Goldsboro Museum

About

Public Tours are at 2pm Tuesday- Friday.

Story

Mission: To enrich the quality of life through the History and Culture of Goldsboro
The Goals of the Goldsboro West Side Community Historical Association, Inc. are:

1. Cultivate Cultural Tourism
2. Elevate Economic Arts Development
3. Provide Solutions to Modern Day Problems thru Humanities
4. Educate Generations of the Extraordinary History of Goldsboro
5. Preserve and Increase Access to the Humanities.

Goldsboro: An American story of Hope, Freedom, and Independence

A community of African American citizens living west of Sanford, Florida dreamed of having their own incorporated township. Lead by Mr. William Clark, a store owner, carpenter, and community leader eventually those dreams came to fruition.

Mr. William Clark was the brother of Joe Clark, one of the founders and incorporators of Eatonville, the first incorporated all black township in the United States.

In 1891, Goldsboro became the second all black incorporated township within the United States.

During the Goldsboro Township, there lived a community of educated, hard working, and Christian Value led people.

In 1911 Goldsboro lost its charter, when Forrest Lake, a powerful Sanford banker and state lawmaker, devised a plan to dissolve the charters of both Sanford and Goldsboro, to create a new charter that would bankrupt Goldsboro and make it a community within Sanford.

After the demise of Goldsboro, the town began a downward spiral with abandoned buildings, rising unemployment, and the loss of identity.

In 2009, spearheaded by Francis Oliver, a group of leaders created The Goldsboro West Side Community Historical Association, Inc. to celebrate and preserve the history of Goldsboro. Mrs. Oliver collected the town's history including pictures, artifacts, and documents for over 40 years. To acknowledge the town's history on its 100th year anniversary of it's death 1911-2011, The Goldsboro Museum was born.

Mrs. Oliver began using her retirement check, from her 30 years of service as a school teacher to fund the Goldsboro Museum. The community began to donate items they have kept in their families for generations and also contribute financially to the museum.

The Goldsboro Museum gave birth the Goldsboro Cultural Arts District, which consists of The Goldsboro Museum, The Francis Oliver Cultural Arts and Goldsboro Welcome Center, The Crooms Academy Museum, The Goldsboro Heritage & Art Garden, The Goldsboro Arts Square, and Page Jackson Cemetery.

As a second generation member of Goldsboro, Mrs. Oliver, has passed the torch of history and heritage to the third generation, her niece, Pasha Baker, who manages the daily operations and funding for the Goldsboro West Side Community Historical Association, Inc.

The dream that Mr. Clark envisioned for Goldsboro is still alive and the community is on its way back to gaining the Dignity, Distinction, Character, Culture and Respectability that it rightfully deserves.