The museum's permanent exhibits cover 12,000 years of the state's history. The exhibit "Forever Changed: La Florida 1513-1821" debuted in 2012 to coincide with the state's commemoration of the 500th anniversary of Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León's arrival in Florida. The exhibit examines Florida's changing cultural landscape between this important milestone and 1821, a period that saw tremendous change under Spanish and British influence. "Florida and the Civil War" explores Florida's social, cultural, and economic history during the war between the states. It was a temporary exhibit that ran from 1997 to 1998 but much of it was put on permanent display. "Florida Remembers World War II" was also initially a temporary exhibit (it opened on December 7, 2001) but was redesigned and put on permanent display in 2004. The exhibit delves into the war's impact on Florida, which was significant as the U.S. military significantly increased its presence around the state.

The Museum of Florida History opened in 1977 and houses more than 45,000 artifacts in its collection.

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Since its opening in 1977, the Museum of Florida History has preserved and interpreted the history of the state and its people. As the state's official museum of history and culture, it focuses on events and issues that are unique to Florida. Museum exhibits are on display in the R. A. Gray Building with nearly 30,000 square feet of gallery space. The museum's expansive collections include over 46,800 artifacts. The museum also offers educational programs and a gift shop.

Museum of Florida History

This short walking tour includes several landmarks, museums, and historic buildings including the Museum of Florida History and the Florida Historic Capitol Museum. We will add more sites to the tour in the coming months. Enjoy! 

John Riley was born on September 24, 1857 in Leon County to enslaved parents Sarah and James Riley. His maternal aunt, Henrietta, who was a teacher, taught him how to read and write. Riley's maternal grandfather, who had become a merchant after the Civil War, gave him his first job, which was transporting fish by wagon from St. Marks to Tallahassee. Riley was passionate about reading and education and decided to become a teacher. He was one of the first African Americans in Florida to obtain a teaching certificate. He started teaching in Wakulla County in 1877 and later moved to a school in Gadsen County. It appears he arrived in Tallahassee in 1885 upon being hired to teach at an African-American school called Lincoln Academy, which was the largest school in Florida. He became principal in 1893 and served in that role (and continued to teach) until retiring in 1926 at the age of 59. Riley also served on the School Board and the board of St. James Church A.M.E., and was member of the local masons. In addition to his commitment to education, Riley was also a successful businessman. He acquired land and bought houses that he repaired and rented to those who could not afford to buy a home. Over time he became a prominent landowner (his holdings included parcels in downtown Tallahassee), and accumulated wealth. It is likely he was was the first African-American millionaire in the city. Riley bought the land on which the house stands in 1885. Restoration of the Riley House began in the 1970s and was finished in 1981, at which point the John G. Riley Foundation, Inc. purchased it. It opened as a museum in December 1995. The museum tells the story of this remarkable individual, his commitment to education, and the history of communities such as Smokey Hollow and other African-American communities that existed near Tallahassee. These communities provided a sanctuary for African Americans between Reconstruction and the era of Jim Crow.

This museum honors the life and legacy of John G. Riley who was born enslaved in 1857 and died a millionaire in 1954. A largely self-taught person, Riley would later become the principal of Lincoln High School, the first high school for African Americans in Tallahassee. Riley served as principal between 1892 and 1926. He built the two-story house around 1890 and lived here for the rest of his life. The museum also preserves and shares the history of Native Americans and the unique connection between Native tribes and people of African descent between the colonial period and the early 1800s. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. It is the only building still standing in what was a vibrant African American community called Smokey Hollow.

John Gilmore Riley House and Museum

The May Oak was the central backdrop for a longtime Tallahassee festival known as May Day. The live oak, now a stump in Lewis Park, in downtown, Tallahassee, was where a court of Leon County High School students would congregate after a King and Queen were chosen and coronated. The tradition began in the 1800s and continued until the 1970s. May Day was discontinued after Leon High School was integrated. The tree later collapsed from age. Springtime Tallahassee succeeded the festival after the oak fell.

A plaque at the stump reads: TALLAHASSEE'S MAY OAK

LEWIS PARK

The Tallahassee May Day Festival, one of the oldest annual celebrations in Florida, was held under the stately May Oak from 1844 to 1974. The historic landmark collapsed on August 9, 1986.

