Historic Events
St. Luke Baptist Church, Marianna This African-American church, founded along the Chipola River in August 1867, is now a main focal point in Marianna. The building is Gothic Revival Style with pointed, arch leaded stained glass windows and towers on either side of the central nave.
Gilmore Academy In 1922, Robert T. Gilmore (1879-1948), born in Monticello, founded Gilmore Academy, one of Jackson County's first African-American high schools. After graduating its first class in 1931, it was renamed Jackson County Training School, then later Marianna Middle School.
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Russ House
The house was built in 1895 by Joseph W. Russ, Jr., a prominent landowner and merchant, for him and his mother, who lived there with him only two years before her untimely death. However, the home was occupied by members of his family until 1995, and owned by the family for exactly 100 years.
It is noteworthy that on the east side of the house there was at one time a one-story porte-cochere with Corinthian columns which allowed vehicles to approach in a manner similiar to that of the park carriage trail. The roof of the porte-cochere was surrounded by balustrades which tied into the upper porch to form a deck. The reconstruction of the porte-cochere was not included in the restoration due to a shortage of funds.
The Russ House is noted as one of the finest examples of Colonial Revival architecture in Florida and is on the National Historic Register. The home is one of the last reminders of days past when Lafayette Street was lined with vast oaks, azaleas, and stately, charactered family homes.
It stands at the site of a portion of the Battle of Marianna, fought in 1864.
Milton House
Built in 1909, the Milton House is located on Lafayette Street, and was originally built by Mr. and Mrs. William J. Daniel.
Mrs. Daniel was the granddaughter of Florida’s Civil War governor, John Milton. The house has since been owned by descendents of Gov. Milton.
About Jackson County
Andrew Jackson carried a vision when he passed a bill in 1822 to create a third county in Florida, which he named after himself. Our county, Jackson County, was carved from the two existing counties — St. Johns and Escambia — and our leaders soon developed a vision of their own.
Settlers formed the town of Webbville in January 1827, which was located 9 miles northwest of present-day Marianna. Webbville became our new county’s seat.
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