National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet

NFS

Form

1MOO«

QMS

Approve

Mo.

f

02440*0

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

Page

SUPPLEMENTARY

LISTING

RECORD

NRIS

Reference

Number:

88001849

Townsend,

James

H.,

House

Property

Name

N/A___________________

Multiple

Name

Date

Listed:

Marion

County

10/17/88

FL

State

This

property

is

listed

in

the

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

in

accordance

with

the

attached

nomination

documentation

subject

to

the

following

exceptions,

exclusions,

or

amendments,

notwithstanding

the

National

Park

Service

certification

included

in

the

nomination

documentation.

Signature

of

the^Keeper

Date

'of

Action

Amended

Items

in

Nomination:

The

property

is

significant

within

a

local

context;

"local"

should

be

checked

as

the

level

of

significance.

In

addition,

1978

and

1986

should

not

be

included

as

significant

dates;

rather

they

relate

to

the

more

modern

changes

to

the

buildings,

as

noted

in

the

text.

Discussed

and

concurred

in

by

Florida

SHPO

on

Ocotber

17,

1988.

DISTRIBUTION:

National

Register

property

file

Nominating

Authority

(without

nomination

attachment)

NFS

Form

10-900

(Rev.

8-86)

0MB

No.

7024-0070

United

States

Department

of the Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Registration

Form

RECEIVED

SEP

2

NATIONAL

REGISTER

This

form

is

for

use

in

nominating

or

requesting

determinations

of

eligibility

for

individual

properties

or

districts.

See

instructions

in

Guidelines

for

Completing

National

Register

Forms

(National

Register

Bulletin

16).

Complete

each

item

by

marking

"x"

in

the

appropriate

box

or

by

entering

the

requested

information.

If

an

item

does

not

apply

to

the

property

being

documented,

enter

"N/A"

for

"not

applicable."

For

functions,

styles,

materials,

and

areas

of

significance,

enter

only

the

categories

and

subcategories

listed

in

the

instructions.

For

additional

space

use

continuation

sheets

(Form

10-900a).

Type

all

entries.

1.

Name

of

Property________________________________________________

historic

name

James

W.

Townsend

House

other

names/site

number

Orange

Springs

Inn

/8MR

1509

2.

Location

street

&

number

Northwest

Corner

Main

and

Spring

Streets

I

not

for

publication

city,

town

Orancre

Springs

TJ/A

I—

vicinity

state

Florida

code

012

county

Marion

code

083

zip

code

32682

3.

Classification

Ownership

of

Property

[x]

private

I

public-local

I I

public-State

I I

public-Federal

categories

from

instructions)

Current

Functions

(enter

categories

from

instructions)

Domestic/

Single

Dwelling__________

Domestic/

Hotel————————————————

7.

Description

Architectural

Classification

Materials

(enter

categories

from

instructions)

(enter

categories

from

instructions)

foundation

Brick

Piers_______

No

Stvle/

Wood

Frame

Vernacular______

walls

Wood/

Drop

Siding

roof

Metal/

Galvanized

Iron

Other

Wood/

Verandas

Describe

present

and

historic

physical

appearance.

The

Townsend

House

in

Orange

Springs,

Florida,

is

a

two-story,

wood

frame

vernacular structure

with

an

L-shaped

plan.

The

former

residence

is

located

at

the

southeast

corner

of

the

intersection

of

Main

Street

and

Spring

Street,

about

900

feet

south

of

the

mineral

springs

which

gives

the

town

its

name.

The

ground

dimensions

of

the

structure

are

approximately

55

feet

wide

by

85

feet

deep,

including

the

long

rear

ell.

The

main

block of

the

house

is

only

about

35

feet

deep.

The

building

rests

on

a

foundation

of

brick

piers

and

is

surmounted

by

a

side

gable

roof

surfaced

with

corrugated

galvanized

metal.

A

hipped

roof,

two-story

veranda

extends

the

width

of

the

main

(south)

facade

and

includes

all of

the

side

elevations

on

the

second

story;

however

the

first

story

veranda

embraces

only

a small

portion

of

the

side

elevations,

owning

to

the

installation

of

bathrooms

for

the

east

and

west

bedrooms.

The

rear

of

the

upper

veranda

was

also enclosed

to

provide

bathrooms

and

a

linen

closet

for

the

two

bedrooms

on

the

second

floor.

The

long

rear

ell

also

features

a

gable

roof

and

has

shed

roofs

over

the

screened

porch

and a

bedroom

at

the

rear

of

the

house..

