Historic Downtown Pensacola

Historic Downtown Pensacola - Go figure . . . if Spanish explorer Don Tristen DeLuna had just a little more energy (or maybe a good cup of java) back in 1559, Pensacola would be able to claim St. Augustine's title as the United State's oldest settlement.  As fate would have it, a storm came ashore just after DeLuna made the decision to enjoy a few days of relaxation in his new home prior to unloading his cargo. All DeLuna's ships save one, and all his precious supplies, went to the bottom of Pensacola Bay. What with transportation being what it was at the time (Ha!) it took the Spanish another 138 years to colonize Pensacola.

Today historic downtown Pensacola is a magical place steeped in history, in part due to the great job being done by West Florida Historic Preservation Inc. (WFHP), a non-profit organization of the University of West Florida. WFHP manages 23 historic properties in the Pensacola Historic District (one of the oldest in the southeast), 10 of these are interpretive facilities and are open to the public.

At the core of the WFHP holdings is the T.T.Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum. Originally the 1908 City Hall, the Spanish Revival style museum has both permanent and temporary exhibits relating to art, science, West Florida's History and the properties which make up the Historic Pensacola Village. The museum also houses a popular children's hands-on exhibit, the Discovery Gallery.

Historic Pensacola Village is a must stop for guests to our area. I always make sure my out-of-town visitors take the tour! A great place to start is at Plaza Ferdinand VII, named in 1814 and often mistakenly called Ferdinand Plaza. This park, directly across from the T.T. Wentworth Musuem, was an early parade ground for the British fort. The Plaza was the center of town life during the late Colonial era and over the years even served as the site of executions. The Plaza houses markers for the Colonial Archaeological Trail which stretches the through the Historic Village providing evidence of fortified structures occupied at various times by Spanish, British, and American soldiers.

The plaza is also the site of the William Dudley Chipley Monument, a beautiful fountain which is a replica of a fountain in Seville, Spain, a United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Benchmark, a Plaza Ferdinand Renovation Monument, Andrew Jackson Monument and four cannons obtained from Ft. Pickens, Ft. Barrancas, and the Navy Yard.

Of interest is the wall built of ballast rock, which extends around the Plaza.  Begin your visit in the center of the Plaza; move north to the fountain and then rotate counter-clockwise. I'll be posting more on Historic Downtown Pensacola in future blogs so make sure to visit again!