Micanopy, Florida | |
|---|---|
 Micanopy Town Hall and Library | |
 Seal | |
| Motto: "The Town that Time Forgot" | |
 Location inAlachua County and the state ofFlorida | |
| Coordinates:29°30′23″N82°16′55″W / 29.50639°N 82.28194°W /29.50639; -82.28194 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| County | Alachua |
| Settled (Wantons) | 1821[1][2] |
| Incorporated (Town of Micanopy) | 1837[2][3] |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-Commission |
| • Mayor | Jiana Williams |
| • Mayor Pro Tem | Judy Galloway |
| • Commissioners | David Massey, Kevin Putansu, and Ken Wessberg |
| • Town Administrator andTown Clerk | Sara Samario |
| • Town Attorney | S. Scott Walker |
| Elevation | 125 ft (38 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 648 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 32667 |
| Area code | 352 |
| FIPS code | 12-45225[4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0286767[5] |
| Website | www |
Micanopy (/ˌmɪkəˈnoʊpi/ ⓘMIK-ə-NOH-pee) is a town inAlachua County,Florida, United States, located south ofGainesville. It is part of theGainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population as of the2020 census was 648, up from 600 at the 2010 census.
It is the oldest continuously inhabited community in the interior of Florida. Its downtown area, theMicanopy Historic District, is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places. This municipality contains a number of antique stores, several restaurants, a library, a firehouse, and a post office. Its unofficial slogan is "The Town that Time Forgot."
A historical marker in the area notes thatSpanish explorerHernando de Soto recorded finding a village of theTimucua portion of thePotano tribe located near by in 1539.[6] In 1774, the American naturalistWilliam Bartram recorded his impressions of a proto-Seminole village named "Cuscowilla".[7]
By the timeSpain ceded its Florida provinces to the U.S. in 1821, the newly constructed hamlet of Micanopy became the first distinct United States town in theFlorida Territory. One of the early settlers of the area wasMoses Elias Levy, a wealthyJewish businessman and philanthropist who was involved inWest Indies shipping and other interests. He immigrated to the United States in 1820 and founded "Pilgrimage", the first Jewish communal settlement in the United States located two miles from town.[1]
The village of Micanopy was built under the auspices of the Florida Association ofNew York (the earliest Florida development corporation, headquartered inManhattan).[1]Chief Micanopy lived about 60 miles (97 km) south in present-daySumter County. In 1821, when the territorial village was developed, a faction ofMiccosukee Indians lived in the immediate area. The historian C. S. Monaco has suggested that the town was named after Micanopy "to appease the chief and acknowledge his original authority over the land."[1] In the early days, the frontier village was sometimes referred to as "Wantons", after one of the original settlers.[8]
Both Fort Defiance (1835–1836) and Fort Micanopy (1837–1843) were located here during theSecond Seminole War.[7] Some of the bloodiest battles of that war took place along the road southwest from Fort Micanopy to Fort Wacahoota, just inside modernAlachua County.[9] A recent archaeological study has verified both forts as well as the location of two battlefields within the town limits: the Battle of Micanopy and the Battle of Welika Pond (1836).
TheTown of Micanopy was officially incorporated as a municipality in 1837.[2][3]
Prior to the 1880s, produce from Micanopy, includingcitrus, was carried to the southern shore ofLake Alachua and taken by boat to the northern shore, which was served by branch lines from theTransit Railroad. In 1883, theFlorida Southern Railway built a branch line to Micanopy from its line running fromRochelle (southeast of Gainesville) toOcala. In 1895, a rail line was laid from Micanopy by the Gainesville and Gulf Railroad, and by 1889, reached toIrvine andFairfield inMarion County, andSampson City inBradford County, where it connected to theAtlantic, Suwannee River and Gulf Railway and theGeorgia Southern and Florida Railroad.[10] The railroads spurred farming in the surrounding area. It had a population of over 600 in 1880. In the 1920s, cars crossedPaynes Prairie on the Micanopy Causeway.[11]
The approximate coordinates for the Town of Micanopy is located at29°30′28.95″N82°16′50.48″W / 29.5080417°N 82.2806889°W /29.5080417; -82.2806889.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2), of which 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) (4.63%) is water.
