William John Howey (January 19, 1876 - June 7, 1938) was an American real-estate developer, citrus…read moregrower, and Republican politician from Florida. He founded and served as mayor for the town of Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida where he developed and sold citrus groves, becoming one of Florida's greatest citrus developers. He was one of the first citrus growers to send fruit from Florida to England. In 1921 he opened Florida's first citrus juice plant. He ran for governor on the Republican ticket in 1928 and 1932. Mr. Howey's prominence led to many distinguished guests visiting the Howey mansion, These included Lord Bathhurst of England, H.B. McNeal, publisher of Golfer's Magazine, golf master Chick Evans, Kansas Governor Alfred Landon, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Phillip's of petroleum fame, and President Calvin Coolidge who was guest of honor at an all-male dinner party in February 1930. Mr. Howey's former home near Lake Wales, Florida became the site of Florida's Bok Tower at the Bok Tower Gardens. In 1925 Mr. Howey commissioned a 20 room mansion in the town he founded. The architect was Katherine Cotheal Budd. During WWI she designed temporary lodgings known as hostess homes for women who were visiting their husbands at military training camps. Budd is credited for creating 72 lodgings with a homelike atmosphere and the Howey House is one of a few existing examples of her work. The Howey Mansion was designed in the popular Mediterranean Revival style. The house is set back on a wide lawn with wrought iron gates and a long horseshoe drive. The entrance to the home features an elaborate, two story bas relief frontispiece .The massive front door and the woodwork on the first floor is made from peaky cypress. Leading to the second floor is a graceful curving stone stairway with a wrought iron banister. Other features of the home include three large fireplaces, a ballroom-size drawing room, enormous beamed ceilings, and a servant call-bell phone system. There is even a hidden passage behind a sliding bookshelf panel in the library. The original 15 acres grounds of the mansion were called The Park and included many botanical plants and shrubs. On March 6, 1927 The Park was the host site for an open air concert performed by the New York Civic Opera Company bringing the top opera singers of the day to the mansion for a concert for the community. The mansion was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Place on January 27, 1983. On April 12, 2017 it was listed for sale at $480,000. The new owners are Brad and Clay Cowherd, Orlando real estate investors who have made period-accurate restoration of the house. I visited the Howey Mansion for the Founders Day Festival. Admission for tours of the home was discounted to $10. The Howey Mansion is available for private rentals like weddings while historical tours are also available Monday through Friday at 11am. The Founder's Day event included a local market, food trucks, live music, and family activities. I enjoyed visiting the tents and touring the mansion including the hidden bar in the basement that was created during prohibition. Behind the mansion, is a trail through the woods that will take you to the Georgian marble mausoleum where the Howey family is interred including William J. Howey (1938), daughter, Lois Valerie Howey (1941), and Mary Hastings Howey (1981). This year Centennial Founder's Day Celebration, marked100 years since the town's founding in 1925.

What an incredible place! We really enjoyed the tour Fran and Mercy gave us. They were extremely…read moreknowledgeable about the property and you can tell they love what they do. The property itself is gorgeous. If you're looking for an event space, you're in luck they rent it out for weddings and other events.

Located along the road near the Dade Battlefield Historic Site, this marker points out the Fort…read morethat was built as part of the Second Seminole War. There are signs along the road that point out the marker just ahead and there is a small amount of room to pull to the side. The plaque that is cemented to the boulder reads, "During the Second Seminole Indian War (1835-42) a number of military forts were constructed in Florida. These forts served as supply bases and other logistic supports. Near this site was constructed Ft. Armstrong. The fort was constructed in November 1836 by a detatchment of Tennessee Volunteers under the command of Major Robert Armstrong. Also, near this site General Keith Call, in command of some 2500 troops, including a Florida Cavalry unit, a U.S. Artillery Battalion, a group of Tennessee Volunteers and several hundred Creek Indians, who had enlisted in the U.S. Army, encamped on November 20,1836. The following morning, this command moved out to meet a large group of Seminole Indians at the Battle of Wahoo Swamp. This battle was one of the fiercest battles of the war. The U.S. Forces were unsuccessful in destroying the Seminoles, and , as a result, General Call was relieved of his command." The marker was erected in 1982 by the Sumter County Historical Society. [Review 20283 overall - 1785 in Florida - 1260 of 2023.]

