Naval Live Oaks Reservation facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Naval Live Oaks Reservation
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 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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| Location | Santa Rosa County, Florida |
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| Nearest city | Gulf Breeze, Florida |
| Area | 1,300 acres (5.3 km²) |
| Visitation | 1,689,400 (2005) |
| MPS | Archeological Properties of the Naval Live Oaks Reservation MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 98001169 |
| Added to NRHP | September 28, 1998 |
The Naval Live Oaks Reservation is a special place near Gulf Breeze, Florida. It's part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. This area was bought by the U.S. government way back in 1828. It was the very first federal tree farm in the country! Its main job was to grow strong live oak trees.
The tree farm started working on January 18, 1829. Today, it's a beautiful forest area managed by the National Park Service. It became part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore on January 8, 1971. Later, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 28, 1998.
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A Forest for Ships
The land for the Naval Live Oaks area was bought for a very important reason: to save valuable live oak trees. These trees were perfect for building ships. President John Quincy Adams was the one who approved starting this federal tree farm.
Growing Strong Trees
A man named Henry Marie Brackenridge was the superintendent, or manager, of this tree farm. He lived right there and experimented with growing live oak trees. He might have been the first federal forester in the United States!
Using live oaks for shipbuilding was common in America by the 1700s. The wood from these trees was very strong and durable.
Famous Live Oak Ships
Many famous ships were built using live oak. Some early ones include the USS Hancock (1776), which was an American revolutionary privateer. The USS Constitution (1797) and USS Constellation (1797) were also built with this strong wood.
The USS Constitution fought against the British during the War of 1812. It earned the nickname "Old Ironsides" because its live oak construction was so strong that cannonballs seemed to bounce off it!
From Wood to Steel
Over time, the need for wooden ships changed. New warships began to be made from iron and steel instead. This meant that live oak timber was not as important for building new ships.
However, in 1926, live oak timbers from the Pensacola area were still useful. They were used to help restore the USS Constitution, which had become a national monument.
The Park Today
Today, the Naval Live Oaks Reservation covers over 1,300 acres (5.3 km2). It is part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. The Department of the Interior and the National Park Service own and manage this land.
U.S. Route 98 runs through the southern part of the area. South of the highway, you can find a visitor's center for the Gulf Islands National Seashore. There are also some public beach areas there.
On the north side of the highway, there is a picnic area. From there, you can follow a trail to a bluff that overlooks Pensacola Bay. There are many trails throughout the park for visitors to explore.
Gallery
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Highway 98 going through the Naval Live Oaks.
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View from the top of the bluff in the Naval Live Oaks, looking south on the rest of the reservation.
