For eight decades beginning in 1895 when it was built, the St. Michael's Creole Benevolent Association Hall was the center of Creole cultural life in Pensacola. They association itself was founded in 1878. Here, the community held many social events such as parties, dances, youth events, and other functions. Declining interest in the association began in the 1960s and by 1971 it dissolved and the hall was sold. It appears to be a private home today. Given its cultural significance, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
Initially the eastern of two parade grounds outside the former British fort at Pensacola, this block became a hub of Pensacola’s social activity following the construction of adjacent Christ Church in 1832. A gruesome lynching in 1875 was a forerunner of the racial animosity and violence that would haunt Pensacola in the decades following Reconstruction. An increasingly suburban population abandoned Seville Square by the mid-twentieth century, but it became the centerpiece of the historic preservation movement in the 1960s. With its stately gazebo and canopy of majestic live oaks, today Seville Square is the site of many community activities, including Pensacola’s largest annual cultural event, the Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival.
This historic marker depicts the location of the original First Baptist Church, which was erected in 1852 and later moved to 5th and Palafox in 1894. The congregation was formed five years prior by local citizens under the leadership of Alexander Travis and Joseph Mitchell-two missionaries who traveled to Florida from Alabama.
Julee Cottage is one of the oldest homes in Pensacola, located within historic Pensacola Village. The home was built between the dates of 1804 and 1808 and owned by an African American woman named Julee Panton. During those years, Panton was known as a "free woman of color"--a moniker that reminds us that most African Americans were not free. Panton's home is now operated as a local African American history museum, with exhibits that offer a glimpse into the antebellum period. The home is also historically significant as the only surviving house in Pensacola that is similar to the Creole Cottages located in New Orleans.
Built around 1805, the Lavalle House is one of Pensacola's oldest remaining structures. It was constructed by Charles Lavelle, who worked as a brick mason and also as a real estate developer. Lavelle built the house during the final period of Spanish occupation (1781-1821). It is made out of wood and also brick, which makes it somewhat unique since most houses from that time were built out of wood only (which is a reason why very few remain today). Today it is a museum owned and operated by the University of West Florida Historic Trust. Inside, visitors will see the authentic 18th and 19th century artifacts. Docents dressed in period clothing also provide guided tours.
This location was the center of one British and two Spanish forts between 1756 and 1821. Located just east of the T.T. Wentworth Florida State Museum, this archaeological site, which features six historical markers/interpretive signs, dates back to colonial times. It is known as the Commanding Officer's Compound and is believed to be the site where general and future president Andrew Jackson accepted the ceding of Florida to the United States July 1821 (the transfer ceremony took place on the grounds of the Plaza Ferdinand VII just down the street). The British built or perhaps rebuilt the compound's structures (which included an outdoor kitchen and a garden) after 1767. Spain would gain control of Florida in 1783 and hold on until 1821. This site was created in 1994. Bricks from the compound were likely used to build a masonic temple that once stood adjacent to the site., which is part of the Pensacola Colonial Archaeological Trail.
Located in an historic building that originally served as Pensacola's City Hall, the T.T. Wentworth Jr. Florida State Museum opened in 1988 and offers three floors of exhibits that preserve and interpret the history of Pensacola and the surrounding region. Constructed in 1907, this Alamo mission-style building served as a city hall until 1985. The museum is open daily and is located in the heart of Historic Pensacola Village.
Established in 1954, the Pensacola Museum of Art features a variety of works by American and international artists of the 19th and 20th century such as Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, and Thomas Hart Benton. The collection also contains a variety of American and European sculpture and glass works, and a growing collection of works from Asia and Africa. The museum was established by members of the American Association of University Women who secured the use of the building, a former jail, when the city built a new jail in 1954.
William Dudley Chipley was born on June 6th. 1840. William Chipley fought for the Confederacy during the civil war. During this time he was promoted to lieutenant colonel of the 9th Kentucky Infantry. After the civil war he moved on to become a railroad executive and the mayor of Pensacola, Florida. This monument was built by the people of Pensacola to honor William after he passed away.
