§ 1.4. Historic Resources

Santa Rosa County has an abundance of historical and archaeological resources throughout the entire county. The Florida Master Site File (FMSF) provides an inventory of historic resources located in Santa Rosa County. This inventory, part of a statewide inventory of historic and archaeological resources, is maintained by the Florida Department of State, Division of Historic Resources. As of July 2014 the FMSF contained 1,365 listings of historic resources in Santa Rosa County (municipalities and unincorporated)—676 archaeological sites, 878 standing historic structures and 11 historic cemeteries. The County Community Planning, Zoning and Development Division maintains a map of these resources so that their location can be verified during the development review process. However, these mapped sites will not be made public since vandalism is a problem, especially with archaeological sites.

The following historic resources listed on the National Register of Historic Places, July 2014 (Florida Master Site File) are found in unincorporated Santa Rosa County:

Bagdad Village Historic District: Listed on the National Register in 1987, this district contains 222 buildings, 144 of historical interest from the period 1840-1930. The structures are Frame Vernacular, many with both Creole and Gulf Coast elements. This is the site of one of West Florida's largest lumber mills. Like other mill towns, Bagdad declined when the mill closed. The town has a number of 2-story commercial buildings built from plans purchased from Stearns and Culver of Chicago.

Arcadia Mill Site: Listed on the National Register in 1987, this site is located one mile southwest of Milton. One of the earliest industrial complexes in territorial Florida (1817-1855), the site is composed of a saw mill, a cotton textile mill, a mule-powered railroad, a rock quarry, a bucket factory, and workers' living quarters. The site is expected to yield important information about industrial technology and society in the Antebellum South.

Florida State Road No. 1: Listed on the National Register in 1991, this 6-mile brick highway was completed in 1921 and is located east of Milton, parallel to US 90. The road is not presently in use, but was the first section of a paved highway that was to run from Jacksonville to the Pacific coast. It is commonly referred to as the Old Spanish Trail and has recently been rehabilitated into a walking/biking facility for County residents.

Thomas Creek Archaeological District: Listed on the National Register in 1985, this site is located east of Chumuckla and is dated from 8000 B.C. to early 19th century, Archaic to Historic period. Several sites in the area show evidence of human occupation for approximately 10,000 years.

1.4.1 Bagdad Historic District Land Use

Bagdad is a unique historical area within Santa Rosa County that was once a working waterfront, and as such merits preservation and protection. The Bagdad Historic District is characterized by its large number of historic sites and structures and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. While this area has been recognized with unique zoning districts since Santa Rosa County first adopted its zoning ordinance, these districts where assigned additional character related design standards after the completion of the 2008 Bagdad Historic and Conservation Districts Design Standards. The Future Land Use Map identifies this area with the Bagdad Historic District Category. This is further refined within the Land Development Code where two types of overlay districts have been created to protect Bagdad's historic resources: a "Historic District" (HD) overlay and a "Conservation District" (CD) overlay. These "Overlay" districts regulate design issues only, while the underlying "base" zoning continues to regulate land uses and densities. The Historic and Conservation districts are similar in that they both focus on preserving and enhancing Bagdad's historic integrity. However, the conservation districts are targeted to areas that are less significant architecturally and historically than historic districts. As such, standards are applied less stringently in conservation districts than in historic districts. Within the Historic District Overlay, certain design standards and review requirements exist. Development of vacant land must be consistent with these code requirements.

The predominant land use in the Bagdad Historic District is single-family residential (53%). A minimal amount of commercial, industrial and office land uses are present, less than 2%. The Bagdad Historic District contains 31 acres of vacant land, or approximately 15% of its total acreage. The predominate zoning district within the Bagdad Historic District is HR-1, a single family residential zoning district (93%).