Florida Archives and Manuscripts Repositories

In 1976 a group of Volusia County teachers ceated a living History muesum with a dedicated,ongoing program of preserving artifacts, buildings and regional amd local history. The Settlement began moving local and regional historically significant buildings onto the property, and a historical "village" setting emerged. Featured structures include: Pierson Railroad Depot - Circa 1885,Turpentine Still - Circa 1924,Lewis Log Cabin - Circa 1875 and Huntington Post Office - Circa 1885. Through the years, additional workshops were built to exhibit various historical trades and life ways of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s: Print Shop, Wheelwright Shop/Carriage House, Woodwright Shop, Blacksmith Shop, and the Timucuan-Myacca and Seminole Villages.

Sponsors interactive field trips, self and guided tours and Special Events such as Fall Country Jamboree and the Spring Frolic and Celebration of Olde Florida. Group, family and individual memberships are available.

An institutional archives and special collections holding documentary, photographic, and other materials including the papers of Mary McLeod Bethune; the Attica Collection; Joseph M. Taylor, Florence Roane Collections and the African-American Collection of books by and about African-Americans. A wide variety of materials in various formats depicts the lives and works of individuals who contributed to the institution with an extensive collection of documents which reflect the business of this school in detail up to the contemporary time. Also a large digital collection of university catalogs, handbooks, yearbooks, photographs and a large collection of organized vertical files.

Thelma Harris Livingstone collection is absent at this time they are cataloging items and restructuring the archives.

Some correspondence, photographs, books, annual reports documenting the Division of Blind Services, founded in the 1930's and the Bureau of Braile and Talking Book Library founded in the 1950's.

The University Archives is the official repository for the historical records of all three campuses of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and all of its predecessor bodies. The holdings document the history of Embry-Riddle from its origins in 1926 to the present. These archival collections include corporate records, faculty and staff papers, alumni memorabilia, photographs, audio recordings, video media, and many artifacts including paintings, awards and aviation paraphernalia.

Housed in the former 1910 Merchants Bank building, the two-story interior walls are decorated with hand-painted murals depicting area scenes, and highlighted by Beaux Arts styling of stained glass windows and lighting. The museum's permanent exhibits presents the history of the greater Daytona Beach area known as Halifax Country with artifacts dating from 5,000 B.C.E. Includes a research facility with old city directories , books & magazines, newspaper archive,extensive photographic and postcard collections and genealogical research, local family papers and vertical files.

Museum collections and research include Cuban and Florida art, American Fine and Decorative arts, European Fine and Decorative arts, pre-Columbian and African artifacts, Pleistocene fossils, Florida history and regional natural history, Environmental Education, a Hands On Children's museum and Planeterium.

Built in 1871, DeBary Hall was the winter retreat and hunting estate of a European-born wine merchant, Frederick DeBary. Includes the 8,000-square-foot main house, stables, tenant house and other structures, plus artifacts from a kind of working farm. Has exhibits; multimedia programs; and speciality topic tours -ecological, architectural, educational; as well as traditional group guided tours focusing on the St. Johns River region, the winter house and lands, and Florida people who worked at the big estate. It is also a bird sanctuary.

The DeBary family lived there until 1941. Because the direct heirs died in the 1940s, the house passed out of the family and doesn't have the elaborate heirlooms and furnishings that some historic sites have preserved. After several owners and years of abandonment and neglect it is now a historic house museum and on the National Register of Historic Places.

DeLand Memorial Hospital was DeLand's first 'modern' hospital built to serve the growing needs of a population expanding during the land boom era of the 1920s. The museum houses eight different galleries and exhibits including displays of the WWI & WWII gallery housing artifacts and displays of historic conflicts DeLandites and Volusia residents have taken part in; a full operating room of the time period, mock pharmacy, and physicians examining room; the Bill Dreggors Ice & Electrical Museum exhibiting an array of insulators and electrical equipment from the early days of the area's ice and electric business. An adjacent building features the Elephant Fantasyland, which is a personal collection of elephant-themed collectibles, a toy collection, and the West Volusia Black Heritage Gallery.

The University Archives contains papers, books, publications, news clippings, photographs, yearbooks, the campus newspaper, and other items relating to Stetson University and its history. There is also a large University digital archives collection of publications, photographs, and memorabilia.

Stetson was the man who invented the hat and big benefactor of school. And Stetson was first called Deland Academy for Henry A. DeLand, town founder. Had Florida's first law school.

Special Collections include political papers of Joseph Maxwell “Max” Cleland, Tennessee Congressman James B. Reynolds, Representative E. Clay Shaw, the Regar Collection of James Frederick Allen 's civil war letters, Greenlaw collection of first edition children’s books. Also contains letters of DeLand settlers and the Stetson Collection of book, video/DVDs, CDs and other materials. Biographies of early presidents and faculty members; books by Stetson alumni and faculty members.