On July 17, 1821 the official transfer of the Florida territory from Spain to the United States took place. Spanish Governor Don José María Callava and General Andrew Jackson—who would be President from 1829-1837—met at the the Government House, where City Hall is now located, and descended the steps and walked between lines of American and Spanish soldiers. The Spanish flag was lowered and the U.S. flag was raised in its place. Jackson was then sworn in as Governor. Two other ceremonies took place previously but this one was the only one in which the Spanish Governor participated. Immediately after the U.S. flag was raised, Jackson officially proclaimed Florida an American territory. The ceremony was the culmination of a two year negotiation period, ending with the signing of the Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819 (it is also known as the Transcontinental Treaty) on February 22, 1821. The plaza was designated a National Landmark in 1960.
Also referred to as the Empire Building, Florida National Bank Building and the Seville Tower (commonly called this latter name), the American National Bank Building would beat out the Theisen building to become Pensacola's tallest structure. Soon becoming Pensacola's most historic bank, this building was also home to the city's first telephone exchange, serving 31 phones. Today, the building house various offices.
Also known as the Old Escambia County Courthouse, this 1887 building should not be confused with an older building that also served as the city's courthouse before it was razed in 1938. This building served both as the county courthouse and customs office and post office as the city grew and the city government expanded, needing bigger spaces to operate. Today plans are to use the building house organizations such as the Arts Council of Northwest Florida and West Florida Historic Preservation.
Opening in 1925, Saenger Theatre was the leading cultural center in the growing city of Pensacola, hosting touring shows, Vaudeville acts, films, and Broadway plays during its first decades. Following the trend of downtown theaters and playhouses, the playhouse became a movie theater after World War II. This historic structure and may have been demolished after the movie house closed its doors in 1975. However, the building was donated to the city and became a cultural center. Local activists, university faculty, and historic preservationists raised funds to restore its Spanish Baroque architecture and the theater reopened in 1981 and continues to host cultural events in the heart of downtown Pensacola, such as performances by the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra.
Pensacola's first high-rise and first building to contain a modern elevator, the building was named after the Danish sailor who became stranded in Pensacola having contracted yellow fever. Christian Theisen, however, recovered, and conceived of this building. Considered a risky venture, it proved to a success. Home to a retail store and professional offices, the building was used heavily until 1970s. The building was also notorious for having the flag of Denmark flying proudly over it.
Sometimes called Hotel San Carlos, but affectionally called the Gray Lady of Palafox, the San Carlos was considered Pensacola's grandest and most revered hotel. Operating for almost 80 years, the hotel was used by hundreds, thousands, over the years as people sought to see the ballrooms and paintings made by environmental artists, Joy Postle, whose work depicted Florida's environment. Even housing a local radio station, the hotel was used until 1982 when it closed. It sat vacant for over a decade before being demolished and replaced by the new United States Court House.
This marker commemorates the day when Theodore Roosevelt and 170 of his volunteer soldiers "Rough Riders" arrived in Pensacola on June 1, 1898. The city welcomed them and bid them good luck on their journey to Cuba to fight Spain (in the Spanish-American War), which at that time controlled the island. They were on their way to Tampa, Florida from which they would meet the rest of the Rough Riders and then sail to Cuba on June 8; they arrived on the 22nd.
Completed between 1912-1913, this building served as Pensacola's main passenger station and express building for the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. Designed with a combination of Prairie School, Spanish Mission and Italianate architectural styles, this building was used by the railroad for over 60 years. In 1984, the building was refurbished and incorporated into the Pensacola Grand Hotel, then the Crowne Plaza Pensacola Grand Hotel, when the hotel was constructed behind it. The building houses a lobby, shops, a restaurant, and meeting rooms.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
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This walking tour includes several museums and numerous downtown Pensacola historic landmarks including the former railroad station and other historic buildings. Those wishing to explore further should travel an additional four blocks to see a host of naval history sites and the National Naval Aviation Museum.
