ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Florida’s first Black history museum is going to be built in St. Johns County, and it now has $1 million from the state to get started.
On Thursday morning, officials were presented with the $1 million check during a ceremony at the Collier-Blocker-Puryear Park complex in West Augustine.
Commissioners and organizers said the money is going to be used to start the planning, designing and engineering of the museum.
The museum will be built on the same property of what was the Florida Memorial College before the school moved to Miami in 1968.
“Our design is a campus. I would envision seeing a museum. I would envision seeing an art gallery, a performing arts center, a chapel, an educational component, gardens, walking paths, sculptures, you name it,” Sarah Arnold, St. Johns County commissioner for District 2, said.
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Greg White, West Augustine Historical Community Development Corp Founder, said they are taking the first step in creating a place that will not only honor the past but also shape the future.
“This museum. Our museum will stand as a powerful reminder that Black history is American history,” White said.
The county is launching a foundation with plans to raise $500,000 in private donations.
Then the task force plans to go back to bid for additional funding from the state will start next month.
The county could break ground on the new museum by this time next year.