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By Nancy GandyOn July 4, 1943, at one o’clock in the afternoon, the eighth Liberty ship was launched from the St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company. This ship, the SS John Philip Sousa, was named in honor of the great composer, who was a Lieutenant Commander in charge of music at the Great Lakes Naval Training… Read more: Celebrating John Philip Sousa on Independence Day

In Downtown Jacksonville’s Sports & Entertainment District, the Jacksonville History Center maintains and manages four historic buildings. Over the past year, the largest of these, our three-story brick factory/warehouse at 318 Palmetto Street, has been under renovation. On May 6, the $3.5M project received a Certificate of Completion from the City of Jacksonville. Anyone who… Read more: The Jacksonville History Center: An Ambitious Enterprise

Founded on May 3, 1929, as the Jacksonville Historical Society, the centennial of the Jacksonville History Center is now four years away – 208 weeks from now. We stand on the shoulders of generations of volunteers, board members and staff who led the way before us. Thanks to them, we stand also on a 96-year… Read more: Looking at Our Future

The first strategic plan ever created for the Jacksonville History Center was adopted by its board in October 2016. A normal planning cycle for nonprofits is around five years, meaning a fresh planning process was due in 2021. However, our calendar became disrupted by a few things. Beginning in March 2020, the pandemic created uncertainty… Read more: The Future of Public History