An Entire City District Has Been Rebuilt After Suffering Termite Attacks
An Entire City District Has Been Rebuilt After Suffering Termite Attacks
Preserving historical buildings is easier said than done in the state of Florida. Given the state’s high number of both native and invasive termite species, it is a wonder that any historical wood-constructed homes have lasted as long as they have. Obviously, Florida has a rich colonial history that dates back over five hundred years. Today, very few signs of Florida’s colonial history remain. However, a city district in the County of Manatee is still standing after more than two hundred years. Naturally, history scholars have been hoping to see the district serve as a museum or a living history preserve. Unfortunately, decades of termite activity had taken a toll on many of the old wood structures located in the district. This blog has mentioned the termite-infested structures located in Manatee in the past, but now renovations in the district have been completed, and it looks as though the district can finally become a tourist hotspot. This is not the only source of good news for American history enthusiasts, as the termite damaged structures in the area turned up new historical artifacts that may change some commonly accepted aspects of early American history.
During the 1860s a prominent Florida family known as the Currys had several homes built in a region that now borders on the Mineral Springs Park in southern Florida. Today the renovated district has been turned into a living history museum aptly named the Curry Houses Historic District. In total, three homes were restored to their pre-termite days. Two of these homes were built in 1860, and another in 1925. Although construction on these homes began well after America’s early colonial days, there are still several reasons to regard the Curry Houses Historic District as a historical treasure.
As a result of the massive amounts of termite damage that had been sustained to many of the houses located in this district, large amounts of termite-eaten wood had to be removed and replaced. Luckily, removing all of the debris from this region revealed that the Curry Houses Historic District was once a part of the underground railroad network. This network was used by enslaved African Americans in order to escape their oppressive captives during the 1800s. As a result of this recent finding, the National Park Service is considering adding the Curry Houses Historic District to its list of National Parks. Strangely enough, had it not been for the decades termite damage inflicted on the historic structures, this piece of American history would have remained unknown.
Do you think that more historical insights can be gained from this property by continuing renovations and protecting the property from termite damage?