May Oak at Lewis Park

Founded in 1963 by four community leaders --Mary Metzke, Clifton Lewis, June Strauss, and Nanette Fisher--their goal was to establish a fine art gallery and a space for art education activities for Tallahassee and the Big Bend region. LeMoyne is currently located in the restored 1854 Antebellum Meginniss-Munroe home. Originally, it was in the Deeb House in the Park Avenue Historic District. In addition to offering gallery space to local artists and traveling exhibits, a sculpture garden is open to the rear, and a ceramics studio is in the basement. An education center is in a separate building. LeMoyne also has its own permanent collection including works by George Milton, Karl Zerbe, and Nancy Reid Gunn.


LeMoyne Center for the Visual Arts

<h2>The Protests</h2> These protests occurred four years after the Tallahassee Bus Boycott, which took place in 1956. The Florida boycott happened shortly after the more famous Montgomery Bus Boycott that was initiated by Black women and men responding to the arrest of Rosa Parks. The Tallahassee boycott was also influential in challenging segregation and demonstrates a tradition of activism in this part of Florida. Another protest occurred in Florida in 1959 when two Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University students, Patricia and Priscilla Stephens, joined a CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) workshop at Miami University. The students led several projects leading up to the 1960 sit-ins in Tallahassee. On February 1, 1960, four African American students began a sit-in against segregation at a Woolworth lunch counter in North Carolina. This local protest would lead to many other protests and launch a movement of direct action that would become one of the most influential events in the civil rights movement. The Greensboro sit-in led to many other protests, including the actions of eight Florida A&amp;M high school students who also launched a sit-in at their local Woolworth counter on February 13, 1960. The children in this incident were not arrested and left after two and a half hours. On Saturday, February 20, a larger group of eleven students returned to the local Woolworth counter in Tallahassee. The young people in this incident faced organized resistance as their plans were known and the mayor of Tallahassee and a police squad were waiting outside for the students. The mayor asked the students to leave, and when they refused, the students were arrested. The students were able to return home thanks to Reverend Daniel B. Speed who posted their bail. The group of students were charged with "disturbing the peace by riotous conduct" and "unlawful assembly" along with five other charges that were dropped by the time they got to trial. All of the students were charged and could either pay a fine of 300 dollars or serve sixty service days. All of the students but three chose to serve the sixty days. On March 5, more Florida A&amp;M students conducted a sit-in. This was followed by a fourth sit-in on March 12th that also included white students from Florida State University. Around 240 students of both races were arrested during these events. Later in the day on March 12th, about 1,000 Florida A&amp;M students in groups of 75 carried posters and headed downtown, these students asked for the release of the students that had been arrested. The local White Citizen's Council sent a group of armed white men to harass the students. The students chose to turn back at that moment but not before six additional students were arrested. In different parts of Tallahassee, students were gathering around in response to the arrests. During these protests the police used tear-gas on the students causing several to develop burns and be sent to the hospital. During these protests, the police only arrested African American participants.The governor then ordered students to be confined to the campus. CORE decided to continue the sit-ins until December of 1960, they were generally alone and not supported. In 1961, the sit-ins had come to a standstill and the CORE chapter struggled due to the lack of support from outside organizations but continued to hold protests against segregation until the 1964 Civil Rights Act made segregation illegal. <h2>Broader Context for the Protests</h2>In the Florida newspapers it was reported that there were students that sat at a local lunch counter which served whites only to protest segregation. With those students’ actions began a student activism throughout the city that would send a message throughout the country. Furthermore, many new outlets reported on the peaceful protest however, eleven of the students were arrested and placed in jail. Wayne Santoro wrote an article that was published in Social Forces about a study which investigates the effect of segregationist murders, detailing his view on the Black protest and Black voting-rights policies. The author of the article explains more about his opinion on white violence is responsive to Black protest. He further details how the violence stimulated government response to the protests. He argues, the segregationist violence seemed to help the movement and win the southern suffrage only with help of the audience. This movement caught a lot of attention all over the country. The Woolworth sit-in started a civil rights movement when four Black freshman students of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College sat down and ordered coffee in Greensboro, North Carolina on February 1, 1960 and stayed until closing time. This act spawned a wave of activism in nearly every southern state. Inspired by these protests, on February 20, 1960 several Florida A&amp;M students waged a sit-in to protest segregation in 1960. The sit-in took place in an old brown building located on the corner of Monroe street and was connected to the Hilton hotel, and College Park is right next to the building and on the other side is the Museum of Florida History. The building was occupied by Woolworth at the time and the lunch counter is where the African American students started the sit-in. The building is still there today and is 60 years old now. An African American poet names Paul Dunbar wrote short stories and poetry about negotiating the difficulties of segregation. He furthermore explains, his daily struggle and how he tries to be the man of the race in the face he can be. This is another source where the poet explains his daily struggle in his life because of his race, it relates to the segregation sit-in because African Americans are fighting for the civil right movement and stop being mistreated due to the color of their skin.  Another source, Michael Dennis is a professor at the University of Fl who detailed the life of Luther P Jackson, who was an instrumental leader of the voices for racial justice. This professor explained how he was a man who believed education was the core for social change. But was also aware of racial inferiority infected African American socially and in the education system. Therefore, the professor discussed how Luther P Jackson understood that the Blacks had to change their minds before they could change the world. This professor was giving his input on how the African Americans should handle a situation when dealing with the segregation protest where people can avoid getting arrested by trying to get their voices heard.  We have seen many actions thus far, however the Florida A&amp;M college student sit-in was just one example that lead the way for others to share their thoughts and expressions of the injustice that Black people experience. This bravery prompted others that experienced segregation to voice their concerns and protests and many have been speaking out ever since.

