April Happenings at the History Center

History Center Closed Through July 15

The History Center building is temporarily closed to the public through July 15.

Though the building will be closed, work continues for History Center staff. Programming will continue with emphasis on digital and off-site collaborations. Historical inquiries continue to be answered via email and phone, and staff will remain available to review and receive artifact donations. Please refer to our website www.polkhistorycenter.org and Polk County Government social media channels (links at the bottom) for exhibit updates and other history center news. Call (863) 534-4386 for more information.

Upcoming Events & Programs

Polk Place

Jayme Jamison, Curator of Education and Visitor Engagement joins host Bryan Lacey on Polk Place to go over the events and programs happening in April.

Evergreen Cemetery Tour

9 a.m. | April 5

Join our curator of education on a walking tour of the historic Evergreen Cemetery in Bartow. Designated a Polk County Heritage Site by the Polk County Historical Commission in 2022, the cemetery anchors the legacies of Black pioneers in Polk County who endured enslavement, promoted agriculture and served our nation's several military engagements. Cemetery tours are offered the first Saturday of every month, October through April.

Participants must enter the cemetery via Highway 60 W., just past the intersection of Baker Avenue and West Main Street. The cemetery is adjacent to Thunder Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, at 1425 W. Main St., Bartow . A curator will be on-site to provide directions for parking.

Note: The cemetery ground is uneven and visitors are advised to wear appropriate footwear.

Architectural Tour

11 a.m. | April 19

Join Bartholomew Delcamp, Curator of Collections, as he portrays historic courthouse architect E.C. Hosford on an architectural tour of the History Center. Discover the neoclassical architectural elements that Hosford incorporated in the design that define this iconic Polk County landmark. The tour begins at 11 a.m. on the third Saturday of each month.

This month’s focus is on the continued preservation of the exterior windows.

Genealogy Speaker Series

10 a.m. | April 26

Sharing Your Family with Your Family

Presented by Allyson Maughan

Discover the art of turning your family history into captivating creations. Join the Polk County History Center for this month's Genealogy Speaker Series, featuring genealogist Allyson Maughan. Learn how to transform your transcriptions, research logs, and ancestral reports into engaging blogs, heartfelt stories, dynamic presentations and even poetic works. Don’t miss this inspiring session.

This is a virtual program. The presenter will appear virtually. Guests are invited to participate via Zoom. For Zoom details, please contact Shannon Graham, Research and Genealogy Historian by calling (863) 534-4386 or e-mail ShannonGraham@polk-county.net.

Online Spotlight

Looking for new ways to engage with Polk County’s history? Check out these digital programs:

Zoom & Vroom is a virtual program that provides the tools necessary to make learning about Polk County fun for the entire family. Each digital session features a virtual history lesson on a variety of topics, a routed driving tour that guides you from one historic location to the next, suggested interactive and thematic activities including crafts and recipes, and suggested book readings to extend the learning experience. We’ll see you out on the Polk County Heritage Trail.

Open Video Playlist

Explore our online collection of digitized photographs and documents from the History Center collection. The collection is continuously updated with images and information from across Polk County and the State of Florida. Our most recent collection, Paved Roads of Florida, 1917 provides a glimpse of what roads were like in the Polk County communities of Loughman, Davenport, Haines City, Lake Hamilton, Kathleen, Galloway, Socrum, Florence Villa and Lucerne Park.

Visit Online Catalog

Polk County Historical Commission

April 22

Polk County Historical Commission Certified Local Government (CLG) Orientation

1 to 5 p.m. | April 22

The Polk County Historical Commission will meet to discuss the processes and outcomes of the Certified Local Government Program with the Florida State Division of Historical Resources.

The commission will meet in the Polk County Administration Building, room 413 at 330 W. Church St in Bartow.

April 23

Polk County Historic Preservation Guidelines - Virtual Public Workshop

3:15 p.m. | April 23

Inspire Placemaking Collective will be presenting the Polk County Historic Preservation Guidelines at a virtual public workshop aimed at obtaining public input and ideas regarding the guidelines.

The meeting will be held on Zoom and will include an overview of the guidelines, how these guidelines will be implemented and steps for the future. The meeting is to open to the public.

If you are interested in learning more contact Myrtice Young, Historic Preservation Manager at (863) 534-4386 or e-mail myrticeyoung@polk-county.net.

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 894 6274 2721

Passcode: 949717

Find your local number

May 1

Polk County Historical Commission and Marker Committee Meeting

2:30 p.m. | May 1

The Polk County Historical Commission and Marker Committee will meet in the County Commission Boardroom on the first floor of the County Administration Building at 330 W. Church St. in Bartow. The meetings are open to the public.

Stay up to date on meetings and events happening within Polk County.

Polk County Events Calendar

Polk County Meetings Calendar

aerial view of Polk County History Center

Polk County Historical and Genealogical Library

Did you know that you can reach out to the History Center directly for historical inquiries? Struggling to find that one tax record, or curious about a street name or pioneer settler in Polk? Our dedicated library staff are available to help you, even while the History Center is closed for renovations To start your request, contact Research Historian Shannon Graham by phone at (863) 534-4604 or e-mail ShannonGraham@polk-county.net.

The History Center’s extensive artifact and photograph collection are available on our website. Visit www.polkhistorycenter.org, select “Historical Museum Collection” and use the keyword search feature.

Digital Collections Online

The Polk County History Center's collection features a variety of materials – documents, photographs, maps, audio/visual media and three-dimensional items. These items are accessible to the public digitally through our inventory database and through specially curated digital albums via CONTENTdm.

To access the digital albums, click here.
Access the extensive artifact and photograph collection inventory by visiting www.polkhistorycenter.org and selecting “Historical Museum Collection.” You can use the keyword search feature.

Each week a different vintage photograph from the History Center's archives is featured on our social media pages. Check it out and see if you recognize any places or faces.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE

Polk County Facebook

Polk County Instagram

Parks & Recreation Facebook

Polk County History Center

100 E. Main St., Bartow, FL 33830

(863) 534-4386

Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday

Share This Email