Instructions:
1....Print this file.
2....At its end, click on "rules" to see a copy of the trail rules, print it, and then click where indicated at the end of the 3-page rules and patch order form to get back to the list of Florida trails.
3....If you want a hand-drawn map showing the locations of all of the sites, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Steve Rajtar, 1614 Bimini Dr., Orlando, FL 32806.
4....Hike the trail and order whatever patches you like (optional).
WARNING - This trail may pass through one or more neighborhoods which, although full of history, may now be unsafe for individuals on foot, or which may make you feel unsafe there. Hikers have been approached by individuals who have asked for handouts or who have inquired (not always in a friendly manner) why the hikers are in their neighborhood. Drugs and other inappropriate items have been found by hikers in some neighborhoods. It is suggested that you drive the hike routes first to see if you will feel comfortable walking them and, if you don't think it's a good place for you walk, you might want to consider (1) traveling with a large group, (2) doing the route on bicycles, or (3) choosing another hike route. The degree of comfort will vary with the individual and with the time and season of the hike, so you need to make the determination using your best judgment. If you hike the trail, you accept all risks involved.
This park includes the Project Mercury Memorial, dedicated on May 12, 1995. It has plaques and handprints of six of the seven original astronauts. Gus Grissom's handprints are missing because he died before they were taken.
This is a monument to Project Gemini, the second U.S. manned space program, which utilized astronauts launched two per capsule.
This park takes its name from the land which juts into the river to the east. "Sand Point" was the name of this area before it was renamed as Titusville.
The first bridge to Playalinda Beach across the river to the east was built in 1922 of wood.
A shopping center was known as The Big Apple when it opened in 1958. Later renamed Sand Point Village, it was torn down in 2005.
This section of SR 406 was a part of the Dixie Highway, which was the dream of Carl Fisher of Indianapolis. He had made his fortune in the new auto industry, and wanted to build a highway from Chicago to Miami. When news got out, many communities formed associations to lobby for inclusion on the route.
The Dixie Highway Association met in Chattanooga and chose a route passing through Tallahassee and Jacksonville, and proceeding south along the east coast. Frenzied lobbying also produced an inland route pasing through Gainesville, Ocala, Winter Park, Orlando, Kissimmee, Bartow and Arcadia, rejoining the coastal route at Palm Beach.
In 1915, Fisher led an auto cavalcade from the Midwest to Miami, popularizing auto trips to Florida. The Dixie Highway was officially open for traffic in October of 1925 from the Canadian border at the northern tip of Michigan to Miami.
Andrew Froscher built this two-story Frame Vernacular style house in about 1887. He and his wife, Lavinia, lived here with their eight children. Around it were fruit trees and they kept bees and a cow.
Froscher owned and operated a funeral home in Titusville and his son, Norris, was the circuit court clerk. The Masons held their organizational meeting in this house.
This facility is named after Harry T. Moore, the principal of the Titusville Negro School from 1934 to 1936. He also became a prominent advocate of civil rights, in 1941 becoming the president of the Florida NAACP.
At about 10:15 p.m. on Christmas night in 1951, an explosion rocked their home, an isolated house located about 100 yards from the Dixie Highway in Mims. The explosion destroyed the bedroom, killing Mr. Moore. Mrs. Moore died nine days later from her injuries.
This was the country's first assassination of a civil rights leader, and the Orange County Ku Klux Klan was suspected. The murders were never solved.
This street is named after an early family of this area, dating back to the 1820s. The famed Dummitt Grove on Merritt Island was sold in 1878 for $30,000 to Italian nobleman Nicole Tamajo, Duke of Castellucia. He married Jennie Anheuser of the Budweiser beer family. For her, he built a two-story mansion on Merritt Island from used lumber salvaged from the Santa Cruz, a wrecked sailing ship, completing it on December 15, 1881. It was designed by architect J.J. Coward.
Exterior planking was 30 feet long and the ship's masts were used for the center posts of two spiral staircases. He built the home in an octagon shape, believing that it would better withstand hurricanes. After a domestic squabble, he partitioned the house into two parts, one for him and one for her. He later moved back to Italy and died in 1892.
Known as the Dummitt Castle, it was sold to the Florida Fruit Company, which sold it to an Ohio judge who lived there until 1895. It was then sold to a group for use as a hunting lodge. Eugene J.A. Drennan became its sole owner in 1905. It was moved to Parrish Park on the Titusville Causeway in 1964 at the request of NASA, under the supervision of the Brevard County Historical Society. It was supposed to have been restored as a historical museum, but the castle burned down in December of 1967.
