Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park

Description

Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park is a Florida State Park in the Osceola National Forest, near the town of Olustee. The site of Florida's largest Civil War battle, the park is located 50mi west of Jacksonville and 15mi east of Lake City, on U.S. 90. It also has the distinction of being the first park in the Florida State Park system.The State of Florida actually owns only 3.09acre of the Park, but manages another 688acre of the original battlefield under a Special Use Permit from the United States Forest Service.Under the title of Olustee Battlefield, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on 12 August 1970.HistoryThe Battle of Olustee was fought on the afternoon of 20 February 1864. It is recreated annually during that month by Civil War reenactors.In 1897, the Florida Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) began raising funds to place a monument at the battle site. Two years later, the Florida Legislature appropriated $2,500.00 and established a commission to oversee construction of the monument. The project was completed in 1912, and the monument was officially dedicated on 23 October 1912. The UDC administered the Olustee Battlefield Memorial until 1949, when the Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials assumed responsibility. Today the Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park is administered by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Recreation and Parks.