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Washington Oaks Gardens State Park

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Nearest city
  
Palm Coast, Florida

Architectural style
  
Modern Movement

Area
  
8 ha

Phone
  
+1 386-446-6780

Nearest city
  
Palm Coast, Florida

NRHP Reference #
  
09000400

Year built
  
1936

Added to NRHP
  
30 September 2009

Washington Oaks Gardens State Park

Location
  
Flagler County, Florida, USA

Governing body
  
Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Address
  
6400 N Ocean Shore Blvd, Palm Coast, FL 32137, USA

Hours
  
Closed now Saturday8AM–5:45PMSunday8AM–5:45PMMonday8AM–5:45PMTuesday8AM–5:45PMWednesday8AM–5:45PMThursday8AM–5:45PMFriday(Good Friday)8AM–5:45PMHours might differSuggest an edit

Management
  
Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Similar
  
Gamble Rogers Memorial, Cherokee Grove, Anastasia State Park, Bing's Landing, Florida Agricultural Museum

The beach at washington oaks gardens state park


Washington Oaks Gardens State Park is a Florida State Park located near Palm Coast, Florida, along A1A. The park is most famous for its formal gardens, but it also preserves the original habitat of a northeast Florida barrier island.

Contents

4k washington oaks gardens state park florida usa


EcologyEdit

Habitats preserved by the park include beach, coastal scrub, coastal hammock, and tidal marshes.

FloraEdit

Vegetation includes southern live oaks (Quercus virginiana), magnolias, hickories (Carya spp.), cabbage palmettos (Sabal palmetto), and saw palmettos (Serenoa repens). Plants that can be found in the gardens are roses, camellias, and azaleas, among others.

FaunaEdit

Wildlife include sea turtles, Florida gopher tortoises, West Indian manatees, white-tailed deer, raccoons, bobcats, foxes, Virginia opossums, eastern gray squirrels, pileated woodpeckers, northern cardinals, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and Florida scrub jays.

HistoryEdit

The park's land has a rich history. Native Americans found the area a productive hunting and fishing area. After European settlement of Florida, the property had a number of owners and was used for various agricultural purposes. One owner was a surveyor named George Washington, a relative of President George Washington. In 1936, Louise Powis Clark, wife of the industrialist Owen D. Young purchased the property as a winter retirement home. She devised the name "Washington Oaks" for the property and is responsible for developing the park's formal gardens, citrus groves, and house. Mr. Young died in 1962 and Mrs. Young donated the property to the State of Florida in 1964. Her donation specified that the "gardens be maintained in their present form".

Recreational activitiesEdit

The park has such amenities as beaches (on both the Matanzas River and Atlantic Ocean), bicycling, fishing, hiking, picnicking areas and wildlife viewing. The original residence has been converted into a visitor center with interpretive exhibits.

Hours and admissionEdit

Florida state parks are open between 8 a.m. and sundown every day of the year (including holidays). An admission fee is required.

References

Washington Oaks Gardens State Park Wikipedia