Starke is yet another small town in Florida that I’ve driven through for years but never stopped. It was never a destination, just a spot along the way. It was the mid-point between two even smaller towns which once reigned supreme as Florida’s most well known speed traps, Lawtey and Waldo. I’ve made many trips down US301 to Gainesville, which is probably most peoples’ destination if they’re traveling this way. However, unless you’re planning on stopping, most driver’s likely take new wonderful new bypass and miss the town altogether.

On this Saturday afternoon, I decided to drive down and see what I’ve been missing all these years. As it turns out, not much. There isn’t much to see in this town of around 5000. It does stake claim to being home to Florida’s oldest weekly newspaper, The Bradford County Telegraph, which began publication in 1879. It is also the county seat for Bradford County. Aside from that, I found one street which really held any promise. It seems like most of the activity revolves around Call Street. Now it does make sense. After all, Call Street is actually a National historic district.

Although the street is relatively short, there is some interesting architecture. And if you time it right, maybe you can catch a show at the Florida Twin Theater, a World War 2-era cinema.

There are also some nice churches in the area.

If you’re on 301, you can’t miss the bold red brick adorning the Andrews Center, the former Bradford County Courthouse, which was built in 1902 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

As you can see, Starke has a historic bent to it, but don’t plan on spending the entire day there. You will find a selection of coffee shops and restaurants. A weekday stop might be a little more productive, though.