On February 13, 1960, Florida A&M students and other members of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) held the first of what would turn into a year-long campaign of sit-ins to protest discrimination at department store lunch counters throughout downtown Tallahassee. After a week of similar protests, police began arresting the students in significant numbers. Despite the arrests, by March the FAMU students were joined by white students from Florida State. After 250 students were arrested, another 1000 joined a protest march that ended when police fired tear gas at the students. Although a white mob threatened the young people with guns and other weapons, the police only arrested Black men and women as the spring protests continued into summer. By 1961, the tactics of the police and white city officials derailed the movement. Students continued to boycott the stores, but integration would not come to Tallahassee until Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 


On May 26, 1956, there were two female students from Florida A&M University who were named Wilhelmina Jakes and Carrie Patterson. These ladies paid to board a bus that was just about filled to capacity. Shortly after they were asked to stand by the bus driver because they were sitting next to a white women. After this the Florida A&M student body engaged in social activism. Then on February 20, 1960, the students conducted a sit-in at the Woolworth lunch counter. There were thirteen students and eleven of them got arrested. With this movement inspired a lot of others to join and give thanks to those students who protested. 

Florida A&M Students Wage Sit-Ins to Protest Segregation, 1960

David S. Walker, the Florida Governor from 1866 to 1868, was a lawyer with a particular interest in public education. Born in Kentucky, he came to Florida in 1837 to study law. When he became Registrar of Public Lands and School Superintendent in 1852, he worked to make public education available to Floridians. In 1883, while serving as a circuit judge, Walker offered two rooms in a building he owned to create a public library, on the conditions that local citizens would contribute $100 for furniture and supplies and form a library association. Walker's building stood at the corner of Monroe and McCarty streets and has been moved to Monroe and Park streets. The "University Library" opened in 1884. After Walker's death in 1891, the building was eventually sold; Walker's widow and daughter turned over the sale proceeds by 1903 to have a new library built (the current building). A new lot behind the old building, measuring 30 by 50 feet, was deeded by the Walker heirs to the Library Association. The Walker Library, based on the year it first opened (1884), is the fourth oldest library in Florida; the oldest, St. Augustine, was set up in 1871. The Walker Library remained as a subscription library, so was only available to those who could afford to subscribe. The first free library in Tallahassee wasn't established until 1955. Some of the books from the Walker Library were moved to the new, free library that opened in 1956 in the basement of The Columns, another local historic building (and a Clio entry). The library books have traveled to several more locations before finding their current home at the Leon County Leroy Collins Library at 200 W. Park Avenue. Most of the other books from the Walker Library, including some rare and out-of-print tomes, were donated to the Florida State University library. The Walker Library building has been used since 1977 as the headquarters of Springtime Tallahassee, an organization that sponsors a two-day festival in town, including musical performances and a parade. Skylight Partners bought the building for $300,000 in May 2019 with plans to lease the building while retaining the historic exterior and historic desks and furnishings. The interior of the building is essentially one large room with a second-floor balcony; the balcony became a popular place for members to relax or play chess. A brick fireplace is located opposite the main entryway. The plastered walls are pierced by windows framed in dark wood in an arch and keystone design, similar to the outside pattern. The floors are hardwood and the skylight area with clerestory windows was paneled in narrow, light wood stripping. The original gaslight fixtures were converted to carry electricity. One chair was said to have once been the property of Prince Achille Murat, a nephew of Napoleon who relocated to Florida and lived in the area; it appears that even royalty needs to retire to Florida.

