A Walk Through Historic Lloyd, Florida

Located at the intersection of Highway 59 and 158 the town of Lloyd is tiny but full of interesting, historic buildings. There aren't any sidewalks but also no traffic to speak of so walking is pretty easy.

Most of the homes in Lloyd were built between 1855 and 1920. The town was named after Walter Lloyd a blacksmith from New York. In 1857 Walter Lloyd opened a store and took advantage of the railroad boom.

(I'm sharing just a few of my favorite photos.)

The Railroad Depot 

Built in 1858 the depot is the oldest surviving brick station in Florida. The golden era of the railroad in Lloyd lasted until the 1930's. In 1968 the Seaboard Coastline gave the station to the Jefferson County Historical Association. It was later turned over to the Gulfwind Chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society. The depot currently houses the post office.

Laffette Store 

ca. 1912

Currently being renovated.

And a charming house in need of renovation. 

Love the tin roof and porch complete with a swing.

A tiny replica of the Bethel A.M.E, Church

The original Bethel A.M.E. Church was built in 1870 and closed in 2011 after 141 years of service. The church merged with another A.M.E. church in Jefferson County and the original building was demolished. The property owner built this replica to keep the history alive. 

Beautiful, old oak trees are in abundance in this area.

If you're traveling on Interstate 10 near Tallahassee take a short detour and get off on exit 217, Fl 59 S. Travel less than 1 mile and you'll see the sign for Lloyd. Lloyd is a Florida Heritage Historic District. 

Just a short ways off the highway and you can take a walk through history!

Wednesday Walking - Seaton Creek Historic Preserve

This is where I share the favorite place we walked this past week.

It's amazing to me how we keep finding these neat little places to walk right near home. Saturday we found just such a place. 

Seaton Creek Historic Preserve

Seaton Creek Historic Preserve is an 800+ acre preserve located near Thomas Creek. The preserve has 5 miles of trails that criss-cross through a sandy pine forest, a beautiful hardwood hammock, a marsh area, and by several slow moving creeks. Seaton Creek is part of the Timucuan Trail Parks Foundation.

The preserve is located not too far from a major Interstate highway and yet we didn't hear any traffic noise. Just  birds singing in the trees. It was so quiet it was almost eerie. We didn't even see any other people until we were leaving and we met another couple who had just pulled into the parking area. 

One of several small creeks that meander through the park.

I actually did a double take when I saw this historical marker. Most battles fought around here are from the Civil War era. I was surprised to see this was the site of an American Revolutionary War battle. Apparently the southern most battle of the war. Who knew?

This area was the site of the Battle of Thomas Creek on  May 17, 1777. It is considered to be the southernmost battle of the American Revolution.

The palmetto is a fan palm that is native to southern Georgia and all of Florida.

It grows profusely in sandy soil and at the base of pine and hardwood trees. It was abundant in the preserve and allowed to grown naturally. It's the bane of most Florida homeowners who work diligently to get rid of it. Doesn't usually work as they come right back! The reason that most homeowners don't like the palmetto is the belief that they make a perfect home for snakes. 

True or not I don't know but we did come across this little guy on the trail.

He's just an innocent little garden snake minding his own business. We let him cross the trail in front of us and take shelter in a palmetto before we continued on.

Beside the snake we also encountered lots of birds and mosquitoes. 

If you want to hike Seaton Creek trails beware there are no restrooms or water fountains. Bring your own water and don't forget the bug spray!

Seaton Creek Historic Preserve is located at 2145 Arnold Road, Jacksonville, Florida. (right down the road from the Pecan Park Flea Market!) You can walk or ride a bike. Dogs are welcome as long as they're on leash. 

Lace up and take a walk in the woods!