Orchard Pond Plantation

Richard Keith Call was born October 24, 1792, in Tennessee. Call became a friend and assistant of General Andrew Jackson and accompanied him to Florida. His capital was made by speculation in the land office and he promoted land in Leon County to northerners. He developed two plantations in the county, one of nearly 9,000 acres, and the other, The Grove, of one square mile.

Call, a Democrat, was appointed as Governor of the Florida Territory from 1836 to 1839. He later became a Whig and was appointed as governor again by the winning presidential candidate. His property later passed to Call's daughter Ellen Call Long, who owned it until 1903; that year her granddaughter Reinette Long Hunt purchased the Orchard Pond property along with The Grove. Hunt would later sell the property to Dr. Tennent Ronalds, the only surviving son of Dr. Edmund Ronalds and an obstetrician.^[3] A keen sportsman, he took an active interest in developing a quail hunting operation.

Orchard Pond was purchased by John H. Phipps, who later used it for his residence. Upon his death it became combined homes and interests of Colin Phipps and his grandson John E. Phipps, who was given 2,100 acres (8.5 km²) on Ox Bottom Road.^[4]

See: Ayavalla Plantation

Orchard Pond is currently owned by Ayavalla Land Company.^[5] It contains some of the most diverse wetlands in the Red Hills Region, with flowing streams, isolated lakes, and river floodplain and swamps.

Various views of Orchard Pond's plantation house, a 2-story brick home with 8 support columns, 4 for each floor.

• 1845 voters
• Paisley, Clifton; From Cotton To Quail, University of Florida Press, c1968.

30°36′16″N 84°17′59″W / 30.6045°N 84.2998°W / 30.6045; -84.2998