After 150-some years this canal was covered by a side walk In 1924. Canal Street’s deteriorating north sidewalk was removed in 1992. The original canal was filled and a now drainage system was installed down the center of the street. This pipe empties into the Canal Street slip near Captain’s Quarters. Portions of the 1770s canal network reappear at West Canal Street and Myrtle Avenue. A north south canal in this extensive drainage/irrigation system can be seen in the public park at this intersection.

OLD FORT PARK AREA WAS ORIGINALLY A GARDEN?

The massive 65’ x 86’ coquina foundation we see today at Julia Street and North Riverside Drive isn’t shown on any of the Duncan Archive maps. What does appear is a one-acre GARDEN on Maps B and C.

A large Indian shell mound covered this area, which archaeologists date to 500 BC. Captain Alvaro Mexia’s 1605 map shows an Indian village on a shell mound on this site.

During the Second Spanish Period, Ambrose Hull built a two-story stone house on this location in 1805. He named it “Mount Olive” because of the abundance of olive trees. These had been planted some 35 years earlier by Turnbull’s Mediterranean settlers who brought cuttings of grapes, olives and mulberries (for feeding silk worms). The colonists also raised their own provisions of Indian corn, peas, potatoes, and greens of all kinds.

To the right of the GARDEN is another of the 13 indigo vat sites situated throughout the settlement.

THE CHAPEL consists 0f three buildings. It was located north of the GARDEN in the 400 block of Faulkner Street (formerly the Faulkner Street School site), In England, a chapel is defined as “any place of worship for those not connected with or not members of the established church.”

THIS CORN MILL on Murray Creek appears to be an undershot water wheel which drives the grinding stones. Corn was plentiful and exported. When processed into hominy, it was a staple of the colonists. This is the first mention of a corn mill, although a wind mill was located In the town settlement at the Old Stone Wharf.

Before 2Oth century development, Murray Creek ran parallel to US #1 from our northerly city limits nearly five miles south and connected to the Gabordy (or South) Canal.

DUPLEX HOUSE FLOOR PLAN with a shared fireplace is illustrated on Map C. Every tenth house was reserved for an overseer and a corporal. Houses came In two sizes. Each overseer’s quarters (above) was 289 square feet (17’ x17’); each farmer’s house was 196 square feet (14’ x 14’). An upper floor provided additional space.

The fireplace-in-the-middle design matches the foundations discovered by archaeologists in 1996 at the Higginbotham site, now New Smyrna Chevrolet, 1919 North Dixie Freeway. One foundation at this site was encased in concrete; the rest were bulldozed to make a display parking lot. A brass plaque marks the concrete cap over the encased house which is designated as the First Colonist’s House Site.

Welcome to the 6,000-square-foot New Smyrna Museum of History. Make your plans to see the 1767-70 Smyrnéa map exhibit soon!