The historic building at 209 East Park Avenue is the David S. Walker Library, named for the eighth governor of Florida, who served from 1865 to 1868. The private subscription library was organized in 1883. The present building was constructed in 1903. The building no longer houses books, despite the "LIBRARY" lettering that remains above the front entrance of the semi-Neo-Classical style red brick structure. The David S. Walker Library building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. It reflects the eclecticism of architecture in the early twentieth century and the history of education in Tallahassee. Leon County owns the building, which managed to survive the construction of a massive office building, the Ballard Building, just a few feet to the side and behind the library.

David S. Walker Library

<h3>Thomas and Catherine Hagner</h3>The first residents to live in the house were attorney Thomas Hagner and his wife, Catherine. Hagner moved to Tallahassee from Maryland in 1838 to establish a practice. At the time, his uncle was a territorial Supreme Court judge (Florida became U.S. territory in 1821) and it is possible he encouraged Hagner to come to Florida. Hagner's practice was successful, enabling him and his law partner to purchase eight enslaved people in 1842, who they likely rented out to others (Hagner owned one to three enslaved people at different times as well). That year he bought 78 acres which included the Knott House as Proctor had originally constructed it. Hagner then expanded the house. He married his wife, Catherine, in 1844 and they had two children. Hagner, who was often sick, died in 1846. Catherine moved to South Carolina shortly thereafter (and later moved to Maryland) but continued to own the house.<h3>Edward McCook</h3>Who lived the house during the next several years is unclear but the next notable occupant was Edward McCook, who would serve two terms as territorial governor of Colorado. McCook was born on June 13, 1833 in Steubenville, Ohio and was the eldest son of John and Catherine McCook. He was locally educated and in 1849 moved to Kansas where he studied and practiced law. By 1859 he moved from Gregory Gulch to Central City and became a prominent lawyer. That year, he was elected as first delegate under the control of the Kansas legislature. Soon after the Civil War began, McCook became a secret agent for the federal government. However, he soon joined the U.S. Army as a cavalry lieutenant and became a captain with the 2nd Regiment Indiana Volunteer Cavalry. On May 13, 1865 the last of the mobile Confederate troops of the state of Florida under Colonel George Washington Scott surrendered to McCook, who immediately occupied the Knott House. One week later, during a ceremony in Tallahassee, McCook announced the Emancipation Proclamation to be in effect. After the war, McCook resigned and President Andrew Jackson appointed him as minister to the Hawaiian Islands, a position he served until 1868. In 1883, Cathrine Hagner sold the house to Dr. George Bretton (c.1824-1896), who renovated it. He also opened a practice in the house. His widow sold it to Henrietta Wood in 1903. Wood lived here part time; during summers she visited family in Kentucky. She sold the house to another widow, Caroline Scott (born c.1861), in 1919. Scott lived here and rented out rooms as well. <h3>William &amp; Luella Knott</h3>Scott sold the house to the Knotts in 1928. They made some small renovations but added large columns to the front facade. As stated above, William Knott served in various positions for the State of Florida as tax auditor, comptroller, and state treasurer. In 1917, he ran for governor as a Democrat but lost in a close election. From 1921-1923, he served as administrator of the state hospital in Chattahoochee. The governor appointed him for a second term as state treasurer in 1928 after the previous treasurer died. Luella (1871-1965) was a musician, poet, and a social causes advocate. She was very fond of poetry and affixed her poems to the furniture and decor around the house. As a result, the house became known as “The House That Rhymes.” It remained the in family until their son, Charles, died in 1985. The Historic Tallahassee Preservation Board acquired and renovated the house, which opened to the public in 1992. It was transferred to the Museum of Florida History in 1997.

