 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Washington Oaks Gardens State Park" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(June 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Washington Oaks Gardens State Park | |
|---|---|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
 Visitor center alongside live oak tree | |
  | |
| Location | Flagler County, Florida,USA |
| Nearest city | Palm Coast, Florida |
| Coordinates | 29°38′06″N81°12′14″W / 29.63500°N 81.20389°W /29.63500; -81.20389 |
| Governing body | FloridaDepartment of Environmental Protection |
Washington Oaks Historic District | |
 | |
| Nearest city | Palm Coast, Florida |
| Area | 21 acres (8.5 ha) |
| Built | 1936 |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement |
| NRHP reference No. | 09000400[1] |
| Added to NRHP | September 30, 2009 |
Washington Oaks Gardens State Park is aFlorida State Park located nearPalm Coast, Florida, alongA1A.[2] The park is made up of 425 acres[3] and is most famous for its formal gardens, but it also preserves the original habitat of a northeastFloridabarrier island.
Habitats preserved by the park includebeach, coastalscrub, coastalhammock, andtidal marshes.[2]
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 areroses,camellias, andazaleas, among others.
Wildlife includesea 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, andFlorida scrub jays.
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 ofPresident George Washington. In 1936, Louise Powis Clark, wife of the industrialistOwen D. Young purchased the property as a winter retirement home.[4] 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".[5]
The park has such amenities as beaches (on both theMatanzas River andAtlantic Ocean),[5]bicycling,fishing,hiking,picnicking areas and wildlife viewing. The original residence has been converted into avisitor center with interpretive exhibits.
Florida state parks are open between 8 a.m. and sundown every day of the year (including holidays). An admission fee is required.[5]
| Lists by county |
|   |
|---|---|---|
| Lists by city | ||
| Other lists | ||
