Florida
has a rich and diverse history. African American landmarks and legacies
exist in various locations throughout the state. The Carver-Hill
historical sites can be found in Okaloosa
County.
The Okaloosa Negro Civic Club established a neighborhood park in the
early 1950s. When a new school was built in 1954, Carver-Hill, the old
one-room frame lunchroom building was given to the Civic Club by the
Okaloosa County School Board.
Enlarged and renovated, it became the Carver-Hill Museum, operated by the
Carver-Hill Memorial and Historical Society, Inc.
The Carver-Hill Museum
honors the Carver-Hill School and chronicles the history of the local
African-American community.
 The late Caroline Baker Allen,
Founder and first President of the Carver-Hill Memorial and Historical
Society, Inc. provided the leadership that lead to the building of a new
Carver-Hill Museum.
After the school was closed in 1969 as part of the county’s school
integration, alumni association members organized the Carver-Hill Memorial
and Historical Society. They first used an old lunchroom building to house a
museum and later built a larger brick community center with donated
materials and volunteer labor.
The building that currently houses the museum was built in 1997 with
funding sources from a variety of government, community and church
organizations, as well as individual donations. The museum is the only
one of its kind in Okaloosa County, which emphasizes black history. It
serves as an archive for artifacts related to Carver-Hill School, such as
photos, yearbooks and sports memorabilia, and also contains historical
documents of local families and the community.
The Carver-Hill Museum is also a site for many community events for
the city. The Carver-Hill May Day Festival and Museum Day is a great
memorial event for the museum. Families can compete in amateur sports
competitions or just relax and enjoy the food and drink provided. Besides
museum tours, the event has a large community parade through the area. It is
a celebratory and reflective day for this great institution in Crestview.
The New Carver-Hill Museum
Carver-Hill Museum and Fairview Park Complex
895 McClelland Street , Crestview, Florida 32536 -
(850) 682-3494.
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