Dear Friends,
Was it really 2019 when we celebrated our 20th Winter Celebration and Mr. and Mrs. Walter Jones invited us into their beautifully decorated (thanks to the Mandarin Garden Club) farmhouse and property? Sadly, yes it was - and here we are in 2021, cancelling this signature event for the second year.
Please mark Dec. 3, 2022 on your calendars - when we hope to finally celebrate our 21st Winter Celebration.
We are sorry for any disappointments you might have - trust me...we are very disappointed also. But it was just too much for us, as an all-volunteer organization, to take on, with the pandemic still hanging around and the museum expansion and renovation not completed. 2022 will be the BEST EVER!
We hope that all of you will have a safe and happy holiday season. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Sandy Arpen
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Ongoing progress was made during November! The inside is rapidly coming along with the walls up and painted, flooring in the Maple Leaf room and we're ready to start moving all the archival material into its new home - the expansion in the back of the museum. The text and images for the exhibits are complete and going to the graphic designer to help us make it an interesting and attractive display of our Mandarin history. There will be so many new things to see and learn about when we reopen.
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Thank You
Florida Humanities for Receipt of "American Rescue Plan"
COVID Relief Funding!
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The following announcement came from Florida Humanities in November:
"Florida Humanities has awarded 129 organizations a total of $1.88 million in "American Rescue Plan" (ARP) funding — the largest single grants initiative we have ever managed and the most funding we have distributed at one time.
The nonprofits, representing 40 of the 67 counties in the state, will use the funds for general operating costs to help recover from economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as maintain delivery of public humanities programming and resources in their communities.
'Some of these organizations are the heart of their community,' said Florida Humanities Associate Director Patricia Putman. 'They’re not just cultural agencies, but they’re conveners and meeting places. When those organizations go away in a main street community, you really impact the whole community and that’s why these dollars are so critical for operating support.'
For more details on the American Rescue Plan grant and a complete list of the organizations who received ARP funding, click HERE."
"Funding has been provided to MMHS by Florida Humanities through the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) of 2021. NEH is committed to Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan.
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed by (grantee), do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities."
We are indeed grateful to have been one of three nonprofits in Duval Couty to receive this funding - ours was for $4000. These funds will assist us in the professional development of the graphic design and graphic signage for the new exhibit spaces, allowing us to tell even more stories about Mandarin's important and unique history and culture.
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Mark your calendars for activities in December |
In December, the historic buildings in Walter Jones Park will be open on the first and third Saturdays. The 1875 Webb/Jones farmhouse, 1876 Barn, 1898 St. Joseph's Mission Schoolhouse for African-American Children and Losco Winery log cabin will be open from 10 am – 2 pm on December 4, and December 18 in Walter Jones Historical Park.
And, MMHS Board member and banjo player, Patrick Plumlee, is excited to be starting up the "Under the Oaks" music jams again on the First Sunday. If you play an acoustic instrument, bring it and join in the song circle and jam. If you don't, bring a lawn chair and be a "listener" - just sitting out under the oaks enjoying the music. They'll play from 2-4 on Sunday, December 5 - in front of the museum. Then they'll play every first Sunday from 2-4, weather permitting, until summer.
The Mandarin Museum will remain closed for construction and renovation, but the Gift Shop items (all kinds of beautiful Mandarin Frogs, 2021 and all past years' holiday ornaments, Mandarin related and authored books, Mandarin History Throws and Mandarin artist prints by Brenda Councill, Julie Fetzer, John Kenning and Lucinda Halsema) will be available on the front porch when the park buildings are open as listed above. The 2021 ornament is the Harriet Beecher Stowe Community Center and we have renewed our supply of older ornaments as well.
The Store and Post Office will be also open on December 18 from 10 am - 2pm at 12471 Mandarin Road, just a mile west of the park. This building is on the National Register of Historic Places and takes you back to the 1930s inside. On this date we have a special guest and event - see article below about Brenda Councill.
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REMINDER
Miss Aggie Day 2021
December 4
10-11 am
Please join us for Miss Aggie Day. This annual event honors Miss Agnes Jones, Mandarin's postmistress from 1928-1964, AND honors a citizen who exemplifies Miss Aggie's generosity, community spirit and contributions to Mandarin. It will occur this year on December 4 at the Losco Winery in Walter Jones Historical Park - at 10 am.
As you know from last month's newsletterl, our recipient this year of the Miss Aggie Award is Orren "Bo" Phillips, former MMHS volunteer and Board Member. Sadly, Bo was killed in a tragic accident in 2020. His wife Pat will accept the award for him.
Bo actually recovered the sawmill from the riverbank of the St. Johns, the log cabin winery from the Losco property and the sugar cane grinder from his property - and moved them to the park. He touched everything here in some way.
Please join us to celebrate him and honor his contributions to us all - right in front of that log cabin that once resided on the Losco family property..
This photo was of Bo and Pat, taken at Winter Celebration. And in an ordinary year, we would be celebrating Winter Celebration on this date - Dec. 4. So this year...we will celebrate Bo!
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SPECIAL TREAT ON DECEMBER 4! |
The McCoin family and their unique little yellow car have been quite the hit during past Winter Celebrations. And by accident, they were not informed that we had cancelled the event on the 4th. So they called to check on it...and they had it on their calendar and had already bought candy canes for the occasion.
So guess what? They will be in their usual place - the split in the sidewalk between the Losco Winery and the Barn - on Saturday, Dec. 4 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. so visitors can have the experience of seeing this beauty and visiting with this delightful couple.
