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Draft:Sams House at Pine Island Conservation Area

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Wooden cabin from 1875
The exterior of the Sams family cabin.
Gift shop inside a cabin.
The inside of the Sams family cabin.

Sams House at Pine Island is located at 6195 N Tropical Trail, Merritt Island, Florida in the Pine Island Conservation Area which is managed by the Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program and the St. Johns River Water Management District.[1].

Sams House is 600 square feet, and is the oldest standing house in Brevard County[2]. The Sams family had the house built in Eau Gallie in 1875 and transported to Merritt Island by raft where it was reassembled in 1878.[3] The wood frame house on the property was built in 1888 [4]. Tours of the cabin and house occur on Thursdays and Saturdays.

The cabin has pamphlets and a gift shop with souvenirs for visitors. Various exhibits are dedicated to the Sams family and prehistoric animals. Exhibits are also located on the property. Exhibits highlight findings from the paleontological and archaeological excavations that have occurred over the years. There are exhibits dedicated to Ice Age animals such as mastodons, glyptodons, horses. At this exhibit, there are life-sized replicas of a glyptodon and saber-toothed cat. Youth can also pretend to be paleontologists. There are also exhibits about Indigenous peoples, pioneers, and Florida's native plant and animal species [5]. Findings from the archaeological excavations date back to 5,000 BC to 2,500 AD [6]. There is also a burial mound on the property that is protected [7]. Visitors can learn about Florida’s various habitats, fruits, and pollinators.

Burial mound on a property.
The burial mound on the property.

Sams House offers passive recreation and has various hiking trails for visitors to explore [8][9]. Visitors may be able to see Florida gopher tortoises and various other wildlife on the hiking trails. The property has picnic benches, a screened pavilion, and a gazebo. Sams House hosts programs, events, and volunteer opportunities for visitors of all ages. Sams House's Homeschool Programs and School Study Trips are aimed at youth and cover a variety of topics [1]. Sams House also collaborates with the Pine Island Preservation Society (PIPS) for events such as their Pioneer Day event [10]. Additionally, they have collaborated with Museums of Brevard (MOB) in the past to host events such as the holiday historic home tour [11].

References

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  1. ^ a b "Sams House at Pine Island Conservation Area," Brevard County, accessed November 3, 2024. https://www.brevardfl.gov/EELProgram/Sanctuaries/SamsHouse
  2. ^ "Sams House at Pine Island Conservation Area," North Brevard Business Directory, accessed November 3, 2024, https://nbbd.com/godo/sanctuaries/SamsHouse/
  3. ^ "Sams House: A glimpse at the life of Brevard County pioneers." Explore Historic Titusville, accessed November 3, 2024, https://nbbd.com/godo/sanctuaries/SamsHouse/gallery/index.html
  4. ^ "Sams House at Pine Island Conservation Area." North Brevard Business Directory, June 1, 2020,https://nbbd.com/godo/sanctuaries/SamsHouse/gallery/index.html
  5. ^ Hall, Cynthia. "Step back in time at Sams House." Hometown News Brevard, March 25, 2021. https://www.hometownnewsbrevard.com/news/step-back-in-time-at-sams-house/article_859a39b8-8cab-11eb-ad27-37f41482f205.html
  6. ^ Brotemarkle, Ben. "Merritt Island fertile ground for Sams." Florida Today, May 20, 2014.
  7. ^ "Sams House Nature Sanctuary: A walk through a prehistoric landscape." Explore Historic Titusville, accessed November 3, 2024, https://history.titusville.com/items/show/1?tour=1&index=0
  8. ^ "Pine Island Conservation Area." Brevard County, accessed November 3, 2024, https://brevardfl.gov/EELProgram/Sanctuaries/PineIslandConservationArea
  9. ^ "Sams House at Pine Island Conservation Area." Visit Space Coast, accessed November 3, 2024 https://www.visitspacecoast.com/profile/merritt-island/nature-outdoors/sams-house-at-pine-island/
  10. ^ Brotemarkle, Ben. "Tour of Sams House offers peek into Brevard's past at Pioneer Day event." Florida Today, February 9, 2016.
  11. ^ "Museums of Brevard Holiday Tour of Historic Homes." Brevard Cultural Alliance, accessed November 3, 2024, https://www.artsbrevard.org/events/museums-of-brevard-holiday-tour-of-historic-homes-5