Many of the original buildings still stand in Arcadia's downtown area and along nearby residential streets. The imposing Desoto County Court House built in the Classical Revival Style during 1912 to 1913 stands majestically in town amid oak trees on the appropriately named East Oak Street. It feels like the entire town is under road construction as we criss-cross the town's residential streets near the court house. Passing older tin-roofed homes along the way, the historic, frontier settlement nature of the town is evident everywhere. Arcadia's original growth stemmed from it being an original river landing for shipping goods, running cattle, and moving freight and cut timber along the Peace River. Real growth came when the railroad arrived in 1886.
Today, there's a converted railroad depot serving as office space. Mostly antique and thrift stores fill the buildings along the town's original main street, with a hotel flanking a park at one end of the historic district. The park, called the "Tree of Knowledge Park" has a focal point of an oak tree planted in 1938, which will be one hundred years old in 2027. It is an interesting place to visit on a lazy Saturday morning for a view of old time Florida. We'll likely return next year when the road work is projected to be completed and see what the town is like when driving around it should be easier. We're told there is a worthwhile Farmer's Market to experience there as well, but not until the weather is not quite so hot.
Thereafter, we drove back to Port Charlotte for lunch at a New York style deli near home called Brentwood Eats. It was a delicious ending to our drive with a Hero Sandwich that we divided between us, saving room for a piece of New York cheesecake. Yes, the cheesecake was authentic, decadent, and worth every calorie.
