Tabby Ruins Travel Guide
Barbara Stevenson
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Fitzpatrick Plantation

4/4/2016

8 Comments

 
Description

Two tabby walls face each other in the isolated woods of Cedar Point, located at the southern end of Black Hammock Island in the Timucuan Preserve National Park in Jacksonville, FL. 

History

The tabby ruins are believed to be the remnants of the plantation established by William Fitzpatrick in 1795 on Cedar Point. In 1848 the land was sold to the Broward family, and in the 1990s it became part of the Timucuan Preserve National Park, which also includes the Thomson House and Kingsley Plantation tabby structures. (For more information see http://www.blackhammockisland.com.)

Location

Fitzpatrick Plantation proved difficult to find because the park and its website do not provide any information on the ruins. A sign at the site warns visitors away because the walls have not been stabilized, and so this may explain why no information is available. Below are details on driving to Cedar Point and walking to the ruins:

GPS: N 30°26.633 and W 81°27.700 (Cedar Point Boat Ramp Parking Lot)
          N 30°26.524 and W 81°27.931 (ruins)

Address: The Cedar Point Boat Ramp parking lot is located at ​9023 Cedar Point Road, Jacksonville FL 32218. Directions are given on the Timucuan Preserve website, and the location appears on the map below. At one point the road makes a sharp turn, and failing to make the turn will put the driver on a different road.

Visitors can find the start of a path at a sign at the boat ramp. Or, instead of parking at the boat ramp, visitors can follow Cedar Point Road to its very end and find the path located behind the gate, which appears to be the shorter route to the hiking trail.
 
Both paths converge at a sign outlining the Cedar Point hiking trails. The quickest way to the ruins is to follow the blue route (not the red) and keep left each time it forks. It is about .8 of a mile to the ruins.

Accessibility: Visitors need to be physically able to walk about two miles. Since the ruins are in a maritime forest, it is advisable to wear bug spray to ward off mosquitoes and ticks, and to wear covered shoes in case snakes or other creatures are encountered. Winter is the best time to visit.


8 Comments
Brenda Star Walker
8/12/2018 03:48:51 pm

Loved this article! I’m developing a little 2 acre parcel into a Food Forest/Personal Campground/Playground and looking to do it in Timuquan/Mocaman style.
I’m eager to take this trek in a month or two when it cools down a bit.
Peace☯️

Reply
Barbara Stevenson
8/13/2018 11:25:26 am

Thanks! I am glad you enjoyed the article. Hope you enjoy your visit to see the ruins. And good luck with your fascinating project.

Reply
J. Scott Barnard
1/26/2019 05:55:19 pm

Barbara, unfortunately the wall in the second picture has collapsed. jsb

Reply
Barbara Stevenson
1/28/2019 11:46:14 am

This is unfortunate! However, it is no surprise. The tabby walls were in poor condition and in an overgrown area. Thanks, Scott, for the update.

Reply
Anthony powers
9/1/2019 05:22:06 pm

This house was at one time was owned by my family the Browards in 1850

Reply
Barbara Stevenson
9/7/2019 04:46:50 pm

Too bad the Park could not preserve your ancestral home. And no doubt the recent hurricanes have taken their toll on the ruins.

Reply
Daniel O Geiger
1/22/2021 10:37:26 am

Thanks for this info - my father is 90 years old and his father (born in 1879 on the north side of Jacksonville) as a teenager would visit his uncle and aunt who lived in the tabby house that are now these ruins. We don't know if they owned or rented but assume they were renters as the Broward's appear to have records establishing ownership during these times (some of the Broward's were neighbors and family friends of our family -Geigers- dating back 140-years).
My grandfather would drive a the small family cattle heard once or twice a year out to visit his aunt and uncle for several days so the animals could graze on the salt marsh plants and thus receive the needed nutrients (a natural salt lick) they couldn't get on their home range.

Reply
Barbara Stevenson
1/22/2021 01:58:11 pm

Thank you for sharing this information, Daniel. It is so interesting to hear about those who lived at this historic site. I hope the remaining ruins can be stabilized.

Reply



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