Kerr City, Florida facts for kids
Kerr City is a fascinating ghost town in Marion County, Florida, United States. It's located near Lake Kerr, about three miles west of SR 19 on a road called CR 316. A ghost town is a place where most people have left, and many buildings are empty.
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The Story of Kerr City
Kerr City was one of the first towns planned in Marion County. It was officially laid out in 1884. The town quickly grew to have about 100 people. It had many important buildings like a hotel, a sawmill, a general store, a pharmacy, a school that also served as a church, and a post office.
This town was a key stop for travelers. People going between the St. John's River and Ocala would often stop here. Before it became a town, the area was a cotton farm during the Civil War. Later, it became a busy place for growing oranges. However, the town was mostly abandoned after very cold weather, known as the Great Freezes, hit Florida in 1894 and 1895. These freezes destroyed the orange crops, and people had to leave to find work elsewhere.
Early Life in Kerr City
When Kerr City was first planned in 1884, it covered about 205 acres (which is about 0.83 square kilometers). It had 26 blocks with streets named after states like Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio.
In 1885, a doctor from Chicago named Junis Terry and his wife arrived. They built a large hotel called the Lake Kerr House. This hotel was three stories tall and made from strong, new pine wood. Even though they cleared trees around it to prevent fires, the hotel sadly burned down in 1907. Some people believed it was set on fire on purpose.
The Post Office and Later Years
The town's post office opened in 1884. It was later renamed Lake Kerr Post Office in 1888 and stayed open until 1942.
George Smiley, who helped start the town, continued to live in Kerr City even after most of his neighbors left because of the freezes. Over time, he bought many of the empty properties around him. By 1955, his son, Alfred, owned the entire town!
More recently, a person named Arthur Brennan, whose family were some of the first people to settle there, came to own the area. Mr. Brennan has worked hard to fix up many of the old homes. These homes are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means they are important historical sites. He rents them out today.
As of September 2014, Kerr City is fenced off. This means the general public cannot visit the town anymore.
Historic Buildings
One interesting building still standing in Kerr City is what used to be the oldest Texaco "station" in Florida. It was built in 1925 and is still in great condition. Even though it's very old, it now pumps unleaded gas, just like modern gas stations!
