Appendix_E_-_Narratives_(English_and_Spanish).pdf

5th & Pleasant Black Heritage Trail Narratives

Draft Marker Location Map

THEME: LEADERSHIP, LEGACY & COMMUNITY

● Black settlers shaping the formation of Gainesville (foundation, pioneers)

TRAIL TITLE: 5th & PLEASANT BLACK HERITAGE TRAIL

1. A. Quinn Jones (Trailhead)

2. Lincoln High School

3. Residential Life

4. Healthcare

5. Legacy (Trailhead)

6. Union Academy

7. Pleasant Street

8. Faith

9. Pioneers

10. Fraternal and Civic Organizations

11. Civil Rights

12. Neighborhood History (Trailhead)

13. Arts (Jesse Aaron)

14. Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Depot

15. “The Avenue” (Entrepreneurship)

16. Marker R - Entertainment

17. Barbers & Beauticians

18. Chitlin’ Circuit

19. Educators

20. Cuisine

21. Seminary Lane Apartments

TRAIL MAP:

● Draft trail marker location map included on page 2

Marker 1 - A. Quinn Jones Trailhead Marker Type

Header:

A. Quinn Jones: Building a Legacy of Black Educational Excellence

Subheader:

Jones dedicated his life to advancing Black education and uplifting his community through leadership and service.

Body Text: (243 words)

Allen Quinn Jones was born in Quincy, FL on March 3, 1893 to Rosa and Joseph T. Jones, the sixth of seven children. He was offered the principal position at Gainesville’s Union Academy in 1921. When Union Academy closed in 1923, Jones served as principal at the newly built Lincoln High School. He helped to accredit the school by 1926, making it the second accredited Black high school in Florida. He was very resourceful; when school budgets were cut in the 1930s, he organized to help teachers whose salaries were reduced. Additionally, when the school board appropriated funds for only six months of teachers’ salaries, Jones campaigned and raised funds for two more months.

Frederica Jones, wife of A. Quinn, was also a long-time and beloved educator, teaching English at Lincoln High. She was a neighborhood leader, co-founding the Visionaires civic group and an accomplished pianist and organist, teaching music lessons in their home. Son A. Quinn Jones, Jr. followed in his parents’ footsteps and became principal of Peck High School in Fernandina Beach.

Retiring in 1957, A. Quinn Jones died in 1997 at 104 years old. His dedication to quality education for Black students, fair treatment of faculty, and his leadership within the neighborhood fostered a culture of excellence. The Jones’ legacy continues with their home added to the National Register of Historic Places and renovated into the A. Quinn Jones Museum and Cultural Center.

Marker 2 - Lincoln High School Low Profile Wayside Marker Type

Header:

Lincoln High: A School Built by and For the Community

Sub header:

Lincoln High School stood as a beacon of Black excellence and community pride, where academics, athletics, music, and leadership uplifted generations.

Body Text: (223 words)

In 1920, Gainesville issued a bond to build two new but segregated public high schools. Lincoln High School, built for Black students, opened in September 1923 with 800 students, reaching full capacity. Its first principal, A. Quinn Jones, served for 34 years until retiring in 1957. In 1925, the school became Lincoln Graded and High School, gaining accreditation and becoming one of only two Black accredited high schools in Florida. Lincoln was known as “the Big Red,” home of the Terriers.

Lincoln had a strong athletic and music tradition. Charles Chestnut Sr. coached the first football team, and T.B. McPherson led from 1933–1949 with a record of 222 wins. Notable athletes included Jerry Simmons, Wayne Patrick, and Larry James. In 1946, Jerry C. Miller started the marching band, which became the first Black band to march in the Gator Bowl.

In 1957, the high school relocated and “old Lincoln” became A. Quinn Jones Elementary School.

Thelma Jordan was the first principal of A. Quinn Jones Elementary. It was later named A. Quinn Jones Center for Excellence.

Despite challenges, Lincoln High School was a major source of pride. Many teachers were alumni, and the Black community supported the school through fundraising and active involvement.

Marker 3 - Residential Life Low Profile Wayside Marker Type

Header:

A Town Within a Town: Leadership, Legacy, and Community

Sub header:

The 5th Avenue/Pleasant Street neighborhood and NW 7th Avenue reflects the legacy of Black families whose dedication to education, faith, and community shaped Gainesville.

Body Text: (251 words)

The Pleasant Street neighborhood is Gainesville’s oldest and most prominent Black community.

Including 5th Avenue, this area was known alternately as Crosstown or West Gainesville, a village that operated as a “town within a town.” Despite systemic inequalities like Jim Crow laws and segregation, residential life fostered a strong sense of community and resilience with an emphasis on family, kinship, and looking out for one another. Churches, and civic and social organizations served as central hubs for gathering and support. The neighborhood’s culture and sense of place can be experienced today through music, food, and celebrations.

NW 7th Avenue exemplifies this cultural setting and sense of place. Before it was paved, NW 7th Avenue was nicknamed Frog Alley due to the creatures croaking in its water-filled ditches.

Students walked the street to and from Lincoln High School where legacy families and pioneering institutions fostered tight-knit communities where neighbors supported one another in times of need. Many of the homes that line the street were owned by residents who opened their doors to their neighbors and dignitaries like Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune and Dr. William Gray, then president of Florida A&M, at a time when African Americans were not permitted to stay in many of Gainesville’s hotels.

Many residents’ families have lived on this street and others throughout the community for several generations. The legacy of 5th & Pleasant residents’ dedication to their neighbors, education, faith, and businesses is a testament to the resilience, leadership and talent of the people raised here.

Marker 4 - Healthcare Low Profile Wayside Marker Type

Header:

Pioneers of Black Healthcare

Sub header:

Black medical professionals brought care and comfort, shaping the health of the 5th & Pleasant neighborhood for more than a century.