Named after prominent Florida civil servant William Knott (1863-1965), this historic home was originally built in 1843 and is now a museum run by the Museum of Florida History. Knott served in a number of high positions in the state government including as tax auditor, comptroller, and state treasurer. He and his wife, Luella, acquired the house in 1928 and remained for the rest of their lives. The house is also significant for its association with its builder, George Proctor, who was a free African American carpenter in Tallahassee. After the Civil War, Union Brigadier General Edward M. McCook (1835-1909) occupied the house. On May 20, 1865, he set free the enslaved people in the region by announcing that the Emancipation Proclamation was in effect. The Knott House is included in the Park Avenue Historic District, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

Knott House Museum

The protest began with meetings and strategy sessions led by veterans of the Civil Rights Movement as well as local students. In May, hundreds of students met on campus to hear speakers and many of these students decided to risk arrest in order to protest segregation&nbsp;in Tallahassee.&nbsp;&nbsp;

By August,&nbsp;some of the protesters faced physical assault for their participation in civil rights activism. Some were arrested and jailed for almost a week. The corner of&nbsp;Jefferson St. and Monroe St. features&nbsp;a commemorative sidewalk that includes the names of many of the participants in this and other protests against segregation in the city from 1960 to 1963.&nbsp;

In the summer of 1963, hundreds of students from Florida A&M protested segregation at several downtown theaters, including the State Theatre which was located here on Monroe Street. Hundreds of students met on campus and marched down Monroe Street protesting the theater. After nine days of protest, dozens of students were arrested on May 30, 1963. The protests continued throughout the summer. 

Florida A&M Theater Protest, May 1963

On May 26, 1956, college students Wilhelmina Jakes and Carrie Patterson were arrested after sitting in the "white section" of a city bus. The women were charged with "placing themselves in a position to start a riot," and were bailed out by the Texas A&amp;M Dean of Students later the same day. Their act of resistance enraged the local Ku Klux Klan, who later burned a cross on the women's' lawn. Following news of the cross-burning, students of A&amp;M called for a student protest of city busses and for students to encourage wider community participation in a bus boycott. The Black community demanded employment of Black bus drivers and the end of racial segregation on city busses. After three months of protest, the demand for Black employment was met and a new policy of assigned seating (supposedly non-segregated) was implemented for city busses. The assigned seating mandate was ultimately unsuccessful and eventually gave way to a truly integrated bus system. In 1960, in response to the North Carolina Woolworth lunch counter sit-ins, a group of eight Texas A&amp;M and local high school students staged a similar sit-in at the Tallahassee Woolworth counter, staying for about 2.5 hours on February 16, 1960; no one was arrested. The following week, February 20, eleven students returned to Woolworth for a second sit-in but were met by both the mayor of Tallahassee and the police force. The students were arrested after refusing to leave. Larger demonstrations were held on March 5 and March 12, now joined by white students from Florida State University. This resulted in mass arrests, which sparked further protests. Officially, Texas A&amp;M and local civil rights groups did not support the sit-ins and protests, though they continued until December 1960. Both the bus boycott and lunch counter sit-ins are memorialized in the Tallahassee-Leon County Civil Rights Heritage Walk, along with fifty-eight individuals who were active in the movement, including Patricia Stephen Due who spent 49 days in jail following a lunch counter sit-in, and Rev. Dr. Charles Kenzie (C.K.) Steele who was instrumental in the bus boycotts.

The Tallahassee-Leon County Civil Rights Heritage Walk, located along Jefferson Street, serves as a memorial for 58 civil rights activists. This location was the site of lunch counter sit-ins in the 1960s, which are also depicted in the Heritage Walk. The walk also memorializes the Tallahassee Bus Boycott-- the second-largest bus boycott in the US. The sidewalk is made of terrazzo panels that feature bronze footsteps bearing the names of important individuals associated with the Civil Rights Movement in Tallahassee. 

