Florida's Earliest Courthouse Building/The Village of Manatee
Posted by: 
sfwife
N 27° 29.653 W 082° 32.853
17R E 347125 N 3042129
Historical Marker in Manatee County FL
Waymark Code: WM2X93
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 01/03/2008
Views: 33
Side 1:
Manatee County's first Courthouse was built in 1859-1860, and is the oldest remaining building constructed as a county courthouse in the State of Florida. It was built on the original Courthouse Square at 15th Street East and Fourth Avenue, two blocks North of this location. It was moved to this site in December 1975 to prevent destruction.
The old Manatee Methodist Episcopal Church, built in 1887, represents the oldest congregation of any denomination South of Tampa on the mainland of Florida. It was moved to this spot in 1975 to allow for the building of a Manatee United Methodist Church on the original site.
Side 2:
The Village of Manatee began with the arrival of Josiah Gates and his family in the early part of January, 1842, in what was then the Manatee District of Hillsborough County. The Village was around the Manatee Mineral Spring, located on 14th Street East, between Second and Third Avenue. It included the oldest church south of Tampa on Florida's Gulf Coast, the earliest courthouse, (relocated here in this park) and the Braden Castle and sugar plantation. The village was incorporated in 1888. It had been the Manatee County "site" from 1856-1866, and the temporary county "site" in 1887. It was later included with Bradenton by a Legislative Act of 1943 and is now called East Bradenton.
Under the auspices of the Manatee County Historical Commission and a body of concerned citizens, this park was created in 1975 to preserve these historic landmarks and as a Bicentennial gift to the people of Manatee County.
Marker Number: none
Date: 1981
County: Manatee
Marker Type: Roadside
Sponsored or placed by: The Manatee County Historical Commission with the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners
Website: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
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