Tenant Houses of Shiloh, Florida

Exploring Micanopy and the Legacy of Tenant Houses in Shiloh

Linda and I have visited the small community of Micanopy, Florida, several times. It’s a fascinating place, and I plan to write more about it soon. On one of those trips, we found four old “tenant houses” just west of a nearby town called Shiloh.

Discovering the Tenant Houses of Shiloh

One sunny summer afternoon, we searched briefly and found the houses. They sat along the north side of Northwest Hwy 320, right in the heart of Shiloh. A wire and wooden fence surrounded them, with signs that read “No Trespassing.” From the edge of the road, we could still see them clearly and took several photos.

History of the Florida Tenant Houses

After we got home, I researched the homes. They were built in the 1910s and 1930s. African American families lived in them during that time. The builders used trees from the land itself. Relatives who still live in the area have restored some of the houses using the same local wood.

Families once grew cabbage and collard greens behind these houses. That garden space is now covered in forest.

Tenant Houses and the Farming System of the South

Tenant farming let people rent land and grow their own crops. After selling the harvest, they used part of the profits to pay rent. Some landlords took a share of the crops instead of money.

This system became common in the South after the Civil War and the end of slavery. By 1930, there were about 1.8 million tenant farmers across the South.

Tenant Houses: Built from Agriculture and Railroad Growth

Farming helped shape the Shiloh region. The area produced cotton, citrus, and vegetables. Landowners built simple homes for the families who worked their fields. These became the tenant houses.

When the Gainesville-Ocala Northern Railroad arrived in the late 1800s, it boosted farming activity. The growing demand for labor helped establish communities of tenant farmers.

Many hoped tenant farming would give people a fresh start. But the system often trapped families in poverty. While it was less harsh than sharecropping, tenant farmers still faced many hardships. They kept more of the profit and owned their tools, but they rarely got ahead.

The Tenant Houses Then and Now

Then: Landowners provided only the basics—usually just the house and a piece of land. Families grew their own food and sometimes found other work to get by. Neighbors helped each other. Churches served as gathering places and support centers.

Now: Much has changed. Many tenant houses have disappeared or collapsed. Others were replaced by modern homes. Still, the legacy of these farming communities lives on.