Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce
Spring 2008 Newsletter
10th Apalachicola Antique & Classic Boat Show
Apalachicola will host the 10th Annual Apalachicola Antique & Classic Boat Show Saturday, April 26, 2008, 10:00 am- 4:00 pm. Antique boats, examples of classic and traditional vessels, workboats, and fiberglass and aluminum classics will all be on display. This festival emphasizes the maritime history of our picturesque coastal town. Special highlights include authentic oyster boats, workboats, home-built boats by skilled craftsmen, antique outboard engines, plus antique automobiles.
The Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve will have displays on the Apalachicola River and its flora and fauna, plus the Department of State, Division of Underwater Archaeology will have a booth with information on area underwater wrecks and sites. Senior Archaeologist and researcher Kevin Porter will be on hand to give presentations on the 50 foot pack canoe discovered in the Apalachicola River in 2006. Built circa mid-1800s, this tow boat is believed to have carried trade goods up and down the river.
At 6:00 pm there will be a dinner and a lecture by Gibby Conrad. Reservations are required for the dinner and evening lecture. For information please call (850) 653-9419 or email us at info@apalachicolabay.org.
Plein Air Painters to Capture Forgotten Coast on Canvas
This spring, more than 20 nationally acclaimed painters from throughout the country will converge on Florida's Forgotten Coast to participate in the 3rd Annual Plein Air Invitational May 8-18, 2008. These artists have been selected to capture the allure of the Florida's Forgotten Coast with paint and canvas. Artists will be painting on the beach, across the marsh, beside the lakes and throughout the streets of waterfront towns from Mexico Beach, Windmark, Port St. Joe, Cape San Blas, Apalachicola, Eastpoint, St. George Island, Carrabelle, and inland at Wewahitchka. You are cordially invited to join us at this premier art exhibition and sale featuring on-location artists. Experience beauty through the eyes of America's finest plein air artists! http://www.pleinairfl.com/
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The 16th annual Apalachicola Historic Homes Tour will take place on Saturday, May 3th, from 1:00-5:00 p.m.(EDT). Sponsored by Trinity Episcopal Church, the tour will showcase 11 historic homes this year and you will see first-hand why Apalachicola has been selected by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to be one of America’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations for 2008.
Trinity Episcopal Church was first known as Christ Church. It was prefabricated in New York State and shipped down the east coast and around the tip of the Florida peninsula by schooner. It was finished in 1838 at its current site on Sixth Street. The Historic Home Tour is held each year in order to help keep this historical building in good repair.
This year, the featured home is the Wefing/Knight House. This Queen Ann style house, noted for its craftsmanship, was built in 1895. It has 1200 square feet of spacious verandas and balconies, overlooking the Apalachicola Bay. The interior is constructed of red cypress and oak. The floors are of heart pine. This home will be on display during the tour from noon until 4:00 pm. Eleven other historic homes will be on display from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
In the early to mid 1800’s, Apalachicola was the third largest cotton shipping port on the Gulf, after New Orleans and Mobile. Settled in the early days by northern cotton commission merchants, this lovely, thriving port town is now supported by its seafood industry and tourism. Many historic houses, inns, churches and commercial buildings remain. More than 225 residences were built in the 1800s and over 100 were built between 1900 and 1910. All of these homes are lovingly maintained by Apalach families. “Star of the Tour” is always Trinity Episcopal Church. It is always open on the day of the tour, with hosts to guide visitors. On display, will be the 1842 silver communion set, which is normally kept in a safe, along with the Hodges’ Bible. At the outbreak of the Civil War, members rushed the communion silver to Marianna, where it was sewn in a mattress for safekeeping. The Erben tracker organ is still in use. The organ has been updated and now uses electricity for the blower. The “Ascension” stained glass window, centrally located above the altar was created in 1922 by Jacoby Art Glass Co. Jacoby was located in St. Louis and was one of the century’s major American stained glass studios. A 1995 survey stated that the window is the most artistically significant window between Pensacola and Jacksonville. Stations of the Cross were painted by member, Phyllis Blake, during her residency in town.
This year’s event will begin on Friday evening May 2, at Trinity Episcopal Church with Evensong at 5 p.m. (EDT), followed by a free lecture “History of Apalachicola Architecture” at 6:15 p.m. On Saturday, May 3rd, registration begins at 9:30 a. m. at Trinity Episcopal Church, located on Highway 98 at 6th Street. Admission on the day of the tour is $18, with a gourmet lunch $28. Advance tickets are $15, with a gourmet lunch $25. Advanced tickets can be purchased before April 25, by calling the church at 850 653 9550, or the Chamber of Commerce at 850 653 9419. All tickets holders will be given a tour booklet which contains photographs, a brief history, and directions to each residence.
Tour sites are centrally located in Apalachicola’s Historic District - an easy walk, bike ride or drive to every site on the tour. Local art galleries, boutiques, antique shops and restaurants will be open all day for those who want to enjoy more of this unique seaport town.
