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Prepared by Ben Pickard
Alachua County Historic Trust
Matheson Museum, Inc.



Historical Overview

Long before the Spaniards arrived in Florida, Alachua County's unique combination of fertile soil, broad prairies, clear lakes and abundant game had spawned a complex Indian civilization called Timucuan. Throughout the 16th century, DeSoto and other Spanish explorers plundered the region, then Franciscan priests founded missions and finally ranchers established a large cattle ranch on Paynes Prairie.


18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | Postwar Era | Since 1970 | Significant Dates | Larger Historic Towns
Small Historic Towns | Significant Homes | Significant Buildings | Significant Sites | Historical Figures


Significant Homes

Bailey House Built by slave labor in 1854, this house is oldest extant dwelling Gainesville. An early county settler, Bailey was instrumental in creating the town of Gainesville and transferring the county seat here.

Haile Plantation One of the few ante-bellum plantation homes remaining in Florida, it was built in 1850 by Thomas Haile as part of his cotton and rice plantation. The house contains pine beams more than 100 feet long.

Matheson House The second oldest surviving house in Gainesville, it was occupied continuously by the Matheson family from 1867 to 1996 before becoming a house museum. The Matheson family included a prominent merchant, a long-time mayor of the city and a leading club woman.

Rawlings House This traditional cracker cottage was the residence of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings from 1928-1953. Here she wrote most of her novels, including The Yearling. The house, a state historic site, is preserved as she lived in it.

Kelly-Neilson House Built in 1884 during Windsor's orange prosperity, this large mansion with its decorative shingles exemplifies the stick style of rural architecture. A National Register Site, it has been artfully renovated over the past 20 years.

Gracy House Luther C. Gracy, a turpentine and lumber dealer, built this magnificent Colonial Revival mansion in 1906 with lumber from his own mills.

Doig House This Italianate style home was built by James Doig in 1882. A pre-Civil War resident, Doig established a foundry and was an inventor. Restored and remodeled, the house has been adapted as an ophthalmologist's office and museum.

McKenzie House The largest and most elaborate of Gainesville's Victorian homes, its was built in 1895 and was the home for many prominent Gainesville families.

Tigert House This imposing Colonial Revival mansion was the home for two University of Florida presidents and stands at the northern entrance into the Northeast Historic District.

Baird House This three-story house with its striking mansard roof is one of the few remaining examples of the French Second Empire architectural style found in Florida. Built in 1885, it was a Baird family residence for 70 years. Restored in 1990, it became Gainesville's first bed and breakfast.

Herlong House Built in 1875 as a two-story frame house, it was remodeled in 1915 into a large Colonial Revival mansion with extensive walnut and oak paneling and inlaid floors. In the 1980s it was renovated and redesigned as Micanopy's first bed and breakfast inn.

Neal-Wood House One of Archer's picturesque Victorian mansions, it features a spacious porch and twin gazebos on either end. Restored in the 1990s, the house is now filled with antiques and Civil War artifacts.

Williams-Leroy House This Queen Anne mansion, built in 1900 by an Alachua banker and postmaster, features a three-story tower and intricate woodwork. The Williams family occupied the house for 90 years, and it has been remodeled into a restaurant.

Bonnie Mount The oldest house in Melrose, it was built in 1877 by two Kentucky brothers as a one-story farmhouse. Remodeled a number of times, it was beautifully restored in 1986.




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