Homeland Heritage Park is a success story of local determination to save a heritage of yesteryear. It almost didn't happen. A reporter for The Polk County Democrat, who was covering a meeting of the School Board of Polk County, spotted the old Homeland School on a list of surplus property to be made available for sale. The newspaper, joined by a growing number of historical enthusiasts, adopted an "Over my dead body!" attitude, and the school board relented.

The five-acre school site property was deeded to the Polk County Board of County Commissioners by the school board on March 26, 1985. The long-vacant school building, which had been used for years for storage, was refurbished. One by one, buildings of historical significance were moved onto the site.

The park was developed through the efforts of the Board of County Commissioners and the Polk County Historical Association as a place where the educational, religious and cultural history of Polk County could be preserved. The park draws thousands of visitors annually, many of them school children.

For information on hours of operation, tours and special events, call 863-534-3766, or write to:
    Homeland Heritage Park
    Post Office Box 9005, Drawer C507
    Bartow, Florida 33831

The Old Homeland School is the heart of Homeland Heritage Park. It began as a one-room school built of cypress in 1878.  It was first called Bethel Academy, after the community where it stood.

From an initial enrollment of only five children, it grew to become the largest school in the county, with about 75 students by 1888, when it was know as "Miss Swearingen's School at Homeland." A large room which could be subdivided into two rooms was added around 1888, and an L-shaped addition was built around 1918-19.

The English family log cabin is one of the last structures of its type remaining in Polk loghouseCounty. It is typical of the first homes of many Polk County pioneers. Built by Cornelius English and his brother, James Jackson English, in1888 in the Winston area near Lakeland, it served as home for several branches of the English family. It was restored in 1972 by John English, and was later moved to the park. 		Church The Old Homeland Methodist Church -- initially called Bethel Methodist Church -- was the first building moved to the park. Originally, it was located across the street. It was restored to its 1887-89 state in time for a dedication ceremony for the church and the school in 1987. During the restoration, stained glass windows which had been hidden by a dropped ceiling were discovered. the original wooden steeple, toppled by a hurricane, was replaced in 1990 by one made of steel.

white_house This 1880's era residence, built along the Polk - Hillsborough County line west of Lakeland, is typical of rural homesteads of affluent 19th Century Polk County families. It was built by the Blocker family, and purchased in 1900 by Daniel Amos Raulerson. It was given to the county in 1987.

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