Six black first graders were taught in a building located on Washington Ave. by Annie McGraph. The school was moved to this intersection in 1886 and remained here until 1915, using one large room for six grades. In 1915, the school moved to the former white high school on Wager Ave., serving grades one through eight. Ninth grade was added in 1935, tenth in 1936, eleventh in 1937, and twelfth in 1938. It was known as the Titusville Negro School, then was renamed Wager Street Negro School. It closed in 1956.
This congregation was founded in 1892. Its original church building was rebuilt in 1920 (and remodeled in 1927) and in 1963-64.
This Queen Anne style home is located in the area of Titusville known as Sarah Gleason's Addition, which was platted in 1911. That same year, Mrs. Will Davis Spell bought the lot from Gleason for $550 and had this house built.
Dr. James C. Spell was Titusville's first licensed pharmacist and operated the Banner Drug Store out of the corner store room. He also served as vice president of the Bank of Titusville.
This house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
Judge George Robbins bought the land on which this house now stands for $1,500 in 1891. After purchasing the adjoining lot in 1892, he built this home with a Dutch Colonial style, the only remaining example of this style in Titusville.
Robbins was the superintendent of the Mexican Central Railway before attending law school in the U.S. He moved to Florida and was admitted to the bar in 1886. Henry Flagler noticed his familiarity with the railroad industry and his competence as an attorney, and later hired him.
This house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
This Colonial Revival style home was built in 1882 by Pleasant J. Hall for Perry Wager, originally with two stories and a flat roof. In the early 1900s, the third story and hip roof, along with the widow's walk, were added. In 1915, the south porch was added.
Ellis Wager, Perry's son, published the Florida Star, the first newspaper in Brevard County, on the first floor of this house. The second floor was sometimes used as the community's opera house and ballroom. This home was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
Brevard County was created in 1844 and named after Theodore Washington Brevard, who came to Florida from North Carolina in 1847 and became the state comptroller. This courthouse opened in 1912. Col. Henry Titus donated the land for this Classical Revival building.
In 1923, the railroad station was constructed at the end of this street.
This one-story frame church was built in 1887-88. Edwin G. Weed designed it with a Gothic Revival style, including a gabled roof, tall steeple, and pointed arched windows. It is known for its fine collection of Victorian stained glass imported from England and completed in New York at Gorham's and Tiffany's in 1888-90. The steeple bell, the largest in Brevard County, was installed in 1892.
The original plan called for a cemetery next to the church, but local residents opposed one within the town limits, and it was not established.
J. Dunlin Perkinson and Mary Evalina Titus, the widow of Col. Titus, donated the land to the congregation. Initially, it was called St. John's, but was changed in 1888 when it received a donation of a stained glass window depicting St. Gabriel. The church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 5, 1972.
Confederate army captain James Pritchard built this two-story home in 1891 for his wife, Mary. The house is considered to be Titusville's finest example of Queen Anne style architecture.
Pritchard played important roles in the early economic development of Titusville. They had moved here from St. Louis in 1876 and he served as president of the Indian River Bank, which he helped organize in 1889.
This building was constructed in 1905 to be used as a hotel, apartments, saloon and pool hall. Later, it was remodeled as the first silent movie theater in Titusville. During the 1950s, it was known as the Florida Theater. In later years, it served as a playhouse.
This stuccoed building was erected in 1925 by fruit grower Mr. Duren. It later became an antique shop.
Col. Henry T. Titus moved from the Oklahoma Territory to Jacksonville at age 35 and opened a store. In 1836, he moved back to Jacksonville and then here, to what was known as Sand Point, where he started a general store and trading post.
During the Civil War, Titus served as a blockade runner. Afterwards, he operated a successful general store, a pony express line to Enterprise, an insurance agency, a sailboat mail route to Daytona and a mule transport team which hauled passengers, farm produce and mail to and from the St. Johns River. In 1870, he built the Titus House, a large one-story wood frame hotel next to an ornate saloon. After Titus died, it became part of the Dixie Hotel.
The town was named after Titus. In 1880, it had a population of 150 and became the county seat of Brevard County.
This Masonry Vernacular style commercial building was erected in 1890 to be the Denham Department Store. Later, it was the home of Kloiber's Cobbler & Eatery, a restaurant containing memorabilia of early Titusville.
This lodging and drinking establishment opened here in about 1888. The building shows a Mission style of architecture and later tenants have included a bar and jewelry store.
Capt. James Pritchard erected this building for his hardware store here in 1890. Remaining are the original floors and walls, tiled entryway and tin ceiling.
A barber shop opened at this location in 1937. For over half a century, much of its equipment was still the original, including chairs, cash register, sinks and the shoe-shine stand.
This brick building opened in 1912 as the office of Dr. J.C. Spell, the first licensed physician in Titusville. He had established the Banner Drug Store in 1907.
The Bank of Titusville was located in this building from 1912 until 1924. Later, the citrus-packing firm of Nevins Fruit Company had its office here.
