The Historical Society of Avon ParkAVON PARK, FL · EST. 1886
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Highlands Hammock

Highlands Hammock is a 1,600-acre old-growth subtropical hardwood forest and hydric cypress hammock located four miles west of Sebring in Highlands County.[lof-1931-15237] Preserved from impending logging and agricultural clearing in 1930 through the civic campaign and financial donation of philanthropist Margaret Shippen Roebling, it opened to the public on 14 March 1931.[fl-state-parks-hh] Following development by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) between 1934 and 1941, Highlands Hammock was deeded to the State of Florida, becoming one of the four foundational properties of the Florida State Park System upon its statutory establishment in 1935.[fl-state-parks-hh]

Pioneer History and Hooker Hammock

During the nineteenth century, the dense forest of ancient live oaks, cabbage palms, sweetgums, and bald cypress was utilized by early cattlemen as a sheltered grazing range.[fl-state-parks-hh] The tract became known as Hooker Hammock after Captain William B. Hooker, a prominent South Florida cattleman who established an open-range cow camp in the area.[fl-state-parks-hh] In late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century land records, portions were also referred to as Eiland’s Hammock.[wpa-hrs-highlands]

During the Florida land boom of the 1920s, commercial timber operators and agricultural developers acquired options on the virgin hammock with plans to clear the ancient trees for hardwood lumber and citrus groves.[fl-state-parks-hh]

Margaret Shippen Roebling and Park Acquisition

In 1928, local conservationists organized a campaign to save the virgin hammock.[fl-state-parks-hh] Margaret Shippen Roebling (1867–1930), wife of John A. Roebling II (and daughter-in-law of Brooklyn Bridge builder Washington Roebling), wintered in southern Highlands County at the Roebling estate near Lake Placid.[fl-state-parks-hh] Captivated by the natural canopy, immense live oaks, and wildlife, Mrs. Roebling contributed $25,000 toward the land purchase and challenged local citizens and civic groups to raise $5,000 in matching funds.[fl-state-parks-hh]

With these combined resources, approximately 1,280 to 1,600 acres were acquired to create a permanent botanical sanctuary and nature preserve.[lof-1931-15237] The Roeblings engaged landscape architect Hans J. Koehler, formerly of the Olmsted Brothers firm, to design low-impact roads, footpaths, and hydrological preservation plans.[fl-state-parks-hh]

Although Margaret Shippen Roebling died on 24 October 1930 before the park’s formal dedication, John A. Roebling continued funding development and operations in her memory.[fl-state-parks-hh] The property was formally named Highlands Hammock and opened to the public on 14 March 1931.[fl-state-parks-hh]

Statutory Authorization and Transfer to State Park System

During the 1931 legislative session, the Florida Legislature passed Chapter 15237 (No. 599), Laws of Florida 1931, authorizing the Board of County Commissioners of Highlands County:

“to take over in their official capacity as a gift and without cost to the County of Highlands certain lands located in said County, formally known as Hooker Hammock but now known and designated as Highlands Hammock, consisting of approximately sixteen hundred (1600) acres, which has heretofore been dedicated to park purposes.”[lof-1931-15237]

The statute permitted the county to levy an ad valorem tax of up to two mills for park maintenance upon ratification by county electors.[lof-1931-15237]

In 1935, the Florida Legislature enacted Chapter 17027, creating the Florida Board of Forestry and State Parks.[fl-state-parks-hh] The Highlands Hammock Association and the Roebling Foundation transferred the park property to the state, making Highlands Hammock one of the original four chartered Florida state parks alongside Gold Head Branch, Hillsborough River, and Myakka River.[fl-state-parks-hh]

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Construction

From 1934 to 1941, the Civilian Conservation Corps stationed three successive New Deal camps at Highlands Hammock (Camps P-56, SP-3, and SP-10, staffed by CCC Companies 453 and 2414).[fl-ccc-museum] The enrollees constructed the park’s foundational rustic architecture and infrastructure:

  • Hydrological Works and Trails: Constructed a series of earthen dams, weirs, and canals to maintain natural water levels within the cypress swamp, preventing drainage damage from surrounding agricultural ditches.[fl-state-parks-hh]
  • Boardwalks and Catwalks: Built elevated cypress catwalks through Charley Bowlegs Creek and the virgin swamp forest, allowing visitors to walk into the interior cypress canopy.[fl-state-parks-hh]
  • Rustic Structures: Built stone and rough-hewn timber bridges, park gatehouses, maintenance workshops, picnic shelters, and the central administrative refectory building.[fl-ccc-museum]
  • Arboretum and Botanical Gardens: Developed an adjacent botanical garden and arboretum tract, which was subsequently integrated into the state park boundary.[fl-state-parks-hh]

Today, the historic 1930s CCC refectory building houses the Florida Civilian Conservation Corps Museum, serving as the official statewide repository for artifacts, photographs, and oral histories documenting the work of the CCC throughout Florida.[fl-ccc-museum]

References

Where this comes from

Evidence
corroborated — More than one independent source agrees.
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unverified — Drafted from sources but not yet checked by a volunteer.
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society

Sources

  1. Legislature of the State of Florida, Chapter 15237 (No. 599), Laws of Florida 1931: An Act Authorizing the Board of County Commissioners of Highlands County to Accept Certain Lands for Park Purposes (1931)
  2. Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Recreation and Parks, Highlands Hammock State Park: History and Cultural Resources (2026)
  3. Works Progress Administration, Historical Records Survey (Florida County Histories, Series S 1284, Box 2, State Library and Archives of Florida), Historical Sketch of Highlands County / A Brief Sketch of the Creation and History of Highlands County (1939)
  4. Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Civilian Conservation Corps Museum at Highlands Hammock (2026)

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