Title
A Quinn Jones House Museum & Cultural Center Update (B)
Explanation
At the heart of the FAPS district, the NW 5th Avenue corridor was once a thriving economic center. The A. Quinn Jones Museum & Cultural Center is a keystone for revitalizing the economic vitality of the corridor. Amid a connecting neighborhood (3rd Street on the West, Main and 6th Street on the East, University Avenue on the South and 8th Avenue on the North), the A. Quinn Jones Museum will be a destination spot for travelers visiting Gainesville and seeking a cultural amenity that highlights a figure of national importance.
A. Quinn Jones, Sr. (1893-1997) was a teacher, educational leader and prominent African-American advocate, who lived in Gainesville from 1925 to 1997. Jones' career, which spanned the segregation era, was marked by his determination to provide quality education to all African-American children. Jones served as teacher and principal at two of Alachua County's most important African-American schools, Union Academy (1921-1923) and Lincoln High School (1923-1957). He taught English, Latin, math and science, and held fundraisers to ensure materials for his students and and salaries for his staff. In 1924-25, Jones extended Lincoln to the 12th grade so that students could earn a full high school diploma. The Florida Department of Education noted Jones' leadership and, in 1926, Lincoln High School became Florida's second accredited African-American high school. In 1956, Lincoln High School moved to the southeast area of Gainesville and the original building became an elementary school bearing Jones' name. The A. Quinn Jones Center (now a K-12 Exceptional Student Center) stands as a memorial to his extraordinary contributions to the African-American community, the people of Alachua County and the State of Florida.
In 2009, the Jones house was listed on National Register of Historic Places, one of the highest honors bestowed on properties associated with significant people in American History. The A Quinn Jones Museum project is structured around creating a visitor experience that tells a complete story about the untold legacy of A. Quinn Jones and the Fifth Avenue Pleasant Street (FAPS) neighborhood residents; their history, triumphs and setbacks and how these events related to the broader context of our local and national history. The objective is that people of all ages and cultural backgrounds will walk away from the experience inspired, uplifted, enriched, and educated.
Museums have long been places where communities explore curiosities and conversations of the moment on subjects which results in increased social and human capital, community building, societal change, public awareness and economic development. This museum will showcase how A. Quinn Jones' legacy of laying a foundation for students to obtain an education had a monumental impact on not only our local community but our global one as well.
Fiscal Note
None
Recommendation
CRA Executive Director to the CRA Board: Hear presentation from Staff