“Candles, Carols ‘N’ Carriages” will feature food, music, horse-drawn wagon rides, and family fun on Friday, December 2, 2022, from 5:00 to 9:00 pm. Town Center Park and downtown Floral City come alive on this special evening! Enjoy lights, music, and decorated homes. The library, museum, and historic Duval-Metz House are all open for programs or tours.

The Lions Club will sell fish-fry dinners and Mt. Carmel Church will sell their famous BBQ and sweet potato pie. Orange Avenue will be closed to motorized vehicles, lined with luminaria candles and open to horse-drawn wagon rides and pedestrians.

Horse-drawn wagon rides are provided to guests on Friday night but be aware that they fill up fast, so it is a good idea to get there early and sign up for the time slot of your ride. Then stroll down the Avenue and enjoy music provided by talented community groups. All are welcome to participate in this small-town community event.

A Frontier Christmas at the Historic Duval-Metz House in Floral City December 2-3

Citrus County’s oldest remaining residential building, The Historic Duval-Metz House, located at 7801 S. Old Floral City Road, will be open again on December 3 for a special fundraising Frontier Christmas celebration.

The rehabilitation of the Historic Duval-Metz House is at the point of near-completion due to many monetary, material, and skilled labor contributions to its owner and caretaker, the Duval Preservation Trust, Inc. 

The Historic Duval-Metz House is in the heart of Floral City, across the street from the Heritage Hall Museum and Museum “Country” Store.  Many museum visitors ask if the historic house across the street is open for touring. Currently, it is not open on a scheduled basis.

Now, guests may tour the house during Candles, Carols ‘n’ Carriages Friday, Dec. 2 from 5-9pm and return on Saturday for the Duval-Metz House Fundraiser Dec. 3 for free, although donations are greatly appreciated!

House Tours, Holiday Tastings, a Silent Auction and Music are part of the Dec. 3 Duval-Metz House Fundraiser

The Trust is sponsoring a special event for Saturday, December 3, between 4 and 7 p.m., called “A Frontier Christmas at the historic Duval-Metz House,” which will feature a house tour, holiday tastings, a silent auction, and music. 

The purpose of this event is to increase public awareness of the site’s history and how it may continue to contribute to the history of Citrus County. The Trust looks to the public to gain support for continued rehabilitation of the house and for the development of the grounds on which the house resides. 

The vision of The Duval Preservation Trust, Inc. is to reflect the early history and pre-history of Floral City and the County on this two-acre site.

Early History and Pre-History of the Floral City area

The property stretches from Orange Avenue north to Magnolia Street south, and the southern half is wooded and undeveloped.  It is also located less than a block from the site of “Cho-illy-hadjo.”   Before 1765, Seminoles had come to this area and established a village here. They called it “Cho-illy-hadjo.”  An interpretation of that village could be recreated on this site.

Prior to the Seminoles, Hernando De Soto is recorded as having visited a native American village here in 1539. By 900 A.D., the Timucuan village of “Tocaste” was located on the southern shore of the Floral City pool of Lake Tsala Apopka and inhabited (at least seasonally) until the mid-1500s.  Relying on the illustrations of the Frenchman Jacques Le Moyne from his 1564 Florida visit, a recreation could be constructed of the Timucuan lifestyle.

Join the Duval Preservation Trust, Inc. at its first-ever Fundraiser to help History Come Alive Dec. 3 from 4-7 pm in Floral City

All the work on the Duval property thus far has been accomplished by donations from businesses, charities, and individuals, after an initial grant from the State Bureau of Historic Preservation, Florida Department of State, assisted by the Historic Preservation Council began the process. 

Although the vision for the further development of an early homestead and recreation of Native-American villages is strong, the day-to day care and upkeep of a historic building may slow attainment of that vision.

The Trust is grateful for all citizens who have played a role with their support. This will be the first fundraising event for the Historic Duval-Metz house on Saturday, December 3, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at the Historic House.

Parking is available in the Floral City Town Center parking lot and off the pavement on Old Floral City Road.  Entry to the property will be at the sidewalk location on Old Floral City Road. There is no entry charge but participation in donation envelopes and the silent auction will be appreciated.

A tour of the house, charcuterie board, and wine tickets will be provided to the first 200 reservations.

Please call (352)726-7740, text (352) 634-4781, or email abeasely001@tampabay.rr.com to reserve your time for a Frontier Christmas at the Duval-Metz House.