Nature, preservation and 'hard history' meet at Milton archeological site and museum
Time travel may be impossible, but this hidden gem rich with local history on U.S. Highway 90 might just be the next best thing.
If you’ve ever wondered what life looked like in Milton and its surrounding areas between the 19th and 20th century, then the iconic Arcadia Mill archaeological site is worth a visit.
Arcadia Mill Archaeological Site in Milton represents the first and largest 19th century water-powered industrial complex in Northwest Florida. Today the 42-acre site includes museum exhibits, a "treetop classroom," a boardwalk, nature trails and much more.
“People really like getting to see some of the history and nature together,” said Philip Mayhair, the education and interpretation supervisor for the University of West Florida's Historic Trust. “For people that live out here, it’s kind of a favorite spot.”
Arcadia Mill is owned by the University of West Florida and managed by the university's Historic Trust, which also manages multiple historical sites and exhibits across downtown Pensacola. Arcadia has three visitable sites: the Homestead, the Visitor's Center and the boardwalk. Each site offers perspective on a different aspect of society during the time period.
Arcadia’s site suffered heavy damage during Hurricane Sally nearly four years ago which has required extensive repairs since, especially at its boardwalk. These repairs have not been finished yet, in part due to a of lack of funding for further repair projects through the state that have also impacted Arcadia's ability to hire full-time staff.
"In recent years, Arcadia’s legislative funding was vetoed so now our success depends on the support of private donors," the organization's website says.
Adrianne Walker has been the city of Pensacola's Historic Preservation Planner since 2022, but for more than a decade prior to that role she was the site manager for Arcadia Mill.
Walker began working at Arcadia as a graduate student with UWF in 2010 and with the help of a passionate staff transformed the site into what it's become, such as redoing the exhibits within the Visitor's Center and opening the Homestead.
"Before the funding cut happened, I think Arcadia had really hit its stride," Walker said. "We were thriving there with full-time staff and had field trips constantly, lots of community outreach and teaching people about archaeology. ... Between myself and (former museum educator) Krystal Brown we were just a machine; we were constantly doing something to improve the site, bring more awareness and look for new opportunities, so the funding cuts dramatically impacted those efforts."
Mayhair says that the Historic Trust is working on securing more funds for repairs at Arcadia, but for now things are up in the air.
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Despite the funding cuts, there is still plenty to see and do, and for a visitors have the opportunity to explore architecture, antiques and excavated relics from the Arcadia area on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Here's what Arcadia has to offer:
The history
Between 1817 and 1855, the mill site developed into a multi-faceted operation that included a sawmill, a lumber mill with planing and lathing machines, the Arcadia Pail Factory, a shingle mill, textile mill, an experimental silk operation, and one of the first railroads chartered in territorial Florida
Joseph Forsyth, Timothy Twitchell, and Jackson and Ezekiel Simpson sustained Arcadia as a profitable operation and the first, and largest, antebellum industrial complex in Northwest Florida in the early 19th century through production of lumber and cotton using enslaved people.
Profits began to take a hit in the early 1850s, and following the death of Forsyth in 1855 and a fire at the textile mill, the Arcadia parcel was put up for public auction in 1856.
No one elected to buy the parcel and Arcadia was abandoned for 109 years, until its rediscovery by local historian Warren Weeks in 1964. The Santa Rosa Historical Society then acquired 30 acres of Arcadia's land in the late 1980s, saving it from destruction or development.
Shortly after, UWF’s Archaeology Institute conducted a large?scale excavation of the industrial portion of Arcadia Mill. John Phillips and Judith Bense spearheaded the institute's first excavation project at Arcadia from 1990-1991, which investigated the industrial facilities including the earth and ironstone dam, first sawmill, and textile mill.
In 2004, the Santa Rosa Historical Society donated the property to UWF and its Historic Trust has been managing the property since. From 2009 to 2011, field schools of the Archeology Institute discovered evidence of a residential area where former enslaved workers of Arcadia used to reside.
The boardwalk
Arcadia began as an industrial area, but time and nature has taken its toll on its former structures.
All that remains of the former industrial complex is its waterways ? which carried logs and water from the nearby dam through the mill ? and the foundations of different structures that are buried in the dirt. Both the waterway and the former mill's various buildings can be seen using the boardwalk.
Now that nature’s taken the area back, the breathtaking view and solitude provided along the boardwalk and nature trail is available to use from sunrise to sunset all week long without any fees.
"They're here to be enjoyed," Mayhair said.
The signage present on the boardwalk will teach you about both local history and the immediate ecosystem. It will also take you through the remaining foundation of where Arcadia’s former textile mill, sawmill, dam and ironstone quarry used to stand.
