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BHistory
History · Carrabelle

Carrabelle dates to 1877, and 2 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 56% of U.S. towns · #51 of 638 in Florida. What drives it

Most of Carrabelle was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1992. 2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 33 buildings. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1943 on, and the census since 1890.

1877founded
2on the National Register
6%homes built before 1940
3old photos & papers
3famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Carrabelle’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Carrabelle began

When was Carrabelle founded?

1877

Carrabelle dates its founding to 1877 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1890.

First census: 482 in 18902020 census: 2,606149 years

How historic is Carrabelle?

B

More historic than 56% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1881.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Carrabelle’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Carrabelle is more historic than 56% of U.S. towns, #51 of 638 in Florida. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Carrabelle’s overall grade.
Founding era1877, from Wikidata: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 19406.1% of homes (±4.0) · typical FL town 0.6% · U.S. 8.4%CNational Register2 listings, 34 historic buildings, 139 per 10,000 residents · typical FL town 0.0 · U.S. 2.4A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 56%
NewerOlder
Florida towns of 2,500+ (638)Ahead of 92%

Few Florida towns list much on the Register (a typical Florida town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Carrabelle’s 139 sits above most of its state (95% of Florida towns have fewer) while its 34 historic buildings outnumber those of 82% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.0 points). Two sources give 1877.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Carrabelle’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 3 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.A historic districtThe Downtown Carrabelle Historic District takes in 33 historic buildings.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Carrabelle’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Carrabelle’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewCarrabelle Tallahassee Georgia Railroad…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the National Register

2 listings protect 34 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
34
each building in a district counts
first listed
1978
Crooked River Lighthouse
Crooked River Lighthouse, built 1895Downtown Carrabelle Historic District
DistrictsStructures
Crooked River LighthouseBuilt 1895
All 2 listings
Downtown Carrabelle Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2024

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

The story

How Carrabelle came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Carrabelle.

Read it all →

In 1528, the first Spanish expedition of Pánfilo de Narváez passed through the area on its way from Tampa Bay to the Rio Grande. From the late 17th century through early 18th century, a few passages referring to the area are mentioned. Carrabelle, Dog Island, and St. George Island served as points to stage raids on local ports, as well as San Marcos de Apalache in 1677 and 1682.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Carrabelle, 1877 to 1943

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1877
    FoundingCarrabelle is established
  3. 1881Post officeThe Carrabelle post office opens
  4. 1895BuiltCrooked River Lighthouse is built
  5. 1895In the archiveCarrabelle Tallahassee Georgia Railroad rc12343
  6. 20th century
  7. 1903Born hereJohn Robinson is born here
  8. 1905Born hereRichard Ervin is born here
  9. 1906In the archiveGF&A Railroad
  10. 1911Born hereBuck O'Neil is born here
  11. 1943On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Carrabelle, decade by decade

2 decades in the archive, from the 1890s to the 1900s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1890s–1900s3 items
Carrabelle Tallahassee Georgia Railroad rc12343c. 1895Carrabelle Tallahassee Georgia Railroad rc12343Timetable of Carrabelle, Tallahassee & Georgia R.R1897Timetable of Carrabelle, Tallahassee & Georgia R.RGF&A Railroad1906GF&A Railroad
1910s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today3 recent
FEMA - 14177 - Photograph by Andrea Booher taken on 07-22-2005 in Florida2005FEMA - 14177 - Photograph by Andrea Booher taken on 0…FEMA - 14176 - Photograph by Andrea Booher taken on 07-22-2005 in Florida2005FEMA - 14176 - Photograph by Andrea Booher taken on 0…FLMap-doton-Carrabelle2004FLMap-doton-Carrabelle
On the map

Carrabelle on the map, 1943 to 1981

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Carrabelle. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Carrabelle on the 1943 USGS mapCarrabelle on the 1981 USGS map1943Carrabelle sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Carrabelle.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Carrabelle Tallahassee Georgia Railroad rc12343
Retake this viewCarrabelle Tallahassee Georgia Railroad rc12343, c. 1895

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Carrabelle’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Carrabelle, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 2,778

Between 482 and 2,778 people in every census since 1890.

14 censuses, 1890–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Carrabelle’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

3 famous people were born in Carrabelle

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Buck O'NeilAmerican Hall of Fame baseball player & manager · b. 1911
John RobinsonAmerican aviator and activist · b. 1903
Richard ErvinAmerican politician · b. 1905

Questions about Carrabelle’s history

What year was Carrabelle founded?

In 1877, according to Wikidata. Carrabelle’s post office opened in 1881, and the census of 1890 counted 482 people here.

How does Carrabelle rank for history?

Carrabelle is more historic than 56% of U.S. towns, #51 of 638 in Florida. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Carrabelle?

Two places: the Crooked River Lighthouse (listed 1978) and the Downtown Carrabelle Historic District (2024).

How old are the homes in Carrabelle?

6% of Carrabelle’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.0 points), against a typical 0.6% for a Florida town; the median home was built in 1992.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (6), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.