Blanchard House Museum facts for kids

The Blanchard House Museum is a special place in Punta Gorda, Florida. It's a museum that teaches about the history of African Americans in Charlotte County and the Southwest part of Florida. It used to be a home, and now it helps people learn about important stories from the past.

Discovering History at the Museum

The museum shows exhibits about the history and culture of African Americans in Charlotte County. You can learn about how they lived, worked, and helped their communities. This includes their roles in local government, community groups, and churches. You'll also see how important families started and how education grew. There are exhibits about the Civil Rights Movement, which was a time when people worked for equal rights.

The museum displays old photos, newspaper articles, family treasures, and books by Black authors. It's also a community center where people can gather. They have a book club, special talks about African American history, and classes to help young people become leaders. Martha Bireda is the director of the museum.

The Story of the Blanchard House

African Americans have always been very important in the history of Punta Gorda. About half of the people who helped start the city were Black. Four Black men were among the 34 people who signed the official papers to make Punta Gorda a city. Nearly half of the city's first 15 settlers were Black.

Building the Blanchard House

The building itself is called the Blanchard House. Joseph Blanchard, who used to be a steamboat pilot, built it in 1925. The Blanchard family owned the house until 1997. Then, a local resident named Bernice A. Russell bought it. She wanted to create a museum there to share Black history. Sadly, Bernice Russell passed away in 1999.

Her family then gave the building to the Bernice A. Russell Community Development Corporation. In 2002, the house was carefully moved from Fitzhugh Avenue to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. This new spot was once home to Gollman's Bar. This bar was a popular place where African Americans could socialize and listen to blues music.

Opening and Reopening the Museum

The Blanchard House Museum officially opened its doors in 2004. Bernice Andrew Russell (1923–1999) is considered the founder. She had started a traveling exhibit about African American history in the 1980s. This exhibit was shown at the Punta Gorda Railroad Depot's segregated waiting room. She then bought the Blanchard House in 1997 with the dream of opening a museum.

Soon after it opened, in 2004, Hurricane Charley caused a lot of damage to the building. The museum had to close for repairs and didn't reopen until February 2006. Later, in 2022, Hurricane Ian also damaged the museum, causing it to close again.

In 2024, the Blanchard House Museum was added to the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation's "11 to Save" list. This list highlights important historic places in Florida that need protection.