Abandoned Florida

09/10/2026

As one of Alachua County's oldest communities, Rochelle was originally named Perry Junction after Governor Madison Starke Perry, whose plantation was located there, and was later known as Gruelle. The town initially developed as a citrus hub and a major railway junction. In 1882, the Florida Southern Railway built a narrow-gauge line through Rochelle connecting Palatka, Gainesville, and Ocala. Later, it served as a daily stopover between Jacksonville and St. Petersburg on the Plant Railway System main line. However, the Great Freeze of 1894–95 devastated the local economy, prompting most settlers and tourists to move further south. Development stalled, leaving behind only a few surviving structures from its era as a thriving town.

Among the finest remaining structures is the historic schoolhouse, built around 1885 and originally known as the Martha Perry Institute. The school stands on land formally deeded in 1889 by Miss Sallie Perry, the governor's daughter, to school trustees A. F. Zetrouer and T. F. Kennedy for a "white Public and Private School Lot." Evidence indicates the school was functioning before this official land transfer: school board minutes record an operating white school as early as September 1887, employing one teacher for $45 a month over a five-month term (extended to seven months in April 1890 as attendance reached 80%). Additionally, W. S. Webb's 1885 history of Florida notes that Rochelle already contained two sawmills, two churches, 25 residences, and two schools (one white and one colored, with the white school established first).

The school operated continuously until 1935. Today, the privately owned building remains well preserved, still housing its original school bell and many student desks.

09/06/2026

This is one of two mass graves at Oaklawn Cemetery in Tampa; this one being where 102 soldiers and settlers from Fort Brooke are buried.

Fort Brooke was a military post established in 1824 at the mouth of the Hillsborough River in what is now downtown Tampa. Originally built to serve as a trading post and a check on the native Seminole population, it eventually became a vital military headquarters and port during all three Seminole Indian Wars. The outpost also played a strategic role during the American Civil War, serving as the site of the minor Battle of Fort Brooke in 1863 before being captured by Union forces the following year. Following a period of decline, the U.S. Army decommissioned the fort in 1883, which opened up the military reserve land for homesteaders and sparked a period of rapid development for the growing city of Tampa. Today, much of the fort's former footprint is occupied by modern public spaces and landmarks, including the Tampa Convention Center and the Tampa Riverwalk.

09/03/2026

The Jackson Rooming House in Tampa this morning. After years of failed efforts to restore it, work is finally moving foward... hopefully.

The Jackson Rooming House was a historic boarding house that became an important refuge for Black travelers during the Jim Crow segregation era. Located near Tampa Union Station, the house was originally built around 1901 by Moses and Sarah Jackson and was eventually expanded into a roughly 24-room boarding house. Because Black travelers were often denied lodging at white hotels and boarding houses, the Jackson House provided a safe and welcoming place for Black railroad workers, travelers, and entertainers to stay. It became closely connected to Tampa’s historic Central Avenue business and entertainment district, and famous performers such as Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, James Brown, Count Basie, and Cab Calloway are known to have stayed there. The Jackson family operated the rooming house for generations before the business eventually closed. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007 because of its importance to Tampa’s Black history. Today, the Jackson House is especially significant because it is one of the few remaining physical reminders of Tampa’s historic Black community and the segregation-era businesses that once surrounded the area.

08/31/2026

Regency Square Mall in Jacksonville, Florida, once stood as one of the most successful and thriving retail hubs in the nation after opening its doors in 1967. Originally anchored by major department stores like JCPenney and May Florida, the complex underwent a massive $30 million expansion in the 1980s to double its size, adding Sears, a food court, and a movie theater. However, the 1990s and 2000s brought severe challenges, as rising local crime rates and shiny new shopping centers like St. Johns Town Center siphoned away traffic, leading to plummeting occupancy and the departure of major brand names.

After years under ownership plagued by maintenance issues, roof leaks, and legal disputes, the mall's long decline reached its end when the main interior officially closed in June 2025. Today, the site is slated for demolition to clear the path for a new mixed-use community named The Nexus at Regency, which will transform the historic retail footprint into modern housing, office space, and retail units.

https://abandonedfl.com/regency-square-mall/

08/30/2026

This weekend, Saturday and Sunday, I will be peddling art prints, antiques, and oddities at this year's Tabernacle of Oddities in Tampa at the Cuban Club. There's gonna be food, vendors, music, and a showing of Gummo in the theater with special guests Jacob Reynolds and Nick Sutton. I've been busy getting everything ready and hope to see you all there!

Sept 5th 12-8pm
Sept 6th 12-6pm

2010 N Avenida Republica de Cuba, Tampa, FL 33605

08/26/2026

These underground tunnels in Jacksonville run underneath the old Union Station, now the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center. Even though the station has since been renovated, the tunnels which were built to bring passengers safely under the platforms to board trains on far tracks, have been buried and forgotten. Each platform had its own ramp which connected with the main tunnel which led to the main building.

The University of Florida currently has plans to turn the former train station, now the Prime Osborn Convention Center, into a graduate campus. As part of the deal, a new platform will be added, allowing the relocation of the city's Amtrak station and bringing passengers back to this historic landmark. As far as I know, the tunnels will remain buried.

08/20/2026

The River Preserve is an abandoned condo development in Sebastian, Fla., where tragedy occurred a few weeks ago. On the evening of August 8, 2026, a 16-year-old girl died after falling through a hole in the roof of one of the abandoned four-story buildings while trespassing with a group of her friends. Having fallen nearly 30 feet onto concrete, the girl was flown to Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, where she later died due to her injuries. This is a tragic and increasingly common incident happening at abandoned properties throughout the country, and I will reiterate, not trespass onto these properties, not only due to the legal ramifications, but also due to the serious dangers and severe safety hazards these places pose.

08/19/2026

Built in 1911 for lumber and turpentine magnate John Wesley Dutton, this Classical Revival home featured Corinthian columns, tiered verandas, and exotic woodwork. Over the decades, it evolved from a grand family mansion into the Griffith-Stith Funeral Parlor, later becoming the Colonial Guest Home and apartment rooms for visiting tourists.

After falling into disrepair and facing potential demolition in the 1990s, local preservationists fought to save it. UPDATE: Thankfully, a new owner stepped in and began proper steps towards its restoration, with construction nearly complete. Thank you all for the updates!

https://abandonedfl.com/john-dutton-house/

08/18/2026

While not in Florida, this is a tragic reminder of why urban exploration carries real danger. A teenager recently fell to their death after entering an abandoned high-rise in New Orleans. Venturing into these decaying structures poses a severe risk of serious injury or death. Stay safe, everyone.

NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick and Deputy Mayor Michael Harrison said a group of teens were inside the building and coming down a stairway when tragedy struck.

08/18/2026

Long before modern funeral homes existed in Jacksonville, the story began in 1851 with a man named Calvin Oak. Diagnosed with tuberculosis and given just six months to live, Oak moved his family from Vermont to Florida, hoping the sunny climate would heal him. Not only did he survive another 30 years, but he became one of the city’s most prominent figures, building Jacksonville’s first gun factory, opening a jewelry shop on Bay Street, and establishing the city's first mortuary business in 1856 alongside his son, Byron.

Local legend has it that Calvin used to stand at the docks when steamboats arrived from Charleston. Holding a tall rod, he would gauge the height of incoming passengers from afar to estimate coffin sizes for anyone he suspected wouldn’t make it through the winter, having their caskets constructed ahead of their death.

His business laid the foundation for what eventually became the Moulton & Kyle Funeral Home.

https://abandonedfl.com/moulton-kyle-funeral-home/