The

verandas

of

the

main

block

of

the

house

are

supported

by

chamfered

posts

that

are

decorated

scroll

brackets.

Both

verandas

feature wooden

balustrades

with

simple

rails

and

plain

palings.

Screened porches

are

found

on the

ground

story

at

the

northwest

corner

of

the

main

block of

the

house

and

on

the

west

elevation

of

the

one-story

rear

ell.

The

porches

and

verandas

are

all

approximately

eight

and

one-half

feet

deep

and are

canted

to

drain

rainwater

away

from

the

house.

The

exterior

of

the

house

is

simple

and

reflects

the

influence

of

no

formal

style.

The

exterior

siding

is

drop

siding

and

the

main original

windows

are

2/2

light

double

hung

wooden

sashes.

The

main

(south)

facade

is

divided

into

five

bays

on

both stories

,

with

rather

tall

windows

flanking

wood

and

glass

paneled

doors

framed

by

surrounds

that

contain

unusually

large

sidelights

and

transoms

that

were

constructed

to

enclose

the

formerly

open

breezeway.

When

the

house

was

completed

in

1912,

doorways

fitted

with

wood

paneled

doors

stood

on

either

side

of

the

first

story

breezeway.

It

is

unclear

when

these

were

replaced

by

wood

sash

windows,

but

it

must

have

been

early

in

the

history

of

the

house

for

the

south walls

of the first

floor

bedrooms show

the

same

narrow

beaded

siding

as

is

found

throughout

the

house,

and

there

is

no

visual

evidence remaining

of

the

existence

of

the

former

doorways.

The

house

has

only

one

brick

chimney,

which

is

located

on

the

west

elevation

and

serves

only

the

bedroom

on

the

first

floor.

[y~l

See

continuation

sheet

NPS

Form

10-MO«

OU8

Approvd

No.

)02*-OOT«

United

States

Department of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

7

Page

2

Description

Interior

Description

The

first

floor

of the

main

block

of

the

house

contains

two

bedrooms

that

flank

the

central

hall.

Each

bedroom

has

a

bathroom

that

occupies

a

portion

of

what

had

formerly

been

the

veranda.

The

west

bedroom

also

has

a

doorway

that

gives

access

to

the

small screened

porch

at

the

northwest

corner

of

the

main

block

of

the

house.

The

central

hall

leads

to

a

large

living

room

that

was

converted

to

a dining

room

when

the

house

became

an

inn

in

1986.

The

room

had

been

remodelled

in

the

1970s

and the

beaded

wall

and

ceiling

boards

had

been

covered

with

simulated

natural

wood

paneling

and

acoustical

ceiling

tiles.

The original

wall

and

ceiling

fabric

of

the

second

dining

room—

located

immediately

south

of

the former

living

room—remains

in

its

original

state.

This

room

was

also

used

as

a

dining

room

when

the

building

was

still

a

private

residence.

The

second

dining

room

is

located

in

the

rear

ell

of

the

inn,

which

also

contains

a

kitchen,

restrooms

for

the

restaurant

patrons,

a

screened

porch—also

used

as

a

dining

area—and

storage

spaces.

The

owners

of

the

Orange

Springs

Inn

remodelled

the

kitchen

for

commercial

use

and

installed

the

dining area

restrooms.

At

the

extreme

rear

of

the

house

is

another

bedroom

and

bathroom.

These

were

installed

in

a

former

storage

area

in

the

1970s

by

Townsend's

granddaughter.

The

second

floor

of

the

inn

is

reached

by

the

stairs

located

in

the

central

hall.

The

upper

floor

contains

only

two

guest

rooms

and

their

bathroom.

These

bathrooms

are

located

at

the

rear of

the

house

and,

like

those

on

the

first

floor,

were

installed

by

enclosing

a

part

of

the

veranda.

The

bathrooms

in

the

main

block

of

the

house

constitute

the

only

major

exterior visual

alterations

to

the building.

According

to

local

information,

the

bathroom

for

the

west

bedroom

was

installed

prior

to

the

death

of

James

Townsend.

The others

were

constructed

in

the 1970s

when

his

granddaughter

renovated

the

residence.

Except

for

the former

living

room and

the

rear

bedroom,

all the

other

major

rooms

have

their

original

beaded

"novelty"

wall

and

ceiling

boarding.

8.