What an outstanding experience to tour this campus! The…read moreguide Jack C is simply amazing. Me & Barby took the one & one half hour tour & really enjoyed it. We found free parking on College St one block away. It cost about $30 & you can get a AAA discount. They give you a small audio ear piece & you can hear Jack in your ear as you walk from building to building. If you're a FLW fan, this is a singular experience.

I'm just here to add to the chorus of voices offering praise for this comprehensive and enjoyable…read moreFLW extended tour. The guide we had was knowledgeable and a great storyteller. I also appreciated some of her strong opinions about the architecture and the architect. Our tour had many delights along our walking/exploring journey. We went a little long, which everyone appreciated, and I was not tempted to look at my watch once. (Pro Tip: The Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art (The AGB) at Florida Southern College is extraordinary, and you will find several local-flavor restaurants nearby.)

Awesome place to spend a cool winter day with family, friends or your partner…read more We really enjoyed walking around the grounds and taking in the historical surroundings of this home. My only complaint is the story that's shared while touring is extremely long winded and standing in place for an hour can be very uncomfortable for older folks or those out of shape. They offer you a seat but it's kind of awkward because nobody opts for that and you have no idea the interesting tales will take as long as they do. My advice, SIT before they begin the storytelling -- history behind the house.

If you're looking to learn more about Florida history, check out Chinsegut Hill! The historic site…read moreis now owned by the Tampa History Center, which offers guides tours of the manor house. We did the guided tour, which lasts about 30-45 min. The tour walks you through the manor house while you learn about the several decades of Florida history the house has witnessed. The house sits on 114 acres that you can walk around and explore, as well!

House built in 1877 by a ship captain. Boat parts were used un the home. Wood stoves for heating…read more Now next to 275 and in danger of being demolished for proposed TBX highway toll road expansion. Article on the house: http://www.tbo.com/central-tampa/historic-farmhouse-of-x2018capt-billx2019-jackson-for-sale-in-seminole-heights-20130822/

Wonderful house in a booming neighborhood. The location near the Interstate and the size of moving…read morethe house is a future concern for those who want to preserve Tampa's heritage.

This is not your typical tourist trap. It's a unique home that attracts the curious. The owner/tour…read moreguide is a perky lady who is renovating the house back to its original splendor and adding her own personal creativity. She talks about the history of the house and her encounters with the spirits of the original owner. Lots of antiques throughout and a few quirky collections. A diamond in the rough with the mystique of an opal. There is an assistant tour guide, Joan of Bark, who is the sweetest, most laid-back pup. Take some time to enjoy this unicorn.

The best house tour I have ever been on! Super cool to hear so many details from the owner of the…read morehouse and hear about her personal experiences in the restoration process.

