History:

The Town of Micanopy (mick-ah-No-pee) encompasses 1.03 square miles near the Alachua-Marion County line between Gainesville (home of the University of Forida) and Ocala (the horse capital of the world) in rural north-central Florida. Micanopy's 605 residents occupy 299 residences. The beautiful southern community was named for Seminole Chief Micanopy (ca.1780-1849). The ancient oaks clothed in Spanish moss enfold Micanopy's narrow streets and dirt lanes and provide shade and Southern ambiance for visitors and families that have lived here for generations. Micanopy's appeal is based on its rich, sometimes savage history. Florida's aboriginal records show that Hernando De Soto encountered an early Timucua Indian Village here in 1539 and later, Pennsylvania botanist William Bartram visited a Cuscowilla village on this site in 1774.  Micanopy is the oldest inland town in Florida having been included in a land grant made by the King of Spain in 1817 to Don Fernando de la Maza Arrendondo of Havana and St. Augustine.

Today, excavations and preservation initiatives pay tribute to the Town's historic past with the search for artifacts in residents' yards. A local park, the Micanopy Native American Heritage Preserve, protects an Indian mound.

Dedicated on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, Cholokka Boulevard, once an Indian trading route,  is Micanopy's main street,  and the Town's primary tourist destination famous for its antique shops. Micanopy's eclectic mix of authentic rustic storefronts lure casual shoppers, collectors, seasonal scouts from all over the country, and Hollywood film makers (Doc Hollywood, Cross Creek, and most recently, The History Channel's, Top Gear). Charming diners and the nationally lauded Greek revival mansion, the Herlong Bed & Breakfast (1915), provide Southern hospitality. A two-story brick schoolhouse (1895) now houses Micanopy Town Hall, the Town Commission Chambers, and the Micanopy branch of the Alachua County Library District. Across the street, the wood-planked Thrasher Warehouse (1896) boasts the Micanopy Historical Society Museum and the Micanopy Archives showcasing the relevance of earlier times for historians, genealogists, and students. Numerous historic homes and old cracker houses add to the picturesque warmth of "the town that time forgot."