Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park, Flagler Beach, Florida

 

“A ruin should always be protected but never repaired – thus may we witness full the lingering legacies of the past.”

Walter Scott

After visiting the magnificent Fairchild Oak yesterday, a part of Bulow State Park, we decided to head back to the state park today to check out the Bulow Plantation Ruins since we ran out of time yesterday and didn’t get to visit that part of the park. Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park is only three short miles from Flagler Beach, Florida and has 109 acres.

We found the sign where to turn and it took us down a very long sandy road that had beautiful trees and flora guiding us in. At first, we were unsure if we were going the right way as it was a long drive on a narrow sandy road before we came into the park. This road alone, made the trip to this park well worth it. We paid our $4 admission per car and drove to the ruins first.

We followed the one way loop drive and pulled into the empty parking area. After parking, we looked down a cement path and saw the ruins of this sugar mill back off the road. It was so impressive looking with the live oaks surrounding it draped with Spanish moss. We were the only ones there and it was a little eerie walking around these lonely historic ruins with all noises coming from the forest. We felt like we had just entered a lush jungle.

The sugar mill ruins were built out of local coquina rocks, which is a fossiliferous sedimentary rock composed of shells. This material appears to have been a great building material as this sugar mill was in great shape for a building that was built in 1836. The ruins of this structure reminded me of a Middle Ages castle that was abandoned. While we were there in the quiet, we heard many bird calls and saw many birds that are not in our area of Georgia. The morning dew was dropping off the branches overhead and the place smelled fragrant, like an earthy morning mist.

Back in 1821, Major Charles Wilhelm Bulow acquired 5,000 acres and he decided to plant sugar cane, rice, indigo and cotton. He had cleared 2,200 acres by some 300 to 400 enslaved Africans and African Americans. These slaves were very skilled workers and craftsmen. There were only two white men on the property at that time, so the slaves were chosen to be the foremen and bosses. But not even three years later, Charles died in 1823, leaving his property to his 17 year old son, John Joachim Bulow.

John was a skillful and generous plantation owner who decided to increase the size of the plantation. When John ran the plantation it was a profitable time and became one of the most prosperous plantations on the east coast. In 1836, he was honored by a visit from John James Audubon who came and explored this area to learn more about American birds. What a great place to do just that.

It was around that time, John Bulow had a sugar mill built on his property. At one time they made sugar, molasses, and rum here. This was a good size mill and must have been quite the production in it’s heyday.

During the Second Seminole War, John Bulow had become quite friendly with the Seminole Indians. He was against the governor’s efforts to remove the Seminole Indians from the area. So much so that when Major Benjamin Putman and the Mosquito Raiders came onto his property, he fired cannons at them. The Raiders took him prisoner and then used his plantation to conduct wars on the local tribes.

After Yellow Fever broke out in the area, Major Putman and his men left the area and returned to St. Augustine and they released John. When he returned home, he found the Seminoles were angry thinking he betrayed them and they burnt down his plantation. You can still see burn marks on the coquina rocks from when the mill was burnt. Now all that stands are a few walls, chimneys, and the great history of the mill.

Bulow moved to Paris shortly after and ended up passing away at the young age of 26. Some people thought the Seminole Indians may have put a curse on John and the property bringing Yellow Fever there.

The property and ruins became the property of the State of Florida in 1945 and became a State Historic Park in 1957. On September 29, 1970, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a wonderful park to see the many Bald Eagles, swallow-tailed kites, barred owls, White-tailed deer, Raccoon, as well as Florida Manatees. It has great hiking trails, fishing, wildlife viewing, canoeing, kayaking, and picnicking. In fact, Bulow Creek is recognized as a State Canoe Trail. You can rent canoes for the day or hour at the park office or bring your own boat and launch it at the boat ramp.

After exploring the ruins, we headed to where the plantation house once stood. This large white building was a beautiful 2 ½ story balconied home that had two separate kitchens and many rooms. It once sat under a beautiful canopy of live oaks with great views of the Smith’s Creek. Right near the home, once stood 46 slave houses that were located in a semi circle around the plantation home. At one time, there once stood a sawmill, corn house, huge sugar works with steam engine, cotton gin, poultry houses, blacksmith, fodder storage, and river piers. Across Smith’s Creek, they produced corn, sweet potatoes, cotton, indigo, and rice.

Near where the plantation used to be is a screened pavilion that can be rented for special events. It is a beautiful building and would be a great place for a special event. There was also a covered area nearby that is an Interpretive Center that has much information about the history of this park.

As in most ancient places, there are always stories of ghosts and monsters. Well, the ruins are no different. Many people claimed they have seen figures lurking in the trees, areas where it is cold for no reason, light orbs, and even a dark shadowy figure chasing people down the road. Also, Bulow Ruins is said to be where a mysterious Swamp Monster lives. The monster can shake oak trees like they were nothing more than twigs and also has the ability to cut through dense forest at a fast rate of speed. You decide, if real or not. While we were there we didn’t sense or see anything unusual.

This is a lovely park that is has much more for us to explore. It is a great place to spend a few hours or a day. We will be back to spend more time when we come back to Florida. You get a true sense of what old Florida was like years ago.

Till next time. Bye for now.