Body Text: ( 275 words) The 5th Avenue/Pleasant Street neighborhood has long been home to pioneering Black medical professionals who served their community with care, expertise, and resilience during segregation and beyond. Dr. Robert Ayer, Gainesville’s first Black doctor, was a founder of Mt. Pleasant AME Church and donated the land where Lincoln High School was later built. Parker & Jerry were physicians and operated a pharmacy in the late 1880s.

In the mid-20th century, Dr. Cullen Banks became Gainesville’s only Black obstetrician, delivering over 3,000 babies and breaking barriers as the first Black physician to earn full privileges at both Alachua General and North Florida Regional hospitals. Dr. Hayden Floyd served the community from the late 1940s to the mid-1950s at his office at 625 NW 5th Avenue, while Dr. Julius A. Parker operated his practice out of his c.1877 home on NW 4th Street. Dr.

Paul Milton Hezekiah Stafford also contributed to local healthcare with an office on NW 2nd Street, near what is now Pleasant Park. Dr. George Rawls was born here and went on to be one of the first Black surgeons in Indianapolis during segregation. Before hospitals were desegregated, midwives were central to women’s healthcare in the neighborhood, assisting in countless home births and maternal care. Dr. Hubert Warren Wingate was born here and went on to become a successful neurologist.

Black dentists played an equally vital role, including Dr. E.H. DeBose—a descendant of Rev.

Alexander DeBose—who, for a time, was the only dentist in Gainesville who treated Black patients, with three offices throughout the neighborhood. Dr. Edgar Cosby opened his dental practice in 1950 and continued the legacy of service.

Marker 5 - Legacy Trailhead Marker Type

Header:

5th & Pleasant: Foundations of a Lasting Legacy

Sub header:

After Emancipation, Black families in 5th Avenue/Pleasant Street built homes, businesses, and institutions whose legacy still stands in places like the Smith-Griffin House and the Dunbar Hotel.

Body Text: (194 words)

After the Civil War, the 5th Avenue/Pleasant Street neighborhood in Gainesville became a place where newly freed Black people built new lives, moving from slavery to freedom. They worked to create economic independence and a strong cultural identity in an urban setting.

The families who have lived in the neighborhood for generations are a big part of its history. Their stories show the strength and determination of the community. Two important examples of this legacy are the Smith-Griffin House and the Dunbar Hotel.

The Smith-Griffin House, built in 1872 by Richard McRae, is one of the oldest homes in Pleasant Street. Over the years, the house was expanded by different family members.

Claronelle Smith-Griffin, a teacher, grew up in the house and later donated it to the Pleasant Street Historical Society.

The Dunbar Hotel, opened in 1936 by Sophronia and Jack Dunbar, was the only hotel in Gainesville that welcomed Black guests during segregation. It hosted famous musicians like Duke Ellington and B.B. King. Sophronia ran the hotel while Jack worked for the railroad, and their grandchildren helped out with chores.

These places represent the pride, strength, and history of the neighborhood.

Marker 6 - Union Academy

Low Profile Wayside Marker Type

Header:

Civic Legacies: From Union Academy to Rosa B. Williams Center

Sub header:

While the original school no longer stands, the site remains a testament to the impact of Black-led education, culture, and self-determination.

Body Text: (251 words)

Union Academy was established in 1867 by an all-Black board of trustees who purchased a 200’x200’ lot from Charles Brush in West Gainesville. The school was built by freedmen carpenters and artisans and was the second largest school for Black students in the state. The largest was Stanton Normal School in Jacksonville. The Academy was intended to educate adults and children as a grade school, high school, and normal school.

By 1868 Union Academy had 179 students, exceeding its intended maximum of 120 students.

The school had two Black teachers, Eliza James and Lawrence Chestnut, who were assisted by two White teachers, Maggie Gardner and Emma B. Eveleth from the American Missionary Association. Starting in 1873, Union Academy was run by an all-Black staff with A. Quinn Jones serving as principal in 1922. The school was renovated with a second story in 1895 and by 1922, it had around 500 students. Union Academy was abandoned in 1925 after years of deterioration and students were sent to the newly built Lincoln High School.

After 1925, the Union Academy site was home to a recreation center and public library for the Black community. The Rosa B. Williams Center now occupies the former recreation center. The center is a participatory arts space. Rosa B. Williams was a community leader involved in several civic initiatives including voter registration drives, recruiting for head start and kindergarten programs, was the first vice president of Gainesville’s NAACP, volunteered at Tacachale, and was on a number of organizational boards.

Marker 7 - Pleasant Street Low Profile Wayside Marker Type

Header:

Pleasant Street: Where Community Took Root and Thrived

Sub header:

Through decades of entrepreneurship, worship, and everyday life, the people of Pleasant Street created a community whose cultural and historical legacy lives on in its buildings and families.

Body Text: (197 words)

Pleasant Street is one of Gainesville’s oldest African American neighborhoods. It was first planned in 1859 as the "Brush Addition," named after Charles W. Brush, to give Black settlers a place to live. By 1866, Black residents were buying lots from the Brush Estate, and by 1870, some of the area’s oldest buildings were constructed.

From 1880 to 1900, Pleasant Street reached its peak, becoming a busy commercial district along NW 2nd Street. It had grocery stores, clothing shops, theaters, bars, and churches like Friendship Baptist and Mount Pleasant Methodist. Two buildings from this time still stand today: Cue’s Grocery (built in 1923) and the D.E. White Building (built in 1919), which once held Jones Funeral Home. The owners of these businesses often lived above their shops. Other stores and Black-owned insurance companies also operated in the area but have since been demolished.

