Dear Friends,

June of 1822 is an important date in Jacksonville's history because it was the date of the founding of the city and the use of the name Jacksonville. So, 2022 is our BICENTENNIAL year!

We are so excited to be able to resume in-person Third Thursday Lectures on May 19 with a perfect lecture for this special year:

Scott Matthews, professor of history at FSCJ, will reflect on the 200^th anniversary of the founding of Jacksonville by exploring what has made the area's history, culture, and identity unique. Using images, audio, and video, he will draw examples from more than four centuries of northeast Florida history and focus on a couple of important themes: how our area has functioned as a contested borderland between empires and as a cultural crossroads, a place that's both a part of Florida and the Deep South and distinct from them.

Scott has taught at FSCJ since 2015. He received his Ph.D. in American history from the University of Virginia and has taught previously at UVA, Hollins University, and Georgia State University. His first book, Capturing the South: Imagining America's Most Documented Region, which explores the history of documentary photography and film in the American South, was published by the University of North Carolina Press in 2018. Scott grew up in Mandarin and graduated from Mandarin High School in 1994. He now lives in Atlantic Beach with his wife Meredith and eight-year-old daughter Leighton.

The Third Thursday Lectures are presented by the Mandarin Museum & Historical Society in partnership with the Mandarin Community Club. This event will be presented on Thursday, May 19 at the Mandarin Community Club, which is located at 12447 Mandarin Road. Refreshments are at 6:30 pm with the presentation at 7:00 pm. It is free and all are invited and encouraged to attend. For more information, call 268-0784.  

We finalize our introductions of members of the Board of Directors.

Karen Roumillat - Karen is perfectly happy hanging off the porch of the Store and Post Office - because she pretty much grew up there. Miss Aggie was her great-aunt and Walter Jones was her great-grandfather. So her roots in Mandarin are pretty deep! Karen has served in many, many roles on the Board and is currently our Membership Chair.

Roger Sallas is our newest member. He is seen here is his favorite place to be - at the Losco Winery. Roger has become an expert on the Losco story and just loves telling people all about it. He also is our chief overseer of the park and the buildings for MMHS. He does regular inspections and reports issues to the city as needed.

Roger Williams is best known in Mandarin as the Pastor of the Philip R. Cousin AME Church on Orange Pickers Road. He is seen here at the schoolhouse Grand Opening when the AME Choir sang for the event. Roger is also very busy with his job as an attorney for the Florida Division of Children and Families. We are grateful that he fits MMHS into his busy schedule.

Mike Woodward got involved with MMHS when his son, Jim, did an Eagle Scout Project in Walter Jones Park. That was many years ago, as Jim is now a member of the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department. Mike also has a demanding career as a principal geotechnical engineer with Wood.

The Mandarin Museum & Historical Society was founded in 1989 by a group of citizens concerned with the loss of historical structures in Mandarin and interested in preserving and celebrating the rich heritage and history of the area.

April was a busy time for major cleanups! The City of Jacksonville had the Mandarin Museum and the schoolhouse pressure washed for us. And, a small but strong group of volunteers cleaned up the inside and outside of the Mandarin Store and Post Office before the Art Festival: Tracey Arpen, Sandy Arpen, Deborah McLaughlin, Randy Roumillat, Karen Roumillat and, seen here, Mike and Sherry Prentice.

Thank you all so much for making some major improvements to the properties.

Thanks to the Historical Society of Orange Park, we have an opportunity to learn about Harriet Beecher Stowe's time in what is now Orange Park. Mrs. Stowe's feet first hit the Florida sand at the former Laurel Grove Plantation across the river from Mandarin when she came to visit her son Frederick. She discovered Mandarin because she came across the river in a boat with him to receive his mail - as there was no mail service at the time at Laurel Grove. She immediately fell in love with Mandarin and bought property here for a winter home shortly after.

Please join us at 5:30 PM, May 9, at the Orange Park Library for a discussion of Mrs. Stowe’s visit to Laurel Grove, learn more about her life, why she came to Laurel Grove and how it affected not only her future but the future of Florida.

In May, the historic buildings in Walter Jones Park are scheduled to 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 May 7 and May 21 in Walter Jones Historical Park.

The "Under the Oaks" music jam will happen on Sunday, May 1, from 2-4 unless it is raining. 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. The schoolhouse will be also open during this event. Thanks to Eric Arndt for leading in April and May.

Third Thursday Lecture on May 19, as described above.