Several collections were donated by Stetson Alumni and the political papers are stored in the T. Wayne Bailey Politicos Room.

Showcases an extensive collection of period photographs, authentic artifacts and memorabilia that trace the history and development of DeLand and the surrounding area. The Robert M. Conrad Education and Research Center holds hundreds of vintage photos, maps, directories, phone books and genealogies from community histories.Old photographs, deeds, oral histories document the founding families and history of Volusia County and DeLand.

A permanent display space in a renovated 1936 schoolhouse for the extensive collection of historic letters, documents, photos, artifacts and other material owned by The Enterprise Preservation Society. These items relate to the history of Enterprise and surrounding communities such as Stone Island and Garfield. In addition, the Heritage Center features a 1930's-era classroom; permanent and revolvings exhibits and presentations on Enterprise history and area ecology, a gallery for works by local artists, community meeting space, archives and library space as well as office space for the Society.

This Museum is one of a few of its kind in the state of Florida. It houses a collection of photographs, documents, memorabilia, and artifacts such as pieces of African art to replicas of African-American inventions, to local items from African-American schools and the local railroad, which was critical to the early African-American community Exhibits are displayed to educate citizens and students about the history and race relations in small-town Florida over the course of the 20th century. Housed in a small one-room church building, formerly called St Rita's, one of the first Catholic Churches in the area open to African-Americans. Heritage House across the street, a model of a 1920s shotgun house which had been typically inhabited by African-Americans in the community. A variety of relics are on display including a full kitchen with an old-fashioned icebox, jars of preserved fruits, pots and pans; the bedroom even has set up an antique typewriter.

The focal point of the museum is an exhibit devoted to the founders of New Smyrna, an intrepid group of indentured Mediterranean colonists, under the leadership of Scottish physician and diplomat Dr. Andrew Turnbull. In addition to the New Smyrna Settlement Exhibit, there is an Interior Gallery which gives chronological overview of area history, starting with pre-historic Florida and continuing through eleven distinct periods. Upstairs at the museum is a special exhibit of early St John's pottery, projectile points, and other artifacts collected by the late Zelia Wilson Sweett, a noted local historian. The Sheldon Research Library contains documents, books, periodicals, maps and photographs relating to the history of New Smyrna Beach. The Library is open by appointment.

Museum is part of Southeast Volusia Historical Society, Inc.

Back in 1876, the first Post Office for the area, later to be known as Orange City, was housed in the very same building as the museum now resides, 129 years later! Established for the preservation and appreciation of postal history and postal artifacts and dedicated to preserving the history of postal items, postal history, and postal service. Through the efforts of the United States Postal Service and private individuals, there now exist numerous items on display that represent all phases of the U.S Postal Service from inception to the present time.

A volunteer advisory board oversees the historic area created in 1997 which encompasses the original one square mile boundary of the City of Orange City, as established in 1882. The Orange City Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. The district contains a variety of architectural styles, including Bungalow, Frame Vernacular, Classical Revival, and Colonial Revival. The Board recommends to the City Council historic property and landmark designations, as well as programs to stimulate public interest in historic preservation. The Board also advises property owners and local agencies concernin g the proper protection, maintenance, enhancement, and preservation of cultural resources. Preserves and protects significant historical records, documents, and artifacts relating to the history of Orange City.

The museum archives are comprised mainly of duplicate materials from the National Archives concerning the Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station. This repository also holds historic photographs and other materials concerning the local area. Documents include journals, letters, government correspondence, construction plans, blueprints, photographs, and clippings. Run by Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse Preservation Assoc.

The mission of the trust is to preserve and protect the historical, cultural and natural resources of the Port Orange area and to promote the development and use of these resources for the benefit and improvement of the community. To this end, the trust will support, when practical, the aims of other organizations that support this objective. Mark Pierson is current President and Trustee.

The Orange City Woman's Club VIA was organized in May of 1894 with 12 members. The "Village Improvement Association" was formed to "improve" the community and is one of the five founding clubs of the Florida Federation of Women's Clubs in 1895. A 121 year old organization whose purpose is to operate exclusively to unite women and to promote their common interest in charitable and educational community improvement projects and programs. As part of its community service mission, the Club maintains and collects historical records for Orange City and the community.

Seville is a small town with a historic past. The Seville Village Improvement Association is working to enhance a collection of historical documents and photos of the Seville Community, its residents and the historic Seville School. Two museum spaces showcase much of this data and additional materials may be reviewed by appointment. The Seville Community Resource Center and Library is located at 1591 US Hwy 17 North in Seville. Normal hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm.