Renaissance Park Offers Annual Community Festival

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The book Florida Black Heritage Trail was published in 2007 by the Florida Division of Historic Resources

Photo Credit: Florida Department of State, in partnership with VISIT FLORIDA

The St. Luke Church and Little Zion School are historic sites in Jackson County.

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 Jackson County.  While some of these sites can be visited, other listings are marked "private" and are not open to the public.

Jackson County

Renaissance Park
5989 Hartsfield Road
About 8.5 miles northeast of downtown Marianna, this 40-acre wilderness park is filled with artifacts and objects reminiscent of early rural farm life. Each year in September and December, a community festival takes place as African American tradition bearers demonstrate folk life traditions of pig picking, hog dressing, sausage making and soap making. Sugar cane is ground on site and cooked down to syrup in an 80-gallon, cast-iron kettle. Throughout the year, the park is utilized for camping and educational retreats.

Marianna
The St. Luke Church
4476 E. Jackson Street
In 1867 a small band of baptized believers founded what is today known as the St. Luke Baptist Church. A parcel of land was purchased and in 1890, a wooden church was built. A brick building was constructed in 1921 and today it is Marianna’s oldest African American church building.

Sneads
Little Zion School
Little Zion Road
Off the beaten path, on a winding country road in rural North Florida stands one of few historic schoolhouses that served blacks after slavery. The Little Zion Church and Cemetery are next to the school. 850-592-2368

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/