Preview
Creation Date
7-21-2018
Description
The marker reads: ‘THE WEST END COMMUNITY -- As early as 1825, African Americans settled in the Jackson County area. After 1965, interconnected communities developed their own infrastructure including cemeteries, schools, and churches. From these communities, a large population came together on a 563 acre parcel, later named West End, near downtown Marianna. It was bordered by Borden Street, Lafayette Street, Pennsylvania Avenue, and South Street. Home styles included shotgun, block types, and brick ranch. Over the years, the West End community grew from hundreds to over a thousand. Farming and sharecropping were originally the main sources of income, but later residents also held teaching and governmental jobs. A renaissance period in the late 19th and early 20th centuries brought the construction of new schools and churches, coupled with thriving, minority –owned businesses. Historic institutions in the West End were St. James A.M.E. Church, St. Luke Baptist Church, Gilmore Academy, and Jackson County Training School. Involvement in city government remained important and five city mayors hailed from west End between the 1980’s and 2016. The community’s maxim evolved from the Akan word, Sankofa, meaning “learn from our past. Going into the future.” F-920 A Florida Heritage Site Sponsored By Saint James A.M.E. Church, Castoria S. Borders Family, Johney Baker, Sr. And Carrie Ephraim Baker Family, Maggie Pender Atwater Family, Evelyn P. and Chalmers Wilson, Jr. Family, C. Wilson III, The Chipola Historical Trust, The City if Marianna and The Florida Department of State 2016’ Top of sign: Florida Heritage emblem
Latitude, Longitude
30 deg 46' 35.48", 85 deg 14' 8.55"
Recommended Citation
Taylor,, George Lansing Jr., "The West End Community Marker Marianna FL" (2018). George Lansing Taylor Collection Main Gallery. 7553.
https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/historical_architecture_main/7553
