Mid-Westside in Jacksonville in Duval County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Centennial Hall Edward Waters College

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, December 13, 2015

1. Centennial Hall Edward Waters College Marker

Inscription. Founded in 1866, Edward Waters College (EWC) is the oldest historically black college in Florida. The history of the college is closely tied to the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. In 1865, the Reverend Charles H. Pearch, a presiding elder of the AME Church, was sent to Florida by Bishop Daniel Alexander Payne. Rev. Pearce worked with William G. Steward, the first AME pastor in Florida, to establish a school. Pastor Steward named his school, which was first located in Live Oak, Brown's Theological Institute. In 1892, the school was renamed Edward Waters College in honor of the third bishop of the AME Church. The school moved to Jacksonville in 1883 where its campus was destroyed by Jacksonville's Great Fire of 1901. In 1904, new land was obtained and work was started on the school's present campus. Centennial Hall, built in 1916 and named to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the AME Church, is the oldest structure on the EWC campus. The Classical Revival style building was designed by the firm of Howells and Stokes of Seattle, Washington. The building was renovated in 1979 and serves as the college's main library.

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Centennial Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

Erected 2013 by The Edward Waters College Alumni Association and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-790.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1866.

Location. 30° 20.696′ N, 81° 41.066′ W. Marker is in Jacksonville, Florida, in Duval County. It is in Mid-Westside. It is at the intersection of Kings Road (U.S. 23) and Pearce Street, on the right when traveling west on Kings Road. Centennial Hall is located on the north side of a courtyard area. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1658 Kings Road, Jacksonville FL 32209, 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,

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, December 13, 2015

2. Centennial Hall Edward Waters College Marker

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 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: J.P. Small Memorial Park (approx. half a mile away); Durkee Gardens (approx. 0.6 miles away); Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Delivers A Sermon (approx. 0.8 miles away); Durkeeville (approx. 0.8 miles away); Mid-Westside Jacksonville (approx. 0.9 miles away); Second Missionary Baptist Church of LaVilla (approx. 1.1 miles away); Sugar Hill (approx. 1.3 miles away); Brewster Hospital (approx. 1.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Jacksonville.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 3, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 16, 2016, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 986 times since then and 86 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 16, 2016, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.