Although Eatonville just celebrated its 133 years of incorporation and self-governing on August 18, this sculpture, from the Bronze Kingdom, was placed at Eatonville’s Town Hall three years ago as part of the town’s 130 years celebration for being the oldest continuously-existing African-American city in the United States. (Aug. 13, 2020)

A close-up of the Bronze Kingdom statue at the front of Eatonville’s Town Hall at the corner of College Road and Kennedy Boulevard in Eatonville, Florida, to commemorate the 130 years of being the oldest continuously-existing African-American city in the United States in 2017. (Aug. 13, 2020)

In 2006, the Zora Neale Hurston Library opened on Kennedy Boulevard in Eatonville. (Aug. 13, 2020)

The town seal outside the Eatonville Town Hall in Eatonville, Florida. (Aug. 13, 2020)

“The desire of African Americans to control their own destiny, in view of the fact that they remained unable to claim the rights of full American citizenship, remained unflagging, and the Florida frontier became the stage for at least one instance of success in the founding of the Town of Eatonville.

“In the late 1870s, newly-freed slaves began to drift into Central Florida. They came from as far west as Mississippi and as far north as South Carolina, with Georgia and Alabama in between. Many of these freedmen settled around St. John’s Hole (LakeLily) in the heart of what was then called Fort Maitland, a community of winter homes established mainly by wealthy northerners on the northern shore of Lake Maitland.

“The freedmen and their families came in search of work and soon began to toil at clearing land, planting crops and citrus groves, and helping to build houses, hotels, and the railroad, which had been completed between Jacksonville and Fort Maitland in1880.

“Eventually they built more permanent homes on land west of the town and established themselves as community leaders, landowners, and businessmen.

“They were instrumental, together with white northerners who had come south seeking economic opportunities, in bringing about the incorporation of the town of Lake Maitland in 1884.

“Despite the apparently cordial relations between the white and black inhabitants of Lake Maitland, there was great interest among the black settlers informing their own town. The prospects of establishing a black township in the vicinity of Lake Maitland did not at first appear promising. During the years between 1875 and 1877, an effort was made by African Americans Alien Ricket and Joseph E. Clarke to purchase land in Central Florida for the purpose of establishing a colony for colored people, but the white land owners were unable or unwilling to sell them any tract large enough for that purpose. In
1882, two white men, Josiah Eaton and Lewis Lawrence, who were among the founders of Lake Maitland, offered to sell blacks a large tract of land one mile west of Maitland.

“The land offered was part of a 160 acre tract bought by Eaton on November 15, 1875 from William Stubblefield. From his holdings, Eaton sold 22 acres to Lewis Lawrence, a philanthropist from Utica, New York, on May 24, 1881. Lawrence had the north ten acres platted and donated the property to the trustees of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, formerly known as the Lawrence Church of Maitland. The south 12 acres were deeded to Joseph E. Clarke on November 18, 1885. The property held by Clarke and the Lawrence Church of Maitland is thought to be the first property procured for the purpose of establishing a new black township in Florida. Eventually, more acreage from the tract of land owned by Joseph Eaton was acquired, so that at the time of incorporation the original city limits finally had grown to112 acres.

“The additional land was bought by Joseph Clarke, who would be one of the first mayors of Eatonville. If it is true that every town should have a founding father, then Eatonville’s should certainly by Joseph E. Clarke. Clarke (born 1859) and Allen Ricket, another signer of the Eatonville charter, had tried unsuccessfully immediately after the Civil War to establish a settlement for freedmen in other parts of Florida.

“The difficulty in obtaining land for Negroes was made dramatically clear in a notice that appeared on the front page of the January 22, 1889 edition of the city’s weekly newspaper The Eatonville Speaker:
‘Colored people o f the United States: Solve the great race problem by securing a home in Eatonville, Florida, a Negro city governed by Negroes,’” from the National Register of Historic Places of the U.S. Department of Interior from 1998.

The front view of the Moseley House, built around 1888, was the home of Jim and Matilda Clark Moseley and exemplifies the early dwellings in Eatonville, Florida. (Aug. 13, 2020)

The Moseley House, built around 1888, was the home of Jim and Matilda Clark Moseley and exemplifies the early dwellings in Eatonville, Florida. Homes were mainly one-story, 500-square foot, wood frame houses with no more than 2 or 3 rooms. Matilda, or Tillie as she was called, was born and raised in Eatonville. A Sunday school teacher, church pianist and community activist, Tillie was also best friends with Zora Neale Hurston who would visit often and stay with the Moseleys. (Aug. 13, 2020)

The St. Lawrence African Methodist Episcopal in Eatonville, Florida, was originally founded in 1881 and is older than the historic town. It was named in honor of Lewis Lawrence of Maitland who donated the land for the church. Since its original construction, the church has been rebuilt or renovated several times.

The St. Lawrence African Methodist Episcopal in Eatonville, Florida, was originally founded in 1881 and is older than the historic town. It was named in honor of Lewis Lawrence of Maitland who donated the land for the church. Since its original construction, the church has been rebuilt or renovated several times. This present church building, completed in 1974, is still located on the original church land. In fact the original church, purchased as a home St. Lawrence is considered to be one of the oldest African American Church annex, erected 1949, Rev. F.A. Allen, Pastor. The church was founded in 1881. (Aug. 13, 2020)

The historic Thomas House, considered the oldest structure in Eatonville, was actually the St. Lawrence African Methodist Episcopal Church, the first church and this was formerly its first building. This church building shared its sanctuary at one time with the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church conducting alternating worship times. Later the building housed Eatonville’s first library (the new library just down the street is named after Zora Neale Hurston). For a short time, this building also served as a ‘Juke Joint’ for entertainment and African American social nightlife. The S. T. Thomas family purchased the building in 1946 to serve as their family’s residence and are still the owners of this 1881 building in need of repair and purpose. (Aug. 13, 2020)

The Hurston family’s eight-room, one story home once stood at the now empty lot corner of People St. and Kennedy Blvd. in Eatonville. The Rev. John Hurston was Eatonville’s third mayor and the second pastor of the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church. Also Joe Clarke’s Store was located across the road from the Hurston house. Inside the store Clarke sold groceries and general merchandise. The store also functioned as the town’s post office and pseudo town hall where the towns people often gathered on the store’s front porch to swap stories. (Aug. 13, 2020)

My photo of Joe Clarke’s store was taken from “Eatonville’s Heritage Trail” historical markers dotted throughout the small town. Clark is the man to the left with his hand on his hip. He served as mayor from 1900 to 1912 and was the postmaster of the

Zora’s family lived across the road from Joe Clarke’s store, so she encountered a cross section of the town’s citizens. Inside, Clarke sold groceries and general merchandise. The store also functioned as the town’s post office and pseudo town hall. Towns people often gathered on the store’s front porch to swap stories. Clark’s store from “Their Eyes Were Watching God” does not exist, and neither does the home that Hurston grew up in. (Aug. 13, 2020)

The landmark Eatonville water tower serves as a beacon of the first municipality within the United States, incorporated on Aug. 18, 1887 by families of newly freed slaves. (Aug. 13, 2020)