The Peak and Decay of Bulow Plantation
Charles Wilhelm Bulow
John Joachim Bulow
Can you imagine inheriting acres of Bulow Plantation property at the age of 15? Well, that is exactly what happened to John Joachim Bulow when his father, Major Charles Wilhelm Bulow passed away in 1823. Left with his merchant father’s wealth and legacy, John Joachim Bulow quickly had to learn how to manage over 300 slaves and cultivate cotton, rice, and indigo crops at Bulow Plantation. The plantation grounds stretched 4,675 acres, 40 miles south of St. Augustine along a tidal creek that was later named Bulow Creek.
Bulow Plantation thrived under the ownership of young John Joachim Bulow with the construction of 60 buildings, including a 2-story mansion, spring house, and the largest sugar mill in Florida. Referred to as BulowVille, Bulow Plantation was one of the largest plantations on the east coast.
BulowVille
In its heyday, BulowVille was a symbol of prosperity in the South and a popular place for authors, naturalists, and wealthy merchants to stay. Bulow entertained his guests down the Halifax River as far as Jupiter Inlet in an 8-oar fishing boat, typically carrying guns, nets, tents, and cooks. Nearby Seminoles came to “trade turkey, venison, wild hogs, and Contie flour in exchange for cloth, silver dollars, rum and whiskey.” Bulow developed a friendship with the natives that would ultimately lead to the demise of BulowVille and of Bulow himself.
Second Seminole War
These glory days came to an abrupt end in December 1835 at the outbreak of the Second Seminole War in Florida. Bulow’s relationship with the native Seminoles was symbiotic, and he strong-heartedly disagreed with the U.S. Government’s treaty for Indian removal east of the Mississippi. He fought against efforts for Seminole Indian displacement, including the firing of cannons at the troops encroaching on his property. In response, the State Militia took Bulow as prisoner in his own home, but the troops were soon weakened by yellow fever and other illnesses. The troops, along with Bulow and the settlers, abandoned the property due to increasing tensions between the Seminoles and the State, and they retreated to St. Augustine. It is unclear if Bulow evacuated on his own volition or by forced service under militia guard.
The Destruction of BulowVille
In January 1836, the Seminoles burned down BulowVille in retaliation, protesting the forced uproot from their ancestral homelands - “the fires were so great, a rosy glow was observed forty miles away in St. Augustine.” The structures of BulowVille were never rebuilt, and Bulow was so distraught by the events that he died just three months after the fire destroyed his family’s renowned southern plantation. He was buried in St. Augustine at Huguenot Cemetery.
Bulow’s sister inherited the property, and it stayed in the Bulow family until 1945 when the Florida Park Service gained ownership and turned it into our beloved Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park. In 1970, the Sugar Mill Ruins was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Bulow Plantation Ruins
Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park
Today, all that remains at Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park are charred foundations of Bulow Plantation structures and historical glimpses into the lives of the plantation slaves. 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. You can hop on a short nature trail to visit the slave quarters sites, 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 Bulow Plantation ruins from the main park entrance. Spend the day exploring all the history and beauty these preserved historic sites have to offer!
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Get a closer look at the Sugar Mill Ruins historic site at Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park:
References:
Matrana, Marc R. Lost Plantations of the South. Univ. Press of Mississippi, 2009.
Ryan, Willam P. Bulow Gold: A Tale of Old Florida. 2014.