BAGDAD VILLAGE HISTORIC DISTRICT

Simon Cameron founded the Bagdad sawmill in 1840. He partnered with others to move operations from Pond Creek to the Blackwater River.

The mill processed yellow pine for ships and buildings. Bagdad grew as a company town with houses for workers. Enslaved people and freed laborers built the community.

Operations at the mill peaked in the 1850s, producing 40 million board feet yearly. The Civil War slowed operations. The mill closed in 1939.

The district joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. It celebrates Florida's lumber era and African American history. 

Bagdad Village Historic District is at Main Street, Bagdad, FL 32530, 15 miles northeast of Pensacola.

From I-10, take Exit 56 to FL-89 north, then left on US-90 east to Bagdad. The district is open daily for self-guided walks.

The Historic Bagdad Village Museum at 4543 Forsyth Street is a good place to learn about the town. Call (850) 623-0682 for tours. 

Street parking is available. Walk the grid of streets to see homes and the riverfront. Check the town's website below for events like monthly lectures. 

• The mill supplied lumber for the USS Constitution's repairs in 1927.  

• Bagdad Saltbox homes have overhanging roofs for shade and rain protection.  

• New Providence Missionary Baptist Church, built in 1914, was donated to the preservation group in 1987 and serves as the town's Museum.  

• The district includes a Dutch Colonial Revival house, rare for northwest Florida.  

• Turpentine and shipping artifacts in the museum show side industries that used the river. 

BAGDAD LIVING WEBSITE

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