Constructed around 1854 on land owned by lumber manufacturer and merchant Henry Hyer, the Hyer-Knowles Planing Mill was one of the many lumber mills built in the Pensacola area prior to the Civil War.

In addition to planed lumber, the mill produced shingles and lathe products. During the Confederate evacuation of Pensacola in March 1862, the mill was stripped of its machinery and its buildings burned to prevent it from falling into Union hands.

The remnants of a massive thirty-foot brick chimney made of locally manufactured brick, which was part of the mill's steam power plant, are located on the property.

In the 1980s, the City of Pensacola purchased the property for use as a park. A State Historical Marker at the park provides information on the mill's history.

Image courtesy of William Lees, Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN)

Information provided by the Florida Division of Historical Resources, a division of the Florida Department of State.