Tour Information - Mandarin Museum and Historical Society

 

There will be a guided tour of the museum before our 55^th Reunion on April 27^th at 2:30pm. Please contact classmate Deborah Curran McLaughlin at 904-614-1569 if you are interested in this tour. Deborah serves as a docent at the Museum. Classmate Gwen Butler will also be present to talk about her experiences in the Mandarin area.
Mandarin Museum and Historical Society
11964 Mandarin Road Jacksonville, FL 32223
http://mandarinmuseum.org for more information.
Meet at the museum at 2:30pm.
Parking at the museum and across the street at Mandarin Presbyterian Church.
The main museum is free but donations are always welcome ($7 is suggested).
In addition to the Museum there are other sites that may be of interest: St. Joseph’s Mission Schoolhouse for Afro-American children, farmhouse, barn, sawmill, the small Losco Winery building and the riverfront boardwalk for a stroll.
Touring the Museum and grounds takes a little over an hour.
Walking shoes are suggested if you plan to walk the outside grounds.

Afterwards, head to the Mandarin Community Club for our Wolfson Class of 1969 55^th Reunion!

Museum Information

 

A mile east of the Mandarin Community Club is a hidden treasure worth touring: The Mandarin Museum and Historical Society on the grounds of the riverfront Walter Jones Park. The museum features art by nationally known Mandarin residents including Wolfson graduate, Brenda Councill.

There are artifacts divers retrieved from the Maple Leaf, a Civil War ship that was torpedoed and sunk in the St. John’s River. The Mapel Leaf site is designated as a national underwater monument. There is also a peaceful riverfront boardwalk and several historical buildings including the Losco Winery. Did you know the Loscos had their own wine label?

Our own Gwendolyn Butler and family are pictured in the Black History of Mandarin exhibit! Gwen Butler (55th Reunion Planning Committee member) grew up in Mandarin in the 1950’s-60’s. The Butler house with all her siblings was down a dirt road off Brady Road. Her father, James “Jimmy” Butler, was a landscaper and her mother cleaned houses in the area. Here is Gwen’s story…

“I moved to the Boston area from Mandarin when I was 24 and returned home in 1997 to take care of my aging parents. When I first drove in I relished the manicured fauna and flora beauty of ‘olde Mandarin Road’. I couldn’t help but wonder if my father, who had worked for many homeowners, planted some of these lovely flowering bushes. While enjoying this magnificent scenery over the years, I discovered the Mandarin Museum. Researchers there, including Tracy, Sandy, and Pam Arpen (one of our classmates) worked tirelessly and with impeccable detail to put this vast history together. The oldest African American families have shown their appreciation of this work which highlighted their ancestors. Kudos and hats off to the diligent researchers who compiled historic interviews with a collection of interesting artifacts and photographic memories. This is a place of rich history!”

In the museum tour you will see relics, art, and memorabilia as well as stories about some of the families who lived in the area. You will learn about the heritage of Harriet Beecher Stowe, a noted artist, educator, and author, including her most noted work, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. She wintered in the Mandarin village from 1867 to 1884. The museum recently commissioned a bronze statue of Mrs. Stowe. Renowned artist, sculptor, and Wolfson classmate, Brenda Councill, was contracted and seized the opportunity to be back in Mandarin.

Other families from all over south Jacksonville appreciate seeing where many Sunday afternoons were spent or revisit where they lived. Come see if you’re pictured riding “The Little Train” and view other sites you may remember. Anyone may walk the grounds and look at their leisure.