NOCOROCO HISTORIC SITE

By  Mike Miller June 7, 2025

The Nocoroco Historic Site is in Tomoka State Park, Ormond Beach, Florida. It marks the location of a Timucuan village on the Tomoka River.

Nothing remains of the village itself. A sculpture, the Tomokie Fountain, stands as a memorial.

Visitors explore the site’s history and surrounding nature trails. The site is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Chief Tomokie Fountain at Tomoka State Park.

The Timucuan people lived at Nocoroco about 1,200 years ago. Indigenous groups used the area 7,000 years ago during the Archaic Period.

In 1605, Spanish explorer Alvaro Mexia documented the village. It was the first Indian village south of St. Augustine he noted.

The site saw use during the British Occupation (1763–1783) for indigo and rice plantations. Cultivation likely continued until the Second Seminole War (1835–1842).

Shell middens provide archaeological evidence of Timucuan life. The site was added to the National Register in 1973. 

Nocoroco Historic Site is at 2099 North Beach Street, Ormond Beach, FL 32174. From I-95, take exit 268, follow SR-40 east to North Beach Street, and head north to Tomoka State Park.

The park is open daily from 8 AM to sunset. Call the Park at (386) 676-4050 for information. The Tomokie Fountain is near the park’s northern end, accessible by car or a short walk.

Trails like the 0.8-mile Tomoka Point Trail offer river views. Canoes and kayaks can be rented at Tomoka Outpost; call (386) 673-0022.

Picnics are allowed near the fountain. Full facility camp sites are available. Visit in winter for fewer bugs. Check park conditions online at their website. 

• The Tomokie Fountain, built in 1955 by Frederick Dana Marsh, depicts a legend about Chief Tomokie’s fatal drink from a sacred spring.  

• Shell middens contain oyster, clam, and whelk shells, showing Timucuan diets.  

• The site’s black earth midden is unlike typical regional shell-heavy middens.  

• Governor Jeb Bush vetoed $100,000 for fountain restoration in 1999.  

• The nearby Tomoka Stone site has 4,000-year-old pottery, but it’s closed to the public.  

• Nocoroco was a key Timucuan stronghold in Northeast Florida.  

• The fountain, made of cement and bamboo rods, needs ongoing repairs. 

TOMOKA STATE PARK WEBSITE