Rowladers in Daytona Beach in Volusia County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

John H. Dickerson Community Center

308 South Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard

— Black Heritage Trail —

John H. Dickerson Community Center Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Stephen Thomas White, January 7, 2026

1. John H. Dickerson Community Center Marker

Inscription. Campbell Street Elementary began as Daytona Colored School in 1884, which served students of all ages. From 1929 to 1931 Daytona Colored School was known as the Second Street Elementary School. The school's name changed again to Campbell Elementary in 1931 to honor car-racing legend Malcolm Campbell.

In 1946 a fire gutted most of the Campbell Street High School. Their new building (now John H. Dickerson Community Center) was completed in 1948. When Campbell Street High School moved to Keech Street for upgraded facilities in 1962, Campbell Elementary moved into the vacated high school building (now John H. Dickerson Community Center).

In 1969, Campbell Street Elementary School closed to comply with court-ordered desegregation and the building remained vacant until 1975, when former Campbell Street Elementary principal John H. Dickerson, Sr., convinced the city to purchase the property and renovate the building for use as a community center.

The building that Dickerson had been instrumental in saving was renamed in his honor when he retired, after 42 years as a school administrator. John H. Dickerson's extensive community service included membership on several boards and councils, co-chairman of the Daytona Beach Development Project, president of the Halifax Area Council on Human Relations and chairman of the Campbell Street Community Improvement Association. The gym was named after Ralph Robinson in 2002, one of the three Black men who worked for the school. Robinson was a school custodian, mentor, youth basketball coach, community activist and a lifelong National Association for the Advancement of Colored People member.

Since opening, the Dickerson Center has become a vibrant neighborhood gathering space, community hub, and a vital place for national politics. In 2004 former President Barack Obama

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visited during his campaign for the U.S. Senate, and in 2016, Hillary Clinton visited during her campaign for U.S. President. The complex remains an important community hub with 35,000 annual users.

The city invested nearly $3 million in 2023 to improve the community center and recreation complex.

Timeline
1884 Daytona Colored School & Daytona High School formed
1931 Daytona Colored School renamed Campbell Elementary School
1941 Daytona High School renamed Campbell High School
1962 Campbell High School Moves to Larger Facility
1962 Campbell Elementary School Moves to this site
1969 Campbell Elementary Closed Due to Desegregation
1975 Reopened As John H. Dickerson Community Center

(captions)
Campbell Street high School Students
John H. Dickerson

To learn more about the Black Heritage Trail and additional locations, visit daytonabeach.gov/blackheritagetrail

Soul Of A Community/Light Of A Nation

Erected by City of Daytona Beach and the Department of State, Division of Historical Resources.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights •

Photographed by Stephen Thomas White, January 7, 2026

2. John H. Dickerson Community Center Marker

Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1884.

Location. 29° 12.233′ N, 81° 1.589′ W. Marker is in Daytona Beach, Florida, in Volusia County. It is in Rowladers. It is at the intersection of Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard and Orange Avenue, on the left when traveling west on Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 308 Doctor M.L.K Jr Blvd, Daytona Beach FL 32114, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in First Coast.

It is also in the American South

and on the Eastern Seaboard. 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 the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Daytona Times Building (approx. 0.2 miles away); Olds Hall (approx. 0.4 miles away); Delos A. Blodgett House (approx. 0.4 miles

John H. Dickerson Community Center image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Stephen Thomas White, January 7, 2026

3. John H. Dickerson Community Center

away); St. Mary's Episcopal Church (approx. 0.4 miles away); Historic Childhood Home of Dr. Howard Thurman (approx. 0.4 miles away); First Church of Christ, Scientist (approx. half a mile away); Halifax Lodge No. 81 (approx. half a mile away); 128 Orange Avenue (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Daytona Beach.

Also see . . .
1. John H. Dickerson Community Center. (Submitted on September 30, 2026, by Stephen Thomas White of Norfolk, Virginia.)
2. 2022 Black History Icons. (Submitted on September 30, 2026, by Stephen Thomas White of Norfolk, Virginia.)

Credits. This page was last revised on October 1, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 30, 2026, by Stephen Thomas White of Norfolk, Virginia. This page has been viewed 7 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 30, 2026, by Stephen Thomas White of Norfolk, Virginia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.