By the 1930s, most commercial activity moved to the nearby 5th Avenue area. Still, Pleasant Street remained a strong community through the 1950s, with homes, churches, and small businesses.

In 1991, the Pleasant Street Historic District was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places, recognizing its rich cultural and historical importance.

Marker 8 - Faith Low Profile Wayside Marker Type

Header:

Sacred Spaces: Foundations of Faith and Leadership

Sub header:

More than a place of worship, Black churches are a powerful force for education, activism, culture, and leadership that united and uplifted the 5th & Pleasant neighborhood.

Body Text: (192 words)

The Black church has played an important role in the history of the 5th Avenue/Pleasant Street neighborhood, especially during times of struggle and change. From slavery and segregation to the civil rights movement, the church was a safe place for worship, support, and hope.

It gave people strength to face racism and unfair treatment. During hard times, it helped the community stay strong, keep their faith, and hold on to their dignity. But the church was more than just a place to pray — it was the center of the neighborhood.

The neighborhood's churches were also used as community centers. They held educational classes, hosted events, organized food drives, and offered programs to help those in need.

Pastors were respected leaders who often spoke out against injustice and helped lead protests and voting efforts during the civil rights movement.

The Black church also helped keep African American culture alive. Through music, traditions, and storytelling, it passed down history and pride from one generation to the next. It also taught leadership and gave young people opportunities to grow.

Today, the Black church is still a symbol of strength, unity, and hope in the community.

Include map with historical congregations:

● Mount Pleasant United Methodist Church (organized in 1867)

● St. Paul Colored Methodist Church (organized in 1884)

● Friendship Baptist Church (organized in 1888)

● Mount Carmel Baptist Church (organized in 1892)

● St. Augustine Episcopal Church (1892-1969)

● Bethel Seventh Day Adventist (organized in 1911)

● Old Greater Bethel Church

● Williams Temple Church of God in Christ (organized in 1928)

● Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church

Marker 9 - Pioneers Low Profile Wayside Marker Type

Header:

Pioneers of Pleasant Street: Foundations of Community

Sub header:

From church trustees and school principals to merchants and medical professionals, Pleasant Street’s early residents created a strong, self-sustaining neighborhood grounded in purpose and pride.

Body Text: (236 words)

In the decades following the Civil War, the Brush Addition—now part of the Pleasant Street neighborhood—became home to a growing community of Black pioneers who built institutions, led churches, and established roots in Gainesville. Among the earliest settlers was Josiah T.

Walls, Florida’s first Black congressman and a powerful symbol of post-Emancipation leadership.

Born into slavery in 1842, Walls served in the U.S. Colored Troops during the Civil War and later held seats in the Florida House, Senate, and U.S. Congress during Reconstruction. Though his elections were repeatedly contested, he continued to advocate for Black Floridians, proposing education funding and support for Black veterans. After retiring from politics, he settled in Alachua County and worked in education until his death in 1905.

Walls stood alongside other local pioneers like Richard McRae, whose son Willis McRae became a principal at Union Academy, and Dr. A.B. Ayer, who opened a medical practice near Mt. Pleasant AME Church in 1901. George and Fletcher DeBose, founders of a family funeral home, and merchants J.C. Metts and S.H. Hendley were also part of this generation of builders along with carpenter John F. Murrell. These families helped shape a neighborhood where laborers, professionals, and entrepreneurs could own homes, educate children, and worship freely.

Many of these pioneers are buried at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, a lasting reminder of the lives they lived and the legacies they left behind.

Marker 10 - Fraternal and Civic Organizations Low Profile Wayside Marker Type

Header:

Fraternal Bonds and Civic Leadership

Subheader:

Black fraternal groups, women’s clubs, and Greek organizations shaped community life through service, leadership, and cultural pride.

Body Text: (243 words)

Fraternal organizations played a vital role in the 5th Avenue and Pleasant Street communities, promoting moral and educational values, caring for the sick, supporting families in need, and ensuring dignified burials. Groups like the Masons, Elks, and Knights of Pythias were prominent civic leaders. Though membership was limited to men, women formed powerful auxiliary groups of their own.

Rising Sun Lodge #10, a Prince Hall-Affiliated Masonic lodge, was established in 1870 and built its hall in 1887. Local businessmen like Fred Alexander of Fred’s Grill and Joseph Duncan of Duncan Funeral Home were Masonic Grand Masters. The Lodge became a central gathering space for Masons, the Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World (IBPOEW) University City #1218, and other Black societies. Another fraternal building, Johnson’s Hall, was constructed around 1897.

Women’s organizations were equally impactful. The Excelsior Reading Circle partnered with the Florida State Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs to promote education and community work.

In 1913, Mary McLeod Bethune was in Gainesville for the state meeting of the Colored Women’s Clubs. The Reading Circle evolved into the Excelsior Club and Excelsior Matrons. Founded in 1938, the Visionaires continue to serve the community today through scholarships, cultural events, and service projects. The Dignitettes are another women’s organization serving the community.

Black Greek-letter organizations, known as the Divine Nine, also had a strong presence in the neighborhood, mentoring youth, leading service efforts, and cultivating generations of Black professionals and civic leaders.

Marker 11 - Civil Rights Low Profile Wayside Marker Type

Header:

Black Civil Leadership and Civil Rights in Gainesville

Sub header:

Black leaders, churches, women’s groups, and students in Gainesville organized, protested, and persevered in the fight for justice and equality.

Body Text: (250 words)

Black civic leadership in Gainesville began during Reconstruction, with Josiah T. Walls serving in Florida’s House and Senate. At that time, Black citizens participated in Republican conventions, including a major biracial political meeting in Gainesville in 1867.

