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Central West Region
Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins Historic State Park
Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins Historic State Park © Ebyabe / CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins in Homosassa, Florida. It is part of a Florida State Park, and on the National Register of Historic Places.
Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins Historic State Park © Ebyabe / CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins in Homosassa, Florida. It is part of a Florida State Park, and on the National Register of Historic Places.
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YULEE SUGAR MILL RUINS HISTORIC STATE PARK
YULEE SUGAR MILL RUINS HISTORIC STATE PARK
State Road 490
Homosassa, Florida   34446
(lat:28.7842 lon:-82.6079) map location

Phone: 352-795-3817
This site was once part of a thriving sugar plantation owned by David Levy Yulee. Yulee was a member of the Territorial Legislative Council, and served in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate after Florida statehood. The park contains the remnants of the once-thriving 5,100-acre sugar plantation: a forty-foot limestone masonry chimney, iron gears, and a cane press. The steam-driven mill operated from 1851 to 1864 and served as a supplier of sugar products for southern troops during the Civil War.
History of the Area
Approximately 1,000 slaves operated the 5,100-acre sugar plantation. Crops grown included sugar cane, citrus, cotton, and produce just to name a few. Spain deeded most of the plantation to Yulee during the Spanish occupation. The most imposing feature of the plantation was the sugar mill located near the Homosassa River. The mill operated for 13 years, producing sugar, syrup and molasses. (Molasses was used to make rum.) The mill was abandoned during the Civil War and Yulee?s plantation home, located down the river, was burned. The plantation and mill never recovered from the war. During a visit to this small park you will see the ruins of this once prosperous mill. Still standing are the steam boiler, crushing machinery, and large cooking kettles (all shipped to Florida from New York) used to process the sugar cane. Also remaining are the stonework chimney, well and foundation all quarried and constructed by the slaves. A small oval pathway leads visitors around the ruins to interpretive plaques that explain how the system worked.



Picnicking
Across the street from the ruins is the park's picnic area. A six-table pavilion is available to groups on a first-come-first-serve basis. Grills and picnic tables are also scattered throughout the picnic area. Restrooms are available. There are no fees charged to visit the park.

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Pets
Well-behaved dogs are welcome at Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins Historic State Park. They must be kept on a 6-foot leash at all times and can not be left unattended for more than a half-hour.

Directions
The park is located in the small town of Homosassa, which is located about 3 miles west of the city of Homosassa Springs. Take U.S. Hwy 19 (northbound or southbound) to the town of Homosassa Springs, then turn west onto C.R. 490 West (Yulee Drive). Proceed for approximately 2.5 miles to the park. There are brown and white highway signs that will lead you to the park. The Ruins of the Mill are situated within five feet of the road and can be easily seen.

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Florida
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Florida State Parks

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