HISTORY OF NEWTOWN 1894
NEWTOWN 1894 is a Planned Urban Development in the heart of Newberry ,Florida. Newberry is about 15 miles due west of Gainesville,Fl. in the summer of 2004 developers broke ground in an old pasture that had been used to raise cattle and farm hay,corn and other crops.for over 150 years.They
decided to call this community Newtown 1894. They wanted to keep the spirit of the original settlers of this area who called this small town Newtown,Fl.
In the late 1800's hard rock phosphate was discovered in North Central Florida. Newtown became a booming mining community.Many of these old mines can still be .found today scattered around the city.The phosphate was moved by the railroads to shipping ports.. These railroads were also the main reason many people discovered this beautiful area of Florida.Because of the mining and the railroads Newberry's business community started to grow to support the miners.Newberry's business community was complete with an horse stables,opera house ,hotels,saloon's, churches and an infamous house of ill repute still standing today! There are stories still told today how this small town was just like the wild west ,with shoot outs in the streets,usually after on a Friday evening after a long night of drinking moonshine.Finally the town of Newtown was incorporated in 1894.It eventfully became known as Newberry ,named after a small town in the Carolinas.
Germany was the principle buyer of the phosphate .So during World War 1 the mining industry in Newberry became almost nonexistant.The towns people turned to agriculture to earn a living and to survive. Agriculture has remained as the staple industry ever since.This area eventually became known for its large and great tasting watermelons,that muture in late June and early July.
Every year now since 1964 there is a Watermelon Festival celebrated in Newberry. There are parades,watermelon pagents and a watermelon queen is picked every year! It is a wonderful day for locals and visitors.
The City of Newberry has preserved many of the original buildings ,including the first school house affectionatelyu know as the "Little Red School House" This building has many items in it from the past ,including one of the original classrooms. Today it also houses the local Building and Plannimg Dept..There is also "Dudley's Farm" which is a working farm dating back at least 150 years. It is a State Park now. Visitors can go to Dudley's Farm and watch as corn syrup is made, turkeys are raised and crops are grown the same way it was done over 100 years ago!
The future of Newberry is strong. This small city is growing under the leadership of family's that have been born and raised here for generations.The same pioneer spirit that the setttlers had over 200 years ago is present in the hearts of the developers,business men and women ,and the local farmers. It is simply a great place to live and to raise a family!
