Debbie Kirkland’s Blog

How many people can name the Capital City of Florida.. or correctly spell it?  Amazingly enough, people quickly forget that it is not Miami,.. however, once they visit, they soon want to return!

 ”Tallahassee”,… that’s it!  It’s also my home town. Three generations of my family live in Tallahassee and are natives of the area.  I’m so proud of what Tallahassee offers families, students, the young at heart and the adventurers! Here are a few things that attract visitors and those who wish to make Tallahassee their home!

• The Capitol buildings - new and old -epitomize Tallahassee’s proud heritage. At the New Capitol, visitors get a glimpse of government in action and a panoramic view of the city from the 22nd floor observatory. In the shade of giant live oaks, the Old Capitol proudly stands restored to its 1902 appearance with candy-striped awnings, stained glass dome and historic displays. This is the hub of our State Government.
• America’s largest concentration of original plantations — 300,000 acres, 71 plantations — exists between Tallahassee and Thomasville, Georgia, just 28 miles away. Many offer tours, hunting and fishing excursions. Each is rich in historical events and the avid history buff may actually locate plantation owners, workers for those prized personal interviews and tall pine tales! Historic Bradley’s Country Store is nestled among the old plantations out Centerville Road. They still produce and ship their famous sausage internationally  general store!
• As home of Florida State University, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee
  Community College with satellite campus for Flagler University. Tallahassee offers cultural events and campus oriented student activities, championship collegiate sporting events and world-renown research facilities drawing international experts in science and medicine. Many resources are available for our students and for those of us who like sports!
• The first Christmas celebrated in the United States was in Tallahassee at the encampment of Spanish Explorer Hernando de Soto in 1539. There are active archeological digs throughout the city, and a working Spanish Mission, “San Miguel” on the NW side of town. It’s a great half-day adventure for the history buff or the kids!
• Lights, Camera, Action !! Early “Tarzan” movies featuring Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O’Sullivan were filmed at nearby Wakulla Springs. Also filmed, were “Creature from the Black Lagoon” and “Airport 77.”  Tour this amazing river system and learn about it’s history or to just watch “ole Henry” the famous fish  “jump the log” beneath the glass bottom boat! My earliest memories were of hearing the call for ‘ole henry.. and later, I was privelaged to scuba dive one of the last dives in the main cavern srping of Wakulla Springs. What an adventure!
• George Washington’s great grandniece, Catharine Daingerfield-Willis-Gray and Napoleon Bonparte’s nephew, Prince Achille Murat, provided the social event of the season when they were married in Tallahassee in 1826. The plantation home of widowed Princess Murat is on exhibit at theTallahassee Museum. Family recreation spots can be found throughout the city. Fun for all ages, something for everyone!
• Tallahassee lists 122 properties on the National Register of Historic Places.Many people wish to live in the revitalized downtown and midtown areas that were once home to the first residents of the city. Historic homes, unique construction and features are found like prizes as owners and buyers unlock thier history.
• Featuring 28 sites including museums, galleries, public art sculpture, monuments and historic sites! Free tour maps available at the downtownVisitor Information Center and all participating sites.
• Minutes to access the “Forgotten Coast”of the Gulf of Mexico and the river and eco-systems of North Florida and South Georgia and surrounded by the Apalachicola National Forest.  Recreation lovers will always have outlets to camping, hiking, and everyday outdoor activities. See information on these trails on my website at:
  

  http://www.dep.state.fl.us/gwt/guide/regions/panhandleeast/panhandle_east.htm

• “Preservation of the past, respect for wildlife, and conservation of abundant natural resources… A distillation of what outdoor Tallahassee is all about.”
    ~ Delta Sky
• “Where else in the Sunshine State can you pretend to be the governor, peruse pirates’ plunder, and peer breathlessly at a daring young man on a flying trapeze — all in the same day?”
    ~ Southern Living 

Regardless of why you visit Tallahassee,… you will find a kind and gentle atmosphere in our city and with the people who live here. Southern hospitality abides in the streets, the stores, the events and just about anywhere folks gather. 

Remember to call ahead and I will gather informaiton for you, provide you a synopsis of the housing market and supply you with information that may just want to make you call Tallahassee HOME!

Debbie Kirkland

www.HomeSalesofTallahassee.com

mailto:debbiekirkland@homesalesoftallahasssee.com

850-212-0440

Front Doors,.. Where History Lives and Memories are Made!

Living in Tallahassee my entire life has afforded me the opportunity to watch many neighborhoods develop. “30 something” years ago, (and that’s as far back as I admit to going right now!), Tallahassee was a quiet, quaint and unique city. The Capitol of Florida was home to may government officials and guests of government as well as a spot for visitors form throughout the state and southeast, all arriving to do business in the city.

My family was among those who owned and operated private businesses , which included Tallahassee Builder’s Supply, Hammon’s Asphalt Paving, building contractors and tradesmen, and restaurant supply businesses. My grandmother was even a teacher at the old Sealey Elementary, which was then housed on the ground where the current Tallahassee Police Department sits, next to what was then the original Mutt and Jeff’s diner, (home of the Black cow soda and footlong chili-slaw dogs)! I’ve heard many a story of front porch events!

