John Addison acquired this hammock along the Tomoka River in 1807 for a cotton plantation.
He was one of many planters at the time using enslaved labor to transform the Florida coast into a series of massive farming operations.
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Overview
Location: Ormond Beach
Trailhead: 29.332353,-81.095767
Fees: Not open to the public
Land Manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 386-676-4050
This park has not opened to the public.
Location
Located along the Tomoka River basin. It can be viewed from a boat or if paddling past on a trip up the Tomoka River from Tomoka State Park. Do not trespass.
About the Park
After John Addison died the plantation was sold. It was converted by the next owners, the McRaes, to grow sugar cane.
But just like nearby Bulow Plantation, the plantation and its sugar mill were destroyed by a Seminole raiding party in 1836, despite a garrison of the Carolina Militia on the property.
Abandoned by its owners, the remains of the tabby (oyster shell and lime) buildings vanished beneath the leafy green understory.
Created from an outdoor kitchen, the blockhouse was added to in the 1920s. Efforts are underway to preserve the remaining buildings and ruins for public viewing.
Addison was buried on the property after his death, but due to vandalism, his tombstone was moved near the Recreational Hall in Tomoka State Park in the 1970s.
Learn more about the history of Addison Blockhouse from the Ormond Historical Society
Learn more history from Florida State Parks