last of that decade and style to remain standing in Marion County. The structure is masonry with stucco covering. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 16, 1980.
In 1983-84, it was converted to offices as The Sovereign Building.
This bank building was constructed in 1911 as the first granite building in Ocala.
Ocala was chosen in 1846 to be the county seat of Marion County, beating out Micanopy.
James Carruthers was hired in 1847 to build a courthouse for $225, plus $80 for the interior fittings. It was one story with demensions of 20 x 80 feet. James Ellis built the jury rooms for $140. At the time, a log jail was built on the northeast corner of the square, but pressure from residents resulted in its being moved to the lot later occupied by the city hall.
The former courthouse was used as county offices until 1964, when it was torn down and replaced by a modern new structure, which itself has been succeeded by a later courthouse.
This three-story brick commercial building was erected as the First National Bank in 1890 by E.W. Agnew. Later, it was the home of the Commercial Bank of Ocala. As with many downtown buildings constructed after the 1883 fire, it has a corner entry.
This Art Deco style movie theater has been converted to use as the Discovery Science Center.
Edward Clayton Smith and C.V. Roberts operated an undertaking business in the Malever building at the corner of Magnolia Ave. and Ocklawaha St. for several years. Smith later operated his own undertaking business here, in conjunction with his furniture store. In 1920, they sold out and started the Smith Furniture Co. in Sanford.
The present building was erected in 1925.
This Victorian Frame Vernacular style home with Gothic influences was built in about 1901. The Presbyterian minister lived here during the early 1900s, and it was known as "the manse" while the Presbyterian Church was located on the corner. Later, it was Mrs. McLean's Boarding House.
This Victorian Frame Vernacular style house, with some Queen Anne influences, was built in about 1888 for John F. Dunn, an early real estate developer and a founder of Ocala's first bank in 1882. He purchased the courthouse, jail and public square at auction in 1875, but deeded them back to the county. He was also a partner in the Silver Springs, Ocala and Gulf Railroad organized in 1879.
The rambling house features an ornamented carpenter style balustrade, delicate porches and a tower. This is the best surviving example of the Queen Anne style in the district.
This house was built in about 1888 with a Victorian Frame Vernacular style with Colonial influences. It was later the home of Auntie's Attic Antiques.
County legislator Daniel Miller bought this land from Fannie Gary in 1887 and built this home. In 1911, Fannie's son, W.T. Gary, bought this house for $5,500. In 1914, he was the co-owner of the Ocala Telephone Company.
The home, later housing Patricia's Antiques and Gifts and then A Corner of Yesterday Antiques, was built with a Victorian Frame Vernacular style with Gothic influences.
This Bungalow with Classical influences was built in about 1891.
This is a Victorian Frame Vernacular style house which shows Classical influences, built in about 1912. It was the home of physician Dr. J.W. Hood.
This residence of J.V. Tarver was built in about 1912 with a Victorian Frame Vernacular style with Colonial influences. Tarver was involved with the Rentz Lumber Company in Fort McCoy and had one of the first telephones available in the area.
This Frame Vernacular style home was built in 1912.
This house, built in about 1912, is Frame Vernacular in style with Classical influences.
Fanny Clark, a teacher at Ocala High School, lived in this house, which was built in about 1912. It was constructed with a Frame Vernacular style with Colonial influences.
This Victorian Frame Vernacular home built in about 1895 shows Gothic influences. It was the residence of W.R. Bryant.
This was the residence of Rosalie Condon and was built in about 1891 with a Frame Vernacular style.
This residence of E.H. Cox, built in about 1891, is a Frame Vernacular style with both Italianate and Colonial influences.
Built in about 1891, this home is Victorian in style with Classical Revival influences. It was the residence of dentist William Anderson, and later of businessman and state legislator Marcus Frank. It was later turned into a law office.
This home was built in 1906, the year that Ed Holder moved from Dunnellon to Ocala. He bought and refurbished the Marion Block building, including the opera house, and converted it into modern offices with Ocala's first electric elevator. This Frame Vernacular style house featured a formal ballroom on the third floor.
This Victorian Frame Vernacular style residence with Classical influences was built in about 1891. It was the home of S.R. Birdsey, who in 1884 had founded the S.R. Birdsey and Company hardware concern. It features 11 Doric columns on the wraparound porch, beveled glass front doors, and bay windows. It later became the home of an antique shop.