Tallahassee-Leon County Civil Rights Heritage Walk

Union Bank was established in 1833 by Colonel John G. Gamble, a Virginian who settled in Jefferson County in the Florida Territory in 1827. John Grattan Gamble (1779-1852) was a merchant and planter in Richmond, Virginia and was a superintendent of the new Farmer's Bank of Virginia in 1812. He served in the Richmond Light Infantry Blues during the War of 1812. Besides becoming President of Union Bank after he and his relatives moved to Florida, Gamble also became the postmaster of Jefferson County. Most of the stockholders in the new Union Bank in Florida were planters and were authorized to take out a bank loan worth up to two-thirds of the value of their stock. The Florida territorial bonds for these loans were secured by mortgages on lands and enslaved persons owned by the stockholders, and totaled $3 million. This proved to be too much of a strain on the bank. After the national Panic of 1837 and subsequent economic downturn, many of the planters could not repay the loans and the bank's powers were suspended by a legislative act in 1843 due to legal issues with the bonds. It became an international affair when British bondholders tried to get the American government to pay up on some of the bonds, but the U.S. claimed it wasn't responsible for the actions of the Florida territorial government.Following the Civil War, Union troops purportedly stored gunpowder in the former Union Bank building when they occupied Tallahassee. In 1868, the Freedman's Savings and Trust Company opened a branch in Tallahassee in the building. The bank failed in 1874 and depositors were only able to receive a fraction of their deposited funds. The bank branch office closed in 1879. Depositors were advised to mail in their bank book with their current address to receive a dividend by September 1881. In July 1882, about $1600 of the dividends for the Tallahassee Branch's depositors were yet to be claimed. The final and fourth dividend was declared in 1883 and the depositors ended up getting 62% of their money back. State Senator Call introduced a bill in 1888 to reimburse the depositors of the Freedman's Savings and Trust Company for losses incurred by the company's failure—the remaining 38 percent.The building was said to have been constructed in 1841 by slave labor. The former front porch was a later addition. The front facade features a triple-arch design and a parapet wall. The interior was originally one large space and was later divided into two halves, with two separate entrances on the front of the building. By the early 1960s, a dropped ceiling covered a vaulted space. The building held a dental clinic and a Civil Defense Office in the early 1960s and a bail bond office in the early 1970s. The building was owned by the First Baptist Church of Tallahassee in 1970 and after it was moved, it was owned by Trustees of the Internal Improvement by 1974. It currently houses a museum, which includes an exhibit on the Freedman’s Bank, part of the Meek Eaton Black Archives of Florida A&amp;M University, and exhibits on African-American history; the building is also available for event rentals. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.

Currently the home of a selection of the Meek Eaton Black Archives' exhibits, the historic Union Bank building is the oldest bank building in Florida. The one-story, Greek Revival style building was constructed in 1841 to specifications found in a contract. It formerly stood at 106 Adams Street and was moved in 1971. The bank closed in the 1840s and reopened after the Civil War as Freedman's Savings and Trust Company in 1868 to serve the emancipated Black population of former slaves. However, it was mismanaged at the national level and was declared a failure in 1874. The building has been used for many functions since the late nineteenth century and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. The Archives are open to the public, free of charge.

Union Bank Museum

Tallahassee was chosen as the territorial capital in 1824 and the first territorial government met in log cabins. A capitol building was constructed in 1826 but was never completely finished and torn down in 1839 for the construction of the present structure, which was completed in 1845, just prior to Florida’s entry into the Union as the 27th state. Additions to the Historic Capitol were made several times throughout the years. Architect Frank Millburn, who added the classical style dome, made the first expansion in 1902. The 1923 additions by Henry Klutho included two new wings and a marble interior. Finally, large wings for the House and Senate chambers were added to the north and south ends of the building in 1936 and 1947, respectively.Threatened with demolition in the late 1970s when the new capitol was built, it was saved through citizens’ action and restored to its 1902 appearance. Architectural highlights include the elaborate art glass dome, red and white striped awnings, and a representation of the Florida State Seal over the entry columns. The restoration of The Old Capitol (1978—1982) was conducted under the supervision of the Department of General Services in conjunction with the Department of State. This intensive project of historical and archaeological investigation makes Florida’s former capitol one of the most thoroughly documented restoration projects in the nation.

Restored to its 1902 appearance, the Historic Capitol stands as an icon at the center of Florida’s Capitol complex; restored areas include the 1902 Governor’s office and chambers of the House of Representatives, Senate, and Supreme Court. Together with exhibit panels, photographs, and interactive multimedia, the museum offers a journey though the colorful history of representative government in Florida. More than 250 artifacts in 21 rooms invite visitors to trace the evolution of Florida government from territorial days to the present.

