Historic Pensacola

Yesterday Bob and I drove to the historic district in Pensacola learn about the history of this area. Pensacola has a very nice museum district and, using our reciprocal pass from Kern County Museum, we were able to take the tour without charge.

Our guide took us through several buildings typical of the era between 1805 and 1875, including the Dorr House. So many of the furnishings of the home were familiar to me since similar items were in my grandparents’ house when I was a child.

One thing that fascinated me was the home’s jib windows, which allow the wall below the window to open so that one might walk out onto a porch. These were used instead of regular doors because homes were taxed according to how many doors it had.

We also went into the Old Christ Church which has an interesting history.

Built in 1832, three of its early rectors succumbed to disease and were buried under the floor space of the church. During the Civil War, Union forces inhabited the building, using it as a jail, a military barracks, a hospital, and a chapel. In 1903 the church was desanctified and the congregation built a new church a few blocks north of the old one. The old building fell into further disrepair until it was repaired and restored in 1957. In 1988 an archeological dig discovered the three rectors under the floorboards, and the bodies were reinterred with pomp and ceremony. At least one observer to the ceremony saw three extra men in the procession who were assumed to be the spirits of the dead rectors.

They still lie under the floorboards of the church with a plaque commemorating them.

We also visited the Museum of Commerce and the Museum of Industry, as well as some of the smaller homes in the district. Reenactors were available at many of the sites to answer questions. We certainly enjoyed our visit to Historic Pensacola.