Mount Carmel Baptist Church, founded in 1892, became a hub for Civil Rights activism. The local NAACP chapter began there in 1945, holding Sunday night meetings in the church basement. Reverend Dr. Thomas A. Wright, Sr., a key figure in the movement, used the church to organize efforts to integrate public schools. He played a leadership role in the 1964 lawsuit that desegregated Alachua County schools. That same year, his daughter LaVon, along with Joel Buchanan and Sandra Ezell, integrated Gainesville’s previously all-White high school.

In 1963, a group called Gainesville Women for Equal Rights formed, bringing together Black and White women to fight segregation. Led by members like Rosa B. Williams and Barbara Higgins—its first Black president—they organized sit-ins and advocated for representation on local boards. The group also helped create a Black daycare center near Lincoln Middle School.

In 1969, 1,200 Lincoln High School students protested the planned closure of their historically Black school. Despite their efforts, the school was closed, and students were integrated into Gainesville High.

In 1971, the Black Student Union at the University of Florida led protests demanding more representation for Black students and faculty. When their demands were ignored, 60 students were arrested, over 1000 students protested the arrests, and over 100 Black students unenrolled.

Marker 12 - Neighborhood History/Evolution Trailhead Marker Type

Header:

5th & Pleasant: The Neighborhood That Built Generations

Sub header:

From school days to streetlight games, gospel-filled Sundays to nightclub stages, 5th Avenue was a place where generations were raised on faith, pride, and the strength of a community that looked out for its own.

Body Text: (174 words)

From its inception just after the civil war to the 1970s, The Pleasant Street/5th Avenue neighborhood was a vibrant thriving African American community.

People knew and took care of each other. Residents included doctors and dentists who offered vital healthcare, within walking distance. The area was a hub of education, with schools that rivalled any in the city, and the teachers and principals lived down the street from their students.

5th Avenue and surrounding streets featured flourishing businesses, including restaurants, movie theaters, beauty and barber shops, funeral homes and more.

During the daytime, children played games or rode their bicycles until the streetlights came on.

Caring adults watched from their porches.

At night, 5th Avenue came alive with nightclubs and performance venues that featured nationally known entertainers. The neighborhood even offered hotel accommodations for the entertainers who came to town.

On Sundays, neighborhood churches met spiritual needs through worship services in a variety of denominations. The neighborhood was also the locust of political and social activism from Reconstruction to the Civil Rights movement.

5TH AVENUE/PLEASANT STREET NEIGHBORHOOD TIMELINE

● 1817 - Ferdinand the King of Spain awarded a massive land grant to Don Fernando de la

Maza Arredondo

● 1849 - Nehemiah Brush, a merchant from Baltimore, acquired over 30,000 acres of the Arrendondo Spanish Grant

● 1854 - Gainesville was established and named after Edmund P. Gaines

● 1859 - Originally named Brush’s Addition and eventually West Gainesville, the Pleasant

Street area is established to accommodate Black settlers

● 1865 - Union Academy was established by the Freedmen’s Bureau to provide for the education of both adults and children.

● 1866 - African Americans begin to purchase property from the Brush Estate. settlers arrived from neighboring plantations and other Southern states, especially Georgia and South Carolina.

● 1867 - Gainesville’s oldest African American church, Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church is organized. The current building was completed in 1906.

● 1873 - Josiah T. Walls is elected as the first African American mayor of Gainesville

● 1877 - Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church is established

● 1880 - Between 1880 and 1900, Pleasant Street (NW 2nd Street) became the neighborhood’s first commercial district

● 1884 - Brown's Addition is plated. Bounded by NW 8th Ave, NW 6th St, University Ave, and

NW 13th St, it later became known as the 5th Avenue section of the neighborhood.

● 1884 - Friendship Baptist Church is established. The current sanctuary was completed in 1911.

● 1893 - The St. Augustine Mission School organized.

● 1896 - Mount Carmel Baptist Church is organized. The present-day old Mount Carmel

Baptist Church was completed in 1944.

● 1896 - In Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of state-sponsored segregation, establishing the "separate but equal" doctrine. By 1905, Gainesville’s largest Black enclave was bounded by NW 13th St, NW 1st Street, University Ave, and NW 8th St.

● 1925 - Lincoln Graded and High School opens (1 of 2 black accredited schools in Florida).

The school becomes known as “the Big Red,” home of the Terriers

● Union Academy was closed and eventually became a recreational center.

● 1930s - West Seminary Street emerged as the neighborhood's main commercial corridor and an early Chitlin’ Circuit destination in Florida.

● 1950 - All streets are renamed as Gainesville moved to a system of numbered streets and avenues. West Seminary Street was renamed NW 5th Avenue.

● 1957 - Lincoln High School relocated to Southeast Gainesville. The building reopened as the A. Quinn Jones Elementary School.

● 1962 - Old Mount Carmel Baptist Church became a strategic planning center where sessions for implantation of legal, as well as non-violent actions for the Civil Rights Movement in Alachua County and North Central Florida.

● 1963 - NAACP Youth Council picketed theaters and stores and required desegregation of the summer school session.

● The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed. This landmark civil rights and labor law outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin in the United States.

● 1979 - The annual Fifth Avenue Arts Festival began

● 1984 - The Pleasant Street Historic Society was established

● 1989 - The Pleasant Street Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic

Places

● 2025 - 5th & Pleasant Black Heritage Trail opened

Marker 13 - Jesse Aaron/Arts Low Profile Wayside Marker Type

Header:

Jesse Aaron: Art Rooted in Community and Nature

Sub header:

Jesse Aaron was a neighborhood artist whose late-in-life creativity helped define the cultural spirit of 5th Avenue.

Body Text: (208 words)

Jesse Aaron was born in 1887 in Lake City. Over the years, he held many jobs—field worker, cook, cabinet maker—and moved to Gainesville in the 1930s with his wife, Lee Anna Aaron, a schoolteacher. In the 1960s, they bought land where Jesse ran a small farm and nursery.

