The project involves the comprehensive research/documentation of the history, events, and landmarks within the City's Historic African American Neighborhood and lost commercial district. Deliverables include a report, narrative for future interpretive signs/historic markers, branding, recording of oral histories, construction of a community timeline, mapping of historic sites, and uploading information on the contributing structures to the City's history webpage and the "Explore Historic Titusville FL" mobile app.

Titusville's African American neighborhoods are considered a significantly underrepresented part of the City's preservation efforts. Documenting places of past and current residences and enterprises are the focus of the project. Many of the architectural and cultural historic resources have been lost. This year, some representative structures, including the Gibson-Rivers house, were demolished due to lack of maintenance.

The project's goals include researching, recording, publishing, and promoting the history, events, and landmarks within Titusville. As a part of this effort, it is expected that new historic resources (or the location of former resources) will be found. This discovery would be one of the positive outcomes desired from this project.

Other primary outcomes of this project would be the creation of maps that show the sites of historic resources, the creation of narratives for interpretive signs to educate the public on the significance of various historic resources (i.e., people, places, structures, events, etc.,) the construction of historic event timelines, and, the recording of oral histories.  Key events and information are expected to be known only by former community members and their descendants. While some may have been written down or documented in other ways by individuals, Titusville has not yet experienced a concerted effort to formally document knowledge regarding the project area.

Project Timeline of Events:

• April 29th - Kick-off public engagement event
• May 6th - Historic Preservation Board Meeting
• May 16th - Historic Preservation Board Annual Workshop w/ (presentation from Stantec Consultants)
• June 3rd - Historic Preservation Board Meeting
• August 5th - Historic Preservation Board Meeting w/ final presentation from Stantec Consultants
• September 3rd - Historic Preservation Board Meeting w/ final report from Stantec Consultants 
  • To view the agenda, click here: September 3, 2024, Historic Preservation Board Agenda

Joynerville Report

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