Where the Past is Present

Capturing time at the Princess Place Preserve

The vistas remind me of open-plains states like Kansas and Wyoming, their endless grasslands stretched out for miles in every direction. But what clues me to my real location are sparkles of light dancing across water that snakes through golden mounds of tall reed. No, I’m not in Kansas, Toto. I’m in Northeast Florida in the middle of 1,500 acres of pristine beauty called the Princess Place Preserve.

A covered wooden bridge provides my introduction to this magical place at the confluence of Pellicer Creek, Styles Creek and the Matanzas River in Flagler County. This is a chunk of Florida history as old as Florida itself. Here Spaniards and Frenchmen once arrived on the shores of the Atlantic, all thinking themselves the new sheriff in town. But the Cherokee and the Seminole were not so impressed. Years later, the Spanish would create St. Augustine to the north, and the French would die. Among the survivors was Francisco Pellicer, a carpenter who left the Spanish island of Minorca in the Mediterranean Sea for adventure in the New World. For his

Against most odds, the property has managed to stay protected by compassionate caretakers and owners who felt compelled to save its history and beauty.

service to Spain he was deeded the land then known as Cherokee Grove in 1788. A hundred years later, a New York/English sportsman, Henry Cutting, would build a lodge, and the preserve as it stands today would be born.

I’m driving a packed sand road that winds its way through all manner of palm, conifer and cedar growth. The destination is Henry Cutting’s lodge at the water’s edge and the surrounding event grounds. Today’s gathering is, fittingly, a Native American Festival, featuring a drum circle and dancing, flute players, storytellers and fine craftwork. On other occasions it’s a site for an annual Bluegrass Music Festival, weddings, lodge tours and good, old-fashioned “primitive” camping. Park rangers guide me to parking, and I step into another world, both light-years and minutes from a growing urban sprawl.

A covered wooden bridge leads to Princess Place Preser ve. The 1,500-acre site in Flagler County hosts a number of special events throughout the year, including the Native American Festival held in February.

Below: The lodge’s wraparound porch overlooks the Matanzas River; a bedroom’s French doors allow for airflow; Florida’s first in-ground swimming pool.