Frenchtown in Tallahassee in Leon County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Tookes House
(Formerly Tookes Hotel)
Photographed by Tim Fillmon, June 24, 2026
1. Tookes House (Formerly Tookes Hotel) Marker
Dorothy Nash Tookes was born February 19, 1904. She earned degrees in Education from Talladega College and Nursing Education from Florida A&M University. In 1930. she married James Tookes and moved into this home in Tallahassee's Frenchtown neighborhood. As Leon County's first certified teacher, the Leon County Superintendent of Public Instruction asked Mrs. Tookes to establish a school for African American children- living in the Bond Subdivision. At the time, students from Bond had to walk three miles to Lincoln High School in Frenchtown. The Bond School opened its doors on November 11, 1935. Mrs. Tookes was the schools founder, first certified teacher, and first principal. In 1948, she ful- filled another need for the Black community. Due to racial segregation, white-only establishments denied African American travelers lodging in Tallahassee, so she added three bedrooms and a bathroom onto the rear of her home and opened Tookes Rooming House. She added two more bedrooms in 1952 and changed the name to the Tookes Hotel. Its neon hotel sign was one of the first in Tallahassee. Mrs. Tookes died on December
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A Florida Heritage Site
Erected 2024 by Tookes Family Inc. and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-1256.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education • Women. A significant historical date for this entry is November 11, 1935.
Location. 30° 26.756′ N, 84° 17.179′ W. Marker is in Tallahassee, Florida, in Leon County. It is in Frenchtown. It is on West Virginia Street just west of North Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 418 W Virginia St, Tallahassee FL 32301, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in North Florida. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of
Photographed by Tim Fillmon, June 24, 2026
2. Tookes House Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: James and Dorothy Tookes House (here, next to this marker); Commerce and Community (within shouting distance of this marker); Greater Frenchtown (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Father James Page (about 500 feet away); Frenchtown Had It All (about 600 feet away); Dream Builders (about 600 feet away); Homes and Businesses (about 700 feet away); Stately Homes and Pioneering Spirits (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tallahassee.
Also see . . . . Tookes House (Submitted on June 24, 2026, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 24, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 24, 2026, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 12 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 24, 2026, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.
