First Day Hike at Bulow Plantation Ruins

sugar mill ruins bulow plantation historic florida state park

ParK Overview

Get swept away in Florida plantation history at Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park located in Ormond Beach, Florida. Explore 150 acres of historic structures, a designated State Canoe Trail, and over 7 miles of hiking/biking trails connecting to Bulow Creek State Park. Stroll along the ½ mile nature trail to check out the slave quarters sites or take the trail that leads to the historic spring house.

Hike the 6.8-mile Bulow Woods Trail from the 2,000-year-old Fairchild Oak tree in Bulow Creek State Park up to the Sugar Mill Ruins, or simply access the plantation ruins from the main park entrance. Spend the day exploring all the history and beauty these preserved sites have to offer!

bulow creek bulow plantation historic florida statepark — Bulow Creek

PARK HISTORY

Left with his merchant father’s wealth and legacy, John Joachim Bulow managed Bulow Plantation from 1821 to 1836, whereby the plantation became one of the largest and most successful sugar cash crops in Florida. The plantation house was over two stories tall with a bridge across Pellicer Creek leading to the ocean. Slave quarters were built in a semi-circle around the house where over 300 slaves harvested their own corn and sweet potatoes. The plantation grounds stretched 4,675 acres, 40 miles south of St. Augustine along a tidal creek that was later named Bulow Creek. A sawmill, cotton gins, corn house, steam engine, and blacksmith shop also existed on site.

John Bulow befriended the native people and actively argued against the U.S. government’s treaty for Indian removal east of the Mississippi. In 1835, when State Militia entered BulowVille to battle local Seminoles, Bulow was taken prisoner after firing a cannon at Major Putnam’s troops. He was relocated to St. Augustine and then freed. As tensions of the Second Seminole War rose, Bulow, his slaves, and other refugees abandoned the land in a midnight trip 10 miles north to Hernandez St. Joseph’s Plantation.

sugar mill ruins bulow plantation florida state park — Sugar Mill Ruins

In 1836, Seminoles burned down Bulow Plantation, as well as several other plantations in the area. All that remains today are tall coquina rock fort-like walls. The remains of Bulow Plantation offer historical glimpses into the lives of these slaves who cultivated cotton, rice, and indigo crops on this land in the early 1800s. Piles of coquina shells, timber, and limestone await exploration and exhibits feature depictions of daily life for a BulowVille slave, all shrouded by a heavily wooded area that looks as it did when the Seminoles ruled the land.

In 1945, Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park was established, and in 1970, the Sugar Mill Ruins was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

bulow plantation historic florida state park — Bulow Plantation - First Day Hike

OUR ADVENTURE

On our First Day Hike of 2018, we drive along a short scenic trail to get out and explore the sugar mill ruins. Along Bulow Creek, we walk around to view the slave quarters sites and plantation house ruins to learn more about southern plantation history and the Second Seminole War. Park benches line the creek under live oaks, longleaf pines, and sabal palms, leading to a boat ramp. Weather deters us from venturing by sea and impedes further land exploration, so we decide to pack it out for the New Year’s Day, escaping the frigid air and walking away with newfound brave beginnings.