Welcome to the Historical Society of Orange Park
Let's make our community a better place!
Clarke House Tours
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.
Quarterly Member Meeting
June Quarterly Meeting: Celebrating Clay County Scout Camps
Please join us at our next Quarterly Meeting on June 24, 2025, 5:30 PM at the Orange Park Branch Library, 2054 Plainfield Ave in Orange Park. Historical Society of Orange Park President, Cynthia Cheatwood, will present the history of our local Boy Socut camp, Camp Echockotee, and our local Girl Scout camp, Camp Chowenwaw, using vintage photos and personal narratives that span decades. These two camps hosted multiple generations of scouts and left them with lifelong memories. Start your summer with memories of camp.
Were you a scout? Please bring any special memories or scout souvenirs that you would like to share. Bring a friend. The program is free and open to the public.
Orange Park Memories
The Society is highlighting Orange Park businesses each first-of-the-month throughout 2025, one from the town’s early days and one which will be recognizable to many locals. This month we feature Carnes Fish Camp and Freeman’s Bike Shop.
Carnes Fish House started in 1893 at the end of Kingsley Ave. but moved to Doctor’s Lake in 1914. They packed and shipped fish all along the east coast. The fish were caught by seine nets, hoop nets, gill nets, wire traps and trot lines, processing thousands of pounds each day. They dressed the catfish, but the bream and speckled perch were shipped the way they were. Those bream and perch in barrels- layers of fish, layers of chipped ice, in a pattern until the barrel was full. Then they were shipped out by boats and trains. This business was vital to Orange Park in the Great Depression.
In July 1969, Orange Park got a mini-golf course thanks to Ralph Freeman who ran a bike shop on Mound Street, where the La Sabrosa store is today. The shop sold bikes of all sizes, minibikes and pedal cars and offered bicycle repairs for all makes and sizes. Mr. Freeman repaired bikes for residents of Orange Park, Moosehaven and Penney Farms. The shop, located right next to the mini golf course, was a very popular hangout for kids with a pinball machine upstairs and a basketball court in back.
Members Only Event
Clarke House Tours
Private Guided Tours of Historic Clarke House Available
Homeschool, civic and social groups are welcome to schedule a free guided tour of the 1913 historic Clarke House. For more information, contact the Historical Society of Orange Park at info@ophistory.org. Groups will be scheduled based on the availability of guides.
our corporate sponsors
Dairy Queen
610 Kingsley Avenue, Orange Park
McDonald's
428 Park Avenue
372 Blanding Blvd., Orange Park
Orange Park History Tours
Orange Park History Tours
