Eden Gardens State Park

     Florida's panhandle was once covered with a virgin forest, thick stands of longleaf pines and hearty cypress. William Henry Wesley set up his lumber company half way between today's Fort Walton and Panama City. The Wesley Lumber Company utilized the dense panhandle forests and took advantage of easy access to the Gulf of Mexico for lumber transport. A small city grew up around the mill, with 20 company owned houses.
     The Wesley house is all that's left of Panhandle's late 1800s timber business. The 5500 square foot mansion is the centerpiece of Eden Gardens State Park, located in Point Washington. The 163 acre park preserves the Wesley home, surrounded by gardens, is bordered with 100 year old moss draped oak trees. Camellias and azaleas provide springtime colors at this southern estate.