DeFuniak Springs, Florida | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Motto: "Partnership, Planning, And Preservation" | |
 Location inWalton County and the state ofFlorida | |
| Coordinates:30°43′N86°7′W / 30.717°N 86.117°W /30.717; -86.117 | |
| Country | United States of America |
| State | Florida |
| County | Walton |
| Incorporated | 1901 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–Manager |
| • Mayor | Bob Campbell |
| • Mayor Pro Tem | Todd Bierbaum |
| • Council Members | Josh Sconiers, Amy Heavilin, Anthony Vallee, and Henry Ennis, Sr. |
| • City Manager | Koby Townsend |
| Area | |
• Total | 14.30 sq mi (37.03 km2) |
| • Land | 13.95 sq mi (36.13 km2) |
| • Water | 0.35 sq mi (0.90 km2) |
| Elevation | 259 ft (79 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 5,919 |
| • Density | 424.3/sq mi (163.82/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes | 32433, 32435 |
| Area code | 850 |
| FIPS code | 12-16800[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0294592[3] |
| Website | http://www.defuniaksprings.net |
DeFuniak Springs (/dəˈfjuːniːæk/də-FEW-nee-ak) is a city in and thecounty seat ofWalton County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,919 as of the2020 Census, up from 5,177 at the 2010 census.Crestview–Fort Walton Beach–Destin metropolitan area.
DeFuniak Springs is home toLake DeFuniak, one of two spring-fed lakes in the world that is nearly perfectly round.[4]
DeFuniak Springs serves as a hub for residents in surrounding rural and unincorporated communities. Areas such as Paxton, Mossy Head, Ponce de Leon, and others in between utilize the services of DeFuniak Springs.
The town was founded during the late 19th century as a resort development by the officers of thePensacola and Atlantic Railroad, a subsidiary of theLouisville and Nashville Railroad. The P&A was organized to connect the terminus of the L&N atPensacola to the western terminus of a predecessor of theSeaboard Air Line Railroad at River Junction—nowChattahoochee—in the 1880s. The town was named afterFrederick R. DeFuniak,[5] a vice-president of the L&N. Like much ofNorthwest Florida, DeFuniak Springs was settled mainly byScots fromVirginia andthe Carolinas.
DeFuniak Springs was established as a final-destination resort. The developers enlisted the cooperation and aid of theChautauqua Movement. TheChautauqua Hall of Brotherhood, an auditorium seating 4,000, was constructed onLake DeFuniak in the center of town. Seminars, classes, and the like were held in the Hall of Brotherhood building for people on vacation.
The auditorium of the building was severely damaged byHurricane Eloise in 1975 and razed. In 2003, the Chautauqua Hall of Brotherhood Foundation, Inc., a charitable foundation, started a capital campaign to restore the historic building.[6] The westerly portion of the building facing Circle Drive was still in use at that time.
As part of the intellectual atmosphere of the town, a college and a private high school (namedPalmer College andPalmer Academy, respectively), as well as a technical school (Thomas Industrial Institute) and a teacher training school (Florida Normal College) were established in the late 19th century. Florida Normal College was later incorporated intoFlorida State University. The other schools closed during theGreat Depression, which created financial strains. There remains a College Avenue that once led to Palmer College.
In 1886, the town held an important meeting that changed the course of public education in Florida. At this meeting, teachers from around the state formed theFlorida Education Association. This teachers' union remains the state's predominant voice for educators and is affiliated with theNational Education Association and theAmerican Federation of Teachers.
A chicken processing plant operated byPerdue Farms in DeFuniak Springs was closed in April 2004.[7]
The city is located in theFlorida Panhandle alongInterstate 10 and U.S. Routes90 and331. I-10 runs south of the city from west to east, providing access from exit 85 (U.S. Route 331). I-10 leads east 119 mi (192 km) toTallahassee, the state capital, and west 80 mi (130 km) toPensacola. U.S. Route 90 runs through the city from west to east as Nelson Avenue, and leads east 12 mi (19 km) toPonce de Leon and west 29 mi (47 km) toCrestview. U.S. Route 331 is the main north–south route in the city and its main connection to theGulf coast. U.S. 331 leads northwest 25 mi (40 km) toFlorala,Alabama, and south 26 mi (42 km) toU.S. Route 98 nearSanta Rosa Beach.Florida State Road 83 also runs through the city as well, leading south to Santa Rosa Beach (with U.S. 331) and north 19 mi (31 km) to the Florida-Alabama state line.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.2 square miles (29 km2), of which 11.0 square miles (28 km2) is land, and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) (2.49%) is water.
DeFuniak Springs, Florida has several neighborhoods, including the Historic District, Paxton, Mossy Head, and other unincorporated communities:
The Historic District is the center of the city, featuring the 260-acre Chipley Park and Lake DeFuniak, which is fed by natural springs. The area also includes the Historic Downtown District, which has shops, restaurants, and bakeries.
Paxton is a family-friendly community with agricultural history, lakes for kayaking, andBritton Hill, which is home to Florida's highest point.
Magnolia Cemetery which is owned and operated by the City of DeFuniak Springs is located in the northeast section of DeFuniak Springs.
