FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 2, 2026

CONTACT: Tourist Development Council
PHONE: 850.638.6013

Washington County TDC to Launch a Revolution Road Driving Tour for America 250

WASHINGTON COUNTY, FL - The Washington County Tourist Development Council (TDC) in partnership with Dale Cox of DR Historic Preservation, Inc. – a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization - received a State of Florida, Division of Arts & Culture, America 250 grant to create a driving tour for the Revolution Road, the east west route used during the Revolutionary War to traverse the Florida Panhandle. Thirty interpretive panels across fourteen locations are currently being installed. Seen as a vital contribution to Florida’s America 250 commemoration since the Northwest Florida region of the state has no marked Revolutionary War sites, the driving tour will create a permanent history of why West Florida and Washington County were significant to the history of our nation.

The Revolution Road through Washington County was first described by Lt. Ph. Pittman in 1768. He was an engineer for the British army who followed the pathway, while traveling from Pensacola to St. Marks. Pittman described many landmarks that are identifiable today, including Econfina Creek. The road was mapped by cartographer Joseph Purcell in 1778. He described it as a branch of the Pensacola-St. Augustine Road, the only east-west trail across East and West Florida during the Revolutionary War.

British troops used the road while marching between Pensacola and St. Augustine. It provided a shorter pathway during times of emergency caused by Patriot attacks. Seminole and Creek parties – allies of the British – also used the trail. Significant sections of the Revolution Road are still visible today. Some are even in use as modern roads.

The trail created by this project will begin at the Washington County TDC Visitor Center in Downtown Chipley and end at Blue Lake Park by Interstate 10. The interpretive panels (along with existing markers) will introduce visitors to the Revolutionary War and its impact on West Florida. They will tell the story of the Revolution Road, with panels also reserved to explain the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution. Wayfinding signage will help direct visitors along the tour and will be marked “Revolution Road Tour”.

The official launch of the driving tour will be on Thursday, July 2, 2026, from 10:00 AM -12:00 PM, two days ahead of the anniversary of America’s 250th year. A ribbon cutting by the Washington County Chamber of Commerce will be held at the official starting point of the trail at the Washington County TDC Visitor Center located at 672 5th Street in Downtown Chipley at 10:00 AM, with refreshments served inside the center after the ribbon cutting. A motorcade will then travel over to Orange Hill Park to enjoy Revolutionary War re-enactors, displays from the Washington County Historical Society and Vernon Historical Society and a chance to grab a trail brochure and explore the rest of the trail.

Caption: Hard Labor Creek Crossing, a historic site where British forces and their Native American allies crossed on September 30, 1778, while traveling the Pensacola-St. Augustine Road. The crossing is featured as a key location on the new Revolution Road driving tour.

Caption: An interpretive panel detailing frontiersman Daniel Boone's little-known 1764 trek across the Florida Panhandle. Boone and his companions traveled along the same general wilderness path that would later become the Revolution Road.

Caption: Sand Pond at Pine Log State Forest, a scenic body of water noted by British mapmaker Joseph Purcell on October 1, 1778. Today, it serves as a beautiful stop for modern visitors exploring the Revolution Road trail.