Statement

of

Significance

Certifying

official

has

considered

the

significance

of this

property

in

relation

to

other

properties:

I

nationally

I

statewide

I I

locally

Applicable

National

Register

Criteria

I

IA

|y~lB

f"x1C

I

ID

Criteria

Considerations

(Exceptions)

I

|A

I

IB

I

1C

I

ID

I

IE

I

IF

I

|G

Areas

of

Significance

(enter

categories

from

instructions)

Period

of

Significance

Significant

Dates

Architecture;

Commerce_____________

1912____________

1912,

1978

1986

Cultural

Affiliation

________N/A

Significant

Person

Architect/Builder

Townsend,

James

Walter____________

Unknown

State

significance

of

property,

and

justify

criteria,

criteria

considerations,

and

areas

and

periods

of

significance

noted

above.

Summary

Statement

The

Ttownsend

House

(Orange

Springs

Inn)

in

the

town

of

Orange

Springs

Florida

is

significant

under

criterion

B

for

its

association

with

James

Walter

Townsend

(1864-1944),

who was

instrumental

in

developing

the

turpentine

industry

in

Central

Florida

during

the

latter

part

of

the

nineteenth

century

and

further

contributed

to

the

commercial

and

economic

life

of

the

region

through

his

activities

in

banking,

ranching,

and

farming.

Also,

the wood

frame

vernacular

house

is

locally

significant

under

criterion

C for

its

size

and

distinctive

adaptation

of

vernacular

plan

types,

it

is

also

associated

with

a

natural

mineral

spring

that

was

an

important

tourist

attraction

in

pre-

Civil

War

Florida.

Furthermore,

the

house

is

constructed

entirely

of

locally

milled

lumber.

Historical

Background

The

town

of

Orange

Springs

is

located

in

the

northeast

sector

of

Marion

County,

just

south

of

Orange

Creek

which

forms

the

boundary

between

Marion

and

Putnam

counties

and

empties

into

Lake

Oklawaha,

about

a

mile

to

the

east

of

town.

Orange

Springs

is

mentioned

as

a

settlement

as

early

as

the

1820s,

when

Florida

was

still

a

U.S.

territory.

Fort

Russell

was

built

in

the

vicinity

of

Orange

Springs

during

the

Second

Seminole

War

(1832-1841),

and

the

district

was

surveyed

when

the

military

roads

were

established.

After

the

war,

the

Seminole

Indians

were

removed,

and

the

Armed

Occupation

Act

was

passed by

the

U.S

Congress

to

encourage

of

the

region.

The

act

declared

that

any

man

who

would

agree

to

settle

in

the

area,

build

a

house,

cultivate

the

land,

and

remain

on

it

for

five

years

would

receive

free

title

to

160

acres

of

land.

Numerous

settlers

began

to

move

into that

area

of

Central

Florida

which

now

forms

Marion

and

putnam

counties

owing

the

transportation

routes

provided

by

the

St.

Johns

and

Oklawaha

rivers.

The

property

surrounding

the

springs

was

purchased

in

1843

by

John

W.

Pearson,a

wealthy

planter from

South

Carolina

and

by

David

Levy,

Florida's

first

U.S.

Senator

and

founder

of

the

Florida

Railroad,

the

state's

first

trans-peninsular

railway.

fxl

See

continuation

sheet

9.

Major Bibliographical

References

on

file

(NFS):

I I

preliminary

determination

of

individual

listing

(36

CFR

67)

has

been

requested

previously

listed

in

the

National

Register

previously

determined

eligible

by

the

National

Register

designated

a

National

Historic

Landmark

recorded

by Historic

American

Buildings

Survey

#

__________________________

recorded

by

Historic

American

Engineering

Record

#

__________________________

|x~l

See

continuation

sheet

Primary

location

of

additional

data:.

[x"|

State

historic

preservation

office

I I

Other

State

agency

I I

Federal

agency

I I

Local

government

I I

University

D

Other

Specify

repository:

10.

Geographical

Data

Acreage

of

property

Less

than

one

UTM

References

A

li

i?

I

k

lo

i

s\

4i

a

d

Zone

Easting

C

l3

i

2l

6i

4l

3i

6i

Ol

Northing

i

i i

i

B

I i I

I

i I

i i

Zone

Easting

Dl

i I I I .

I

. .

J__I

Northing

I . I i I . .