Florida Historic Capitol Museum

The RotundaThere are eight marble columns that surround a replica of the Florida Supreme Court's seal. The seal is made of white bronze and is embedded into the floor of the rotunda. The elements of the seal include the Latin phrase, sat cito si recte, meaning "soon enough if correct"; 18 stars which represent Astraea, the daughter of the goddess of justice; the letter "F" for Florida; Lady justice and an eagle. There are two copper eagles located in the rotunda space, designed by Panama City artist Roland Hockett. The eagles in the seal and the copper eagles represent justice and freedom.The CourtroomOral arguments are typically heard the first full week of each month, except for in January and July. The courtroom is open to the public and there is seating for 164 people. All oral arguments are broadcast on The Florida Channel (WFSU) and on the Court's Facebook page. The courtroom houses the portraits of the majority of the former justices which are hung on the left and right sides of the courtroom. The attorneys present their arguments and answer the justices' questions from the podium in the center of the courtroom. Oral arguments typically allow 20 minutes of attorney’s arguments per side. The marshal and clerk are also present during oral arguments. The schedule for oral arguments is available on the Court's website, www.floridasupremecourt.org.The JusticesThe seven justices live in different areas of the state of Florida. The role of the Chief Justice is to manage the state's judicial branch of government and is a two-year position. The justices sit in order of seniority on the bench, with the Chief Justice seated in the center.The LibraryOur library is the oldest state-supported library in Florida and exists to serve the research and information needs of the Florida Supreme Court, the Office of the State Courts Administrator, and lower Florida courts. Members of the general public are also able to use the resources of the law library to conduct legal research. The library contains more than 130,000 volumes, including an extensive selection of Florida legal materials, many going back to before statehood. The library is open Monday through Friday, 8:00-5:00.The Library's Rare Book RoomThe collection of books began in the 1820s. By 1845, when the Territory of Florida ceased to exist, and the State of Florida formally entered the United States, the library was named in the state constitution as a part of the judicial branch of state government. Most of the books you see on these shelves were bought new by the library and have been kept, and used, ever since. Since we now have many laws and many published opinions of the justices, these books are used only rarely, now. They continue to help the justices see and understand the broad picture of how Florida law has developed over the past two-hundred years. Their ability to do this helps our justices create more fair and accurate judgments and opinions for the people of Florida. This collection remains useful and helpful as the Florida Supreme Court interprets the meaning of our laws.The Lawyer's LoungeThis room is an area for attorneys to wait before and after the oral arguments but also serves as an overflow area for when the courtroom is at capacity. On the walls hang the portraits of the current justices and those portraits remain in this room until the justice leaves the Court.

The Florida Supreme Court is the highest court in the state of Florida and is located in Tallahassee, Florida. The Supreme Court was established in 1846, when Florida was the least populous Southern state, and is now in its fourth building location in the third largest state in the nation. The Court is comprised of seven Justices and oral arguments are typically heard during the first full week of each month.

The Florida Supreme Court

Funds of $150,000 were allocated in 1923 to build a new school to serve White students from kindergarten through sixth grade. Four lots in the original plan of the City of Tallahassee were purchased for the school building. The noted architect, William A. Edwards of the firm Edwards and Sayward, promised to design a modern and scientific building. Edwards was the lone architect for Tallahassee's Florida State University from 1907 to 1925, and also designed the Exchange Bank building in town, as well as many buildings at the town's Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.The new school was named for Caroline B. Brevard, a teacher and author who was born in Tallahassee in 1860 and passed away there in 1920. Brevard taught in Leon County schools and Florida State College for Women. She penned a history of Florida and several text books. The Brevard Grammar School housed the first consolidated school in Leon County. The school was built for segregated education of the White population, in an era when schools for Blacks in Leon County were mainly one-room, rural buildings.Kindergarten classes were discontinued at Brevard Grammar School in 1941 because public kindergartens had been established. The school was plagued by several issues, according to a 1947 study: streets with dangerous traffic, two state office buildings built nearby, a playground that was too small for its 550 students, and an aging physical structure and infrastructure. The neighborhood was losing school-aged children in a move to expand the city to the northeast. The school board decided in 1958 to sell the school building to the state for office space for $490,000, and the school closed for good in June 1959.In December 1964, the offices of the State Road Department vacated the building and it was sold to the Board of Commissioners of State Institutions of the State of Florida for over two million dollars. The building's name was changed in 1966 to the Bloxham Building, after William D. Bloxham, who served as governor from 1881 to 1885 and from 1897 to 1901. The building still contained state offices in the late 1980s when it was nominated to the National Register.In its first six decades, the school was altered a few times. A two-story wing measuring 60 by 39 feet was added in 1961 and was clad in stucco. All of the original white wooden windows have been replaced with black metal-framed windows. A handicapped ramp and a loading dock were added and a ventilation unit on the roof was removed in the late 1940s to late 1950s.

