Arcadia in DeSoto County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Arcadia Historic District

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, July 19, 2017

1. Arcadia Historic District Marker

Inscription. The Arcadia Historic District comprises fifty-eight blocks within 340 acres that embody the city's development from the founding of its post office in 1883 through the late 1920s. The Town of Arcadia was incorporated in 1886 following the arrival of the first train that year and the area's subsequent growth. In November 1888, voters selected Arcadia as the county seat of DeSoto County, which was established in 1887. The City of Arcadia was incorporated in 1901. The heart of the district is a commercial zone extending 18 blocks and consisting of buildings constructed between 1900 and the late 1920s. Three buildings that survived the devastating 1905 downtown fire, and those that were rebuilt, are generally masonry vernacular in style. The district’s most imposing structure is the 1912 Classical Revival courthouse. Residential neighborhoods of mostly frame vernacular homes from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries surround the commercial area. Listed on the National Register in 1984, the district retains remarkable historical and architectural integrity as reflected in its churches, residences, and schools, as

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

well as commercial, governmental, and industrial buildings.

Erected 2016 by The Peace River Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, DeSoto County Historical Society and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-910.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) series list. A significant historical month for this entry is November 1888.

Location. 27° 12.932′ N, 81° 51.624′ W. Marker is in Arcadia, Florida, in DeSoto County. It is at the intersection of West Oak Street and DeSoto Avenue (U.S. 17), on the right when traveling west on West Oak Street. Marker is in a small park on the corner. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Arcadia FL 34266, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American South.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, July 19, 2017

2. Arcadia Historic District Marker

territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: DeSoto County (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); DeSoto County War Memorial (about 700 feet away); DeSoto County Veterans Memorial Flag Pole (about 700 feet away); DeSoto County World War I Memorial (about 700 feet away); Arcadia City Hall (about 800 feet away); Florida Baptist Orphanage (approx. 0.6 miles away); Arcadia Oak Ridge Cemetery (approx. one mile away); The British Plot (approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Arcadia.

Credits. This page was last revised on December 1, 2017. It was originally submitted on November 26, 2017, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,543 times since then and 87 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 26, 2017, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.