Hannibal Square Heritage Center facts for kids

The Hannibal Square Heritage Center is a special place in Winter Park, Florida. It's like a community hub that celebrates the history and culture of the African-American community in Winter Park. The Crealdé School of Art helps run it.

The center opened in 2007. You can find it in a historic neighborhood on New England Avenue. It's just a couple of blocks west of Park Avenue. The Crealdé School of Art and other groups help pay for the center's activities.

What the Center Does

The main goal of the Hannibal Square Heritage Center is to honor the past, present, and future of Winter Park's African-American community. They want to teach everyone in Central Florida about this important history. They hope to inspire people to learn about and respect their own community's heritage.

A Look Back: History of Hannibal Square

In 1880, a train track was built connecting Orlando to Sanford. The town of Winter Park grew up around this track. Hannibal Square, also known as the "west side," officially started in 1881.

African-American families lived in Hannibal Square. They helped build the town and worked in homes. This hard work helped their community grow. It also created chances for education and good jobs for many black residents.

Gus Henderson, who owned a print shop, encouraged black voters to help make Winter Park an official city. On October 12, 1887, Winter Park became a city. A city council was formed, and seven men were chosen to help lead the town. Two black men from Hannibal Square, Walter B. Simpson and Frank R. Israel, were among them.

Years later, people wanted to save the cultural history of the area. Ron Moore, a Community Center Director, and Peter Schreyer, a photographer, started an event called Heritage Day. The first Heritage Day was in March 2002. Many local people shared their old family photos and stories. More Heritage Days followed, and these stories and pictures became a permanent collection. It was called "The Heritage Collection: Photographs and Oral Histories of West Winter Park."

This collection was first shown at the Winter Park Community Center. It became very popular, and people wanted a permanent home for it. So, on April 28, 2007, the City of Winter Park and the Crealdé School of Art opened the new Hannibal Square Heritage Center.

What You Can See: Exhibits

The center has several interesting exhibits for visitors.

The Heritage Collection

• The Heritage Collection: Photographs and Oral Histories of West Winter Park is on the first floor. This collection has over one hundred old photographs. It's the first of its kind in Central Florida. The pictures go all the way back to the 1880s. They come with personal stories about life in the community.
• Starting in 2002, a team of experts worked with people from Hannibal Square. They shared their family photos and stories during six Community Heritage Days. The stories are shown beautifully with black and white pictures. You can also see photos of the residents who shared their memories.

The Hannibal Square Timeline

• The Hannibal Square Timeline is also on the first floor. It shows important local events. For example, it includes the founding of the Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in 1911. It also highlights big national events in African-American history. This includes the election of President Barack Obama.

Family History Research Library

• The Family History Research Library is on the second floor. Volunteers from the Unity Heritage Festival Foundation are there to help you. They can help you look into your family's past. They use documents and tools like DNA testing. Meeting with them is free. However, there is a fee if you choose to do DNA testing.

Community Art Projects

• Every year, the Crealdé School of Art works with artists and community members. They create public art pieces for the center's collection. One example is the Hannibal Square Memory Wall. This wall sculpture is outside the museum. It was made in 2008 with artist Mr. Imagination. Local artists, school children, and seniors all helped create it.

Special Traveling Exhibits

On the second floor, there is a gallery for traveling exhibitions. These shows change three or four times a year. They feature different types of art. You might see quilts, paintings, sculptures, and other artworks by professional artists.

Learning Programs

The center offers many educational programs for different ages.

• Heritage Collection Days: These days let residents add their own photos and stories to the permanent collection.
• Free Art Sampler for Seniors: Older adults can take weekly classes. They learn painting, drawing, printmaking, and ceramics. Teachers from Crealdé lead these classes.
• Free Art Sampler for Children: Kids aged 5 to 10 can join weekly classes. They learn the basics of sculpting, drawing, and painting. Crealdé teachers also lead these fun classes.
• "What Heritage Means to Me" Field Workshop and Trip Program: This program is for students in grades 4–9. It includes a tour of the Heritage Center. After the tour, students create a piece of folk art together. They use their own family heritage as inspiration.

Yearly Events

The center hosts an annual artist's residency. Guest artists work with the community on a public art project. People who join the workshops learn new art skills. They work together on an artwork inspired by personal and family experiences. This artwork then becomes part of the center's permanent collection.

Renting the Space

The Heritage Center is 3000 square feet. It can hold up to 50 people for tours. There are also two meeting rooms. One can hold 15 people, and the other can hold 25. The center also has a small kitchen. This is helpful if you need catering for an event.