In commercial real estate we get accustom to the offices and warehouses that makeup larger cities like Gainesville. It’s easy to forget the historical areas around Gainesville with their own charm and history like the town of Archer Florida.
Of course in recent years Bo Diddley made the town famous with his own unique style of rock and roll. But if you look more closely, Archer has a rich history going back to the 1840’s. Archer, originally was called Deer Hammock. David Levy Yulee and Thomas Haile owned plantations in the area. It was Yulee who changed the name of the town to Archer, in honor of his recently deceased friend James T. Archer, Florida’s first Secretary of State. Yulee was the owner of the railroad and was responsible for bringing it to Archer.1 It is also home to the historic Maddox Foundry and many beautifully restored old homes.
The downtown area is one main street, the Archer historical museum occupies a small corner, and the rest of the main street is made up of the City Hall, and now University of Florida’s Health Clinic . Then there is this great building standing on its own between the museum and City Hall.
This 3000 square foot building was originally built in 1909 by C.D. Woods, and is known locally as the Woods Building. The Woods Building started its life as a general store for Archer. It has had several uses since then. In 1986 it was purchased by the Clinfelter family. The son later became involved with building construction and put the faces on the four corners. The last owners were artists and used the building as an art studio. The interior is fairly open and bright from the westward facing windows. One can picture an art studio, workshop or showroom in the space.
Archer is blooming again with several artists who have taken up residence. There is the annual Yulee Days in honor of David Yulee and Art at the Depot in March. The Historical Society is vibrant and meets monthly. The museum is open during the week, and the Historical Society members are very helpful in passing on the towns history.
For more information on purchasing this wonderful building, contact Perry Pursell 352-665-973
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