HAWTHORNE, FLORIDA

By Suzy Miller. September 27, 2026

Hawthorne is in eastern Alachua County, about 17 miles east of Gainesville and near the Putnam County line.

U.S. Highway 301 and State Road 20 connect Hawthorne with Gainesville, Palatka and other North Florida communities.

The countryside is dotted with lakes, including Johnson Lake, Lochloosa Lake and Orange Lake.

Hawthorne had 1,478 residents in the 2020 census, although the surrounding rural community is considerably larger.

Native Americans lived around present-day Hawthorne before European settlement. Archaeologists have found evidence of the Cades Pond and Alachua cultures in the area dating back to A.D. 100 to 600.

By the time Europeans arrived, Timucua-speaking peoples, including the Potano, inhabited much of present-day Alachua County.

In 1774, American naturalist and explorer William Bartram traveled through the area along an old Native American trading trail. He documented North Florida's plants, wildlife, landscapes and Native communities.

His later book, Travels, provides an important record of Alachua County before American settlement. Settlers later used the route as a frontier road.

By 1848, Daniel Morrison operated a gristmill on Little Orange Creek, attracting settlers to a community called Morrison's Mills, about a mile east of present-day Hawthorne. A post office opened there in 1853.

The railroad created modern Hawthorne, named for local resident James Madison Hawthorn. Hawthorn was a Second Seminole War veteran who settled in the area with his family in 1854.

A farmer and citrus grower, Hawthorn became a major local landowner. In 1879, he platted part of his property into a new town and donated land for a railroad depot and right-of-way to encourage the railroad to build there.

The Peninsular Railroad arrived in 1879 and a settlement developed beside the tracks. It was first called Jamestown in his honor and was renamed Hawthorn in 1880.

The Morrison's Mills post office was closed and transferred to the new settlement.

In 1881 the Florida Southern Railway built another line through town that intersected with the first, turning Hawthorne into an important railroad junction.

Agriculture and forestry supported the local economy, while an 1883 quarry became the site of Florida's earliest phosphate mill.

Hawthorne also became a destination for wealthy Northern hunters and fishermen. In 1883, W.S. and Virginia "Jennie" Moore opened the Moore Hotel, which became one of the town's best-known businesses.

The hotel provided guides, hunting dogs and horses for visiting sportsmen, while Jennie managed its accommodations. More than 2,500 game birds were reportedly served as meals during a single hunting season.

The Folk Victorian-style hotel was unusually modern for its day, with running-water bathtubs and gas lighting.

The historic building still stands at 6635 SE 221st Street and was later converted into apartments. A historical marker at the location tells its story.

Orange groves flourished around Hawthorne during the 1880s, with the railroad providing easy access to northern markets.

The Great Freeze of 1894–1895 devastated the area's citrus trees, however, effectively ending citrus as a major local industry.

Many Hawthorne farmers switched to vegetables and other crops, while Florida's commercial citrus industry gradually moved farther south.

Both the town names “Hawthorn” and “Hawthorne” appeared in use over the years, until the U.S. Post Office officially standardized the spelling as Hawthorne in 1950. Poor James M. Hawthorn.

Hawthorne is still a small rural community surrounded by lakes, farms, forests and conservation lands.

It no longer has a passenger train station. The town once had two depots and later a union station serving the railroads that met there. 

Passenger service ended by 1968, and the old depot buildings were eventually demolished.

Today, the Hawthorne Historical Museum stands near the site of the original depot, while part of the former railroad route has become the Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail.

The museum dates back to 1907 and was the New Hope Methodist Episcopal Church.

U.S. 301 supports restaurants, shops and service businesses, while agriculture and small locally owned companies remain part of the economy.

Shopping is modest, but Hawthorne Artisans' Marketplace has locally made art, crafts and gifts. Dining options include casual restaurants and longtime roadside favorites.

Outdoor recreation is one of Hawthorne's biggest attractions, particularly fishing, boating, cycling, hiking and wildlife watching.

Musician Bo Diddley moved to Hawthorne in the late 1970s. He lived there for almost twenty years on a large estate in a custom-made log cabin, which he helped build. Sadly, it is not open to the public.

The girls basketball team won three state titles in 2020, 2023 and 2024, all under Ingram. 

The boys basketball team also boasts three championships, earned in 1987, 2020 and 2025.

On the football field, Coach Ingram led the Hornets to back-to-back state championships in 2022 and 2023, followed by a third title in 2025.

Remarkably, Hawthorne appeared in six consecutive state football championship games from 2020 through 2025.

Cornelius Ingram Jr. (CJ Ingram) was the starting quarterback on both of Hawthorne High School’s back-to-back state championship football teams in 2022 and 2023.

In 2023, he threw for 2,618 yards and 38 touchdowns and was named Florida Dairy Farmers Class 1R Player of the Year. Currently he's #11 on the UF basketball team. What a family legacy. Go Gators! 

For a small Alachua County community, these accomplishments are a tremendous source of local pride.

Ingram's leadership helped transform Hawthorne's athletic programs while bringing students, alumni and residents together in support of their hometown Hornets.

Hawthorne Historical Museum and Cultural Center, 7225 SE 221st Street, Hawthorne, FL 32640. 352-481-4491.
Explore photographs, artifacts, paintings and exhibits telling Hawthorne's history.

Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail, 
2182 SE 71st Avenue, Hawthorne, FL 32640.
352-466-3397. Walk or bike this paved 16-mile rail-trail connecting Hawthorne with the Gainesville area.

Little Orange Creek Nature Park, 24242 SE Hawthorne Road, Hawthorne, FL 32640.  352-481-2432. Walking trails, a kayak launch, playground, pavilion and natural areas.

Lindsey-Phillips Park, 6905 U.S. Hwy 301, Hawthorne, FL 32640. 352-481-2432. Relax beside Johnson Lake, fish from the pier, picnic or use the public boat ramp.

Lochloosa Lake Park, 16204 SE 207th St, Hawthorne, FL 32640. 352-374-5245. Launch a boat, fish or enjoy the boardwalk and views across Lochloosa Lake.

Hawthorne Artisans' Marketplace, 6850 SE 221st Street, Hawthorne, FL 32640.
214-394-0130. Browse locally produced art, crafts, baked goods, gifts and other handmade items.

Hawthorne Recreation Park, 6000 SE 205th St, Hawthorne, FL 32640.
352-481-9004. A family recreation area with athletic facilities, playground areas and a splash pad.

Grove Park Wildlife Management Area,  9615 U.S. Hwy 301, Hawthorne, FL 32640.
352-481-2432. Explore forest habitat on designated trails while hiking, bicycling or watching wildlife.

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park, 18700 S. County Road 325, Hawthorne, FL 32640. 352-466-3672. Visit the nearby preserved home and farm of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Yearling.

The Yearling Restaurant, 14531 County Road 325, Hawthorne, FL 32640. 352-466-3999. Experience an Old Florida atmosphere and regional Southern cooking in nearby Cross Creek.

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