The style of this home is referred to as Victorian Frame Vernacular Carpenter, with Gothic influences. It was built in about 1891 and was the residence of Z.C. Chambliss, vice president of the Monroe and Chambliss Bank. He and T.T. Monroe resurrected Ocala banking after the 1895 collapse of the citrus industry and resulting depression. Chambliss promoted the introduction of blooded livestock and held the state's first public auction of pedigreed livestock in 1903.
This was the home of W.S. Bullock, whose father Robert was a Civil War general. The younger Bullock served as mayor in 1900 and was a circuit judge. It was later converted to the law offices of Richard and Blinn.
The house was built in 1891 with a Victorian Frame Vernacular style with Carpenter influences.
This two-story Victorian style house was built in 1912.
This three-story home was built in 1888 by G.S. Scott, the owner of G.S. Scott and Sons Insurance. It was turned into apartments and by the late 1970s was in poor condition. It was restored by Jerry and Norma Johnson, and in 1986 was voted the "best restoration" award by the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation. It is now a seven-room bed and breakfast establishment known as the Seven Sisters Inn. Its style is Frame Vernacular with Queen Anne influences.
Built in about 1895, this house has a Victorian Frame Vernacular Carpenter style with Gothic influences. It was the home of cigar manufacturer and clothier Charles Rheinauer, who served as Ocala's mayor in 1906. He and his brother Maurice had come here from Thomasville, Georgia, and opened a dry goods store here.
This is a Victorian Frame Vernacular style house with Gothic influences, built in about 1912 and resided in by M.J. Jewett. Her family owned a bookkeeping business and was active in the phosphate industry. This home has an unusual Y-shaped plan and was converted to offices in 1979.
This Classical Revival style residence was built in about 1906 with Ionic columns on the veranda. It was the home of William Marshall, the owner and operator of an Ocala plastering business in the 1920s.
This two-story frame house, built in about 1921, was the residence of J. Phillips. It later became the home of a law firm.
This home was built in about 1924, and shows influences of both the Prairie and Mediterranean Revival styles. Edward Tucker, a civil engineer, lived in Ocala from 1895 until 1927.
This home was built in about 1893, and shows influence by the Queen Anne Revival style. It is claimed that the iron fence formerly circled the old courthouse. Attorney Robert A. Burford, counsel to the railroad, lived here. In 1975, the home was renovated for use as law offices.
This house was built in 1924 with a Colonial style.
This Colonial style home was built in 1914.
This Frame Vernacular style home was built in 1890 and was used as servants' quarters and to serve the carriages for the Rheinauer family, whose main house was just to the north of it on Fort King St.
This house is a combination of Victorian and Colonial styles, and was built in 1900.
This one and one-half story house was built in 1906 with a Frame Vernacular style.
This is a one-story cottage, built in 1925.
This house was built in 1912 and contains elements of the Victorian and Gothic styles.
This Colonial style house was built in 1912.
This one-story home was built in 1924 with a Frame Vernacular style.
This one-story home contains Victorian elements and was built in 1924.
This 1924 house is built in the Classical Revival style.
This is a Frame Vernacular style house which was built in 1924.
This Victorian style house was built in 1901.
This is an example of the Italianate style, unusual for this district. It was built in 1895.
This Victorian Vernacular home was built in 1898.
This is a Frame Vernacular building with Classical influences, built in 1924. In 1977, it became the home of the Ocala Planning Office, which assists the Ocala Historic Preservation Advisory Board.
This one and one-half story Frame Vernacular dwelling was built in 1895.
This two-story home built in 1895 has elements of both the Victorian and Classical styles.
This home was built in 1895 and has elements of the Victorian and Gothic styles.
This Victorian Vernacular style home was built in 1895.
This church was organized in 1857 with 11 charter members. The first sanctuary for this congregation was built in 1885 at the corner of Ft. King St. and Watula Ave. It had the tallest wooden bell tower in Ocala. This, the second, was built here in 1927 with a mixture of Colonial and Federalist architectural styles. Its patinated steeple is the tallest structure in this district.
This building was erected in 1912 and used as a school. Later, it was transformed into School Board administrative offices.
This one-story Bungalow was built in 1926.
In this two and one-half story Victorian style home built in 1901 lived J.H. Williams, a partner in the business which became Dixie Lime and Stone.
This 1895 house combines elements of the Victorian and Classical styles.
This is another example of the 1895 combination of Victorian and Gothic styles.
This was the home of Mary W. Phillips, built in 1895 with a Queen Anne style. It features a small porch over the veranda, a corner bay downstairs, and a massive bay toward the rear.
