Welcome to the Historical Society of Orange Park
Let's make our community a better place!
Let's make our community a better place!
Taking care of our neighbors makes for a stronger community. Looking out for one another ensures a safer and happier neighborhood. When we all do a little, we can do so much!
The Historical Society of Orange Park was organized to educate the community about the rich and dynamic history of Orange Park, which was founded in 1877. The society collects, preserves and displays printed materials of historical value and facilitates educational and historical events.
We are always looking for volunteers to help us make our vision a reality. The Society has opportunities for research, community service and leadership, offering the chance to learn and share local history in a variety of ways. Opportunities include digitizing historical documents, helping with podcast creation, live-history re-enactment
We are always looking for volunteers to help us make our vision a reality. The Society has opportunities for research, community service and leadership, offering the chance to learn and share local history in a variety of ways. Opportunities include digitizing historical documents, helping with podcast creation, live-history re-enactment and more. We offer people of all ages a chance to help others tell the story. By joining the Society, even if for just one project, you will be fascinated by what there is to learn.
Whether you help through monetary donations, volunteering your time, or spreading our mission through word-of-mouth, thank you! We couldn't accomplish our goals without the help of supporters like you.
Saturday, October 28, Moonlight on Magnolia returns!
The Society will conduct tours through Magnolia Cemetery to share the town’s history with visitors. Along the way we will meet “former residents” of the town who will share stories of their time in Orange Park. Tours will begin at 4 PM and continue at regular intervals. The last tour will start at 6 PM.
Tours will follow the paved roads within the cemetery and take approximately 45 minutes so please plan accordingly. This is a free, community event. Donations are appreciated and will be used to further the work of our Society.
Volunteers are needed to make this event a success. If you are interested in participating, please contact us at info@ophistory.org.
The Clarke House, built in 1912 and located in Clarke House Park, 1039 Kingsley Avenue, is open for tours the second Sunday of each month from 2 PM to 4 PM. Sunday afternoons are the perfect time for a leisurely tour of the house, both upstairs and downstairs.
To celebrate our 20th anniversary, the Historical Society of Orange Park is highlighting the town’s history, decade by decade. This month we look at Orange Park in the 1990's.
Orange Park reached its population peak in 1990, when its population was 9,471.
The Town bought the Clarke Pecan Grove property in 1991, creating Clarke House Park and paving the way for decades of fun for all ages.
A Historical Survey of the town’s notably historic properties was conducted in 1994 by Mary Anne Study and the Orange Park Woman’s Club. In 1997 they created the River Road Historic District. They led the effort to have the Clarke House listed on the National Register for Historic Homes in 1998.
In 1995, Mayor Earl Harrington installed a time capsule as a new Town Hall was dedicated.
Benevolent organizations, BASCA and the Shepherd’s Center were established.
The original Grumpy’s Restaurant opened in 1999, a dream of a US NAVY cook called Chef Grumpy, "The Bad Mood Dude".
September 17th is a date set aside each year to recognize the anniversary of the US Constitution, the foundation of our very identity as a nation. We in the Historical Society encourage recognition of this holiday and all it represents.
Our friends at the DAR are striving to be more effective in the education of and appreciation for the Constitution and invite our readers to assist. They intend to provide displays in the public libraries, request a proclamation from the Clay County Board of Commissioners, provide information in the schools, and have a bell ringing ceremony at 4 PM at the Orange Park Library on Sunday, September 17.
In addition to these things, they are asking local businesses to place Constitution Week dates on their digital signs. If you are affiliated with such a business or organization, they would like you to promote this effort. Also, if you are someone who dresses in period clothing and speaks to local groups, they would love to enlist you for this cause. Finally, if you have ideas about how our organization could assist the DAR Chapter to promote Constitution Week, please share those with us at ophistory.org so that we can tell the ladies.
Please click the links below to obtain a copy of our current newsletter or a recent newsletter.
Historical Society of Orange Park
P.O. Box 08, Orange Park, Florida 32067
Copyright © 2023 Historical Society of Orange Park - All Rights Reserved.
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