I I

See

continuation

sheet

Verbal

Boundary

Description

:

Begin

at

the

nortwest

corner

of

the

intersection

of

Main

and Spring

Streets

and run

west

along

the

north

side

of

Main

Street

approximately

150';

then

run

north

immediately

west

of

the

Orange

Springs

Inn

approximately

325'

along

a

line

between

the

Inn

itself

and the

small

barbecue

cookhouse;

then

run

east

at the

rear

of the

Inn

approximately

150'

to

the

west

side

of

Spring

Street;

then

run

south

approximately

325'

to

the

northwest

corner of

the

intersection

of

Main

and

Spring

Streets,

the

point

of

beginning.

CD

See

continuation

sheet

Boundary

Justification

The

boundary

description

includes

only

the

property

on

which

the

Townsend

House

stands,

as

the

former

residence

is

the

only structure

present

on

the

Orange

Springs

Inn

property

associated

with

J.W.

Townsend.

The

others

were

erected

by

the

owners

of

the

Orange

Springs

Inn

after

1986.

I I

See

continuation

sheet

11.

Form

Prepared

By

name/title

W.

Carl

Shiver,

Historic

Sites

Specialist______________________________

organization

Florida

Bureau

of

Historic

Preservation

street

&

number

500

s.

Bronough

St.______________

city

or

town

Tallahassee______________________

date

8-26-88

telephone

___

state

Florida

(904)

487-2333

zip

code

32399-

0250

.,„

,

.

_

.

OU8

A*"*'*'

NO.

1024401t

NPS

Form

10-OCXV*

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

8

Page

2

Significance

David

Levy

(1811-1886),

who

later

changed

his

surname

to

Yulee, was the

son

of

Moses

Elias

Levy,

who

began

to

acquire

land

in

Florida

during

the

Second Spanish

Colonial

Period

(1784-1821).

Moses

Levy

was

a

prosperous

merchant

who

in

1815

received

a

36,000

acre

land

grant

in

Middle

Florida

for

services

rendered

to

the

Spanish

government

while

he had been

a

resident

of

Havana,

Cuba.

His

son

David

managed

his

father's

plantation

lands

in

Alachua

and Marion

counties

after

receiving

his

education

at

Harvard

University.

He

studied

law

in

the

office

of

attorney

Robert

Reid

of

St.

Augustine

and

was

admitted

to

the

bar

in

1832.

He

entered

politics

and

became

a

member

of

Florida's

constitutional convention

in

1838-39.

In

1841,

he

was

elected

territorial

delegate

to

the

U.S.

Congress

After

Florida was

admitted

to

statehood

in

1845,

he

became

its

first

U.S.

Senator.

Levy

was

interested

in

the

Orange

Springs

property

as

one

of

the

focal

points

of

a

potential

cross

Florida

steamboat

and

railroad

line that

would

link

the

town

of

Palatka

on

the

St.

Johns

River

with

Tampa

Bay

on

the

Gulf

of

Mexico.

However,

nothing

ever

came

of

the

project

and

Levy

sold

his

interest

in

the tract

to

Pearson.

Pearson

erected

a number

of

buildings

in

Orange

Springs,

including

a

hotel,

a

mercantile

store,

a

cotton

gin,

a lumber

mill,

a

grist

mill,

and

a

machine

shop.

Even

at

this

early

date

visitors

were

coming

to the

spring

to

stay

at

the

hotel

and

"take

the

waters."

River

traffic could

proceed

along

the

St.

Johns

and

Oklawaha

rivers

to

the

vicinity

of

Orange

Springs

and

a

stage

line

ran

from

that

point

to

Tampa

on

the

Gulf

of

Mexico.

It

was

undoubtedly

these

assets

that

had

led

Levy

to

consider

the

possibility

of

constructing

a

railroad

through

the

area.

A

private

school

for

young

ladies

was

established

in

the

community

and

a large

Methodist

Episcopal

church

constructed.

By

the

mid-1850s,

however,

the

popularity

of

Orange

Springs

waned

as

more

tourists

began

to

discover

the

more

spectacular

Silver

Springs

near

Ocala,

approximately

twenty

miles

to

the

southwest.

Orange

Springs

achieved

a

certain importance

during

the

Civil

War,

due

in

large

measure

to

its

rather

remote

location

which

served

to

protect

it

from

raids

by

Federal

forces.

It

became

a

refuge

for

the

citizens

of

Palatka

and

families

whose homesteads

along

the

St.

Johns

River

were

threatened

by

Federal

gunboats.