This house was built in 1912 with Victorian and Gothic elements.
This Victorian and Gothic two-story house was built in 1895.
This two and one-half story Victorian and Gothic home was built in 1895.
This is a Frame Vernacular home, built in 1912.
This home, built in 1906, combines elements of the Gothic and Victorian styles.
This one-story Bungalow was built in 1930.
This Victorian and Gothic style home was built in 1906.
This house was built in 1906 with a Homestead style with Greek Revival influences. The Queen Anne style is also shown in the two-story bay and the ornamented porch. James B. Carlisle owned the Palace Drug Store, and in 1894 was one of the owners of the Ocala Telephone Company, holder of the original telephone company franchise.
This one-story home dating to about 1886 has elements of both Victorian and Gothic styles.
This 1926 home shows a Homestead style with Queen Anne influences. Before he moved here, A.E. Gerig was the cashier of the Monroe and Chambliss Bank.
This Frame Vernacular style home was built in 1920.
This home was built in 1920 with a Frame Vernacular style.
This house was built in 1926 with a Frame Vernacular style.
This one and one-half story Bungalow was built in 1906.
In 1898, Dr. A.L. Izlar was a founding partner of the first medical clinic in Ocala. Later, he lived in a Victorian and Classical style home on this site, built in 1906.
This is another Frame Vernacular style house, dating to 1926.
This 1912 Frame Vernacular style house with Prairie influences was the home of C.A. Liddon, the proprietor of the Ocala Livery Company.
This Queen Anne style cottage was built in 1895. It was the home of attorney L.T. Izlar.
This one-story brick cottage was built in 1930.
This Victorian and Gothic home was built in 1895.
This house was built in 1901 with a combination of Victorian and Gothic styles.
This house was built in 1926 with Victorian and Gothic Styles.
This is a one and one-half story Frame Vernacular house, built in 1924.
This one-story home built in 1895 is a combination of Gothic and Victorian styles.
This one and one-half story Bungalow was built in 1924.
This is a one and one-half story Bungalow, built in 1924.
This Victorian Vernacular style home was built in 1912.
This is a one-story Frame Vernacular home built in 1912.
This Mediterranean Vernacular house was built in 1930.
This two-story house was built in 1895 and includes both Victorian and Gothic stylistic elements.
This former high school was built in 1924. It later became Osceola Middle School.
This is a Tudor Revival style home, built in 1930.
This Frame Vernacular style home was built in 1912.
This two-story Frame Vernacular house was built in 1895.
This one and one-half story home is Victorian and Classical in style and was built in 1895.
This 1895 home has a combination of Victorian and Gothic elements.
This is a one and one-half story Frame Vernacular home, built in 1895.
This home was built in 1909, utilizing elements from several styles. The first floor is Richardsonian Romanesque, exhibited by the large rounded arch at the end of the porch. The second floor is Shingle style with some Arts and Crafts style ornamentation. The turret is tylistically Romanesque and constructed in a Shingle style manner.
This was the residence of John L. Edwards, who was involved in the establishment of the Florida National Bank in 1911. He also raised livestock and was a part owner of the Irvine Crate and Basket Co.
This Victorian Vernacular style home was built in 1924.
This two-story home built in 1924 combines the Colonial and Federal styles.
This home was built in 1903 with a Free Classic Queen Anne style as as the home of William Nelson Camp. The home features a gabled entry, expansive veranda and gabled bay with a fanlight. Camp owned a phosphate mine and was a founder of the Florida Power Company.
The home was later converted to apartments.
When this house was built in 1918, it had a massive veranda. It was built with a Free Classic Queen Anne style, and was the residence of Jack Camp, Sr., who was involved in the phosphate industry and an organizer of the Florida National Bank.
This stuccoed Mediterranean Revival home was built in 1912 for Robert Clifton Camp, Sr. He operated his father's Florida Power Co.
This home was built in 1912 with a Georgian Revival style. The owner, Clarence Camp, Sr., with his brother Jack organized Camp Concrete Co., Camp Phosphate Co., Fernandina Terminal Co. and Ocala Iron Works.
This Tudor Revival house was built in 1912 for Trusten P. Drake, Jr. He was involved in the cattle and timber industries, served as a member of the State Road Board, and was a director of the Monroe and Chambliss Bank.
This home was built in 1929 of brick and stucco, with the half-timbering ornamentation typical of the Tudor Revival style. It was the residence of Dr. R.C. Cumming, a physician and member of the school board, and a four-term mayor.
