After
overnighting in Dothan Alabama, we quickly rolled over the state line into
Florida. As usual, I had a list of historic
sites that we might photograph should time permit...
Our
first stop was in Mariana Florida. Mariana’s official nickname is “The City of
Southern Charm”.
This is
the old Louisville and Nashville Railroad Passenger Depot. It was built in 1882 and once stood along the
north side of the railroad tracks near Caledonia Street. In the early 1900's, the building was moved to
make way for a larger depot. It now
serves as an insurance company office…
Notes:
· Marianna was founded in 1828 by a Scottish
entrepreneur who named the town after his wife, Mary and her friend Anna,
combining their names to form Marianna.
· Mariana is the final resting place of the
Confederate governor of Florida, Governor John Milton. Governor Milton owned Sylvania Plantation and
hundreds of slaves, was the governor of Florida during the Civil War years.
Governor Milton vowed that he would rather die than see the Confederates
reunite with the Unionist states. In
late spring 1865, as federal troops were preparing to take control of
Tallahassee, Milton received word the Civil War had ended and that Florida
would, once again, be part of the United States. On April 1, 1865, as the southern cause was
collapsing, John Milton shot himself. In
his last message to the legislature, he had said, "Death would be
preferable to reunion."
The small
depot was part of a large wood frame passenger and freight complex that once
stood north of the railroad tracks. In
the early 1900's, the building was moved to make way for a larger passenger
facility. After the depot was damaged by
fire in 1979, it was moved to its present site and restored to largely its
original appearance.
Notes:
· Marianna was the site of the 1934 brutal
torture and lynching of Claude Neal, an African American man accused of rape
and murder. The national publicity generated by the lynching, and resulting
protests, played a significant role in the history of the United States by
helping to inspire national anti-lynching laws. After the lynching there were race riots when
the KKK tried to eliminate all residents of Mariana who were identified as
Black. The six vigilantes that led the
lynching remain unnamed.
· Mariana was also the home of The Florida
School for Boys, a reform school operated by the state of Florida from January
1, 1900, to June 30, 2011. For a time, it was the largest juvenile reform
institution in the United States. Throughout
its 111-year history, the school gained a reputation for abuse, beatings,
rapes, torture, and even murder of students by staff. To learn more about this hell hole, you can
go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_School_for_Boys.
This is
the Old First National Bank of Marianna.
The building is now used as the data processing and bookkeeping center
for the Southtrust Bank of North Florida. This limestone building was constructed in
1907. At one time the bank was just one
of a row of commercial buildings that lined the west side of Caledonia Street. Its neighbors have all been demolished. The facade of the two-story building has the
appearance of a small Greek or Roman temple. Perched on top of the gable on a stone globe
is a bronze eagle with outspread wings.
This is
the U.S. Post Office and Courthouse. The
Mediterranean Revival style U.S. Post Office was constructed in 1927 at a cost
of $100,000 and it is still the main postal facility in Marianna. The two-story stuccoed concrete block building
has a gable roof surfaced with mottled red clay tile. The first floor is
devoted mainly to handling the U.S. mail, while the second floor contains a
variety of regional federal offices and a courtroom.
Note:
· For those of us of a certain age, it is
worth noting that pop and country singer and songwriter Bobby Goldsboro is from
Mariana. Goldsboro had 16 Top 40 Hit on
the Billboard HOT 100 as well as 12 hits on the country charts. Interestingly, he has now established himself
as an accomplished and successful artist with prices for his works reaching as
high as $25,000. To learn more about
Bobby Goldsboro, you can go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Goldsboro.
His website and artwork can be found at http://www.bobbygoldsboro.com/.
The
Joseph W. Jr. Russ House is a historic home that was built between 1892 and 1895. It now serves as Jackson County Florida's
Visitor Center.
Joseph
Russ’s position in the community remained one of prominence until his death. He
suffered greatly from the financial collapse of 1929. The family's extensive land holdings had to
be sold to meet debt and tax obligations. In 1930, Mr. Russ committed suicide because of
the impact of the Depression on his life.
His
daughter, Frances Russ Dickerson continued to live in the family home with her
two young children after Mr. Russ' death, having purchased the home from his
widow. In order to maintain the house, Mrs. Dickerson offered her home as a
setting for community social events; she acted as a hostess for these affairs,
using her belongings in serving guests. During
World War II, she rented the upstairs bedrooms to military personnel.
While I
can’t absolutely confirm that either of the preceding homes is included in the
Mariana Historic District, I do know that many homes are included in this grouping
of 181 contributing structures which covers 50 acres near the center of town. Some of the homes listed are more modest, with
that American classic look of the first photo while others are imposing and
occupy large lots near downtown Mariana.
In both size and design, this second photo of a home is similar to
nearby Great Oaks, which is individually listed on the National Register.
To
learn more about Mariana Florida’s extensive Historic District, you can go to https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/97000456.
Just
click on any of the photos to enlarge them…
Thanks
for stopping by for a short tour of this beautiful Florida town!
Take
Care, Big Daddy Dave
