Skip to main content
  • Directory
  • Magazine
  • Contributors
Playground Professionals
Play and Playground News and Views

Main navigation

  • Playground
  • Surfaces
  • Parks and Recreation
  • Athletics
  • Aquatics
  • Play

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Playground
  3. Playstructures
  4. Fort Christmas

Fort Christmas

Playstructures
October 01, 2005
Profile picture for user Playground Magazine
By Playground Magazine on
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • envelope
  • print
486

Not your average play place

Want a place to play a game of Soldiers or Cowboys and Indians? The playground at Fort Christmas, Florida just might be the place you’ll want to go. The PVC log look-alike playground structure in the Fort Christmas Historical Park in Christmas, Florida is in keeping with the authentic recreation of the old log fort once built there.

On Christmas Eve, December 25, 1837, a force of 2,000 U.S. Army Soldiers and Alabama Volunteers arrived near this spot to construct a fort, which was aptly named, Fort Christmas. This was only one of over 200 forts built during the Second Seminole Indian War, 1835 - 1842.

This is not the actual Fort Christmas but a re-creation. The original was built a short distance away in 1837 during the Second Seminole Indian War. Its remains, having been destroyed first by a raging forest fire, have long since rotted away. The re-created fort, with its log cabin-like blockhouses and pointed palisades, is remarkably evocative of a frontier that most Americans associate with the West, not the South.

The original fortification was constructed to protect and shelter a contingent of U.S. Army troops dispatched to the area to help the local settlers in a war with the marauding Seminole Indians.

Christmas, a tiny unincorporated community, is located 23 miles east of Orlando and ten miles west of Titusville on U. S.  Rte. 50 in East Orange County. The principal industries of this area, other than the post office, are farming, cattle, and citrus groves. During the month of December, the oranges and grapefruit are being harvested and truly represent Florida’s native Christmas trees with their green leaves and bright orange and yellow decorations.

That original fort was recreated as part of an Orange County Historic and Recreation Park. Today the family park contains the full-scale fort replica, seven authentic pioneer homes, and a commercially built playground built to resemble a miniature fort. There are various outbuildings, softball fields, volleyball and tennis courts, horseshoe pits, picnic areas, grills and covered pavilions.

The playground is used on a year-round basis by locals and visitors alike. But no time of year is it busier than during the month of December. That month attracts visitors to the community’s modern postal facility like a magnet. After all, everyone loves to get their seasonal greeting cards and gift packages with the historic Christmas cancellation and green tree cachet.

After an encounter with the current postmistress, Diane Reed Schmidt, visitors are almost certain to take a side trip to the county park. A permanently decorated living Christmas tree marks the paved road leading to the park and its fort. The tree is gaily lighted during the month of December, beginning with a tree-lighting ceremony held the first Sunday evening. The tree is the community’s gift to all and is its symbol of Love, Good Will, and Peace to the world. The tree probably is one of the most often photographed trees in the nation.

The Fort Christmas Park and its playground are free of charge and open to all, residents and visitors alike. After exploring the full-size replica fort, children often repair to the playground and act out their Indian and soldier fantasies while the adults spend more time at the pioneer homes.

Read more articles

Older
5 Must-Have Things When Boating with Kids

Add new comment

About text formats

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
Profile picture for user Playground Magazine
Playground Magazine
486
2
min read
A- A+
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • envelope
  • print

  • Picture
    Profile picture for user Playground Magazine

    Playground Magazine

    Thinking Today About Tomorrow's Play™ The only magazine that is 100% dedicated to the Playground Industry

    Author profile »

Read More In Playstructures

  • Oct 01, 2003
    Playstructures

    Commitment to Play

    Playground Magazine
  • Giant rope climber
    Sep 14, 2018
    Playstructures

    Exploring the Latest Trends for Outdoor Play Structures

    Kacey Mya
  • Mar 01, 2001
    Playstructures

    The Best Playground

    Monty Christiansen
  • Stair slide in mansion
    May 26, 2014
    Playstructures

    Skipping Steps: 5 Slides that Beat Taking the Stairs Down

    PGP
  • 7 Elements of Play?
    Mar 21, 2019
    Playstructures

    Does Your Playground Include the 7 Elements of Play?

    Jami Murdock
  • Dec 22, 2014
    Playstructures

    A History of IPEMA

    Ipema Association
  • Jul 01, 2002
    Playstructures

    Protecting Your Investment

    Playground Magazine
  • Jun 03, 2013
    Playstructures

    What Makes for a Great Play Structure?

    Jay-Beckwith

Subscribe to Play & Playground

Sponsored Spotlights

Playground

  • Playstructures
  • Inclusion
  • Adventure Playgrounds
  • Fund Raising
  • Playground Safety
  • Playground Construction
  • Maintenance & Inspection
  • Swing Sets
  • Residential
  • Climbing Walls
  • Theme
  • Indoor
  • Recycled
  • Nature Play
  • Nets and Ropes
  • Musical

Surfaces

  • Loose Fill
  • Rubber
  • Artificial Turf
  • Sports Court
  • Surfacing Maintenance

Athletics

  • Sports Equipment
  • Outdoor Exercise
  • Fitness and Exercise
  • Bleachers

Parks and Recreation

  • Parks Administration
  • Landscape
  • Benches
  • Outdoor Tables
  • Trash Receptacles
  • Bike Racks
  • Drinking Fountain
  • Playground Lighting
  • Shelters
  • Shade Structures
  • Restrooms
  • Dog Park
  • Skatepark

Aquatics

  • Spray Parks
  • Surf Parks
  • Water Safety
  • Pool
  • Water Slides

Play

  • Amusement Park
  • School and Education
  • Toys
  • Parenting
  • Bullying
  • Health and Safety
  • Games and Gaming
  • Inflatables
  • Arts and Crafts
Playground Professionals
Play and Playground News and Views

Follow Us

Play and playground news and information since 2001

  • instagram
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • pinterest
  • linkedin

Company

  • Advertise
  • Submit Business
  • Subscribe

Copyright © 2001 - 2021 Playground Professionals, LLC

Footer menu

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Terms and conditions