Built in 1930, this is a late example of the style known as Free Classic Queen Anne, with Colonial Revival influences. It was the home of the Harris family.
This house was built in 1907 with a Free Classic Queen Anne style. It is distinctive because of its high central tower and widow's walk.
This house was built in 1912 and merged Queen Anne and Colonial Revival styles to produce the Free Classic Queen Anne style. It was the home of Eli A. Osborne, president of the Commercial Bank of Ocala.
This house, built in 1912, is a modified Four-Square building with Colonial Revival influences. It has a hip roof dormer and wide eaves. It was the home of L.N. Green, who served as a circuit judge and mayor during the 1920s.
A 1980 proposal to widen Wenona Ave. would have required the razing of this home and others nearby. Local residents opposed it and formed the Historic Ocala Preservation Society. Through their efforts, the Ocala Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in January of 1984.
Now the Eighth Street Elementary School, this building was designed by Lee Roy Sheftall and built by F.W. Long & Co. in 1914.
This congregation first formed in 1861, and organized with the help of circuit rider Rev. Thomas W. Long and Rev. S. Morgan. A white frame building was erected on this property in front of where the present structure now sits.
Black architect and builder Levi Alexander, Sr. designed this 600-seat Masonry Vernacular church with a two-story pyramidal-roofed tower. The stained glass windows in this church date to its construction date of 1891. An important social and civic center for the early black community, it is the only surviving 19th century brick church in the county. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 17, 1979.
This monument was erected in 1908 of the United Daughters of the Confederacy to honor the local citizens who fought in the Civil War. It sits in front of the current Marion County Courthouse, built in 1991.
A wood frame church was erected here in 1883 with a steeple topped by a cross. A new foundation was laid in 1913, but construction was delayed by World War I. It later sold for $800, purchased by an individual who eventually sold it to the Church of Christ.
The prior Union Station was erected in1881. This one, constructed of brick and shingles, replaced it in 1917.
Evergreen Cemetery was established on July 8, 1850, as the first public burying ground in Ocala, and it contains the remains of early settlers and slaves. The memorial garden was dedicated in 1965.
This Mediterranean Revival structure designed by Courtney Stewart was built in 1939. It is constructed of cast cement and concrete block with a stucco covering, and features a tile roof and a three-story corner entrance tower. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 4, 1979, the year after it was adapted for use as a warehouse and office supply store.
Edwin Clayton Smith built this house during the early 1890s. It was bought in 1920 by James Edward Beaumont Hall of Fort McCoy. After his death, Sarah Kitchens Hall continued to live here and rented out some of the rooms.
Originally, the house had a separate kitchen connected to it by a lattice porchway.
Marti City, a settlement of Cuban cigar workers established in the 1880s, was the area bounded by present-day NW 4th St., Martin Luther King Blvd., SW 24th Ave. and SW 7th Pl. Between 1889 and 1906, there were approximately 20 cigar factories operating in the area, with 13 of them in Marti City. These included Luis Barreto & Co., J.E. de la Cuesta, A.M. Castillo & Co., J.R. Martin & Co., J. Vidal Cruz & Co., and The La Criolla Cigar Mfg. Co.
The community was intially named Havanatown, and was renamed after Jose Marti, known as the Apostle of Cuban Independence. He came to the U.S. in 1880 to unite the community of exiled Cubans. He died in a skirmish in Dos Rios, Cuba, before independence was won from Spain. Marti City was essentially abandoned in 1896.
This wood frame Temple B'Nai Daron was built in 1888 with a Victorian Revival style and art glass windows. It is Florida's third synagogue and the oldest one still standing. It retains its original windows.
This home was built in the 1880s, shortly after the construction of the synagogue across the street. Julius and Rebecca Israel moved to Ocala from New York and settled near the synagogue, as did other Jewish individuals, including neighbor Simmie Handleman.
Mr. Israel ran the Ocala News Depot, selling wholesale and retail books, stationery and office supplies. When he died in the late 1890s, the rest of the family moved back to New York.
In 1901, the house was rented to Elizabeth Lambert Hunt and her children, Raymond and Winifred. She later bought it. Later, she married Joseph Gid Parrish, owner of the Anti-Monopoly Drug Store. Later owners included Joseph Seminario.
John Pasteur and his brother, George, built this house during the 1890s. Both families were living at Spring Park at the time. When it was completed before 1897, John moved his family into it. In 1896, Horace and Amy Harold also moved in, after their orange trees in Spring Park were killed by a freeze.