While you're visiting the historic buildings and the park, be sure to stop by - and find out the amazing history of the car!
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You won't want to miss Mandarin Community Club's 2nd Annual "Light Up Mandarin" event on Friday, Dec. 3. Gates open at 5 p.m. Tree lighting ceremony will be at 6:30.
This is a new Mandarin holiday tradition - fun for the whole family!
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Special Collection Sale
with artist Brenda Councill
Dec. 18
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We are excited and grateful that December 18 includes a special appearance by well-known and beloved artist, Brenda Councill.
Many of you know Brenda as a young artist in Mandarin who created an award-winning “Old Mandarin” series of drawings and prints depicting historic places in Mandarin. They were very popular and are still highly sought after.
She moved from Jacksonville to New York and went on to establish herself as a professional artist with such sponsors as the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. She completed "The Largest Contemporary Painted Dome in the Southeast." Councill has been doing such large-scale projects for the past 20 years, the latest phase in her 45- year, award-winning career. Her projects span the globe and can take months to create, including large-scale ceiling and wall murals and public art installed in landmark buildings and public spaces.
She now resides in North Carolina, but visits family here and has kept part of her heart in Mandarin. She has been very generous in support of MMHS over the years and she had a great idea for a December event.
Brenda has released a limited number of Artist Proofs of the "Old Mandarin" series that will be available to collectors - most notably the sold-out edition of “The Church of Our Saviour,” which was the third limited edition to be published in the series of eight original drawings. Each limited-edition print is painstakingly hand colored with pastels, which renders each print one of a kind.
Sales from her rare original drawings and hand-colored prints will benefit the Mandarin Museum & Historical Society.
Saturday, December 18 from 10-2
Historic Mandarin Store and Post Office
12471 Mandarin Road
Please come out to meet and visit with Brenda and take a little piece of Mandarin history home with you. We are grateful to her for her generosity.
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Louis S. Danese
(January 27, 1929 - Oct. 22, 2021)
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We were so saddened to learn of Mr. Danese's death in October. He came from one of the pioneer families of the Loretto area - with a homestead that was started in the 1850s by Italian immigrants Luigi and Mary Louise Danese. The Daneses settled on Greenland Road close to the St. Joseph's Catholic Church.
His family owned Danese Plumbing Company for 70 years and he was one of three master plumbers in the business, which made him very proud.
In 2015, MMHS was fortunate to do an oral history with Mr. Danese. He is seen here holding the "Danese Family" book that was written by his Uncle Emmanuel Danese. He was absolutely delightful talking about his life growing up in Mandarin - when San Jose Blvd. was a dirt road, the Julington Creek Bridge was wooden and and he was catching live bait for the Danese Fish Camp (where Metro Diner is now) and "swinging like Tarzan on the vines through the trees." He was also a member of the Mandarin Orange Pickers baseball team.
We know he will be greatly missed by his family and all who knew him. He was a great Loretto character.
(As a side note - we have a goal in 2022 to get our oral histories (including Mr. Danese's) into a format that we can share them with people who'd like to view them at the museum.)
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If you're looking for a gift that is really unique - something for that special person - this is it! There is no blanket like this anywhere except in our MMHS Gift Shop. It is so warm and soft and illustrates eight different historical points in Mandarin's amazing and important history. It is guaranteed to be a family favorite!
The Gift Shop will be open Dec. 4 and 18 from 10-2 and Dec. 5 from 2-4. If you want something from the shop and can't come these dates, just call us at 268-0784 and we'll work it out to meet you here when you are able.
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Mandarin Newsline
The December 2021 edition of the Mandarin Newsline is online now.
This free newspaper is our chief way of sharing history stories, events and programs with the public. They are able to publish free papers due to the robust local advertising. Please pay attention to the ads and shop and eat at those businesses that support the community in this way. To read the entire Newsline click HERE and then click Digital Editions at the top of the page and then the December 2021 "Mandarin Newsline" link.
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One last reminder for Members and Invitation for New Members
2022 Membership
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Mandarin Museum & Historical Society really does exist for the entire community's education and enjoyment. We have been able to operate all these years as a volunteer-led and free admission organization partly because of the support of our partnership with the City of Jacksonville Parks, Recreation and Community Services, the Cultural Service Grant Program, and other periodic grants, for which we are so grateful!
HOWEVER, a large portion of our operational support also comes from donations by our individual members and "museum friends."
Current members should have received their 2022 membership envelopes in the mail this week - and we ask each of you to please renew and continue your very valuable support.
We also ask our friends who are not current members to start a membership.
But the primary benefit is that you know you are supporting the preservation of the history, culture and heritage of this wonderful place we call Mandarin.
It's easy to become a member - to renew or join on-line click HERE.
THANK YOU!
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We are always calling for more volunteers!
We always need more volunteers, as they are the backbone of our organization. This becomes even more important as we start reopening and hoping to have the buildings open even more.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram - click logos below.
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You never know what to expect when you go to Walter Jones Park. On this weekday morning, beautiful music was wafting through the air - created by a group of friends who were relaxing and jammin' at the pavilion. What a treat! We hope you come upon such surprises when you visit as well.
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Thank you to our community partners |
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MISSION: Mandarin Museum & Historical Society shares the stories of Mandarin's history, culture and natural resources by providing engaging programs that educate, entertain and inspire.
VISIT. JOIN. VOLUNTEER
Mandarin Museum & Historical Society
904-268-0784
mandarinmuseum@bellsouth.net
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