It

also

became

a

center

for

the

manufacture,

storage,

and

shipment

of

material

used

to

support

the

Confederacy.

Florida's

railroad

system

was

still

in

its

infancy

at

the

beginning

of

the

Civil

War

in

1861

and

proved

of

little

military

or

economic

value

during

the

conflict.

The

lack

of

rapid

and

reliable

overland

transport

became

a

major

handicap

in

the

supply

of

salt,

timber,

and

cattle

which

Florida

made

to

the

Confederacy.

Confederate

sentiment

ran

high

in

the

area

of

Orange

Springs,

as

most

of

the

settlers

were

from

Georgia

and

South

Carolina.

John

Pearson

organized

the

Oklawaha

Rangers

and

his

neighbor,

J.J.

Dickison

led

the

Second

Florida

Cavalry.

Pearson

and

his

associates

used

his

machine

shop

and

a

foundry

to

manufacture

muskets,

cannons,

and

munitions

used

in

the

defense

of

the

Confederate

fortifications

surrounding

Tampa.

UPS

Fonn

10-90O*

OM8

Affro**

No.

1024-001

1

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States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

8

Page

3

significance

Following

the

Civil War,

.economic

conditions

in

Orange

Springs were

depressed.

The

activities

that

had

supported

the

community

during

the

conflict

came

to

an end,

and

the

refugees

returned

to

their

homes.

John

Pearson

had

died

in

1864

as the

result

of

wounds

he

had

received

while

fighting

in

Virginia.

His

widow

was

unable

to

pay

the taxes

on

the

orange

Springs

property,

and

it

was sold

at

public

auction

in

1875.

The

Pearson

property,

including

the

mineral

springs

itself,

was

purchased was

purchased

before

1900

by

James

W.

Townsend,

who

built

a

residence

on

it

in

1912.

James

W.

Townsend

and

his

brother,

William

Columbus

Townsend

(1855-1921)

were

both

Georgians

who

had

moved

to

Florida

in

the

1880s

to

make

their

fortune

in

the

naval

stores

industry.

Historic

Significance

James

Walter

Townsend

was

born

on

his

father's

rice

plantation

near

Hinesville,

Georgia,

in

Liberty

County

on

February

21,

1864.

He

was

the

youngest

of

six

children born

to

James

and

Martha

(Middleton)

Townsend.

He

was

educated

locally

and

as a

youth worked

on

his

father's

plantation.

William Townsend

was

nine

years

older

than

his

brother

and,

after

attending

the

local

schools

entered

the

Bradwell

institute

in

Savannah

in

1874

and

graduated

as

a teacher two

years

later.

For

a

time

he

taught

in

the

public

schools,

but

soon

became

involved

in

the

turpentine

industry

and

other

commercial

activities

in

his

native

Liberty

County

and

neighboring

Mclntosh

County.

He

was

joined

by

Walter

Townsend

in

his

business

activities

about

1884,

and

the

formed

the

firm

of

Townsend

and

Townsend.

Shortly

thereafter,

William

Townsend

moved

to

Lake

Butler,

Florida,

in

Union

County

where

he

taught

school

and began

to

acquire

pine

lands

for

turpentine

production.

James

Townsend

joined

him

and

together

the

brothers

began

to

establish

themselves

as

major

figures

in

the production

of

naval

stores

in

Florida.

They

began

to

become

involved

in

other

enterprises

also.

The

naval

stores

industry

deals

with

the

clipping

of

pine

trees

to

obtain

resin,

a

sticky

gum,

and

the

distillation

of

this

resin

to

secure

spirits

of

turpentine

and

rosin.

Other

products

of

the

industry

are

tar,

pitch,

and

various

gums

and

pine

oils.

The

1870s

had

seen

a

"boom"

in

the

naval

stores

industry

in

Georgia

and

the

Carolinas.

The

United States was

becoming

increasingly industrialized,

and

there

arose

a

growing

need

for

the

various

commodities

resulting

from

turpentine

production.

The

mounting

demand

for

pine

products

both

in

America

and

Europe

quickly

exhausted

the

available

stands

of

pine

lands

in

Georgia,

and

the

Townsend

brothers

decided

to

avail

themselves

of

the

virgin

resources

of

Central

Florida.

Having

established

themselves

in

Lake

Butler,

the

Towlsends

began

to

build

turpentine

stills

in

various

locations,

including

orange

Springs

and

nearby

Salt

Springs

in

Marion

WPSFofm

10400*

QMS

Apprw*

Wo.

f

02440

ft

(a-66)

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

a

Page

4

_____________________Significance____________________________

County.