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild winters. According to theKöppen climate classification, the Town of Micanopy has ahumid subtropical climate zone (Cfa).
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 432 | — | |
| 1890 | 494 | 14.4% | |
| 1900 | 645 | 30.6% | |
| 1910 | 613 | −5.0% | |
| 1920 | 546 | −10.9% | |
| 1930 | 725 | 32.8% | |
| 1940 | 720 | −0.7% | |
| 1950 | 612 | −15.0% | |
| 1960 | 658 | 7.5% | |
| 1970 | 759 | 15.3% | |
| 1980 | 737 | −2.9% | |
| 1990 | 612 | −17.0% | |
| 2000 | 653 | 6.7% | |
| 2010 | 600 | −8.1% | |
| 2020 | 648 | 8.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] | |||
| Race | Pop 2010[13] | Pop 2020[14] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 435 | 474 | 72.50% | 73.15% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 133 | 100 | 22.17% | 15.43% |
| Native American orAlaska Native (NH) | 4 | 1 | 0.67% | 0.15% |
| Asian (NH) | 1 | 3 | 0.17% | 0.46% |
| Pacific Islander orNative Hawaiian (NH) | 0 | 0 | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Some other race (NH) | 0 | 4 | 0.00% | 0.62% |
| Two or more races/Multiracial (NH) | 10 | 36 | 1.67% | 5.56% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 17 | 30 | 2.83% | 4.63% |
| Total | 600 | 648 |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 648 people, 201 households, and 111 families residing in the town.[15]
As of the2010 United States census, there were 600 people, 358 households, and 205 families residing in the town.[16]
As of the census of 2000, there were 653 people, 302 households, and 172 families residing in the town. The population density was 631.4 inhabitants per square mile (243.8/km2). There were 346 housing units at an average density of 334.6 per square mile (129.2/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 68.30%White, 28.94%African American, 0.61%Native American, 0.31%Asian, 0.31% fromother races, and 1.53% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.99% of the population.
In 2000, there were 302 households, out of which 21.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.8% weremarried couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.0% were non-families. 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.74.
In 2000, in the town, the population was spread out, with 19.8% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 31.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the town was $27,778, and the median income for a family was $38,611. Males had a median income of $30,938 versus $20,294 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $20,433. About 3.0% of families and 15.7% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 17.8% of those under age 18 and 21.3% of those age 65 or over.
Micanopy hosts an annual autumn art festival, in which both local and non-local artists participate.
Micanopy Historical Society Museum, housed downtown in the Thrasher Warehouse, features displays of local and town history that range from the early Native Americans, to naturalist William Bartram’s travels in the region, to the Seminole Wars and the Civil War. Built in 1896, the warehouse was served by a branch of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad until the 1950s and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
TheAlachua County Library District operates a branch library in the town.[17]
The downtownMicanopy Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.[7]
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park is a major source of outdoor recreation for the town and the county as a whole.
Micanopy is served by theSchool Board of Alachua County. The School Boardcharters two schools,[18] the Micanopy Area Cooperative School (elementary),[19] and Micanopy Academy (secondary).[20]
Micanopy is mentioned in theTom Petty song "A Mind with a Heart of Its Own" from the albumFull Moon Fever. Petty humorously sings that he's "been toBrooker, been to Micanopy, been toSt. Louis too, I've been all around the world!"
Micanopy is noted in the chorus of theJohn Anderson[21] song "Seminole Wind" from the albumSeminole Wind. The song is covered byJames Taylor on the albumJames Taylor Covers.
The filmDoc Hollywood, based on the bookWhat? Dead…Again? byNeil B. Shulman and starringMichael J. Fox, was filmed in Micanopy.[22]
On September 27, 1975, the variety showHee Haw saluted Micanopy.
Municipalities and communities ofAlachua County, Florida,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
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| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
