Arcadia Mill Re-opening: Great New Opportunities for Visitors and Attraction
OnSaturday, March 14th, the University of West Florida Historic Trust hosted a Grand Re-opening of the Arcadia Mill Archaeological Site in Milton, Florida. The wet ground could not dampen the mood at the event, as trolleys began unloading visitors at 10am. Families, friends, and couples all came to tour Arcadia Mill and to see the new ADA-compliant to the bridge and boardwalk.
Arcadia Mill was the first and largest water-powered industrial complex in Florida. The site is the location of many industrial operations, most notably a water-powered sawmill and textile mill run by enslaved labor. The mill operated from 1817 – 1855, and played an important role in the economic development of the Northwest Florida region. Though most of the mill is now underground, a few key features can still be seen by visitors to the site. These features include the dam, which was fifteen feet tall at its prime, a log flume, and the millrace, which was used to divert water from Pond Creek to secondary operations.
At 11 o’clock, our tour guide, Mike, promptly took control of the first anxious group of visitors waiting at the arched boardwalk entrance. Mike explained that this tour would be short and condensed, but that more expansive tours are available with reservations for larger groups, and even walk-ins for small groups. He led us along explaining the site and its significance while sprinkling in funny anecdotes and stories he has accumulated while working at the site. As we walked along the boardwalk, Mike pointed out features to visitors and explained what they were, and described what went on at the site when the mill was in operation.
Mike leading the tour over the new bridge.
A boardwalk and a metal bridge has been constructed to allow visitors to see the features with more ease, and at a different angle. The boardwalk is now adjacent to the dam and wider and longer, which allows for a larger variety of visitors to explore more of the historic mill site and see the dam from a new angle showcasing its size. Previously, visitors would need to cross a swing bridge to cross over the dam. The staff has replaced the swing bridge with a sturdy metal bridge, but some of the old boardwalk is still visible from the new trail, for those visitors who want to remember how Arcadia was explored before the re-opening. Informational signs have also been added to the boardwalk, so visitors can have an easier time with understanding the features that are present.
One of the several interpretive signs along the boardwalk.
The dam at Arcadia Mill, once 15 feet high.
The new metal bridge, which replaced the old swing-bridge.
Visitors crossed over beautiful Pond Creek via the metal bridge.
In addition to interpretive signs, QR codes are also placed in different spots
throughout the boardwalk. The QR codes link to Next Exit History, an app created through the partnership of the University of West Florida and Historical Research Associates, Inc. The app is available through most major mobile device app stores. The QR codes allow a tech-savvy visitor to easily find out more information about the archaeological site that is not explained during the guided tour, by downloading the information to his or her mobile device.
The activities did not stop once the tour was over. Visitors entered the on-site museum to gain a better understanding of what else was at the mill. Outside of the museum, a pavilion contained a showcase of the different technologies historically used for industrial operations including a water wheel used for generating power, a log cart for transporting lumber, and other working replicas. Additionally, there were several activities for children, such as Civil War doll making, candle-dipping, and face-painting. Visitors also got to leave with a variety of free swag (always a plus) from organization booths, such as the Florida Public Archaeology Network and the UWF Alumni Association. A variety of other organizations had tables that promoted interest and support for the site, including the Pensacola Archaeological Society, the Santa Rosa Historical Society, and the University of West Florida Archaeology Institute.
Overall, the Grand Re-opening of Arcadia was a fun trip. We ended the day by enjoying some sliders from Carmelinas On The Go, one of the vendors at the site. Hopefully, the new accessible boardwalk and bridge will attract more visitors and allow people to enjoy the history of Santa Rosa County and Northwest Florida.
Arcadia Mill is located at 5709 Mill Pond Lane in Milton, Florida. The Visitors Center and Museum is free and open Tuesday – Saturday from 10am – 4pm. For more information about the museum and tours, please visit http://historicpensacola.org/arcadia.cfm or call 850-626-3084
Blog post by Nicole Capitano and Steven Macks, University of West Florida Anthropology Majors.
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