At age 81, Jesse discovered a new passion: wood carving. Unable to afford healthcare for Lee Anna, he began carving figures into trees on his property to sell as art. He found wood in nearby wetlands and forests, carving the faces he imagined within the grain and embellishing them with cloth, beads, and other materials.

His work, which echoed the forms of African and Native American sculpture, quickly drew attention. Within a year, it helped pay for Lee Anna’s healthcare. In 1970, the University of Florida’s gallery hosted an exhibition of his art, recognizing his remarkable talent and vision.

Jesse Aaron’s story is one of resilience, creativity, and love—an example of how the 5th Avenue community has long celebrated the power of culture and artistic expression. In 1979, the 5th Avenue Arts Festival was launched to honor the rich cultural history of the neighborhood represented through people like Jesse Aaron. It remains a joyful celebration of art, music, and community.

Marker 14 - Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Depot Low Profile Wayside Marker Type

Header:

Tracks That Tied a Community Together

Sub header:

Though the trains are long gone, the railways once helped connect 5th & Pleasant to other places.

Body Text: (199 words)

In 1884, a railroad called the Gainesville, Rocky Point, and Micanopy Railway was created to connect the cities of Gainesville and Micanopy. It officially opened in 1894 after L.L. Hill bought it and renamed it the Gainesville Gulf Railway (G&G). Locals joked and called it the “Grits and Gravy.” In 1906, the F.J. Lisman Company bought the railroad and renamed it the Tampa and Jacksonville Railway (T&J), which earned the nickname “Tug and Jerk” because of its rough ride.

By 1944, most of the railroad was shut down, except for the part that ran through a swampy area in the neighborhood known as “Frog Alley.” That section was bought by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL), which used it to replace tracks that had run along Main Street.

In 1948, the ACL built a new passenger and freight depot on NW 6th Street between Court (now NW 3rd Avenue) and Seminary (now NW 5th Avenue). Passenger train service ended in 1971, and the tracks through the neighborhood were fully abandoned in the mid-1980s.

The old train depot was later restored and turned into the Charles L. Blount Center, a satellite campus for Santa Fe College.

Marker 15 - “The Avenue” (Entrepreneurship) Low Profile Wayside Marker Type

Header:

The Avenue: A Legacy of Black Enterprise

Sub header:

NW 5th Avenue buzzed with Black-owned businesses and community life, becoming a symbol of excellence, service, and self-reliance.

Body Text: (196 words)

During segregation, NW 5th Avenue—originally named West Seminary Street—was the center of Black business and culture in Gainesville. It was renamed NW 5th Avenue in 1950 and became known as “The Avenue.” Starting in the mid-1930s, during the Great Depression, it grew into a major Black business district.

People often called NW 5th Avenue a “city within a city” because it had everything the Black community needed at a time when segregation kept them out of many places. The street was filled with Black-owned businesses like restaurants, grocery stores, barber shops, beauty salons, shoe repair shops, medical and dental offices, funeral homes, churches, schools, and music halls.

It was also home to the Lincoln and Rose Theatres—Black movie theaters that were popular gathering spots.

Some of the best-known businesses on The Avenue included Fred’s Grill, Lenard Jackson’s Photography Studio, Hayne’s Grocery, Fisher’s Meat Market, Duncan Brothers Funeral Home, Blue Flame, Royal Dry Cleaners, and Sarah’s Restaurant. People came not just to shop or work, but also to meet up, have fun, and connect with others.

NW Fifth Avenue was a symbol of Black entrepreneurship, pride, and resilience during a time of restricted opportunity and racial segregation.

Map to include longtime operating Black-owned businesses:

● Fred's Grill

● Lenard Jackson's Photography Studio

● Cato's Sundry Store

● Hayne's Grocery

● Fisher's Meat Market

● Glover & Gill Grocers

● Duncan Brothers’ Funeral Home - Joseph and Oretta Williams Duncan and Collin and Gloria Chestnut Duncan est Duncan Brothers Funeral Home in 1953 on historic Seminary Lane

● Blue Flame

● Royal Dry Cleaners

● Mom's Kitchen

● Oscar Gilbert Shoe Shop

● Plummer’s Barbershop - founded in the late 1920s by Willie Plummer, son Charles and grandson Cleve Sharpe also worked there

● Safety Cab

● Sarah's Restaurant

● Parker's BBQ

● Rock Front Grocery

● Royal Dry Cleaners

● Chestnut Funeral Home - one of Gainesville’s oldest funeral homes

Marker 16 - Entertainment Trailhead Marker Type

Header:

Entertainment on the Avenue

Sub header:

5th Avenue’s theaters, dance halls, and teen hangouts made it a hub for Black entertainment, expression, and community fun.

Body Text: (195 words)

Entertainment brought energy and joy to the 5th Avenue neighborhood. Wabash Hall, on the top floor of the Glover and Gill Building, hosted world-famous performers like Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton, and Cab Calloway. Lincoln High School used the same space for dances before desegregation. Built in 1932, the building still stands today, though it is vacant.

The Lincoln Theater, opened in 1937, was Gainesville’s only movie theater for African Americans, seating 456 people. It later moved down the avenue and was renamed the Rose Theater. While the original Lincoln Theater building remains, the Rose Theater was demolished and the site is now a vacant lot.

In the 1950s, local radio station WGGG aired a one-hour Saturday program called “Down Seminary Lane” that featured music by Black artists. With no radio stations dedicated to Black music, neighbors gathered to listen, proud to hear their community on the airwaves.

Teens found fun at places like Cato’s Sundry and Rick Casino, where jukeboxes and soda fountains made for popular weekend hangouts. Adults enjoyed nightlife at venues like the Blue Flame, Red’s Tap Room, and the Rhythm pool hall, where live music and dancing brought people together.