Eventually,

their

operations

included

portions

of

Union,

Bradford,

Clay,

volusia,

Marion,

putnam,

and

Hillsborough

counties.

James

and

William

Townsend

also

turned

their

hands

to

cattle

ranching

and

milling

lumber

for

construction.

They

erected

a

number

of

commercial

and

residential

buildings

in

the

town

of

Lake

Butler,

including

their

own

houses.

Their

personal

residences

in

Lake

Butler

have,

however,

been demolished.

James

Townsend

became

president

of the

Farmers

&

Dealers

Bank

in

Lake

Butler,

and

his

brother

was

one

of

the

officers

of

the

bank.

In

1907,

William

C.

Townsend

sold

his

interests

in

the

partnership

and

from that

time

until

his

death

in

Lake

Butler

in

1921

lived

in

semi-retirement,

giving

his

attention

to

managing

his

investments.

James

Townsend

continued

to

oversee

the

various

enterprises

he

and

his

brother

had

founded

and

in

1912

constructed

a

"vacation

home"

in

Orange

Springs

from

which

he

could

oversee

his

business interests

in

Marion

County

and

the

surrounding

counties,

some

fifty

miles

to

the

south,

in

relative

comfort.

The

brothers

had

married sisters

in

Lake

Butler

and

the

Orange

Springs

property,

with

its

large

wood

frame

house,

provided

the

close-knit

families

with

the

opportunity

for

many

enjoyable

vacations,

as

well

as

being

of

assistance

to

James

Townsend

in

conducting

his

business

affairs.

Townsend

purchased

the

property

the

same

year

that

the

Ocala

Northern

Railroad

linked

Orange

Springs

with

Ocala

on

the

south

and

Palatka

on

the

north.

It

was

also

at

this

period

that

the

New

South

Farm

and

Home

development

Company

purchased

property

in

the

area

and

began

to

feature

Orange

Springs

in

its

promotional

literature,

declaring

the

mineral

springs

to

have

"waters

of

wonderful

medicinal

gualities."

With

Townsend's

permission,

the

real

estate

company

built

a

concrete

rim

around

the

springs,

which

had

long

served

the

community

for

swimming

and

as

a

gathering

place

for

political

rallies,

picnics,

church

outings,

and camp

meetings.

However,

the

real

estate

development

failed,

as

did

the

railroad,

whose

track

were

removed

in

the

1920s.

Again

in

the

1930s,

by

which

time

the

turpentine

boom

had

passed,

a

developer

named

William

Ellison began

to

advertise

the

springs

as

"ponce

de

Leon's

Fountain

of

Youth,"

but

once

again

attempts

to

make

property

in

the

area

attractive

to

investors

failed.

James

Walter

Townsend

died

on

September

24,

1944,

but

the

property

remained

in

the

Townsend family

until

it

was

purchased

by

its

present

owners

in

the

1986.

The

house

remained

seldom

used

for

almost

twenty-five

years after

Townsend's

death,

owing

to

a

disagreement

among

family

members

as

to

the

disposition

of

the

property.

However,

one

of

Townsend's

granddaughters

acquired

the

house

in

the

late

1970s

and

made

some

improvements

to

it.

Later

interior

alterations

were

made

when

the

building

was

converted

into

and

inn

in

1986.

NFS

Fwm

10-«0«

QMS

Aflpnwtf

Mo.

1024-0014

(8-66)

United

States

Department of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

Q

Page

_J>__

______________________________Significance___________________________

Architectural Significance

The

Townsend

House

is

a

significant

local

example

of

"cracker"

architecture:

basically

an

unstyled

wood

frame

building

using

locally

milled

lumber

in

its

construction.

The

house

is

the

largest

historic

residential

structure

in

orange

Springs,

a

community

with

a

population

of

less

than

100

persons,

and

embodies

two

important

native

building

traditions,

now

somewhat

masked

by

additions.

These

are

the

Southern

i-house

and

the

dog

trot

plan.

As

can

be seen

by

closely

examining

the

structure,

the

Townsend

House

was

originally

a

two-story,

one

room

deep

building with

a

central

breezeway, or

dogtrot,

separating

the

two

bedrooms

on

each

floor.

Evidence

of

the former

dog-trot

plan

can

be

seen

in

the

door

surrounds

on

the

main

facade

and

the

corner

boards

that

still

remain

in

the

center

of

the

rear

elevation.

