Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. 5 historic topographic surveys show this location, the earliest from 1954.
One of 4 National Register listings published here for Union County · listed in 1996 · category: Building.
Sources: the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service · the Wikipedia article
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 166 fires within 5 miles of James W. Townsend House between 1992 and 2020, burning about 1,465 acres in total. 34 started naturally. 9 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Natural | 34 |
| Debris and open burning | 31 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 29 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 29 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 13 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 10 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 9 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 9 |
| Other causes | 1 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 September 1993 | Railroad operations and maintenance | 2.0 acres | Florida Forest Service | not named |
| 4 September 2017 | Power generation/transmission/distribution | under an acre | Florida Forest Service | 186TH PLACE (63) |
| 29 September 2002 | Equipment and vehicle use | 10 acres | Florida Forest Service | not named |
| 26 September 1999 | Equipment and vehicle use | 20 acres | Florida Forest Service | not named |
| 16 September 2013 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Florida Forest Service | SR 100 (63) |
| 16 September 1996 | Railroad operations and maintenance | 1.0 acres | Florida Forest Service | not named |
| 9 August 2006 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Florida Forest Service | not named |
| 9 August 2006 | Natural | 7.0 acres | Florida Forest Service | 03-63- 237 FIRE -1250 |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Lake Butler, the town this property stands in, in 37 storm reports between 1993 and 2026: 22 thunderstorm wind, 6 hail, 4 heavy rain, 2 wildfire. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lake Butler | $8,000 | Large trees and power lines were blown down. One vehicle was also damaged. |
| August 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lake Butler | $6,000 | Roof damage to home and numerous large trees were blown down. |
| January 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lake Butler | $5,000 | Strong thunderstorm winds blew the roof off a house and downed trees and power lines. |
| November 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lake Butler | $4,000 | Large tree limbs were blown down on 1st Street. |
| July 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lake Butler | $3,500 | no account filed |
| September 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lake Butler | $2,500 | Large trees and power lines were blown down. |
| January 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lake Butler | $2,500 | Large trees and power lines were blown down. |
| February 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lake Butler | $2,000 | Large trees down near state road 121 and county road 231. |
| March 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lake Butler | $2,000 | Large trees and power lines were blown down. |
| March 2026 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lake Butler | $1,000 | Multiple trees were reported down across SW SR 121 especially at the intersections of SW 76th St and SW 92nd St. Powerlines were reported down in Lake Butler and a power pole was leaning along SW 7th St. EM reported a gust of 42 mph. Time was estimated by radar. |
| July 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lake Butler | $1,000 | Large trees and power lines were blown down. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lake Butler | $500 | A tree was blown down across SW 92nd Street. The time of damage was based on radar. The cost of damage was estimated. |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lake Butler | $300 | Large tree limbs were blown down. |
| April 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lake Butler | $100 | Large trees down on Lake Ave. and also on 3rd Ave. |
| March 2021 | Heavy Rain | Lake Butler | - | A stationed at the Union County EOC measured 2.48 inches since midnight. |
| March 2021 | Heavy Rain | Lake Butler | - | A station measured 4.29 inches since midnight. |
| December 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lake Butler | - | A tree branched punctured a home wall in Lake Butler due to strong winds. No injuries were reported. |
| May 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lake Butler | - | Numerous tree were blown down across the local area per a report from a Circle K gas station employee. |
| July 2019 | Heavy Rain | Lake Butler | - | Daily storm total rainfall thus far for the day was 2.25 inches. |
| February 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lake Butler | - | Multiple trees and power lines were blown down. |
| August 2016 | Heavy Rain | Lake Butler | - | Minor street flooding was reported of SW 9th Street in Lake Butler near the Union County High School. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lake Butler | - | Power lines were blown down on SW 8th Street. |
| August 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lake Butler | - | Trees were blown down along SW 73rd way. The time of damage was based on radar. |
| September 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lake Butler | - | County central dispatch reported a tree down at NW 2nd Street in Lake Butler. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lake Butler | - | Trees and power lines were blown down in Lake Butler. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lake Butler | - | Power lines were blown west of and near Lake Butler. |
| May 2003 | Lightning | Lake Butler | - | Mobile home set on fire by lightning strike. |
| April 1999 | Wildfire | Lake Butler | - | Reports that two fires caused by lightning strikes. |
| July 1998 | Wildfire | Lake Butler | - | 13,000 acres. |
| February 2006 | Hail | Lake Butler | - | no account filed |
| July 2004 | Funnel Cloud | Lake Butler | - | no account filed |
| April 2003 | Hail | Lake Butler | - | no account filed |
| April 2002 | Hail | Lake Butler | - | no account filed |
| July 2000 | Hail | Lake Butler | - | no account filed |
| July 2000 | Funnel Cloud | Lake Butler | - | no account filed |
| February 1998 | Hail | Lake Butler | - | no account filed |
| June 1996 | Hail | Lake Butler | - | no account filed |
United States Geological Survey topographic sheets whose coverage includes this point. Matched by taking the coordinate the National Park Service records for this property, then testing that coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet.
Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Townsend Building | 0.1 miles | 1992 |
 | John A. King House | 0.3 miles | 2004 |
 | Lake Butler Woman's Club | 0.4 miles | 2003 |
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 96000222 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Union County | All 4 listed properties in this county. |
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