Excelsior Museum and Cultural Center facts for kids
The Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center is a special place in St. Augustine, Florida. It teaches people about African-American history. You can find it at 102 Martin Luther King Avenue. It's open from Tuesday to Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The museum is inside the old Excelsior School building. This was St. Augustine's very first public high school for black students. The museum first opened its doors in 2005.
Discovering African-American History
The museum has many interesting exhibits. You can learn about the history of Lincolnville. This neighborhood was started by freed people and soldiers after the American Civil War. These soldiers were called United States Colored Troops. Lincolnville became a place with beautiful Victorian homes. It is now a special historic place listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important place recognized by the government.
You can also discover the story of people who escaped slavery. They built Fort Mose, which was the first free black settlement in what is now the United States. The museum also shares many other parts of the African-American community's history in St. Augustine.
The museum's collection includes information about black churches and important leaders like Martin Luther King Jr.. You can also learn about black historical groups, social clubs, and business owners. There are also local items, photographs, and artwork to see.
The Excelsior School Building
Separate schools for black students were created in 1901. In 1921, a school called "School #2" or "Colored School" was built. This became St. Augustine's main school for black students. A famous architect named Fred A. Henderich designed it. The school was built in 1925.
In 1928, it was renamed Excelsior. Many important people went to Excelsior School. These include NFL football star Willie Galimore. Also, civil rights leaders Henry and Kat Twine, who were part of the St. Augustine Movement, went there. The school closed in 1968. After that, it was used for local government offices before becoming the museum.