Marker 17 - Barbers & Beauticians Low Profile Wayside Marker Type

Header:

Chairs, Combs and Community: The Original Social Media

Sub header:

More than places for hair care, Black-owned salons and barbershops created space for sharing information, building connections, and expressing culture in Gainesville’s Black community.

Body Text: (217 words)

Barber shops and beauty salons have played a major role in the 5th Avenue/Pleasant Street community for generations—not just for hair care, but also as important social and information hubs. These spaces provided a safe place for people to gather, talk about current events, share advice, and connect with others. They helped build strong relationships and created a sense of community.

A source of cultural pride and identity, they also offered important opportunities for entrepreneurship, especially for Black women. Owning a barber shop or beauty salon meant having control over your own business and making a positive impact on the neighborhood.

One well-known example is Clara’s Beauty Salon, which operated for more than 50 years and became one of the most recognized businesses in Gainesville’s Black community. The owner, Clara Griffin, graduated from Apex Beauty School in Atlanta in 1946. After traveling for several years, she returned to Gainesville and opened her salon, attached to her home at the corner of NW 8th Street and 7th Avenue.

Throughout her career, Clara styled the hair of many well-known people, including the late R&B singer Minnie Riperton and models from the Ebony Fashion Fair. Her success reflects how these businesses are not only places of beauty but also symbols of pride, independence, and connection in the community.

Beauticians Dorothy Payton, Ruby Bingham, Juanita Bradley, and Ada Kirkland also helped keep women in style and up to date on the latest news. Plummer’s Barbershop (and others??)

provided social spaces and business opportunities for men.

Marker 18 - Chitlin’ Circuit Low Profile Wayside Marker Type

Header:

5th Avenue on the Chitlin’ Circuit

Sub header:

Black-owned clubs and restaurants along NW 5th Avenue welcomed legendary performers and created a vibrant cultural scene that brought music to the heart of Gainesville’s Black community.

Body Text: (183 words)

From the 1930s to the 1960s, Gainesville’s NW 5th Avenue was a key stop on the Chitlin’ Circuit— a network of Black-owned clubs, bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues where Black musicians could safely perform during segregation. The circuit gave rise to many legendary artists and offered cultural spaces where Black communities could gather, celebrate, and enjoy live music.

5th Avenue was home to popular venues like Wabash Hall, one of the earliest stops on the circuit, and had a strong connection to Camp Blanding, as Black soldiers in training would often visit the area on weekends for entertainment and relaxation.

A major influence on the scene was Sarah McKnight, owner of Sarah’s Restaurant, a jazz and blues club that hosted big-name performers such as Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton, B.B. King, and the Sweethearts of Rhythm, a famous all-female jazz band.

Other Chitlin’ Circuit venues included Woody’s Smoke Shop, Red’s Tap Room, Wigwam Billiard Parlor, Rhythm Billiard Parlor, and more. Acts like Ella Fitzgerald, Bo Diddley, and others helped make 5th Avenue a hotspot of Black entertainment, culture, and pride during segregation.

Marker 19 - Educators Low Profile Wayside Marker Type

Header:

Legacy of Learning: Education and Educators

Sub header:

Teachers and schools empowered generations of students in the 5th & Pleasant neighborhood through knowledge, pride, and purpose.

Body Text: (269 words) After the Civil War, nearly 90% of newly freed Black men and women could not read. They knew that education was essential to freedom and self-sufficiency. With support from the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the American Missionary Association, and the Freedmen’s Bureau, Black residents-built schools and hired teachers to serve their communities.

Union Academy, built in 1866, was Gainesville’s first school for Black students and was replaced by Lincoln High School in 1923. In the Pleasant Street neighborhood, St. Augustine School was established by Episcopalians in the early 1890s. Originally a night school, it became a day school under Reverend John Speight, a Black minister from North Carolina. Known as the “Speight School,” it operated until 1970 and was a cornerstone of education for the neighborhood.

These schools offered more than reading and writing—they helped residents reconnect with family, understand their rights, and navigate a changing society. Schools became safe spaces and community anchors, preserving history and shaping future leaders.

Many local residents became educators themselves, teaching at Lincoln High, A.Q. Jones, and other schools across Alachua County after integration. Education was held in the highest regard, with local schools producing generations of Black professionals. Many residents of the neighborhood were teachers.

One such leader was Wilhelmina Johnson, who taught music for 40 years out of her home. Her lifelong dedication to education is honored through the Wilhelmina Johnson Center, which continues her legacy of learning and community service. Other respected teachers included:

Frederica Jones, J.C. Rawls, Fannie Glover, Thelma Jordan Cook, Leslie Cosby, Lucille Irving, Susie White, Ms. Taylor, Ms. Henley, Ms. Parker, and Mr. Wingate.

Marker 20 - Cuisine Low Profile Wayside Marker Type

Header:

Seasoned with Soul: Food, Family & Tradition

Sub header:

Known for legendary restaurants, the neighborhood’s food scene celebrated the flavors and culture of Black culinary traditions.

Body Text: (197 words) The 5th Avenue/Pleasant Street neighborhood has been known for its great food and strong cooking traditions for many years. At the center of this reputation is its history of soul food and barbecue. Soul food comes from the African American experience and mixes flavors and cooking styles from Africa, the Caribbean, and the American South. Popular dishes include fried chicken, collard greens, and cornbread. Barbecue, which also has roots in African and Indigenous traditions, is known for its slow-cooked meats and bold, smoky sauces.

