Historic Oviedo Colored Schools Museum

05/19/2026

בע"ה

We would like to thank the Seminole County Planning and Zoning Department for assisting us in moving forward in obtaining our building permits.

We will give honour to whom honour is due within the near future.

Our second draw was approved on March 21, 2026 from the State of Florida.. We should be receiving the proceeds soon.

After more than 70 years, school is back in session in the historic...

05/06/2026

בע"ה

Our windows have arrived! Hallelujah!

04/24/2026

בע"ה

Organizers of the Historic Oviedo Colored Schools Museum hope to push past a traumatic incident to tell the stories of Oviedo's earliest days.

04/22/2026

בע"ה

Today, we moved our historic pews into storage with the anticipation of receiving our building permit soon. Thank you to Jack Jackson of the Johnson Hill-Washington Heights Community Outreach for helping.

Our second draw had to be mailed from Tallahassee instead of direct deposited. We should receive that payment any day now.

Please continue to pray for and with us as we near the end of the process of restoring the St. James A. M. E. Church/Gabriella Colored School.

We have been working on this historic project for about eight years.

03/20/2026

בע"ה
For about eight years, we have been moving along with the renovations of the St. James A. M. E. Church/Gabriella Colored School.

Today the State of Florida approved our second draw. This will enable us to continue with the renovations.

We are awaiting a form from the owners of the property to submit to the County in order to receive our building permit.

We thank all of you for your continued support for this historic project.

Hallelujah!

02/19/2026

Celebrating with element 13 - GLADYS HOLMES SMITH - Ms. Holmes was a teacher at Oviedo Elementary before and after integration and graduated Florida A&M and BCC. She symbolizes educators and black women. Learn more about Ms. Holmes:
https://tinyurl.com/yp527f7b

02/19/2026

This video features a dear friend, Pat Murphy.

02/19/2026

Celebrating with Element 14 - HENRY JACKSON - Henry Jackson came to Oviedo from Georgia and homesteaded 40 acres that become Jackson Heights and has a Middle School named after him. Learn More about Mr. Jackson here:
https://tinyurl.com/yp527f7b

02/06/2026

בע"ה

This is an important update!
(The picture is from an event that was held in 2025.)

For the past eight years, our Board of Directors has patiently gone through the various steps to create this historic project from obtaining a lease from the African Methodist Episcopal Diocese, rezoning the property through the Seminole County Planning Department, working with the State of Florida to obtain our draws(grant money) within a timely manner, and much more.

As of yesterday, our construction company uploaded all of the necessary items to the Seminole County Planning Department. We obtained our building permit number!
We are awaiting more information from the County.

Also, the State asked for additional information before they will release our second draw. We submitted this on January 25, 2026. We are awaiting their response. We require this draw to proceed once we obtain the final approval from the County.

Thank you for your continued interest in this historic project!

We will keep you informed within the next few weeks about our progress.

01/19/2026

בע"ה

We participated in the Martin Luther King, Jr.
commemorative celebrations today.l in Oviedo.

When we started out there was ice on our windshield!