Zora Neale Hurston House facts for kids
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Zora Neale Hurston House
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 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1734 Avenue L, Fort Pierce, Florida |
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| Area | Less than one acre |
| Built | 1957 |
| Built by | Benton, C.C. |
| Architectural style | Frame Vernacular |
| NRHP reference No. | 91002047 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | December 4, 1991 |
| Designated NHL | December 4, 1991 |
The Zora Neale Hurston House is a special old house in Fort Pierce, Florida. It was the home of a famous writer named Zora Neale Hurston from 1957 until she passed away in 1960. This house is important because it's the only one of her homes that we know is still standing today. On December 4, 1991, it was named a U.S. National Historic Landmark, which means it's a very important historical place.
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About the House
The Zora Neale Hurston House is a simple, one-story home in Fort Pierce. It's made of concrete blocks with a smooth outside finish and has a flat roof. The house itself isn't fancy or special looking. It was one of many similar homes built in 1957 by Dr. C.C. Benton, a medical doctor. He had sold some land nearby to build a new high school for Black students.
Moving the House
The house was first built on a street called School Court. In 1995, it was moved about 500 feet north to its current spot at 1734 Avenue L. This move happened so that Lincoln Park Academy, the school where Zora Neale Hurston taught, could expand. The house kept its original direction after the move.
Zora Neale Hurston's Life There
Zora Neale Hurston was born in Alabama, but she wrote a lot about Eatonville, Florida. She was one of the most important Black women writers in the mid-1900s. She lived in this house for free, thanks to Dr. Benton, from 1957 until she died. While living here, she worked as a journalist for the Fort Pierce Chronicle newspaper. She also taught at Lincoln Park Academy. She continued to work on a big book she was writing called Herod the Great, but it wasn't published before she died. This house is the only one of her homes that we know is still around today.
Exploring the Heritage Trail
The Zora Neale Hurston House is a stop on the Zora Neale Hurston Dust Tracks Heritage Trail. This trail connects different places important to her life. Other stops on the trail include the Zora Neale Hurston Branch Library. There's also a "Zora Exhibit" at the Agape Senior Recreation Center. This center used to be the St. Lucie County Welfare Home, which is where Hurston died in 1960. The trail also includes the Garden of Heavenly Rest Cemetery, where she is buried.
See also
