Alpine Groves

In the late 1800s, the St. Johns River carried goods and people through Northeast Florida. On this property, a farmhouse, a citrus sorting shed, and horse stables were strategically placed for access to the river to transport oranges grown here. Many orange groves once covered the area, reflected in local names such as Fruit Cove, Orangedale, Mandarin, and Orange Park. In the late 1930s, the Harris Family purchased the property and named it "Alpine Groves" because of its location in Switzerland, Florida. Although orange production thrived in Northeast Florida in the 1800s, devastating freezes over several years brought the groves to an end, and by the 1890s the once-thriving industry was lost.

Fruit Cove, Florida · United States