Horne’s Abandoned Florida History of Horne’s Motor Lodge and Restaurants The Beginning Horne’s was a Southern-style restaurant chain primarily found in the Southeastern United States, strategically located along major highways. Headquartered in Bayard, Florida, the chain once boasted over 60 locations, though only one original restaurant remains. Many Horne’s locations combined diner-style sit-down service with additional amenities such ..read more

Old Fort Park Ruins Abandoned Florida History of the Old Fort Park Ruins The Old Fort Park Ruins in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, have conclusively been around since the 18th century, but their origin remains a mystery. Was it a Spanish or English fort? Or was it the foundation of a house built by Dr. Andrew Turnbull, New Smyrna’s founder? Dr ..read more

New Smyrna Sugar Mill Ruins Abandoned Florida History of the New Smyrna Sugar Mill Ruins In 1830, William Kemble entered into a contract to construct a steam-operated sugarcane mill and a sawmill for merchant speculators William DePeyster and Henry Cruger, both of New York, which would become known as the New Smyrna Sugar Mill Ruins. Eliza Cruger, the wife of Henry Cruger ..read more

Spanish American War Battery Abandoned Florida Military History of St. Johns Bluff The Spanish American War Battery was a fort built during the Spanish-American War. It is located on St. Johns Bluff, southeast of the former Fort Caroline site where Spanish forces slaughtered French Huguenot settlers in 1565. Fort Caroline Fort Caroline was established in 1564 by French Huguenots, Protestant settlers ..read more

Braden Castle Ruins Abandoned Florida Braden Castle The Braden Family Dr. Joseph Addison Braden, son of Robert and Elizabeth Stevens Braden, was born around 1811 in Loudoun, Virginia. He had eight other siblings, and he was the youngest. There is very little information about Joseph’s formative years, so when or where he received the title of Doctor is unknown. Joseph’s ..read more

Old Clay County Jail Abandoned Florida Old Clay County Jail The Old Clay County Jail in Green Cove Springs, Florida, was built in 1894 by the Pauly Jail Company and is the second oldest, still-standing jail in the state. St. Augustine’s Old Jail is the oldest. It was constructed of one-foot-thick red brick walls, sixteen jail cells in various sizes, and ..read more

Elf Houses of Oak Hill Abandoned Florida The Elf Houses of Oak Hill Nestled off the highway in the nearby woods, these crumbling concrete structures stand as relics from another time, affectionately known as “Elf Houses” and “Fairy Homes.” One ivy-covered structure has a low doorway, barely six feet tall, and a dirt floor scattered with traces of past visitors—empty cans, discarded ..read more

St. Anne Shrine Abandoned Florida St. Anne Shrine St. Anne Shrine, located about six miles east of Lake Wales, is but a shadow of its former self. Its weathered stone grotto and tiled altar are among the few aging remnants of its revered past. The story of St. Anne Shrine begins in 1920 when a group of Catholics from Canada ..read more

Tramor Cafeteria Abandoned Florida Bob’s Cafeteria The Tramor Cafeteria, once an iconic establishment in St. Petersburg, Florida, represents a significant chapter in the city’s mid-20th-century history. This cafeteria was renowned for its food and cultural role as a vibrant community hub in downtown St. Petersburg. From its opening in the 1930s until its transformation into different ventures later in ..read more

King Solomon Rathel River House Abandoned Florida King Solomon Rathel and Marvel Funderburk King Solomon Rathel was born to Martin and Mary Rathel on September 30, 1895, in Donalsonville, Georgia. Family members are listed as “Rathel” in some documents, while others are listed as “Rayfield.” King had a daughter named Lois from a previous marriage to Macy Cross, although there wasn’t much ..read more