Charles W. Bulow and John Joachim Bulow

Charles W. Bulow was born at Ashley Hall in Charleston, S.C., in a family of considerable wealth and influence. Little could be found on his family members other than he was married and had a son John Joachim and a daughter Emily Ann, at the time he purchased a large plantation from the heirs of James Russell in 1820, located in the southeast comer of the area that would become Flagler. Thus the family would be one of the very early residents of Flagler County.

Much has been written on the large plantation developed at what would be known as Bulowville, vast acreage obtained, large sugar mill built, large home, many out buildings, numbers of slaves that were required to maintain the estate, etc, so will not delve into that. In three short years Charles W. Bulow at age 44, was laid to rest beneath his marble tomb in the Huguenot Cemetery in St. Augustine.

His only son, John Joachim Bulow returned from Paris where he was educated and assumed the management of the properties, enlarging and increasing the production of his holdings.

At the outbreak of the Seminole War in 1835, young Bulow, together with most of the settlers on the Halifax did not agree to sending the Indians west of the Mississippi as their relations were friendly with the Seminoles, resisted Major Putnam and his Mosquito Roarers when they entered his plantation, but to no avail. The plantation became a camp from which sorties were made and after a most unsuccessful campaign a retreat to St. Augustine was ordered with John J. Bulow under house arrest was made to make the trek St. Augustine with the soldiers. The enraged Seminoles in retaliation to the Federal troops, burned the plantation.

The gay and debonair young Bulow, too disheartened and discouraged to rebuild, returned to Paris where he died unmarried before his 27th year. The property was inherited by the sister Emily Ann later Mrs. William Buchnor (Bichnor) of New York City. It was later divided into sections with one of the sections still owned by Bulow heirs (1995).

The site of the sugar mill, the Great House, etc is now owned by the Florida Board of Parks and Historical Memorials with a museum and beautiful park maintained by the state.

 

Source: The First Families of Flagler by Mary Ketus Deen Holland who listed as her source, Published Articles.

Please send questions, corrections or additions to Sisco Deen, P.O. Box 637, Flagler Beach, FL 32136 or email him at Sisco_Deen@hotmail.com