State board backs Okahumpka Rosenwald School application for National Register

The Okahumpka Community Club is seeking to restore the historic Okahumpka Rosenwald School building. Photo: Okahumpka Community Club
The Okahumpka Rosenwald School, built in 1929, is one step closer to being listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Florida National Register Review Board approved its nomination Thursday.
Chip D’Amico of the Okahumpka Community Club told the review board that they’ll apply for grant funding to fix the dilapidated building.
“Our goal is to actually restore this to as close to original as we can get it,” he said. “And on the same property we are also trying to establish a new community center with it in support of the school.”
The small wooden building was one of 120 Rosenwald schools in Florida and thousands across the segregated South built to educate Black children.
It is a rare historic building from African American history in Florida, where only 23 of the schools remain. And most of those have been altered.
The community club will unveil a historic marker there on November 13th.
Get The 90.7 WMFE Newsletter
Your trusted news source for the latest Central Florida news, updates on special programs and more.
GET THE LATEST

WMFE Journalistic Ethics Code | Public Media Code of Integrity