Bugs, snakes and the occasional bear can also be spotted along the boardwalk, so keep your eyes out while walking.
The picnic tables by the boardwalk can be used for free during times that the boardwalk is open. The space provided in the area allows for larger events and gatherings.
Visitor’s Center
The Visitor’s Center at Arcadia Mill is located up the hill from the boardwalk and provides guests with an in?depth explanation on how Arcadia, including its surrounding areas, were developed beginning with the influence of Spaniard Juan de la Rua in 1817.
The Visitor’s Center is 1,000 square feet and holds exhibits, documents as well as artifacts dating back centuries. These were discovered by UWF’s archaeologists and can be viewed throughout the premises.
To access the visitor’s center, you will need to buy a ticket that will grant access to both the center and the Homestead for the day of purchase.
Guests can also rent the classroom?sized space in the back of the Visitor’s Center for events or let their kids explore their creativity for free in the children’s areas.
Arcadia Mill’s gift shop can be found at the Visitor’s Center and offers products ranging from historical reproduction items to attire that guests can wear while on the boardwalk.
Arcadia Homestead
As you drive down Anna Simpson Road, named after Ezekiel’s wife, you’ll notice many homes have been tucked away behind the orchard of trees lining U.S. 90.
No house along this road stands out more than the Arcadia Homestead, otherwise known as the Simpson House, the former, and second, residence of the Simpson family.
The Homestead is only open Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Prospective visitors can purchase tickets to visit at either the Visitor's Center or the Homestead, as the ticket includes access to both properties for the day of purchase.
After a fire burned down the Simpson’s original house in 1935, this home was built during the Great Depression and the family was forced to use whatever furniture was still left intact. The furniture that the family brought into the home is still present within the Homestead. (just don't touch!)
Several descendants of the Simpson family came together nearly two decades ago and donated the property to UWF as part of its Historical Trust to help preserve its history and significance. Walker, Brown and Arcadia's staff at the time developed property into the public, informative site that it's since become.
"We put a lot of love into that site and we're happy with the outcome," said Walker.
Both within the home and along its gravel path outside, visitors can learn about the Simpson family and their lives ? whether looking at their Victorian- and Great Depression?era furniture or the home’s appliances, the experience can feel like stepping back in time.
UWF Historic Trust staff have documented the names and ages of at least 50 former enslaved workers who labored on the property using little slips of papers posted throughout the house.
The ages of these enslaved people range from 1 to 80 years, and each was just as meaningful to the story and success of Arcadia Mill as its owners.
"I don't know if people really understand the intent behind it, but it was important that we made sure those people were acknowledged," said Walker. "By the end of my tenure at Arcadia, I very much felt connected to these people and I felt that it was my obligation to lend them a voice that they didn't have."
Walker said that for many years, the sole focus of Arcadia's historical value was the fact that it was a former mill site, with little mention or regard for its former enslaved workers.
"It was something that I felt strongly about ... we all agreed that more attention needed to be focused on the people who literally built Arcadia, it wouldn't exist without the enslaved laborers," she said. This spurred them to provide more emphasis on their experiences across Arcadia's exhibits.
The erasure of the enslaved workers' existence was intentional and made it more necessary for staff to try finding whatever evidence was possible of their lives, according to Walker.
"It's not an easy task because enslaved people were often left out of the historic record ... it really is trying to piece together a very fragmented history," she continued. "But from archaeology, we can learn a little bit about daily life and what they had access to from the artifacts that we find."
This hard, but essential, history is one of the most important parts of the site, according to Walker.
"We put a lot of focus on (Arcadia's enslaved workers) and wanted to bring that story to light," she continued. "Some people may see it as negative ? I view it more as hard history ? but it's part of our history, and it's something that we can't ignore and should acknowledge."
Want to go?
Arcadia Mill is located at 5709 Mill Pond Lane in Milton. Arcadia Homestead is located at nearby 4755 Anna Simpson Road.
The Arcadia Mill Visitor Center and Arcadia Homestead site operations are limited to Friday and Saturday only, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with the exception of major holidays.
Site grounds including the boardwalk and pavilion at Arcadia Mill Archaeological Site are open year-round, from sunrise to sunset.
Tickets will cost $6 for adults, $3 for children 3 years or older, and are free for UWF students who present their university ID, as well as EBT card holders.
Tickets cost $5 for active military and dependents, 65+ seniors, AAA members and members of either the Pensacola Musuem of Art or the UWF Alumni Association. Tickets provide access to both the Visitor's Center and the Homestead.
You can also utilize one of Arcadia’s outdoor spaces by the boardwalk during the day for picnics, events or photoshoots for free.
For more information visit historicpensacola.org/explore-arcadia-mill/.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Milton Arcadia Mill's UWF Trust museum and archeology site see history
