Welcome to the City of DeFuniak Springs
Official Website
On behalf of the City of DeFuniak Springs, Mayor C. Harold Carpenter and
the members of the City Council welcome you to the Official Home Page of the
City of DeFuniak Springs. We've designed this site as a place for
residents,
businesses and visitors to find detailed information on the many
services
we provide. We also hope you will explore the information on
our history
and discover our many attractions that offer you a beautiful
place to live
or visit! Again, welcome and we look forward to serving
you.
________________________________________________________________________
Click Here for Information
for Military Families or Others Transitioning to Our Area.
July Newsletter
July Calendar of Events
August Newsletter
August
Calendar of Events
REQUEST FOR BIDS - FENCE AT PAT COVELL PARK
REQUEST FOR
WRITTEN QUOTES - INFORMATIONAL SIGNS
DeFuniak Springs Airport User
Survey Form
_______________________________________________________________________
Overview
The City of DeFuniak Springs is governed by a Mayor
and five Council
Members. The Mayor is elected for a four-year term, and
five Council Members
are staggered, four-year terms. The Council is elected by
the citizens
to establish policy for the health, safety, and general welfare of the
community. It establishes policies by ordinance or resolution with the
affirmative
vote of a majority of the members. The Council makes final
judgment on all policy
decisions. The rules and regulations set forth
by the City Council are administered
through the direction of the City
Manager.
Brief History
In the 1700's and 1800's the Muscogee / Creek / Euchee Indians lived in
and around
the DeFuniak Springs area. Lake DeFuniak area was known as Big
Pond. Some of these
Native American families are still in the area today.
Members of the Muscogee Nation of
Florida live in and around DeFuniak
Springs.
In the 1880's, a surveying party comprised of Colonel W.D. Chipley, Major
W.J. VanKirk
and W.T. Wright came to a tired halt near a round lake in
the heart of a virgin forest.
They explored and rested at the site of
what is now Lake DeFuniak. Colonel W.D.
Chipley, so overwhelmed by the
beauty set forth before him, exclaimed, "here a town
shall be built!"
This was when they first envisioned DeFuniak Springs known as Lake
DeFuniak,
in honor of Fred R. DeFuniak, who had held many high offices in the Louisville
and Nashville Railroad, including that of General Manager. Later, the
park around the lake
was named Chipley Park, in honor of William Dudley
Chipley. Today, Lake DeFuniak is
said to be one of two perfectly round
lakes in the world.
Under an order from Colonel W.D. Chipley, the area known as Lake DeFuniak
was
preserved and a station was built there. With the establishment of
the station at
Lake DeFuniak, people moved up from Euchee Anna and Alaqua
and built homes
near the lake.
At the same time that the Chautauqua organization received its charter
in 1855, the
Legislature created the Lake DeFuniak Land Company with Chipley
in charge and
the real estate boom was on. Today a permanent carousel
of homes can be found
around the lake which would envision a walk into
Victorian times when labor and materials
were plentiful and elaborate
architectural details were incorporated.
The Walton-DeFuniak Library was established in 1886. It is the second
oldest in Florida,
with only the library in St. Augustine considered as
being older. However, some facts
have come to light recently which prove
that our library is the oldest in the state that
was built as a library
and still continues to be used as such.
On March 4, 1881, the Pensacola and Atlantic Railroad was incorporated
by an act of
the Florida Legislature. The purpose of the act was to construct
a 70-mile road from
the northwest corner of Florida, near Flomaton, Alabama,
where it would join the t
rackage of what started as the Pensacola and
Selma Railroad. This was later in the
control and ownership of the Louisville
& Nashville, to a connection with the existing
Seaboard. Colonel Chipley,
in an address delivered in 1896, noted that he had been a
member of the
1881 surveying party and that they had camped on the shore of a large
pond in Walton County. Being enamored of the spot, Chipley ordered that
the area
be preserved and that a station be built there.
The City of DeFuniak Springs is the current owner of The Depot Station
located on
1140 Circle Drive. The Walton County
Heritage Association has transformed it into a
Museum with
Historical items from Walton County to include DeFuniak Springs.
Also The
Walton County Heritage Association handles the Caboose and
Information Center on
Circle Drive. For their hours of operation or
other information please contact them
at 850-951-2127.
The Historic Chautauqua Building is also owned by the City of DeFuniak
Springs and
is located at 96 Circle Drive. The Chautauqua Building (A.K.A.
Hall of Brotherhood)
was established in 1909 and served as an enclosed
amphitheater. The building was
fully equipped with foot lights and dissolving
color effects for the presentation of many
plays and grand concerts. This
large portion of the auditorium was severely damaged
during a hurricane
in 1975 and was subsequently removed. Remaining portions of the
building
have been restored and continue to serve as a focal point of the community,
being used for a wide variety of activities.
|