When

completed

in

1912,

the two-story

veranda

completely

encircled

the house,

except

at

that

point

where

the

rear

ell

joined

the

house.

The

house,

therefore,

combines

two

building

traditions:

(1)

the

double

pen

house

which

grew

out

of

log

construction

and

(2)

the

late,

or

extended,

I-

house

which

was

born

in

the era

after

1850,

when

railroads

and

local

sawmills

made

milled

lumber

widely

available

for

construction,

in

the

American

colonial

era,

the

early

Germanic settlers

in

the

core

area

of

Pennsylvania

and

neighboring

colonies

were

among

the

first

to

build

log

houses.

These

were

almost

square,

with

a

three

room

plan

and a

central

chimney

(the

Continental

log

house).

Scotch-Irish

and

English

pioneers

adopted

the

log

building

techniques

and

modified

the

three

room

plan

to

the

more

familiar

one room

deep

linear

plan

with

external

chimney

that

dominated

the

Tidewater

South.

A

principal

problem

of

log-walled

houses

is

the

difficulty

of

expanding

them

as

additional

space

is

required,

because

the

strength

of

the

structure

depends

on

the

four

corner

joints.

Log

houses

are,

therefore,

made

up

of

room-sized-

square

or

rectangular

units

called

"pens."

As

the

building

technique

moved

into

the

warmer

climate

of

the

Deep

South,

the

problem

of

ventilating

houses

using

this

rather

inflexible

means

of

construction

by

separating

the

"pens"

with

a

breezeway

colorfully

called a

"dogtrot."

Two-story

log

houses

had

breezeways

on

both

floors,

particularly

after

the

establishment

of

local

sawmills

provided

milled

lumber

to

construct

framed

additions

and

porches.

Even

after

frame

construction

had

largely

replaced

log-building

techniques,

the

form

of

the

double

pen

house

persisted

in

the

Deep

South,

although

to

find

it

still

being

used

in

1912

when

the

Townsend

House

was

constructed

is

unusual.

It

is

not known

exactly

when

the

breezeways

of

the

Townsend

House

were

enclosed,

but

it

was

probably

not

too

long

after

the

house

had

been

completed.

Such

a

primitive

structure

could

not

have

been

very

comfortable,

even

as a

purely

recreational

"vacation

house,"

and

the

modifications

suggest

a

more

frequent

and

formal

usage

of

the residence^

These

alterations

resulted

in

the

NPSFormlMOO*

Htt+OOH

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

&

Page

_§

___

______________________________

Significance

house

becoming

a

modified

version

of

the

Southern

I-House,

a type

based

on

Tidewater

English

building

traditions.

The

extended

l-house

remains

basically

a

one

room

deep

structure,

with

a

central

hall,

porches

or

verandas,

external

chimneys,

and

a

rear

ell

containing

a

kitchen

and

dining

area.

This

type of

house became extremely

popular

in

rural

areas

and

small

towns

in

the

latter

part

of

the

nineteenth

century

and the

early

part

of

the

twentieth

as

improved

railroad

transportation

moved

lumber from

distant

sawmills both

rapidly

and

cheaply

and

light

framing

construction

techniques

made

traditional

construction

plans

more

flexible

and

gave birth

to

new

popular

forms.

Conclusion

The

Townsend House

is,

therefore,

significant

for

its

association

with

James

Walter

Townsend,

who,

along

with

his

brother

William

C.

Townsend,

was

instrumental

in

developing

the

turpentine

industry

in

Central

Florida

during

the

latter

part

of the

nineteenth

century

and

was

active

in

other

aspects

of

the

economic

life

of the

region.

Also,

the

wood

frame

vernacular

house

is

locally

significant

for

its

size and

its

distinctive

adaptation

of

vernacular

plan

types.

It

is

also

associated with

a

natural mineral

spring

that

was

an

important

tourist

attraction

in

pre-Civil

War

Florida.

NPS

Foim

10400*

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

Section

number

9

Page

1

Florida: The Farmers,

Sportsmans

and

Tourists

Paradise.

Orange

Springs,

FL:

Florida

Farms and

Homes,

Inc.,

1916.

History

of

Union

County,

Florida:

1921-1971,

Lake

Butler,

FL:

n.p.,

1971.

Houston,

George.

Diary

of

a

Marion

County

Pioneer,

1851.

Typescript

in

collection

of

P.