My heritage, like many other natives of Tallahassee runs deep into neighborhoods that are now located and designated as historic districts.  The “mansions” of old included the Knott House on Park Avenue, The Carraway Estate on Hillcrest, Godfrey Lewis’s home on Park Avenue and Magnolia, (I’ll never forget Mr. Godfrey Smith and the lollipops he insisted on personally giving us kids as we visited Capital City Bank. Before drive-in windows!)  These were all homes that I admired even as a child. Part of that hometown comfort I suppose, was a much more simplified “networking system” within the city. It was called having personal relationships with families, neighbors, imagine that! As you rode by these homes, it was not unusual for folks to gather there, waving, or even a shout, “hello” on occasion!

Working on lot sales and new home construction in Bull Run has led to helping fostering a neighborhood - retro old Tallahassee style! Neighbors are getting to know one another and my new quarterly newsletter will offer stories from residents and developers that I hope will connect and tie families together, Tallahassee style.

My appreciation for old world architecture has developed over the years and I am glad to see a resurgent trend for incorporating those elements back into new home designs within the community. While new construction floor plans remain popular, custom home builders in Tallahassee plan details with homeowners to create exteriors and interiors personalized with reminders of particular family memories or special features. I am really lucky to work with so many wonderful new home contractors and even more fortunate to see plans and home details unfold as construction progresses into finely molded character. If you need a contractor,.. just ask,… I want to match you with the perfect home builder-artist!

If you haven’t noticed photos on my website, etc. I can tell you that you won’t find me without my camera often. I hate to miss perfect opportunities for capturing beauty in both unusual and the ordinary places I happen upon. With the beautiful weather of spring, you may see me driving the old streets, gathering photographs of the detail, the character, things that tell the story of Tallahassee in the older homes of our area. I’m told that my customers enjoy taking a look at the picture books in my office as well. So, I decided to post a few for you. This is the “Front Porch” series which includes some of my favorite, most welcoming entry ways. These were taken in the historic areas of Los Robles, Sunniland Terrace, and Betton Hills. If you see your home here… it is because it is amazing, so thank you!

Click here to submit your photos, or simply respond to this blog.  I will be watching for your favorite front porch stories. I know many of you probably have great ones lying around!  I will post them here to share with others! Maybe you have an idea for the next series?

Here’s a great link on making your home welcoming..and creating the perfect front door statement: Front Door Design.

 A Weekend on the Forgotten Coast… where the worries of the world are truly,… forgotten!

This weekend I’m taking off!  It’s my daughters 18th birthday and she’s headed to my little townhouse in Lanark Village. As typical for today’s kids.. she has no idea of historical points of interest, but focuses of how close we are to the sugar beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. Someting about tanning before spring break…?

I, however, am a history buff.. love reading about the Tallahassee and surrounding coastal areas.  I peruse the libraries, the internet,.. and museums for photographs and artifacts that are similar to what I have collected over the years. Originally a 1 BR, 1 BA concrete block WWII barrack,.. has now been recently remodeled with lots of love, my undiscovered little place by the sea is a true a weekend get-a-way for me and the girls.

Located 45 minutes from Tallahassee, and 20 minutes to Apalachicola and St. George’s Island, the now privately owned townhomes of Lanark Village once served as WWII military headquarters of Camp Gordon Johnston established in 1942 as Camp Carrabelle.  It was the training ground for thousands of soldiers, many of who were sent overseas to the pacific. The site was chosen because of it’s strategic location and port which was used to ship oil from Texas thru the Intercoastal waterway to Carrabelle then via pipeline to Jacksonville and on to Europe.  It sits high on a hill but across from the beaches along the scenic coastal highway 98 and near the mouth of the Carrabelle River.

March 7 - 10th is dedicated as Camp Gordon Johnston Days,.. and in traditional coastal style… a good time was had by all as the celebration to honor veterans of WWII began with a parade on Saturday! Click here to see photos of the event, courtesy the Tallahassee Democrat.

So much history! Going even further back,…did you know,……?

Historically, residents of Carrabelle date back 12,000 years. The late Pleistocene shorelines in the Gulf of Mexico were located as much as 70 - 90 miles seaward of their present locations.  That is hard to imagine! So much history submerged beneath fathoms of ocean water!It is not difficult to see why Paleo-Indian period coastal sites have yet to be discovered in Florida, they are submerged beneath fathoms of ocean water, many kilometers offshore. Indian tradeways developed from the coast to northern Florida, including Mission St. Luis. My family and I have scoured freshly timbered sites to find many unusual artifacts, arrowheads, spear heads and even a few rusty hand-smithed nails!

All this to say… come see us!  Visit the forgotten coast for some of the most beautiful beaches, the best gulf coast fishing, the freshest oysters of the Apalachicola Bay, and find some of the best deals on coastal property in the state of Florida!  For a personal tour… you can always call me… your history buff! 

Welcome to Debbie Kirkland’s Blog! This blog will provide you with valuable information, tips, and general insight into the real estate market in Tallahassee.