A Free Florida History Lesson at Heritage Village, St. Petersburg

Looking for something to do in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area that doesn’t involve their beautiful beaches?  Need a family outing or a field trip for your scout troop?  Stick with me, kid! I found it for you.  The Pinellas County park system runs a cool place called Heritage Village.  If you are smart enough to stay at the gorgeous Karol Hotel, like I did, then the Heritage Village is only 20 minutes away.

Heritage Village is a free, 21-acre, living history park.  The park is a collection of over 25 historic structures that will educate you on the rich legacy of the Pinellas Peninsula area of Florida. As early as 12,000 years ago, Native American groups were residing in this area.  Unfortunately, the Spanish (who arrived in the 1500’s) decimated many of those populations before long.  Homesteaders arrived in the 1840’s and the construction of the railroad in the 1880’s truly encouraged population growth.

Before heading down one of the many winding paths, start your visit in the exhibit gallery.  This building has several exhibits that explain important eras and industries that helped shape Florida’s founding and growth through the years. You can see artifacts from the sponge diving industry, the citrus industry, and the early tourism industry.

When you are ready to head out into this woodsy park, make sure to take a park map with you.  The paths are winding and there is a lot to see!  While the information at each stop is interesting, one of the most remarkable things about this place is that these historic buildings were all moved to this location from all over the Pinellas Peninsula area to create a central learning location.  Imagine moving two dozen structures that are all about 100 years old!  I bet you thought your job was stressful, right?

Before I get into the nitty-gritty, I would like to mention that many of the paths are blacktop, and therefore, ADA-accessible. Interpretive signage throughout this park does an excellent job of supplying visitors with a timeline of events for each structure.  They are careful to list both a construction date and the date on which the building was relocated to the park. During my visit, about half a dozen of the structures were closed for restoration.  It was nice to see the county continuing the upkeep of so much local history.

Here is a sampling of what visitors will find.

The Harris School

Constructed in 1912, this one-room schoolhouse served the children in the area for generations.  When the enrollment reached 40 students in 1923, the community built a larger school.  To me, this is an indication of the speed of the area’s growth.  It took them only 11 years to outgrow the building.  In buildings such as this, where modern furnishings have been used, I encourage visitors to pay attention to the structure itself.  The charm of historic structures is hidden in detail such as, the low doorknobs, the narrow ceiling boards and the door frames that are not quite flush.

The McMullen-Coachman Log Cabin

This log cabin was built in 1852 by the McMullen family.  The family farmed cotton, and later citrus.  They also raised livestock and after the Civil War, when they needed a new business venture, sold cattle to Cuba.  The economy was stable there and the family did well.

In 1902, the Coachman family bought the 240-acre homestead for $8100.  The family had their hand in many industries.  They ran a sawmill, a general store, grew citrus and were politically active.  In 1912, when the Pinellas area separated from Hillsborough County and became its own county, Mr. Coachman became the chair of the first County Commission.

The Train Depot

Florida’s first railroad ended at Cedar Key, which is 100 miles north of Clearwater.  Finally, in the 1880’s Henry Plant brought his railroad to Tampa and Peter Demens brought the Orange Belt Railway to the Pinellas area. This exhibit includes a train depot building from 1924 and a historic train car too. Visitors can see the segregated waiting rooms in the depot as well as learn about the original names for the last train car and more about what activities went on inside that last car.

Union Academy

Historians believe this building was constructed in 1916 as a WWI barracks.  After the war, it was a school for white students in Tarpon Springs for nearly 20 years.  Then, it was moved to the Union Academy campus, which was the local educational institution for black students.  The building was used a classroom, a cafeteria and a Home Economics room.

I hate to be cliché but, this is “just the tip of the iceberg” for Heritage Park.  Visitors can also see several more homes in various styles, a bandstand, a general store, and even an outhouse exhibit. Any one of these quirky, historic structures is fascinating on its own.  Afterall, old houses all have stories to tell us.  When taken together, though, the Heritage Village living history park provides a more complete view of a homesteader’s life in rural Florida.  Since picnic tables are scattered among the buildings and towering pine trees, visitors can bring a lunch and truly immerse themselves in the environment.  Cultural education is critical.

Those days may be gone, but the knowledge doesn’t have to be.

Do you know of a wonderful living history site that I should see on my travels?  Share it in the comments.