The 1849 Gregory House sits prominently above the river within the Torreya State Park. Tours are available, but we did not partake this time. This house was originally down river a bit on the opposite bank and was disassembled in the 1930's, board by board, and reassembled on the current site in the park. This is the back of the house.
Nice view of the river from the back yard:
It is hard to see just how high it is. Those are big trees and the river has barges that run it. That may help with the perspective.
Because the river was an important highway for centuries, it needed defending during the Civil War.
It is interesting that these guys were sent over to Olustee to reinforce that effort. We have been to that re-enactment several times. Not sure how they got there. Probably train?
One totally modern observation: when you are at Torreya, your cell phone and your watch will most likely not agree on the time. The time zone changes at the river. The cell towers are across the river, and most phones will automatically change the time to the source of the service.
3 comments:
I'm sad that when we were camping at the Caverns last year that I didn't get a chance to go Torreya. Maybe in the spring we'll drive the five hours again.
Here are some details and the wording of an out-of-the-way historical marker on the bluff side of Chattahoochee:
http://www.flheritage.com/preservation/markers/markers.cfm?ID=gadsden
Title: SITE OF ELLICOTT'S OBSERVATORY
Location:at intersection of Pearl and High Streets
County: Gadsden
City: Chattahoochee
Description: At the end of the American Revolutionary War in 1783, Florida was returned to Spain after twenty years of British control. Controversy soon arose over the exact location of the boundary between Spanish Florida and the state of Georgia. In 1795, Spain and the United States signed the Treaty of San Lorenzo, an agreement fixing the boundary in question at the thirty-first parallel and providing a survey to be made to determine the exact location of that line. In May, 1796, President George Washington appointed Andrew Ellicott, a mathematician and experienced surveyor, as the American Commissioner for the survey. After much delay, work got underway in June, 1798. A party of Spanish and American surveyors carrying with them a large accumulation of apparatus required for making astronomical and land measurements began the task of determining the exact boundary line. By August, 1799, the group had reached the Chattahoochee River. On August 23, they selected a site near the mouth of the Flint River as a campsite. Near this marker, an observatory was set up. Here Ellicott made his calculations until difficultly arose with Indians residing in the area. On September 18, 1799, Ellicott abandoned the camp and departed for East Florida to complete the survey.
Sponsors: sponsored by Gadsden county historical commission in cooperation with department of state
It really is a special place, any time of year. In the winter, you get a better sense of the contour of the land. In January, the trilliums will be blooming (and the buckeyes), so you may want to go sooner, Dani.
Lesle, it is always good to read your comments. Thanks for the great website resource. I bookmarked it.
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