The Caroline Brevard Grammar School in the 700 block of South Calhoun Street has stood since 1925, making it the oldest school in the city.. Now known as the Bloxham Building, the two-story, Mediterranean Revival style brick building is topped by clay roofing tiles. Not many other buildings in Tallahassee are of this architectural style. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1987, it is significant for its association with the noted Southern architect, William A. Edwards, and for its design. It closed in 1959 and was sold to the State of Florida. The building currently houses a number of offices related to Leon County education and community services, including the Records Department and Americorps Tallahassee.

Caroline Brevard Grammar School (Bloxham Building)

The Tallahassee Waterworks Company was incorporated in March 1889 under Mr. R.L. Bennett of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. along with George W. Saxon and Frederick T. Myers. The City of Tallahassee granted the firm exclusive privilege, for 99 years, of constructing, maintaining, and operating a waterworks for supplying "water for protection against fire and for domestic, sanitary, and other useful purposes." The company was given the sole right to "sink wells and lay water pipes and mains along any and all of the streets and avenues." The Tallahassee Waterworks began employing fifty workers at one dollar pay per day in the fall of 1889. The company "leased Houston's spring and surrounding property from Capt. P. Houston" and were putting in a water supply plant. A local newspaper in May 1891 mentioned that "Mr. William Clary is getting ready to begin work on boring the artesian well for the Tallahassee Waterworks Company. He will sink it anyway 500 feet and perhaps a thousand or more -- to make an abundant supply of water sure." The contractor on the drilling project, J. Arthur Durst, reported in November that they had reached 500 feet and intended to dig another 100 feet, although the water supply was ample already, A crowd usually gathered to watch the drilling, marveling at the multitude of layers of soil and rock that were brought up; a local newspaper in September 1891 called the hole in the ground the "center of attraction in Tallahassee." The original shelter built over the water pump was wood frame, as seen on the 1895 Sanborn map. The pump house was in the rear yard, to the north of a one-story, wood frame building containing a 50 horsepower engine. To the west of the main building was a large, round wooden covered cistern for water storage. The local government sought an injunction against the waterworks company when it declared a rate increase in 1901. The proposed rate of a minimum of $2.50 for residents using water was deemed to conflict with the original rights given to the firm. Mr. R.C. Miller was superintendent of both the Tallahassee Waterworks Company and the Capital City Light and Fuel Company by 1905. The City of Tallahassee bought the Waterworks and Gas companies from the Philadelphia syndicate in 1908. The city paid the American Pipe Manufacturing Company $75,000 for both plants. By 1909, the Sanborn map showed that the wooden pumphouse and main building had been replaced by a larger, brick building that extended further north of the original well to enclose a second deep well. The complex was electrified in 1917. By 1931, the complex contained five wells. The new, fifth well was in a separate building and was a different design, with a pump located 98 feet below the ground and an elevator to reach the pump. The Old City Waterworks complex remained in use until 1958. The water had become unsafe for use due to pile driving activities to build high-rises in the city. Since the late 1950s and into the late 1970s or later, the City of Tallahassee retained ownership of the buildings and used them for storage or repair activities.

The complex of unusually-shaped structures at the corner of Gadsden and Gaines is the Old City Waterworks.  Before the complex was constructed in the 1890s, water was acquired from natural springs. The first well was dug in 1891 and was over 500 feet deep. The original wooden buildings were replaced in the early twentieth century by the brick structure still standing. The city bought the waterworks from the private company that had operated them in 1908.  The complex closed in 1958 and the city used the buildings for storage and maintenance activities. The Old City Waterworks complex was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and is currently vacant, with boarded up windows.

Downtown Tallahassee Florida Walking Tour

Museum of Florida History

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information