Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker: Washington

Washington

FALLING WATERS STATE PARK

Location:State Park Rd, Falling Waters State Park parking lot,
County: Washington
City: Chipley
Description: Side 1: Park development started in 1963 on this hill, which has an elevation of 322 feet and a limestone base. A stream flowing from the hill plunges over a cliff and disappears through an underground channel. Some sinks and caverns are near the falls, which powered an early grist mill. A pioneer era whisky distillery was nearby. Indians and others mined the area for colorfully pigmented rocks used in making paints and dyes. The area was the scene of early oil-drilling efforts, as well as the site of a one-room school and a large horticultural nursery. Side 2: Local Advisory Council (Members during Initial Development Era) E.W. Carswell, Ralph C. Carter, Mrs. Jane Horne, W.M. Nelson, Hubert A. Prescott, Mrs. Ola Robertson, W.C. Snaidman Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials Robert S. Baynard, E.W. Carswell, Dr. James T. Cook, Dr. Kathryn Abbey Hanna, N. Earl Jones, John D. Pennekamp John Fite Robertson, Mrs. G.T. Smith, Jr. Local Legislative Delegation State Sen. Dempsey J. Barron - State Rep. Ralph C. Carter Director, State Board of Parks N.E. "Bill" Miller
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials

KUDZU DEVELOPED HERE

Location:U. S. 90 at West Blvd. in front of Agriculture Cen
County: Washington
City: Chipley
Description: Kudzu, brought to this country from Asia as an ornamental, was developed near here in the early part of the Twentieth Century and given to the world as a soil-saving, high-protein forage plant by Mr. and Mrs. C.E. Pleas. The fast-growing, deep-rooted leguminous vine has been widely grown in the United States as a drought-resisting, erosion-controlling plant that compares with alfalfa in pasture and hay-making values.
Sponsors: Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials in Cooperation with Washington County Historical Commission

MOSS HILL

Location:On C.R. 279, 3.6 miles southeast of C.R. 79, South
County: Washington
City: Vernon
Description: Early settlers, attracted by the fertile Coosada (later Holmes) Old Fields, established a log schoolhouse Methodist mission near here soon after Spain ceded Florida to the United Stated in 1820. The first Methodist ministerial assignment between the Apalachicola River and Pensacola was made to the Holmes Valley Mission. During the early history of Washington County, court terms were held here or in the home of a nearby settler. A church was erected here in 1857.
Sponsors: In Cooperation with Rural Areas Development Council of Washington County

VERNON, FLORIDA

Location:Park at Rochelle Ave. and Main St.
County: Washington
City: Vernon
Description: In the 1820s, settlers arrived in the area around present-day Vernon. One of the earliest was Stephen J. Roche who built a trading post on Holmes Creek and called it “Roche’s Bluff.” The town of Vernon developed near the trading post. On December 9, 1825, Washington County became the third county in west Florida. In 1851, Vernon was named as the first permanent county seat of Washington County. Located at the intersection of a military road and Holmes Creek, Vernon became a natural crossroads for travelers and commerce between Tallahassee and Pensacola. Stagecoaches and small steamships transported passengers, mail, and merchandise through Vernon. When a railroad was built across the northern part of the county, Vernon lost its prominence as a center of business and government. In 1927, the county seat was moved to Chipley. Vernon played a significant role in the history of northwest Florida and, today, remains an important link in the network of towns that serve the citizens of the area.
Sponsors: THE CITY OF VERNON AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE

SHADY GROVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN

Location:3187 Shady Grove Road
County: Washington
City: Vernon
Description: Side One: In the 1950s, there was a broad effort in the South to expand African American education and preserve the dual school system. To centralize the education of African American students in Vernon and the surrounding area, the Washington County School Board purchased six acres of land from Roland and Ida Pompey for a new school. The school board allocated $58,185 for the building of a new schoolhouse. Construction began in 1952, and was completed in time for the 1953 school year. Named Shady Grove Elementary School, the school offered grades 1-8. Students who completed eighth grade were bused to Roulhac High School in Chipley. Although the landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court Brown v. Board of Education decision declared public school segregation unconstitutional, school integration did not immediately go into effect. It was not until May 28, 1965, a year after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, that the Washington County School Board voted to end segregation in the county’s publicly funded schools. The resolution gave all pupils the freedom to choose to attend any school in the county, regardless of race, color, or national origin. Side Two: Following the Washington County School Board’s resolution, the 1965-66 school year saw two major changes. The dual school system in Washington County public schools ended, and the segregated transportation of African American high school students in Vernon to Chipley to attend high school ceased. The school board deactivated Shady Grove Elementary in 1969. The building was cut into sections and moved. Portions of it were used as classrooms in the newly built Vernon Elementary School. In 1991, the Washington County School Board transferred ownership of the Shady Grove Elementary property to the City of Vernon for use as a recreational space in perpetuity. This marker stands as a silent reminder of the role that Shady Grove Elementary School played in the education of African American children in Washington County. Shady Grove Teaching Staff Principals: Thomas J. McDougald, James McNeil, George Vann; Teachers: Alma K. Jenkins, Delores G. Jenkins, Mildred McDougald, Martha Barge, Maudlynn C. Johnson, Elenor Powell, Bobbie Moultrie, Elaine Smith, Benjamin Williams, Kay Frances Houston, Margaret Dotson, Mamie Roulhac Jackson, Dorothy Mae Slayton, Joseph Williams, and Alma Vann
Sponsors: The Vernon Historical Society, the City of Vernon, and the Floida Department of State

VERNON OLD SCHOOL

Location:2808 Yellow Jacket Avenue
County: Washington
City: Vernon
Description: In 1931, during the Great Depression, Vernon High School was constructed for white students in grades nine through twelve with eight classrooms, offices, and an auditorium. In 1947, four junior-high and nine elementary classrooms were added, which centralized education and ended the need for one-room schools in western Washington County. Reflecting the community’s school spirit, the site became the home of the Vernon Yellow Jackets. Following public school integration in 1965, the addition of the new Vernon Elementary School and Vernon Middle School along with Vernon High School resulted in three educational facilities in the local area. In 2006, the high school relocated to Moss Hill Road, and the City of Vernon took ownership of the old building from the Washington County School Board. Renovation of the main structure allowed it to be used as a city hall and community center. Numerous organizations occupied offices there, including the Vernon Historical Society, Washington County Council on Aging, WIC, Literacy Program, and the Sheriff's Department Annex. Made of red brick, the "Vernon Old School" has stood the test of time ensuring its continuation as a notable community resource.

THE E.J. STOKES HOUSE

Location:681 Main Street
County: Washington
City: Chipley
Description: This house was built in 1906 by Edward Jacob and Georgia Ophelia Stokes. This one-story frame structure with Queen Anne Cottage architectural elements embodies a residential building style popular in northern Florida between 1880 and 1910. Its Queen Anne styling is expressed by a flat hip roof, a cross-gable, front-facing gables, bay windows, and a veranda. Fenestration consists of double-hung windows. The exterior wall fabric is drop siding. The chimneys were constructed from masonry furnished by the local brick factory in Chipley, which is identified by its distinctive light and pinkish-gray coloration. With few alterations, the building has retained most of its architectural integrity. E.J. Stokes (1850-1922) was born in Charlton County, Georgia. Moving to Florida at the turn of the 20th century, he was a pioneer settler in Washington County engaged as a naval stores merchant in the local turpentine business. For years, the Stokeses were the unofficial hosts for visitors travelling through Chipley. This house stands as a testament to the prosperity brought to the surrounding area during the 19th and early 20th centuries, when Chipley was considered the world’s largest inland shipping center for naval stores.