Chaires, Florida
Encyclopedia
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
located just east of Tallahassee in Leon County, Florida
Leon County, Florida
Leon County is a county located in the state of Florida, named after the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León. At the 2010 Census, the population was 275,487. The county seat of Leon County is Tallahassee which also serves as the state capital. The county seat is home to two of Florida's major...
. It is near the intersection of Chaires Cross Road and Capitola Road, northeast of Lake Lafayette
Lake Lafayette, Florida
Lake Lafayette is a prairie lake located in the coastal lowland in eastern Tallahassee, Leon County, Florida with US 27 / State Road 20 running close on its south side.- Prehistoric :Lake Lafayette is the remnant of a Pleistocene river delta...
and the Edwards Wildlife Area.
Geography
1830s
Chaires was named after one of its earliest founders, Green Hill Chaires. Green Hill was one of three brothers who moved to Florida and helped settle Tallahassee and the surrounding areas. Green Hill and his brothers, Benjamin and Thomas Peter, all created thriving plantations in the southeastern section of Leon County. They settled down, became wealthy planters and were influential, to varying degrees, on the politics of North Florida. Although the plantations are gone, their legacies still exist today in the names, families, pride and history of the area that is now known as Chaires.Green Hill originally built a cotton plantation on the edge of Lake Lafayette, Florida
Lake Lafayette, Florida
Lake Lafayette is a prairie lake located in the coastal lowland in eastern Tallahassee, Leon County, Florida with US 27 / State Road 20 running close on its south side.- Prehistoric :Lake Lafayette is the remnant of a Pleistocene river delta...
. Here he began to develop into a wealthy and, therefore, influential Southern planter. In 1838, however, an Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
raid left several of his family members, including his wife, dead and his home burned to the ground. To rebuild, Green Hill moved further east. He built a new plantation, called Evergreen Hills
Evergreen Hills Plantation
Evergreen Hills Plantation was a large cotton plantation of 6700 acres located in eastern Leon County, Florida, United States established by Green A. Chaires.-Location:Evergreen Hills was located in 2 tracts...
, in the area that is currently known as Chaires. It was so named because Green Hill owned all of this land until he gave certain tracts of it to the building of the railroad and his descendants had to sell of portions to survive. Green Hill and his descendants, however, continued to own much of the land in the Chaires district even through the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
when so many people lost so much. It was where Green Hill had established his final home that the Chaires family prospered until they have become known as one of the original aristocrat
Aristocracy (class)
The aristocracy are people considered to be in the highest social class in a society which has or once had a political system of Aristocracy. Aristocrats possess hereditary titles granted by a monarch, which once granted them feudal or legal privileges, or deriving, as in Ancient Greece and India,...
ic families of Tallahassee.
The legacy of the Chaires family is rather mixed. Although descendants of the family take great pride in their family's heritage, to the descendants of their slaves, the family was remembered for their unrelenting cruelty and indifference towards blacks. According to one story, Green Hill, who had a habit of brutally beating his slaves, grew agitated with a slave child blocking his horse, trampled the child to death in front of his mother.
The Chaires Massacre of 1838.
the story goes:
The Chaires family started construction on their plantation home when they were asked by a group of local Native Americans to build their house somewhere else, just not on this particular hill. The request was ignored and the construction continued. Soon the land was filled with crops and slaves..
Meanwhile the Native Americans waited, and watched, and planned for the perfect opportunity. and that day arrived in 1839. The Chaires men, along with a few slaves, left the boundaries of their plantation for a day of Hunting. The Chaires women and children stayed behind. along with many slaves to continue their daily work.
The Native Americans attacked the plantation quickly and forcefully. They were in the plantation house before the Chaires women knew they were being attacked. They were dead within minutes, including Mayo, a black servant. Most likely, Mayo was killed trying to protect the children.
Green Hill and his men returned that evening to their house... burnt to the ground. his wife and children dead.
The iron gated cemetery, that holds the bodies of the deceased Chaires family is located deep in the woods north of Lake Lafayette on private property. all death dates read the same year, 1838. Mayo was also buried in the Chairse cemetery. her grave faces the opposite direction of the Chaires family. Grave robbers have since visited the graveyard. a slave graveyard(unmarked) lays a few hundred yards away.
Story told by B. Calvin Jones(Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research) and Matt Diaguila (restored graveyard)
Chaires School
Probably one of the greatest historical gems of Chaires is the Chaires School. Chaires became more settled and the land more open, the community of Chaires began to grow. In response to the needs of this agrarian community, a small schoolhouse was built for the education of the white children.Chaires-Capitola Volunteer Fire Department
Fire and rescue services are provided to the community by the Chaires-Capitola VFD.Chaires-Capitola Community Park
In the early 2000s, Leon County developed a new community park adjacent to Chaires Elementary School. The park has 4 Lighted Tennis CourtTennis court
A tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
s, 2 Basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
Courts, Restrooms/Concession
Concession stand
A concession stand , snack kiosk or snack bar is the term used to refer to a place where patrons can purchase snacks or food at a cinema, fair, stadium, or other entertainment venue. Some events or venues contract out the right to sell food to third parties...
Building, and 2 Standard Little League Baseball
Little League
Little League Baseball and Softball is a non-profit organization in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States which organizes local youth baseball and softball leagues throughout the U.S...
Fields.
Dorothy Cooper Spence Community Center
A community center was also built to serve the citizens of the community. Subsequently named after Dorothy Cooper Spence, a community activist. The community center and park have become the focal point of the larger Chaires community.Unknown Boundaries or Population
Since Chaires is not a formal municipality, but rather a community by association, its boundaries are undefined. However, with the growing sprawl of the city of Tallahassee, more and more people in unincorporated eastern Leon County often distinguish themselves by associating with the "Chaires" community name. This sometimes includes neighborhoods south of Apalachee Parkway, along Williams, Louvinia, and WW Kelley Roads.Political
| Chaires Governmental Representation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Position | Name | Party |
| County Commission At-Large | Cliff Thaell | Democrat |
| County Commission At-Large | Ed DePuy | Republican |
| Commissioner Dist. 5 | Bob Rackleff | Democrat |
| U.S. House | Ander Crenshaw Ander Crenshaw Ander Crenshaw is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:... |
Republican |
| Florida House | Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda is an attorney and community college professor living in Tallahassee, Florida.Vasilinda was born in Rochester, New York and is a Democratic politician who serves as the member of the Florida House of Representatives from District 9. Vasilinda came to Florida in 1977... |
Democrat |
Note: DePuy was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush
Jeb Bush
John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W...
in 2004.