The posted coordinates take you to Westcott Plaza where the most prominent features are the Westcott Building and Westcott Fountain. The James D. Westcott Building serves as the architectural centerpiece of the Florida State University campus and houses the university’s central administrative offices. It is the oldest site of continuous higher education in Florida. It is also home to Ruby Diamond Concert Hall, named for Ms. Ruby Diamond, a 1905 Florida State College alumna and benefactor.
Since its initial installation in 1917, the Fountain has been a symbol of Florida State University’s proud heritage and pays homage to those who came before. Surrounded by busy students, faculty and staff (and the occasional pinning ceremony, engagement or prank), it has truly earned its place in FSU history. The plaza is home to countless celebrations and photo opportunities and bricks commemorating names, dates and special accomplishments continue to be installed each semester.
To put this area in a historical context, in 1851, the Florida Legislature authorized the establishment of two state seminaries, one east and one west of the Suwannee River. Eager to attract the western seminary, the city of Tallahassee, under the leadership of Intendent (Mayor) Francis Eppes, offered to donate four city lots on which to locate the school and provide $2,000 a year for its operation. The West Florida Seminary opened in 1857, the first classes being held in a wood frame building erected by the city. Eppes, the grandson of Thomas Jefferson, served for eight years as president of the seminary’s governing board. In 1901, the name of the school was changed to Florida State College and in 1909 it became the Florida State College for Women. The Florida Legislature transformed the college into a fully coeducational institution in 1947, creating The Florida State University.
But do you know that the history of this location goes back even further? The city of Tallahassee was incorporated in 1825 and started out just as much a frontier town as those you may think of in the Old West. The 1830s were the wildest time for the capital. It was during these adolescent years that Tallahassee gained and probably earned a reputation as a wide-open frontier town where drunken brawls, duels and a minimum of civilized influence were the general order. Whipping as punishment was common at the Tallahassee jail, located on the northwest corner of Park Avenue and Monroe Street.
But important to this story is what happened to those convicted of capital crimes such as murder. The punishment for those crimes committed during this period was hanging. The sentence was carried out at what was called Gallows Hill, the present-day site of, yes, the Westcott Building.
This was the official hanging site until an academy building was constructed there in the mid-1850s. Other proposals were made that the academy be built at Bel Air or Lake Bradford, but the majority chose Gallows Hill because, ironically, it was the most prominent and beautiful location of all the alternatives.
To get credit for this cache, you must take a contemporaneous photo of yourself with the Westcott Building or the Westcott Fountain (or both) in the photo (no previous photos, please), and attach this photo to your online log. (No need to send anything to the cache owner.) If you do not wish to be included in the photo, you may substitute a personal item such as a trackable or a piece of paper with your geocaching user name. Any logs without a photo are subject to deletion. Parking while school is in session may be difficult. Weekends and evenings should be easier.
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.