Established to Preserve the Rich Cultural Heritage of the Lincolnville Community

www.ExcelsiorCulturalCenter.com

EXCELSIOR CULTURAL CENTER

From 1901 to 1921, a building located on the present site of Excelsior School served as the only educational center for African Americans growing up in St. Augustine, Florida.  This building was known as School #2 (Colored School) and later became the Colored Jr. High School and Grade School from 1922 through 1927.  On October 7, 1919, a large delegation of Negro school patrons appeared before the St. Johns County School Board and presented a petition signed by a large number of Negro residents requesting the board to build a new school building for Negro children residing in St. Augustine, Florida.  After much deliberation, the Board informed the delegation that no funds existed to build a school.

In March of 1922, a delegation once again appealed to the local School Board asking for funds in the amount of $10,000 to repair the present structure, but again their request was refused.  On June 6, 1922, community leaders appeared before the School Board with $750 raised by local Negro residents for the purpose of repairing and enlarging Colored School #2, and asked the Board to supplement their funds.  They were once again turned away with a directive to take the matter up with them at a later date.

On April 23, 1924, the Board of Trustees of the Special Tax School District #1 recommended to the County School Board that a new colored public school be built in St. Augustine at 102 Central Avenue, on the grounds of which the then colored school was located.  This action was due to a legal technicality, and the motion was approved with the understanding that the school be built without interfering with the operation of school during the 1924-25 school term.  The new school facility opened in September of 1925 and was known as The Colored School in St. Augustine.  The school later became The Central Avenue Colored School in St. Augustine.  The school later became The Central Avenue Colored School #10, and during the 1928-29 school year became known as Excelsior Colored High and Grade School.

Excelsior has stood as a pillar of education in this St. Augustine, graduating many of the area's top educators, nurses, business persons, entertainers and professional athletes.  At the end of the 1967-68 school year, Excelsior was closed as a school facility and renovated to serve as offices for the State of Florida.  This historical landmark has now been turned over to a not-for-profit organization.  The Friends of Excelsior, and dedicated as a museum and cultural center charged with preserving its rich heritage for generations to come.

OVERVIEW

Quoted by many as a critical "key to Lincolnsville's revitalization," the Excelsior Museum and Cultural Center is located in a St. Augustine neighborhood that was once the pride and joy of its residents.  During the early 1900's this area was occupied by both professional and working class members of the city's African American society.  Doctors, teachers, and school administrators lived and worked side-by-side with laborers, housekeepers and store clerks, with many of their daily activities centering in and around Excelsior School.  It was a time when parents took an active role in their children's activities and everything from school plays to community sock-hops were events to be celebrated by all.

The museum, open to the public for limited hours, houses cases of memorabilia featuring education, entertainment, health, military and civil rights initiatives and accomplishments by many of Excelsior's graduates.  Additional cases are needed to house historical artifacts that swarmed into the committee's hands after the opening of the center.  Funds are also needed to pay an executive director who will be able to develop on-going community programs plus raise monies for future endeavors.

With today's rapid growth of many cities, local communities have turned back to neighborhood churches and community centers in order to empower citizens to become self-sufficient through economic empowerment and the delivery of social services.  Programs like these, coupled with daycare and FCAT tutorial programs will provide neighborhoods like Lincolnville with the strength and foresight to once again become a vibrant community.  The Excelsior Museum and Cultural Center hopes to be a dominant catalyst for change and improvement within the Lincolnville community.