The neighborhood was home to several popular restaurants. Mom’s Kitchen, started by Lula Mae and George Young in the 1960s, was a favorite spot until it closed in 2006. It had replaced the old Rock Front Grocery Store. Mama Lo’s, run by Lorene "Mama Lo" Alexander from 1975 to 1995, became a well-loved place to eat. Parker’s BBQ, owned by William “Y.T.” Parker from 1958 to 1973, was famous for its ribs, chicken, and seven different homemade sauces—ranging from mild to “super saberjet” hot.

Other local favorites included Walter’s Blue Room & BBQ, the 5th Avenue Lunch Room, and Maggie’s Restaurant, all adding to the area's strong food culture and community pride.

Marker 21 - Seminary Lane Apartments

Low Profile Wayside Marker Type

Header:

Housing: What Was Promised, What Was Lost

Sub header:

Community members stood against redevelopment plans on the historic Seminary Lane site, calling for affordable housing that honored the neighborhood’s past and protected its future.

Body Text: (225 words)

The Seminary Lane Apartments, built around 1953 at 1212 NW 5th Avenue, was an affordable housing complex in the 5th Avenue/Pleasant Street neighborhood. The two-story townhouse-style apartments were owned by the nonprofit Gainesville Housing Corporation Inc. and managed by the Gainesville Housing Authority. Since 1979, Seminary Lane received federal funding to provide housing for Gainesville residents with low or no income.

Over time, the buildings became rundown due to years of neglect and a lack of investment. In 2009, the apartments were torn down, and residents were promised better affordable housing would be rebuilt on the site. That promise was never fulfilled, and in 2020, a private student housing development was proposed for the land.

This proposal made Seminary Lane a major example of gentrification in the area. Gentrification is when a neighborhood changes in ways that can benefit new, wealthier residents, but often comes at a cost to the people who have lived there the longest.

Many community members opposed the plan, saying student housing didn’t match the character of the historic neighborhood. Protesters marched in June 2020 to keep the site for affordable housing. However, later that year, plans were approved for a 862-bed student housing project.

The developers agreed to build eight affordable housing units and invest $200,000 in the community. Theory Gainesville, the first phase, opened in August 2024.

Historic Research Resource List

Books and Edited Volumes Gainesville Sun (2019). Gainesville memories: A photographic history of the early years.

Pediment Publishing.

Jenkins, L. PRB (2007). Black America series: Alachua County, Florida. Arcadia Publishing.

Klingman, P. D. (1976). Josiah Walls: Florida’s Black Congressman of Reconstruction. Board of Regents of the State of Florida.

McDonogh, G. W. (Ed.). (1993). Florida Negro: A Federal Writers Project legacy. University Press of Mississippi.

Rajtar, S. (2008). Historic photos of Gainesville. Turner.

Rajtar, S. (2007). A guide to historic Gainesville. The History Press.

Richardson, J. A. (1973). The Negro in the Reconstruction of Florida, 1865-1877. Trend House.

White, A., & McCarthy, K. (2012). Lincoln High School: Its history and legacy. Self-published.

Maps and Directories

Sanborn Fire Insurance Company. (1928, 1950). Sanborn fire insurance maps of Gainesville, Florida.University of Florida Digital Collections, accessed at https://ufdc.ufl.edu/collections/sanborn.

R.L. Polk & Co.. (1905–1980). Gainesville city directories [Various years]. Matheson History Museum Archives.

Archival Materials

Florida Master Site File Forms. (n.d.). Forms for properties within the 5th Avenue and Pleasant Street neighborhood [various]. Florida Division of Historical Resources.

Gainesville Community Reinvestment Area. (n.d.). Records from past heritage trail efforts:

including Points of interest inventory and draft criteria. [various dates]. GCRA Office.

General Commission on Archives & History. (n.d.). Church records [various]. United Methodist Church. Accessed at https://gcah.org/.

Historic Florida Postcard Collection. (n.d.). Historic postcard images of the 5th Avenue and Pleasant Street neighborhood [various dates]. Matheson History Museum Archives.

Lincoln High School Grand Reunion Committee. (1999, January 29–31). Lincoln High School Grand Reunion: A recognition of excellence [Booklet].

Pleasant Street Historic Society. (n.d.). Pleasant Street Historic Walking Tour brochures.

Matheson History Museum Archives.

State Archives of Florida. (n.d.). WPA Church Records [Florida Memory]. Accessed at https://www.floridamemory.com/discover/historical_records/churchrecords/

State Archives of Florida. (n.d.). Photographic Collection [Florida Memory]. Accessed at https://www.floridamemory.com/discover/photographs/

University of Florida. (n.d.). Visionaires Collection. George A. Smathers Libraries.

https://aspui2.uflib.ufl.edu/repositories/2/resources/1578/collection_organization

University of Florida. (n.d.). Florida History Collection – P.K. Yonge Library of Florida History Photograph Collection. George A. Smathers Libraries.

University of Florida. (n.d.). P.K. Yonge Library of Florida History Photograph Collection - E.A.

Cosby Collection. https://findingaids.uflib.ufl.edu/repositories/2/resources/1445

University of Florida. (n.d.). P.K. Yonge Library of Florida History Photograph Collection - A.

Quinn Jones Collection.

https://findingaids.uflib.ufl.edu/repositories/2/resources/207/collection_organization

Newspaper Articles Atlanta Daily World. (1963, June 16). Racial barriers fall in Gainesville, Florida. Atlanta Daily World, p. A1.

The Freeman. (1891, December 26). Club & Lodge Society. The Freeman [Indianapolis].

The Freeman. (1908, August 8). Gainesville, Fla. The Freeman [Indianapolis].

