Pioneer Village, Barberville, FL

Barberville is a rural crossroads of the greater Daytona, Orlando and Ocala areas.  Barberville's other claim to fame is the Pioneer Settlement for the Creative Arts, Inc.  Over 30 years the site has evolved into a "village" of 17 historical structures.  The centerpiece  is the original Central High School of Barberville.

 

The entrance is the Astor Bridge House.  It was built in 1926 as the home of the Aster/Volusia Bridge tender.  The covered bridge was the Astor entrance to the old swing bridge (now the drawbridge).   

 

Pastime tour boat

Other side of bridge house and covered bridge.  The house is now a gift shop featuring woven and pottery art made on site.

One of the school rooms. The school accommodated students in grades 1-12 and offered college prep classes.  It was a high school until 1940, elementary until 1969.  In 1976 the building was reopened as a museum with classroom, weavers' room, candle room, kitchen and spinning and fiber display room.  Classes are conducted in all these hand arts.

Front of school

This 1900's store served a turpentine operation.  Here it serves as the country store.

Blacksmith shop built in 1987 as a village representative smithy.

Caboose sitting outside the Pierson RR Depot

When the Jacksonville, Tampa, and Key West RR was built, most of the area towns built rr stations. This depot served the agricultural community for almost 100 years.

Inside the caboose--three rooms

not counting the corner potty.

Built in 1993, the wood wright shop also houses a cooper (barrel maker).  Coopers were essential for the turpentine industry.

Wheelwright shop, built in 2000 also protects some of the vintage carriages and wagons collection, (not shown) to the left.

Print shop built to the 1880's style houses pressed from 1880 to 1940.

Tomoka trupentine still built by the Tomoka Land Company in 1924.  Turpentine stills were used to process pine resin into turpentine and rosin.

The Midway Methodist Church was so named because Barberville was half way between Jacksonville and Tampa on the Methodist minister's circuit. The church was constructed in 1890 and served the community until 1964.  The church is available for weddings and other events.

This pottery shed was built in the 1920's as a studio and continues to serve as a working studio.

Originally the Guenther Blacksmith Shop, it was built around 1900 and served as the Settlement's smithy until 1987 when it was re-purposed to serve as the firehouse.  It contains fire-fighting memorabillia and two antique fire engines, a 1933 Hahn and a 1918 LaFrance.

This log cabin is the only building that is not original to Florida.  Jim Lewis of Georgia built it in 1875.  In 1992 his descendants purchased the cabin and sponsored the transportation and reconstruction.  It is an excellent example of Cracker Vernacular architecture, built up off the ground and having a steeply pitched roof to allow air movement.  Originally, the wide porches would have provided shade on three sides  with one side enclosed for a storeroom.  The original kitchen was a separate building behind the cabin.

Two rooms inside--this dining area would have been a bedroom, and

this is the main living area. There is a half loft over this room.  Someone said that the Lewis family consisted of two adults and 7-9 children.  And we think our houses are too small??!!!

A log cabin quilt on the bed--appropriate.

This little lizard posed so nicely.

Across the road from the village, but part of it is the Joseph Underhille house and farm. Tje house is not yet open for touring but is undergoing full restoration.

Also included in the village is the post and beam barn, cane grinder and boiler (for processing sugar cane or sorghum into the year's supply of sugar and syrup), the quarters house (a shotgun style house built to quarter workers in the Naval Stores Industry (turpentine), the post office, gardens and livestock.

Weatherwise we have been pretty fortunate.  The skies have ranged from cloudy to sunny with cool breezes and low humidity, and highs in the 70's.  Since we ride the bike and have to walk around in boots, jeans, and long sleeves, this is good for us.  It was not to last, as you will see.

Stay tuned for more adventures from Louise and Duane!