Frenchtown History

Frenchtown History. . , The name "Frenchtown" dates to the early 19th century, when settlers migrated from France to the Lafayette Land Grant, a township given to Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, on July 4, 1825, in gratitude for du Motier's services to the American Revolution. , Following the Civil War, freed African Americans moved to Frenchtown, and in the years of Jim Crow laws and racial segregation, the neighborhood became the business, social and entertainment center of Tallahassee's African American community, for the next hundred years. Historic Lincoln High School, at 438 E. Brevard Street, was built in 1869, one of three freedmen's schools in Florida established to serve former slaves and their families. After school segregation ended in the 1970s, the "Old Lincoln" building became a neighborhood community center, with a small museum devoted to the school's history. , Music has always been at the heart of life in Frenchtown. Ray Charles lived here in the 1940s. Through the 1960s, local jazz legend Lawyer Smith and his Band entertained black and white audiences at jazz clubs and jook joints like the Café Deluxe and the Red Bird Café. These Frenchtown venues were on the segregation-era "Chitlin' Circuit" tour, and featured nationally known musicians including B.B. King and Tallahassee's own Adderley Brothers. , With Civil Rights legislation in the 1960-70s, and the end of segregation laws, Frenchtown's small businesses , dry cleaners, jewelers, tailors, pharmacies, hotels and restaurants , began to decline. Revitalization efforts for Frenchtown began in the 1990s with the Frenchtown Renaissance Center, and there are active plans to attract new residents and businesses. , Frenchtown's residential architecture is a mix of houses typical of the southern vernacular built between 1900 and 1930. The single story, wood-framed buildings are typically raised on concrete block foundations, in shotgun, cottage, and bungalow styles., [photo captions] , • Historic Lincoln High School , • Marquis de Lafayette , • Taylor House , • The Tookes House , • The Woman’s Working Band House, 1921