MEDIA ADVISORY: Secretary of State Cord Byrd Invites Press to Special Media Preview for Reopening of Historic Union Bank Museum

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. –

Secretary of State Cord Byrd and the Museum of Florida History in commemoration of Black History Month, invite the press to a media preview and opening reception at the historic Union Bank Museum.

DATE AND TIME:        Tuesday, February 6, 2022, 4:00–7:00 p.m.

LOCATION:                 Union Bank Museum, 219 Apalachee Parkway, Tallahassee, Florida

DESCRIPTION:      

Built in 1841, the Union Bank is considered Florida’s oldest surviving bank building. Originally opened as a “planter’s bank” during the antebellum period, the building became home to the National Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company following Emancipation. Over the next century, the building housed numerous businesses and organizations, including a dance studio, shoe factory, church, youth center, beauty parlor, and state and county offices. In 1971, the Union Bank was moved from its original location on the west side of Adams Street, between College and Park Avenues, to its current location just east of the Historic Capitol Museum on Apalachee Parkway. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the Union Bank first opened as a museum in 1984 after extensive restoration.

With the building’s most recent restoration complete, the Museum of Florida History (MFH), in partnership with Meek-Eaton Black Archives (MEBA) at Florida A&M University (FAMU), is excited to present an exhibition on the history of the Union Bank building and the story of how preservationists saved it for future generations to enjoy.

Dr. Larry Robinson, President, FAMU; Timothy Barber, Director, MEBA; and Michelle Hearn, Senior Curator, MFH, will be on hand for interviews and questions. Welcoming remarks by Secretary of State Cord Byrd and Dr. Robinson to begin at 6:00 p.m.

Promotional materials will be available.

Interested press should contact Mark Ard at 850.245.6522.

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About the Division of Historical Resources
The Florida Department of State’s Division of Historical Resources (DHR) is responsible for preserving and promoting Florida’s historical and archaeological resources. The Division Director’s office oversees a grants-in-aid program to help preserve and maintain Florida’s historic buildings and archaeological sites, and coordinates outreach programs such as State Historical Markers. DHR directs historic preservation efforts throughout Florida in cooperation with state, federal, and tribal agencies, local governments, private organizations, and individuals. The Division Director serves as the State Historic Preservation Officer, acting as the liaison with the national historic preservation program conducted by the National Park Service. The Division is comprised of three Bureaus, archaeological research, historic preservation, and historical museums. For more information, visit: FLHeritage.com. 

About the Museum of Florida History
The Museum of Florida History is part of the Florida Department of State. As the official state history museum, the Museum of Florida History collects, preserves, exhibits, and interprets evidence of past and present cultures in Florida and promotes knowledge and appreciation of its heritage.

About the Meek-Eaton Black Archives Research Center and Museum
Founded in 1976, the Meek-Eaton Black Archives (MEBA) Research Center and Museum at Florida A&M University is home to the largest repository of African American history and culture in the southeastern United States. Current holdings consist of more than 500,000 archival records and 5,000 museum artifacts. The state facility is a nationally designated historic Carnegie Library and is named after founder and former history professor Dr. James N. Eaton and the late U.S. Congresswoman Carrie Meek. Approximately 160,000 people visit the MEBA Research Center and Museum each year, which is housed in the oldest brick building at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida.