Defuniak Springs' Tivoli School Building

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DeFuniak Springs water tower.

Photo Credit: City of DeFuniak Springs

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The library in DeFuniak Springs, pictured in this archival photo, is one of many charming Victorian buildings on a town walking tour.

Photo Credit: Contributed Photo

Walton County's historic African American sites

Florida has a rich and diverse history.  African American landmarks and legacies exist in various locations throughout the state. The following historical sites can be found in Walton County.  While some of these sites can be visited, other listings are marked "private" and are not open to the public.

Defuniak Springs
Jordan Theater
Corner of Florence Street and Dorsey Avenue In 1945, John Booker Jordan built the Jordan Theater as
a motion picture theater. In the mid-1950s the theater was converted into a teen club, and is now a church. The block between the former Jordan Theater and the Tivoli School on Park Street was the business center for the black community in DeFuniak Springs. Building signs indicate the former business occupants.

Tivoli School
145 Park Street
Tivoli School opened in 1908 to serve black students in elementary and junior high grades. By 1938 the school taught grades one through twelve until its closing in 1969 during desegregation. The Tivoli Complex is now home to the administrative offices of the Walton County School Board. (850) 892-1100).

Paxton
Gladys Milton Memorial Library
261 Flowersview Boulevard
Gladys Milton (1924-1999) was a local midwife who operated a birthing center in the Flowersview  community. Milton was inducted into the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame in 1994, and in 2001 into Okaloosa County’s Women’s Hall of Fame. The library displays books, reference material and pictures honoring Ms. Milton’s career from 1959 to 1999. (850) 834-5383.

Adapted from Florida Black Heritage Trail, published by the Florida Department of State, in partnership with VISIT FLORIDA, copyright 2007.  For more information on African American sites, please visit flheritage.com.

Additional information can also be found at: http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/milesmedia/floridablackheritage/