Walton County Heritage Museum - DeFuniak Springs, FL
N 30° 43.200 W 086° 06.837
16R E 584835 N 3398906
The old DeFuniak Springs L&N Train Depot is now the home of the Walton County Heritage Museum, and a bright red caboose is one of its outdoor displays.
Waymark Code: WMBRJR
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 06/17/2011
Views: 1
"The Walton County Heritage Museum is located in historic downtown DeFuniak Springs on the circle around the lake. The City of DeFuniak Springs beautifully restored the former L&N Train Depot in 2000, and it has been the home of the museum since 2002."
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ABOUT THE OLD TRAIN DEPOT
"In the 1880's, a surveying party comprised of Colonel W.D. Chipley, Major W.J. VanKirk and W.T. Wright came to a tired halt near a round lake in the heart of a virgin forest. They explored and rested at the site of what is now Lake DeFuniak. Colonel W.D. Chipley, so overwhelmed by the beauty set forth before him, exclaimed, "here a town shall be built!" This was when they first envisioned DeFuniak Springs known as Lake DeFuniak, in honor of Fred R. DeFuniak, who had held many high offices in the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, including that of General Manager.
Under an order from Colonel W.D. Chipley, the area known as Lake DeFuniak was preserved and a station was built there. With the establishment of the station at Lake DeFuniak, people moved up from Euchee Anna and Alaqua and built homes near the lake.
On March 4, 1881, the Pensacola and Atlantic Railroad was incorporated by an act of the Florida Legislature. The purpose of the act was to construct a 70-mile road from the northwest corner of Florida, near Flomaton, Alabama, where it would join the trackage of what started as the Pensacola and Selma Railroad. This was later in the control and ownership of the Louisville & Nashville, to a connection with the existing Seaboard. Colonel Chipley, in an address delivered in 1896, noted that he had been a member of the 1881 surveying party and that they had camped on the shore of a large pond in Walton County. Being enamored of the spot, Chipley ordered that the area be preserved and that a station be built there.
The City of DeFuniak Springs is the current owner of The Depot Station located on 1140 Circle Drive. The Walton County Heritage Association has transformed it into a Museum with Historical items from Walton County to include DeFuniak Springs. Also The Walton County Heritage Association handles the Caboose and Information Center on Circle Drive. For their hours of operation or other information please contact them at 850-951-2127."
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