Manatee Village Historical Park

Name: Manatee Village Historical Park
Address: 1404 Manatee Avenue E, Bradenton, FL, 34208, US
Telephone: +19417497165
Rating: 4.7

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Manatee Village Historical Park

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Discover how we Preserve Real Places, Tell Real Stories through a collection of historical buildings. armed forces.
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10/16/2026

Happy Historyween!🕸

Josiah and Mary Gates along with their children, Mary’s brother (Miles Price), and eight enslaved people were among the first pioneers to come to the Manatee River area in 1842. They came here seeking land from under the Armed Occupation Act which was passed in 1842. The Armed Occupation Act promised 160 acres of free land to those who cleared five acres of land, built a house, lived there for five years and agreed to serve in the militia if required.

After close encounters with Florida wildlife and an almost detrimental hurricane in 1848, the Gates family built the Gates Hotel near 105 15th St E around 1851. Following Josiah’s death in 1871, Mary continued to run the hotel. It was then sold and renamed to the Manatee Hotel in 1896. Shortly after, Mary died and was buried with her husband. The building has since been demolished.

To learn more about the Gate’s family visit our website or join our staff on Saturday, October 24 at 10 AM for a free tour of Manatee County’s oldest established cemetery. These tours provide a unique opportunity to explore the rich local history and hear stories from the past.

Please note, tours are limited to 30 participants, so early arrival is encouraged to secure a spot.

Photographs:
Josiah Gates, 1865-1870, Courtesy of Manatee County Public Library Historical Digital Collections
Gates Hotel, later Manatee Hotel, 1919-1920, Courtesy of Manatee County Public Library Historical Digital Collections

10/14/2026

The Manatee County State Bank was built in July 1899. The bank was the first brick building in Palmetto and the first bank in Manatee County. This building was also known as the Lamb Block building. It stood at the northeast corner of Main and Myrtle Street. The State Bank continued operating in the Block Building until 1925 when the company was moved to another building 500 10th Ave W in Palmetto.

The bank was advertised as having a capital of $50,000. Major stockholders in the bank at the time were S.S. Lamb, C.C. Whitaker, the well-known Tampa attorney Peter O. Knight, Lon Sims and C.E. McNeill.

Photographs:
Manatee County State Bank Building 1900 Manatee County Public Library System
Manatee County State Bank Statement 1914-06-30 Manatee County Public Library System

10/13/2026

We heard “Cracker Gothic” is the new trending style for your house this Fall! The Stephens Family used this style when they built their house in 1912 to take advantage of shade, insulation, and air circulation to survive long Florida summers without fans and air conditioning.

With elevated floors, large front porch shades, high ceilings, and a large central hallway, cool air is efficiently funneled throughout the home.

Want to learn more about The Stephens House and all the other buildings on our property? We are open and offer free self-guided tours Monday-Friday and the 2nd & 4th Saturdays of the month from 9am-4pm. Donations are appreciated.

10/12/2026

We are two months away from An Old Florida Christmas! Join us on Saturday, December 12 from 10am-2pm as we celebrate traditional Florida heritage and holiday festivities with art, food, crafts, live music, and more.

Interested in being a vendor? Email [email protected] before November 2!

Photographs:
Eric Michael Hilton Photography

10/11/2026

Please join the Manatee County Historical Commission on Saturday, October 24 from 12 - 2pm as they celebrate historic preservation efforts in Manatee County. This program is free and open to the public. Food will be available to purchase after the event.

10/10/2026

We're open today 9am – 4pm!

Come join us for a cemetery tour of the 1850 Manatee Burying Ground from 10-11 am.

The 1887 Church will be closed starting at 3:30pm.

10/09/2026

Happy Historyween! 🕸

John Riggin was born in St. Louis Missouri where he was described as one of the city’s “high rollers.” In 1861, Riggin volunteered to serve in the Civil War where he became a major and aide-de-camp for Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant. Grant commonly referred to Riggin as “military superintendent of telegraphs within this department.” Riggin continued to serve in this post until 1863. On March 13, 1865, Riggin received a promotion to brevet brigadier general for “gallant and meritorious services during the war.”

In 1874, Riggin moved from St. Louis to Florida due to a bronchial problem related to a war injury. He died in 1886 after his health began to decline and he is now buried at the 1850 Manatee Burying Ground.

To learn more about the Riggin family, visit our website or join our staff on Saturday, October 10 and October 24 at 10 AM for a free tour of Manatee County’s oldest established cemetery. These tours provide a unique opportunity to explore the rich local history and hear stories from the past. Tours will occur rain or shine within reason.

Please note, tours are limited to 30 participants, so early arrival is encouraged to secure a spot.

Photographs:
General Jogn Riggin, 1860-1870, Courtesy of the Library of Congress
General John Riggin's grave in old Manatee Burying Ground. It reads: John Riggin, Brigadier General U.S.A., 1835-1886. Manatee County Public Library System 1973-11-02

10/08/2026

Manatee County students are making history! Last May, our own Channing and Mackenzie proudly represented Manatee County at the state level for Florida History Day!

Now it’s your turn to get involved. Student and teacher registration for next year’s Manatee History Day is officially open! Teachers, please register by November 20, 2026, and Students, please register by December 18, 2026!

10/07/2026

Our mission at Manatee Village Historical Park is to preserve and share the history of Manatee County’s founding era (1840-1918).

Construction on the 1887 Church started in 1887 but was halted for two years due to a yellow fever epidemic that claimed the lives of the pastor and many people within the congregation. In 1889, the first Christian congregation south of Tampa on the Florida mainland opened the church. The church was donated by the Manatee United Methodist Church and moved here in 1975 which was the beginning of the Manatee Village Historical Park.

The Wiggins Store was built in 1903 by King Wiggins, an entrepreneur in business and agriculture. The building became one of the area’s first brick buildings with the first floor serving as a general store and a large storage area. While the second floor provided overnight rooms for customers who traveled from remote parts of the area to buy his goods.

The Bunker Hill School is a one-room schoolhouse that was built in 1908. Children in the community of Bunker Hill, in northeast Manatee County, would attend the school from first to eighth grade. There would be one teacher and 10-25 students, ages 6-21.

The Stephens House was built by the Will Stephens family in 1912 from pine trees on the family homestead. The “Cracker Gothic” style of the house helps the family survive long Florida summers without fans or air conditioning. The house came to Manatee Village Historical Park in 1982.

Old Cabbage Head was built in 1913 by Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia, PA. Its name was derived from the shape of its smokestack. The train arrived at Manatee Village Historical Park in 2002.

At the age of 19, Bartholomew Fogarty (Captain Bat) built his first ship. For the next 60 years, Captain Bat constructed hundreds of sailing ships, power vessels, small boats and skiffs the way his fathers and uncles taught him. Captain Bat died in 1944 and in 1993 his family willed the boat yard to the public. Restorers opened the building you see today and found its contents preserved just as Captain Bat left them 49 years prior.

10/05/2026

Will we see you at our cemetery tours? Manatee Village staff are excited to lead guests through the oldest organized cemetery in Manatee County, sharing stories of people from the area's pioneer era.

Wristbands are limited to 30 participants and will be handed out starting at 9 AM on the morning of the tour in the Wiggins Store.

For more information email [email protected]

Address

1404 Manatee Avenue E
Bradenton, FL
34208

Telephone

+19417497165

Website

http://www.manateevillage.org/

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