MMHS NEWS
January 2022
HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!
Welcome merry Christmas and happy new year in 2022_Silhouette Man jumping from 2021cliff to 2022 cliff with cloud sky and sunlight.
Dear Friends,

It was a giant leap of faith for MMHS, a free and essentially volunteer-led and driven organization, to even consider expanding our museum and archival spaces. Or renovate the existing exhibit spaces and publish a book! These were all steps forward that we hoped would take us to the next level.

It clearly took longer that we ever expected, but it has all worked out and we are on track for a late Spring Grand Re-opening (fingers crossed).

So, we wish all of you a Happy New Year and we invite you to leap with us - out of a rough 2021 into a new and exciting 2022! Your ongoing support and encouragement has truly been the wind beneath our wings and has helped us move on into 2022 with confidence, energy and joy! Thank you so very much.

Sandy Arpen
Building Update

Much was accomplished in December, but the most exciting event was the day they brought a giant crane out to lift the new HVAC system up in the air and over the top of the new archive room for placement behind the building.

This will be a huge improvement. The original (2004) HVAC unit was in the attic and was very difficult to service. And, there was no climate control for individual rooms, so we constantly had to work with the system to keep the rooms at the proper temperature and humidity. The new system will have separate controls in each room.

Our original plan was to just extend what we had to the new rooms, but the City of Jacksonville wanted to replace and upgrade the entire system and they are paying for half the cost. Thank you COJ!
2020 and 2021 were difficult - but we are so GRATEFUL!
We must all be grateful for so many things, especially in these times that are so unpredictable. Here are just a few things related to MMHS that we can be grateful for:

1. The MMHS Board of Directors - the BEST Board in Jacksonville - all driven by passion and love for this community. All willing to take a chance and to step up to the plate. This group essentially makes all the decisions and bears the responsibility for everything that happens at MMHS.

2. Paula Suhey, our Volunteer Coordinator and only staff member. She primarily recruits, trains and organizes our 70 volunteers, who all make it possible to open the doors and serve the public. But she also helps out in lots of ways above and beyond her volunteer management responsibilities. She has truly been a godsend to us.

3. Those volunteers who are here to open the doors and welcome and educate people about Mandarin's history are primary - and we literally could not fulfill our mission without them. There have also been many other volunteers who been working hard and quietly in the background on committees related to the renovation of the interpretive stories and the Arcadia book. We couldn't do without them either.

4. Don Bowden, our beloved "Frog Man" for his fundraising well over $100,000 for this organization over six years - and for the the positive spirit he has created in people with his frogs and his kindness. This summer Don won a "Positively Jax" Award for his contribution to the community, by WJXT News4Jax.

5. Our generous and loyal members, who form the foundation of our operational income - many have even increased giving during this difficult time.

6. The wonderful individual donors who have given to special projects which will help us do a first class build and renovation. To the Community Foundation of Northeast Florida for their support of the Black History exhibit and to artist Brenda Councill for several donations in support of the art gallery and archives.

7. The City of Jacksonville (COJ) for entrusting us to be stewards of this special place in Mandarin and providing us the opportunity to bring our history alive. And also to COJ and the Cultural Council of Northeast Florida for an annual competitive grant opportunity through the Cultural Services Grant Program.

8. The COVID relief grant opportunities from the federal government, helping us make it through loss of revenues since 2020. These grants were made available to us through the City of Jacksonville and Florida Humanities/National Endowment for the Humanities.

9. Our visitors, who have stuck by us through this long closure and still care about our mission and look forward to us reopening completely.

10. The State of Florida, Division of Historic Resources, which provided a matching Facilities Grant of $92,000 for construction. Also the construction team of Bob White and Matthew Pounds of R.G. White Construction and all the subcontractors who have been working steadily and with care to give us this dream of expansion and new exhibits. And, to Bhide-Hall Architects who designed the expansion pro bono as a gift to the community and have done several revisions as needed.

YES, WE HAVE SO MANY REASONS TO BE GRATEFUL!
THESE 10 ARE JUST A START!
Stowe Descendants Visit in December
What a special treat to meet Dr. Freeman Allen and his wife Marianne, from Boston.

Dr. Allen's ancestry goes back to Harriet and Calvin Stowe's youngest child, Georgiana (1843 -1890), who married Rev. Henry Freeman Allen (1838 -1914) and had a son, Dr. Freeman Allen (1870 -1930), who had a son Dr. Henry Freeman Allen (1916-1993).



So our visitor is the great great grandson of Harriet Beecher and Calvin Stowe. He comes from a distinguished line of preachers and physicians on both sides - Stowes and Allens.

We had the honor a couple of years ago of meeting Dr. Allen's sister, Roz Allen, and her husband Paul. Both couples thoroughly enjoyed seeing Mandarin for the first time and learning about the impact their great great grandparents had on Mandarin's development after the Civil War. It is so exciting for us to connect with Stowe descendants.