This Masonry Vernacular style building was erected in 1910.
This Spanish-style commercial building was built in 1910 and had the first elevator in Titusville.
In 1910, this building housed the Titusville Hardware Store. Inside are the original heart pine floor, tin ceiling and display shelves. Subsequent tenants have included a children's resale shop.
29....Walker Apartments
When this Spanish-style building was erected in 1924, it was the Walker Apartments. It was known as the Washington Hotel during the 1930s. It was later converted to non-residential commercial use. In the 1940s, the Davis Drug Store was located in this building. This structure has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
At this location was the 1910 office of Western Union, linking Titusville by telegraph to Miami and Jacksonville. In 1895, many of the buildings along this portion of Washington Ave. had been destroyed by fire.
In 1888, E.L. Brady & Bro. Groceries was in business at this intersection. A Piggly Wiggly grocery store was located on this corner during the 1940s.
This museum contains displays artifacts of early Titusville and Brevard County, including a black family's Bible dating to about 1800, an 1898 jury chair from the Brevard County Courthouse, an 1870 trouseau, and a solid oak wheelchair from the 1920s.
The 1889 church building was torn down in 1954, but these stained glass windows were saved and installed in the present sanctuary.
Early Titusville had the nickname, "The City of Churches".
This building opened in 1913 as Stewart's Cash Store. More recently, it has been the home of an antiques store.
In 1926, the Van Croix began showing silent movies, with a seating capacity of 1,000. The building was abandoned by the 1940s and became a high school gymnasium and community center. Later, it was replaced by a Badcock Furniture Store.
The Sand Point post office opened in 1859 with Shubel G. Luffman as its postmaster, but closed within a few months. The Titusville post office was established in 1876 while the county seat was located in Susannah.
In 1926, the post office was moved to this location and later called the Astronaut Trail Station. In its former lobby are now shops and businesses comprising the Gaslight Mall.
Across the Indian River is the large Merritt Island, known as Marrat's Island by 1817. It was purchased in the early 1820s by Col. T.H. Dummitt from Barbados while it was known as Merritt's Island. He and his son, Capt. Douglas Dummitt, had previously sailed past it with a shipload of slaves bound for St. Augustine.
They returned in 1818 and Douglas planted orange groves there before the Second Seminole War. During that war, Douglas commanded a Florida Militia regiment called the "Mosquito Roarers". Douglas budded wood from a thin-skinned sweet China orange from an old New Smyrna grove onto hardy Spanish sour orange stock. This produced the famous Indian River oranges still considered by many to be the best in the state.
Dummitt was one of the few plantation owners who did not abandon his property during the Second Seminole War (1835-42). The fruit sustained little damage in the 1894 and 1895 freezes.
In the area now covered by the Kennedy Space Center were several early communities, including the 1689 Spanish settlement of Sorroquez.
A Guide to National Register Sites in Florida, (Florida Department of State 1984)
Black Florida, by Kevin M. McCarthy (Hippocrene Books 1995)
Brevard County, by Elaine Murray Stone (Windsor Publications, Inc. 1988)
Florida Historic Markers & Sites, by Floyd E. Boone (Gulf Publishing Company 1988)
Florida Historic Stained Glass Survey: Sites of Historic Windows in Public Facilities in the State of Florida, by Robert O. Jones (Florida Members of the Stained Glass Association of America 1995)
Florida: The Long Frontier, by Marjory Stoneman Douglas (Harper & Row 1967)
Florida's History Through Its Places: Properties in the National Register of Historic Places, by Morton D. Winsberg (Florida State University 1988)
Florida's Past: People and Events That Shaped the State, by Gene M. Burnett (Pineapple Press 1988)
Ghost Town Locations In Florida, by Jim Warnke (Warnke Publishing 1992)
Guide to Florida Historical Walking Tours, by Roberta Sandler (Pineapple Press 1996)
Guide to Florida's Historic Architecture, (University of Florida Press 1989)
Historic Brevard, (Brevard County Historical Commission 1989)
History of Brevard County (vols. 1 and 2), by Jerrell H. Shofner (Brevard County Historical Commission 1995)
Indian River, Florida's Treasure Coast, by Walter R. Hellier (Hurricane House 1965)
Melbourne Bicentennial Book, by Noreda B. McKemy and Elaine Murray Stone (Brevard Graphics, Inc. 1976)
The Pioneer Churches of Florida, by The Daughters of the American Revolution (The Mickler House 1976)
Side Roads of Florida, by James R. Warnke (Star Publishing Co. 1973)
Tales of Old Brevard, by Georgiana Kjerluff (The Kellersberger Fund of The South Brevard Historical Society, Inc. 1972)
Wish You Were Here: A Grand Tour of Early Florida Via Old Post Cards, by Hampton Dunn (Byron Kennedy and Company 1981)