King's Road
Dublin Core
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Description
During the British Period of Florida's history (1763-1783), the King’s Road was built, from the Georgia Colony on the north bank of the St. Mary’s River down to Andrew Turnbull's settlement of New Smyrna.
The road was built after General James Grant, the first Governor of British East Florida, realized the need for a road connecting Florida’s east coast plantations with the northern British colonies, especially since the colonies were increasing and expanding. The King’s Road was laid out following a previously blazed road by Native Americans. A Creek, who was part of the Alachua tribe, named Grey Eyes is credited by his friend British Lieutenant-Governor John Moultrie for locating existing Indian trails that could become a paved road in what is now Flagler County. He assisted the British builders in plotting the harsh land, after they were unable to traverse the swamp.
King's Road became the principal avenue of transportation in British East Florida, and continued to be used for roughly a further half-century. It came up to the Old City Gates to the north of St. Augustine. During the Revolutionary War, British loyalists driven out of the Carolinas and Georgia, fled to Florida along the King’s Road. The Minorcans who left Turnbull's employ travelled north on the King's Road to St. Augustine. During the 2nd Seminole War, homesteaders used the road to flee to St. Augustine when their plantations were torched.
After the United States took control of Florida in 1821, the United States determined that King’s Road must be restored where overgrown after decades of neglect. This undertaking included rebuilding bridges and causeways as well as extending the road southward to Cape Florida (now in Miami-Dade County). This was the primary east coast road until additional road building efforts were undertaken after the American Civil War.
Most of the original King’s Road has been subjected to modern paving, structural modifications, or complete abandonment in sections. However, there are still small portions of the original roadway preserved on private land in the vicinity of Princess Place in Palm Coast, while other sections in Flagler County are now paved. From Jacksonville down to the northern outskirts of St. Augustine, portions of the road parallel US1 (Dixie Highway) as small local roads, are under the current pavement of US1 or I-95, or under homes and businesses. Some of the paved sections in Duval, St. Johns, or Flagler Counties, do call these bits and pieces, "King's Road," or "Old King's Road."
Has Part
Rights Holder
605 Suwannee St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399
FDOT
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
U.S. Department of Transporation: Federal Highway Administration
Source
Map 1 (1837): Slade, Clement, comp., and D. Webster Dixon. Historic Florida: A Closer Look at the Photographs of a Century Ago in Three-Dimensional Realism. Melbourne, FL: The Kellersberger Fund, 1982.
Map 2 (1869): Slade, Clement, comp., and D. Webster Dixon. Historic Florida: A Closer Look at the Photographs of a Century Ago in Three-Dimensional Realism. Melbourne, FL: The Kellersberger Fund, 1982.
Photograph 1 (2023): Owens, Katherine. "Picture of Historic Marker for Old King's Road in St. Johns County." February 5, 2023.
Photograph 2 (2023): Owens, Katherine. "Picture of Small Marker in Historic Kings Road Park in Duval County." February 5, 2023.
Photograph 3 (2023): Owens, Katherine. "Picture of Large Marker in Historic Kings Road Park in Duval County." February 5, 2023.
The following books, articles, and/or websites were used to find information about this location:
Adams, William R., and Paul L. Weaver III. Historic Places of St. Augustine and St. Johns County: A Visitor's Guide. St. Augustine, FL: Southern Heritage Press, 1993.
Bloomfield, Max. Bloomfield’s Illustrated Historical Guide, Embracing an Account of the Antiquities of St. Augustine, Florida (with map). To Which is Added a Condensed Guide of the St. John’s, Ocklawaha, Halifax, and Indian Rivers. St. Augustine, FL: Max Bloomfield, 1884.
Bockelman, Charles W. The King's Road to Florida. [Florida]: Self Published, 1975.
Rajtar, Steve, and Kelly Goodman. A Guide to Historic St. Augustine, Florida. 1st edition. Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2007.
Ryan, Bill. “Old Kings Road: Tracing the History of Flagler County Florida.” Flagler County Historical Society. March 8, 2020. https://flaglercountyhistoricalsociety.com/old-kings-road/.
Rights
Is Referenced By
The Minorcan Quarter
Patriot Silver
The Picolata Road
Redfish Oak
White Mocassins