Visit Jacksonville features Mandarin on "Neighborhood Conversations: Mandarin" segment





Click HERE to see a short interview with Sandy Arpen and Dennis Chan of Blue Bamboo Canton Bistro. We were very proud to participate in this effort to get the word out about our special community. There are many neighborhood segments on Visit Jacksonvile's Neighborhood Conversations area - they are all very interesting and really help us learn about other wonderful communities in Jacksonville.
Brenda Councill Art Sale Was a Huge Success
On December 18 MMHS hosted a special appearance and art sale with Brenda Councill. This sale was Brenda's idea - a personal effort to raise monies for MMHS's Art Gallery and art archive needs. It was held outside on the front porch of the Store and Post Office - a wonderful place for a very busy day of interested art buyers.

Brenda was a very young artist in Mandarin when she created her award-winning “Old Mandarin” series of drawings and prints depicting historic places in Mandarin. This year she released released a limited number of artist proofs that she had held back all these years, which were very much sought after. As a matter of fact, now there are no more "Mandarin Road" prints left at all.

The weather was splendid as was the turn-out. Many people went home with special gifts or new art for their own homes and Brenda made a gift of $1200 to MMHS! We are very grateful to her for her ongoing generosity.

Brenda's "Old Mandarin" series prints are still available at the museum Gift Shop, with continuing benefit to MMHS.

What a wonderful Miss Aggie Day on December 4 - celebrating the many contributions to the community of former Board member Bo Phillips!
A New Harriet Beecher Stowe Kitchen Garden has been Built!
You may have heard that the kitchen garden by the schoolhouse has been abandoned due to the lack of enough sun for the vegetables. However, what you may not know is that a new, smaller garden is planned for a Spring planting - right next to the Webb/Jones farmhouse. This is more likely where a kitchen garden would be - close to the kitchen. The old garden will be transformed into a flower garden.

We want to shout out a thank you to HBI Students at Deep Creek Youth Academy in Hastings, FL for building a brand new aboveground kitchen garden box. These students are learning carpentry skills and they built the parts and then assembled them at the park. They even put weed retarding cloth in the bottom. They did a wonderful job! The Master Gardeners are expecting to plant in April.
Mark your calendars for activities in January
In January , the historic buildings in Walter Jones Park will be open on the second and fourth 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 January 8 and January 22 in Walter Jones Historical Park.

However, in light of yet another COVID surge:

VISITORS AND VOLUNTEERS WILL BE REQUIRED TO WEAR MASKS TO ENTER THE BUILDINGS DUE THE SHARP RISE IN CASES.

The "Under the Oaks" music jams started up again on the First Sunday. We had a great turn-out in December - next to the schoolhouse. All are welcome. 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, January 2. They'll expect to play every first Sunday from 2-4, weather permitting, until summer.
  
The Mandarin Museum will still remain closed for construction and renovation, but the Gift Shop items will be available on the front porch when the park buildings are open as listed above. We still have the 2021 ornament (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 January 22 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.
Welcome Back Jim Hightower
Jim Hightower was a highly visible person in Walter Jones Park years ago when he worked with Bo Phillips on numerous projects. Jim, a railroad expert, had a little train car that he and Bo fixed up to take kids on rides at Winter Celebration - for many years - bringing great joy to the kids. He also helped Bo with the Losco Winery, the sawmill and various other smaller jobs in the park. They were a team!

We connected again with Jim at the Miss Aggie Day Award presentation in honor of Bo in December. Jim spoke very movingly about his relationship to Bo at the event, remembering all the many things they did together. - all for the community.

Something about that gathering of friends and Bo's family compelled him to offer to take care of the sawmill for us and to offer tours there for visitors when we have all the historic buildings open. So, please, come visit Jim on January 8 or 22 and learn all about sawmills and the lumber industry in Florida back in the day. He is an expert on that and will be happy to tell you all about it.

Thank you for coming back Jim - we greatly appreciate your presence.

Mandarin Newsline

The January 2022 edition of the Mandarin Newsline will be online shortly.

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 January 2022 "Mandarin Newsline" link.
Did You Know?





Did you know that a Mandarin family was featured on an episode of the 2021 ABC show "Great Christmas Light Fight"? Doug Alred, who lives on Beauclerc Road, has been filling his yard with lights for many years now, but was recognized this year on national television. He did not win the grand prize, but many around here certainly thought he should have - his lights bring great joy to many people every year.

First Coast News did a story about it which you can view by clicking HERE.

We are always looking 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.

If you would like more information CLICK HERE or email Paula Suhey, Volunteer Coordinator, at mandarinmuseumvolunteers@gmail.com and she will give you a call and tell you all about the opportunities we have. 

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram - click logos below.
Until next time....
One of the most beautiful and peaceful places in Mandarin is the Mandarin Cemetery. This hallowed ground has been a cemetery since 1836. Besides being a beautiful landscape, it also serves as a historical record of a portion of the community.

Several years ago Bill Morrow, a MMHS volunteer and descendant of the Jacks, Monson and Kennedy families, wrote a pamphlet that tells about ten interesting people who are buried here.

These pamphlets are available at the gate and each grave mentioned is clearly marked with a number
and is located in the older section in the front of the cemetery. We encourage everyone to take this little self-guided tour - it is fascinating!



Mandarin Cemetery still serves Mandarin citizens today. If you'd like information about available burial plots or would like to help keep the cemetery looking beautiful, call David Trzcinski at 608-6805. They can always use some help raking leaves and picking up limbs etc.
Thank you to our community partners


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.



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Mandarin Museum & Historical Society
904-268-0784
mandarinmuseum@bellsouth.net