K.

Yonge

Library

of

Florida

History,

Gainesville.

Ivy/

Donald

J.

"Chronology

of

the

Life

and

Career

of

John

William

Pearson,

1808-1864"

unpublished

manuscript,

1984.

Mann,

Robert

W.

"Ocala

Northern,"

Florida

Living.

November,

1986,

pp.

25-27.

Marion County

Courthouse,

Office

of

Records,

,Ocala,

Florida,

Plat

Books,

Deed

Books.

McAlester,

Virginia, and

Lee

McAlester.

A

Field

Guide

to

American

Houses.

New

York:

Alfred

A.

Knopf,

1986.

Meffert,

Neil. '"Revival

of

Famed

Ante-Bellum

Spa

Eyed

by

Citizens

of

Off-Trail

Orange

Springs,"

The

Florida

Times-

Union

(Jacksonville)

August

16,

1957.

Mueller,

Edward

A.

Oklawaha River

Steamboats.

Jacksonville:

Author,

1983.

Ott,

Eloise

Robinson, and

Louis

Hickman

Chazal.

Qcali

Country:

Kingdom

of

the

Sun.

Ocala,

FL:

Marion

Publishers,

1966.

Rerick,

Rowland.

Memoirs

of

Florida.

Atlanta:

Southern

Historical

Association,

1902.

Rousman,

JAck

C.,

Glen

L.

Faulkner,

Charles

W.

Hendry,

and

Robert

W.

Hull.

Springs

of

Florida.

Florida

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of

Geology,

Bulletin

No.

31,

Tallahassee:

Florida

State

Department

of

Natural

Resources,

1977.

nra

rorni

iwuwa

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the

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Register

of Historic

Places

Continuation

Sheet

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number

9

Page

2

Sprague,

John

T.

The

Origins

,

Progress

,

and

Conclusion

of-the

Florida

War

Fascimile

of 1848

edition.

Gainesville:

University

of

Florida

Press,

1964.

Swanson,

Allan

A.

"Pilo-Taikita:

A

History

of

Palatka,"

Typescript

in

P.

K.

Library

of

Florida

History,

Gainesville.

1967.

Tebeau,

Charlton

W.

A

History

of

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Coral

Gables;

University

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Miami

Press,

1971.

Wass

de

Czage,

A.

The

History

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Astor

on

the

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Youngstown,

OH:

Catholic

Publishing

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1982.

Watkins,

Caroline

B.

The

Story

of

Historic

Micanopy.

Gainesville:

Alachua County

Historical

Society,

1976.

MAPS

Ellison, William,

surveyor,

1932.

Plat

maps.

Florida Farm

and

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Company

map,

1916.

#622.

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Marion

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#495.

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Seat

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#619.

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U.S.G.S.

Keuka

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photorevised,

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INTERVIEWS

Campbell,

Don.

Postmaster

of

Orange

Springs

for

many

years.

Interviewed

August

28,

1987.

Eldon,

John.

Operated

ferry,

came

to

Orange

Springs

in

1920s.

Interviewed

August

16,

1987.

LaPert,

George.

Came

to

Orange

Springs

in

1920s.

Interviewed

August

1,

1987.

Turner,

Martha

Collins.

Granddaughter

of

J.

W.

Townsend.

Interviewed

August

16,

1987.

Townsend

House,

urange

Springs,

Ca

1912,

original

in

possession

of

Martha Turner,

Townsjndlsjgranddaugh-ter-who-Spent

many

"summers

'in

the

house.

^

@^s^^^^^[

'

f^i^H^y^

%*p3

1HKB8P••••*'*•••'"••••''*•*•"'•''

"'

•

'"'•

•••"••••'•'•••..•

..''"Itfcirf

M

^———

Nubers

refer

to

photographs

TOWNSEND

HOUSE:

Second

Floor

on

main

(front)

block

duplicates

first

floor

in

most

details.

Bathroom

i:

Bedroom

Closet

Bathroom

7

I

\

Bedroom

Veranda

TOWNSEND

HOUSE

(ORANGE

SPRINGS

INN),

Second

Floor

Plan

-^

>-/-•<,

A.

-••"'#

2

i

-

Cl

•

}

(flj

.JJI,

•

MAIN

STREET

i*

NOTE:

These

are

two

views->df

the

same

property

SITE

PLAN:

Numbers

correspond to

photographs

en

oo

en

§

.•8

/.

'

/

7/0?

-.0