Gainesville in Alachua County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

East Florida Seminary

Photographed By Mike Stroud, June 29, 2012

1. East Florida Seminary Marker

Inscription. Founded as the Gainesville Academy before the Civil War and later renamed, the East Florida Seminary served Gainesville's need for higher education until the University of Florida was created by the Florida Legislature in 1905. The Seminary school building, erected after an earlier structure burned in 1833, was converted to use as a fellowship hall by the First Methodist Church, at 419 N.E. 1st Avenue.

Erected 1969 by Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials. (Marker Number F-166.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1905.

Location. 29° 39.142′ N, 82° 19.385′ W. Marker is in Gainesville, Florida, in Alachua County. Marker is on E. University Avenue, on the right when traveling west. Located between 1st Street NE & 3rd Street NE at Municipal Building, southside plaza. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 200 E University Avenue, Gainesville FL 32601, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. City of Gainesville (a few steps from this marker); We Remember Them With Compassion (a few steps from this marker); 9/11 Memorial (a few steps from this marker); First Gainesville Skirmish / Battle of Gainesville (a few steps from

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this marker); To the Americans Held Hostage by Iran (within shouting distance of this marker); Spanish Cattle Ranching (within shouting distance of this marker); Lynching in America / Reconstruction-Era Lynchings in Gainesville (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Alachua County Courthouse (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gainesville.

Regarding East Florida Seminary. EFS was a private school in Gainesville from 1866 to 1905, and it was the "earliest parent of the University of Florida," according to Sam Proctor in "Gator History." Epworth Hall, known today, is the only East Florida Seminary building that survived. In 1911 it was deeded to the First United Methodist Church, located at 419 Northeast 1st Street. Today the entrance to Epworth Hall is on the west side of the building, but as part of the East Florida Seminary the entrance was on the south side.
In 1851 the Florida Legislature passed a bill to establish two tax-supported state schools—one in East Florida, the other in West Florida, divided by the Suwannee River—and the sites would be determined by which two counties offered

Photographed By Mike Stroud, June 29, 2012

2. East Florida Seminary Marker

the most in land and resources. A year later, in 1852, East Florida Seminary was founded as a fee-based school in Ocala but, short of funds, the school asked for state support. That support was granted in 1853 and EFS resources (land, buildings and cash) were turned over to the state.
Over the years, Mr. James Henry Roper, an educator from North Carolina, built a school called the Gainesville Academy on Northeast 1st Street. Mr. Roper was also a State Senator from Alachua County, and in 1866 he offered his land and school to the State of Florida in exchange for the relocation of EFS to Gainesville. His offer was accepted. The impact of East Florida Seminary on Gainesville was extensive. As the best school in this part of the state, it was a magnet to new settlers, resulting in greater opportunities and prosperity for everyone. East Florida Seminary was absorbed into the University of Florida in 1905-1906. (The Alachua County Library District)

Also see . . . Division of Library and Information Services: Florida Memory. Petition to Establish the East Florida Seminary in Alachua County, 1852.... (Submitted on August 1, 2012, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.)

East Florida Seminary Marker, at the Municipal Building's southside plaza image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mike Stroud, June 29, 2012

3. East Florida Seminary Marker, at the Municipal Building's southside plaza

East Florida Seminary, known today as Epworth Hall image. Click for full size.

Photographed By engraving of East Florida Seminary's Academic Building

4. East Florida Seminary, known today as Epworth Hall

from "Eden of the South" by Carl Webber, 1883.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 23, 2017. It was originally submitted on August 1, 2012, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 953 times since then and 53 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 1, 2012, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.