DeFuniak Springs has ahumid subtropical climate (Cfa) with abundant precipitation, particularly during the summer months, due to its location on the Gulf Coast and consequent vulnerability to tropical storms and hurricanes.
| Climate data for DeFuniak Springs 1 E, Florida, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1896–2010 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 84 (29) | 86 (30) | 91 (33) | 97 (36) | 102 (39) | 107 (42) | 105 (41) | 104 (40) | 104 (40) | 98 (37) | 92 (33) | 89 (32) | 107 (42) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 62.3 (16.8) | 65.8 (18.8) | 72.7 (22.6) | 79.2 (26.2) | 86.4 (30.2) | 90.3 (32.4) | 92.3 (33.5) | 91.4 (33.0) | 88.3 (31.3) | 80.5 (26.9) | 71.3 (21.8) | 64.3 (17.9) | 78.7 (25.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 50.9 (10.5) | 54.6 (12.6) | 60.4 (15.8) | 66.6 (19.2) | 74.8 (23.8) | 80.3 (26.8) | 82.4 (28.0) | 81.5 (27.5) | 77.8 (25.4) | 68.9 (20.5) | 58.9 (14.9) | 53.1 (11.7) | 67.5 (19.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 39.5 (4.2) | 43.4 (6.3) | 48.0 (8.9) | 54.0 (12.2) | 63.1 (17.3) | 70.2 (21.2) | 72.4 (22.4) | 71.7 (22.1) | 67.4 (19.7) | 57.4 (14.1) | 46.6 (8.1) | 41.8 (5.4) | 56.3 (13.5) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 3 (−16) | 0 (−18) | 19 (−7) | 21 (−6) | 35 (2) | 43 (6) | 54 (12) | 55 (13) | 35 (2) | 28 (−2) | 16 (−9) | 5 (−15) | 0 (−18) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 5.04 (128) | 5.07 (129) | 5.18 (132) | 4.30 (109) | 3.99 (101) | 7.10 (180) | 7.50 (191) | 6.95 (177) | 6.04 (153) | 3.58 (91) | 4.43 (113) | 5.45 (138) | 64.63 (1,642) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 9.2 | 8.3 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 7.6 | 12.7 | 14.2 | 13.9 | 10.3 | 6.2 | 7.0 | 8.6 | 113.0 |
| Source: NOAA[8][9] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 672 | — | |
| 1910 | 2,017 | — | |
| 1920 | 2,097 | 4.0% | |
| 1930 | 2,636 | 25.7% | |
| 1940 | 2,570 | −2.5% | |
| 1950 | 3,077 | 19.7% | |
| 1960 | 5,282 | 71.7% | |
| 1970 | 4,966 | −6.0% | |
| 1980 | 5,563 | 12.0% | |
| 1990 | 5,120 | −8.0% | |
| 2000 | 5,089 | −0.6% | |
| 2010 | 5,177 | 1.7% | |
| 2020 | 5,919 | 14.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[10] | |||
| Race | Pop 2010[11] | Pop 2020[12] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 3,555 | 3,753 | 68.67% | 63.41% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 1,045 | 996 | 20.19% | 16.83% |
| Native American orAlaska Native (NH) | 34 | 26 | 0.66% | 0.44% |
| Asian (NH) | 33 | 54 | 0.64% | 0.91% |
| Pacific Islander orNative Hawaiian (NH) | 3 | 2 | 0.06% | 0.03% |
| Some other race (NH) | 7 | 40 | 0.14% | 0.68% |
| Two or more races/Multiracial (NH) | 113 | 393 | 2.18% | 6.64% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 387 | 655 | 7.48% | 11.07% |
| Total | 5,177 | 5,919 |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 5,919 people, 2,848 households, and 1,789 families residing in the city.[13]
As of the2010 United States census, there were 5,177 people, 2,306 households, and 1,287 families residing in the city.[14]
As of thecensus[2] of 2000, there were 5,089 people, 2,105 households, and 1,324 families residing in the city. The population density was 464.0 inhabitants per square mile (179.2/km2). There were 2,464 housing units at an average density of 224.7 per square mile (86.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 71.78%White, 22.99%African American, 1.00%Native American, 0.51%Asian, 0.08%Pacific Islander, 1.81% fromother races, and 1.83% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 3.30% of the population.
In 2000, there were 2,105 households, out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% were married couples living together, 18.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.1% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30, and the average family size was 2.91.
In 2000, in the city, the population was spread out, with 23.6% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 21.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.7 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $24,516, and the median income for a family was $28,750. Males had a median income of $24,219 versus $19,255 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $13,298. About 18.2% of families and 18.4% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 27.6% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.
The surrounding landscape ofLake DeFuniak is decorated for the holidays between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day; this is known to locals as the "Christmas Reflections".[citation needed]
Historic sites include:
At the time of planning, the founders of DeFuniak Springs were interested in the adult education movement. For DeFuniak Springs, this movement did not only include the Chautauqua center, McCormick University and Academy, and the State Normal School, but also a community library.
In 1887, a group of women formed the Ladies Library Association, and their goal was to establish a library that would become the "little sister" to the Chautauqua center, university, and school.[16] The Ladies Library Association chose a plot of land adjacent to the Chautauqua center and signed a lease for ninety-nine years.[16] By the end of 1887, five years after the initial plan of the village, there was a community library; the Ladies Library Association's main goal of establishing a social library was complete. Initially, the library relied on book donations, but also purchased books from the Ladies Reading Club and a private book owner, J. L. Shearer.[16] The Ladies Library Association persisted and was able to maintain the library, books, and maintenance of the library for quite some time. However, by 1923, the Ladies Library Association was unable to continue to sustain the library and requested city funds, which the city took on gradually. It was not until the 1960s when the subscription fees were finally eliminated, and the county and city assumed total responsibility for its maintenance and collection development.[16] Today, theWalton-DeFuniak Library contains antiquities, a medieval weapon collection, and many first-edition books.[citation needed]
Public schools in Defuniak Springs are run by the Walton County School District.[17]
Municipalities and communities ofWalton County, Florida,United States | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
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