Later, the Pasteurs moved to Silver Springs and this house was bought by Dr. C.R. Tydings, the owner of Tydings Drug Store, for his son, Bob. Later owners include Ernest and Charlotte Chazal Hatch.
Alfred Ayer of South Carolina moved into this house in 1900, relocating from a plantation near McIntosh. He had served as a lieutenant in the Civil War and was subsequently promoted through the ranks to general.
The house is now the office of the Natural Health Institute.
This residential complex was built in 1925 with a Spanish Colonial Revival design prepared by Frederick T. Uezzell. The four two-and-a-half story masonry buildings are connected by a one-story wing. This was one of the first apartment complexes built in Ocala. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
This home was built in 1890 for $5,000 by Frank A. Teague. It was later owned by Mrs. Howse.
This home was built in 1877 by Solomon Benjamin. Later owners include Mr. and Mrs. C.P. Pillans. A subsequent use was as the office of Foxfire Realty.
This home, also known as Kat's Korner, has a Georgian Revival style with a Free Classic Queen Anne influence. It was built in 1926 and has both Palladian and Adamesque windows.
This is a one and one-half story Bungalow built in 1930.
This congregation organized in 1853 and built their original sanctuary at the corner of Orange and Washington Sts. in 1890. It was moved here in 1905 and major additions were made the following year. The stained glass windows date to 1907. Its style is Gothic Revival Ecclesiastical, found in many Episcopal churches built between 1880 and 1920.
A Guide to National Register Sites in Florida, (Florida Department of State 1984)
Accent Florida, by Hampton Dunn (1975)
African Americans in Florida, by Maxine D. Jones and Kevin M. McCarthy (Pineapple Press, Inc. 1993)
Black Florida, by Kevin McCarthy (Hippocrene Books 1995)
The Brick City Directory, (The Garrett Printing Co. 1893)Catholics of Marion County: A Record of the Growth of the Oldest Catholic Community in Central Florida, by Jane Quinn (Mission Press 1978)
Florida Bed & Breakfast Guide, by Valerie C. Bondy (Queen of Hearts Publications 1995)
Florida Cuban Heritage Trail, (Florida Department of State 1994)
Florida Historic Stained Glass Survey: Sites of Historic Windows in Public Facilities in the State of Florida, by Robert O. Jones (Florida Members of the Stained Glass Association of America 1995)
Florida Historical Markers & Sites, by Floyd E. Boone (Gulf Publishing Company 1988)
Florida Jewish Heritage Trail, by Rachel B. Heimovics and Marcia Zerivitz (Florida Department of State 2000)
Florida State Landmarks, by Stuart Lynn Patton (Southern Arts Syndicate, Inc. 1967)
Florida: The Long Frontier, by Marjory Stoneman Douglas (Harper & Row 1967)
Florida's History Through Its Places: Properties in the National Register of Historic Places, by Morton D. Winsberg (Florida State University 1988)
Guide to Florida Historical Walking Tours, by Roberta Sandler (Pineapple Press, Inc. 1996)
Guide to Florida's Historic Architecture, (University of Florida Press 1989)
Guide to the Small and Historic Lodgings of Florida, by Herbert L. Hiller (Pineapple Press, Inc. 1995)
Historic Homes of Florida, by Laura Stewart and Susanne Hupp (Pineapple Press, Inc. 1995)
Historical and Archaeological Survey of Marion County, by Withlacoochee Planning Council (1981)
History of Winter Haven, Florida, by Josephine G. Burr (The Larry Burr Printing Company 1974)
Memories of Fort McCoy, by Faye Perry Melton (Typeworld Printing & Typesetting 1987)
Ocala Cavalcade: Through One Hundred Years, by Eloise Knight Jones (Stephen F. McCurdy 1946)
Ocala Historic District Driving Tour
Ocala Historic District Walking Tour: Fort King Street, by City of Ocala Planning Department
Ocali Country, by Eloise Robinson Ott and Louis Hickman Chazal (Perry Printing Company 1966)
The Pioneer Churches of Florida, by The Daughters of the American Revolution (The Mickler House 1976)
Wish You Were Here: A Grand Tour of Early Florida Via Old Post Cards, by Hampton Dunn (Byron Kennedy and Company 1981)
The Ybor City Story (1885-1954), by Jose Rivero Muniz
Click here for a copy of the trail rules.