The United States has a dark past and it is markers like this that help remind us so that we can…read morenever let it happen again. This marker points out one of those events. On the front, "Racial violence erupted in the small and quiet Rosewood community January 1-7, 1923. Rosewood, a predominantly colored community, was home to the Bradley, Carrier, Carter, Goins, and Hall families, among others. Residents supported a school taught by Mahulda "Gussie" Brown Carrier, three churches, and a Masonic lodge. Many of them owned their homes, some were business owners, and others worked in nearby Sumner and at the Cummer Lumber Mill. This quiet life came to an end on January 1, 1923, when a white Sumner woman accused a black man of assaulting her. In the search for her alleged attacker, whites terrorized and killed Rosewood residents. In the days of fear and violence that followed, many Rosewood citizens sought refuge in the nearby woods. White merchant John M. Wright and other courageous whites sheltered some of the fleeing men, women and children. Whites burned Rosewood and looted livestock and property; two were killed while attacking a home. Five blacks also lost their lives: Sam Carter, who was tortured for information and shot to death on January 1; Sarah Carrier; Lexie Gordon; James Carrier; and Mingo Williams. Those who survived were forever scarred." And on the reverse, "Haunted by what had happened, Rosewood residents took a vow of silence, lived in fear and never returned to claim their property. That silence was broken seventy-one years later. In 1994 survivors, including Minnie Lee Langley, Arnett Turner Goins, and Wilson Hall, filed a claims bill in the Florida Legislature. A Special Master, an expert appointed by the Speaker of the House, ruled that the state had a "moral obligation" to compensate survivors for the loss of property, violation of constitutional rights, and mental anguish. On May 4, 1994, Governor Lawton Chiles signed a $2.1 million compensation bill. Nine survivors received $150,000 each for mental anguish, and a state university scholarship fund was established for the families of Rosewood and their descendants. A fund was also established to compensate those Rosewood families who could demonstrate property loss." It is marker number F-407 and it was erected in 2004 by The Real Rosewood Foundation, Inc. and the Florida Department of State. [Review 369 of 2025 - 2020 in Florida - 23931 overall]

I'm a history buff! The Rosewood Massacre of 1923 was "the first time in United States history that…read morea state compensated victims of racial violence." A sign now marks the site on SR 24 where the Rosewood community once stood. I believe in visiting historical landmarks, and knowing the stories of the past. I grew up about 45 minutes from Rosewood, and didn't know about this event until I watched the movie as a teenager. I visited this site in high school, but before the marker was dedicated. The Rosewood Massacre is a sad part of Florida's (and African American) history. Thankfully (and prayerfully) we can all learn from it and be better humans.

When I learned about the Mayan excavations in the area, and the possibility that the dugout/boat on…read moredisplay in the museum may be of Mayan origins, I knew that I would end up here eventually. Many years passed until I finally had the opportunity to visit. I was not disappointed. The location of this park is very urban, but once you enter the park you feel like you are in a magical land, with the river, the sun, the moon, the marshes greeting you. The pottery found looks strange to me, I see an extraterrestrial and a spaceship. One of the rock pillars also has a similar extraterrestrial face, and one of the hands in the pottery has tattoos on it. I don't know what happened here, but I "feel" something here, and I like it. This place feels like sacred ground. I hope that I can visit again and again.

Beautiful park, the rangers were very knowledgeable and helpful. It was a warm day, but the breeze…read morewas nice and they have a lot of places near the water to sit and relax. The top of mound was gorgeous.

I love going to historical spots and learning about the past. Fort King has the fort and it has the…read moreinside museum, which is small but has plenty to check out. The fort itself is awesome to explore, but once you walk inside it's bare, would be nice to see a wagon or the setup they might have had back in the days. Overall, a great stop for any history buff.

Nice historical park - has hiking trails and dogs are welcome to! Saw the Reenactment this year was…read morefun! And free!

This is a historic house located in downtown Bartow at 590 East Stanford Street. Named the Benjamin…read moreFranklin Holland House,, it is also known as The Gables and the Roy Trent Gallemore House. The house was built in 1895 and was designed by architect E.R. Wharton. The two and a half story house is in the frame vernacular style with shingle elements and it is considered one of the best examples of a shingle style home in Florida. There is a one story wraparound screen entrance porch. Benjamin Franklin Holland was known in Bartow as a pioneer and a public servant. He was born in Carroll County, Ga., in 1846. When he was 17 he was a Confederate soldier in a battle at Kennesaw Mountain in Georgia that saw half of his company killed. During the battle he was wounded and by the time he recovered the Civil War was over. To heal from a shattered hand and tuberculosis he moved to Polk county where he married and had three children. He founded Polk's first abstract business and served in three county offices: school board member, county commissioner and county treasurer. One of his children became Florida governor Spessard Holland who grew up in the home. The house was listed on the US Register of Historic Places in 1975. It is a private residence so you can only view it from the street but it is a beautiful home and worth a drive by if you are in the area.