St. Francis

Florida's ghost towns are railroad towns Flagler built, 1920s land-boom subdivisions that busted, and phosphate and turpentine camps.

Saint Francis Catholic Academy (commonly referred to as Saint Francis or SFCA) is a private, college-preparatory, coeducational Catholic high school in Gainesville, Florida. Opened in 2004 as St. Francis Catholic High School, the school is located in and administered by the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine. It became Saint Francis Catholic Academy in 2016. It is named in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, inspired by the nearby historic Mission San Francisco de Potano, the first doctrina (a mission with a resident priest) in Florida west of the St. Johns River.

The on-the-ground condition of St. Francis is unverified — it's listed here with unknown status. That could mean standing buildings, or an empty field. Go prepared for either, and consider sharing what you find so the record improves.

Nobody has confirmed the access situation, so treat any visit as reconnaissance: verify land ownership first, and be ready to admire from the road.

Here's the honest truth: access to St. Francis is unverified. We couldn't confirm whether the site sits on public land, private property, or something in between — so verify land ownership and local rules before visiting, and respect private property at all times. The mapped point for St. Francis is roughly 29.6928, -82.4667 — use it as a starting point and cross-reference a current topographic map before leaving pavement.

Ghost-town etiquette is simple: take only photographs. Removing artifacts is illegal on public lands and disrespectful everywhere else — and on federal land it can be a serious offense.