The Freeman. (1913, July 5). Colored women’s club meet. The Freeman [Indianapolis].

https://gcah.org/ https://www.floridamemory.com/discover/historical_records/churchrecords/ https://www.floridamemory.com/discover/photographs/ https://aspui2.uflib.ufl.edu/repositories/2/resources/1578/collection_organization https://aspui2.uflib.ufl.edu/repositories/2/resources/1578/collection_organization https://aspui2.uflib.ufl.edu/repositories/2/resources/1578/collection_organization https://aspui2.uflib.ufl.edu/repositories/2/resources/1578/collection_organization https://findingaids.uflib.ufl.edu/repositories/2/resources/1445 https://findingaids.uflib.ufl.edu/repositories/2/resources/1445 https://findingaids.uflib.ufl.edu/repositories/2/resources/1445 https://findingaids.uflib.ufl.edu/repositories/2/resources/207/collection_organization

Huntsville Gazette. (1887, May 7). News and sentiment from colored exchanges. Huntsville Gazette.

Savannah Tribune. (1903, February 14). Booker Washington well received. Savannah Tribune.

Reports and Online Resources

Alachua County Library District. (n.d.). Researching racial injustice. Accessed at https://www.aclib.us/researching-racial-injustice

City of Gainesville. (n.d.). Imagine GNV: Comprehensive plan [proposed]. Accessed at https://imaginegnv.konveio.com/

Community Planning Collaborative. (2023). Florida chitlin’ circuit historic research and documentation project. Accessed at https://www.flchitlincircuitgrp.org/.

Laurie, M.D. & Jones, R.O. (2009). A. Quinn Jones house. National Register of Historic Places nomination file. Florida Division of Historical Resources.

Presidential Task Force. (2022). Report of the Presidential Task Force on African American and Native American history and the University of Florida. Accessed at https://aiis.clas.ufl.edu/report-of-presidents-task-force-on-african-american-and-native-american-history-and-the-university-of-florida/

Shiver ,W.C. (1989). Pleasant Street historic district. National Register of Historic Places nomination file. Florida Division of Historical Resources.

Miller, J. (1976). Interview with A. Quinn Jones October 27 1976. Recorded October 27, 1976, Accessed at https://original-ufdc.uflib.ufl.edu/UF00024696/00001/3

Carp, J. (2024, July 21). “David Yulee and the Florida Railroad: How one man’s vision helped to change the course of Florida’s history?” ArcGIS StoryMaps.

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/f04bc7983be14520b9b0bab0cd56821e

“A People’s History of Gainesville: a WORK IN PROGRESS”. (n.d.). Samuel Proctor Oral History Program. https://oral.history.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/A-Peoples-History-of- Gainesville-Timeline-.pdf

Brammer, R. (2020, June 19). “When a former enslaved person debated a former Confederate in the House of Representatives”. Library of Congress Blogs.

https://www.aclib.us/researching-racial-injustice https://www.aclib.us/researching-racial-injustice https://www.aclib.us/researching-racial-injustice https://imaginegnv.konveio.com/ https://www.flchitlincircuitgrp.org/ https://aiis.clas.ufl.edu/report-of-presidents-task-force-on-african-american-and-native-american-history-and-the-university-of-florida/ https://aiis.clas.ufl.edu/report-of-presidents-task-force-on-african-american-and-native-american-history-and-the-university-of-florida/ https://original-ufdc.uflib.ufl.edu/UF00024696/00001/3 https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/f04bc7983be14520b9b0bab0cd56821e https://oral.history.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/A-Peoples-History-of-Gainesville-Timeline-.pdf https://oral.history.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/A-Peoples-History-of-Gainesville-Timeline-.pdf https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2020/06/when-a-former-slave-debated-a-former-confederate-in-the-house-of-representatives/

Oral Interview

(Initial. Last name, personal communication, Date of interview).

“Community activist Rosa B. Williams on the Civil Rights Movement in Gainesville, Florida”.

Buchanan, J. (1981, May 27). Interviewee: Mrs. Wilhelmina W. Johnson: Interviewer: Joel Buchanan. University of Florida Oral History Project. https://original-ufdc.uflib.ufl.edu/UF00005393/00001/2j

Buchanan, J. (1984). Community activist Rosa B. Williams on the civil rights movement in Gainesville, Florida (season 1, episode 3). In University of Florida Digital Collections. Samuel Proctor Oral History Project. https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00093951/00003/audios https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2020/06/when-a-former-slave-debated-a-former-confederate-in-the-house-of-representatives/ https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2020/06/when-a-former-slave-debated-a-former-confederate-in-the-house-of-representatives/ https://original-ufdc.uflib.ufl.edu/UF00005393/00001/2j https://original-ufdc.uflib.ufl.edu/UF00005393/00001/2j https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00093951/00003/audios

Journals

Watkins, Caroline (1974) "Some Early Railroads in Alachua County," Florida Historical Quarterly: Vol. 53: No. 4, Article 7. Available at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/fhq/vol53/iss4/7

Johnson, Dudley S. (1968) "The Florida Railroad after the Civil War," Florida Historical Quarterly: Vol. 47: No. 3, Article 6. Available at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/fhq/vol47/iss3/6

Laurie, Murray D. (1986) "Union Academy: A Freedmen's Bureau School in Gainesville, Florida," Florida Historical Quarterly: Vol. 65: No. 2, Article 4. Available at:

https://stars.library.ucf.edu/fhq/vol65/iss2/4

Palmer, K. (2016). Losing Lincoln: Black Educators, Historical Memory, and the Desegregation of Lincoln High School in Gainesville, Florida. The Florida Historical Quarterly, 95(1), 26–70.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/24769296

Kersey, H. A. (1972). St. Augustine School: Seventy-five years of Negro parochial education in Gainesville, Florida. Florida Historical Quarterly, 51(1), 58–63.

https://stars.library.ucf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1207&context=fhq https://stars.library.ucf.edu/fhq/vol53/iss4/7 https://stars.library.