ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — The St. Johns Cultural Council has officially launched the St. Johns County Black Heritage Trail — a self-guided tour of 20 historic sites that highlight the rich, often overlooked contributions of Black residents to the area’s history.
Leaders with the Cultural Council dedicated the trail in a ceremony on Wednesday.
“This is about getting those stories out and helping the organizations that are telling them,” said Brenda Swann, Director of Grants & Operations at the St. Johns Cultural Council.
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The sites featured on the trail tell a range of stories — from Fort Mose, the nation’s first legally sanctioned free Black community, to the wade-ins at St. Augustine Beach in the 1960s that drew national attention and helped lead to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Visitors can also explore the historic Lincolnville neighborhood, learn about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s visit to St. Augustine, and see the former St. Augustine Hotel — the last remaining Civil Rights-era structure in the city.
The Black Heritage Trail has three main components:
- A 64-page guidebook covering 500 years of Black heritage in St. Johns County, complete with stories, photographs, site descriptions, and a map.
- An interactive website with additional information and maps.
- New signs at five county parks highlight Black history at those sites.
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Swann says the council is working to bring the trail to a wider audience.
“We are getting it sent out to ‘Visit Florida’ welcome centers, getting ads in national publications… all the signs are in. You can go see them now and learn more about what happened at the parks here in the local area.”
Executive Director Jeff Potts says the goal is to give visitors — and locals — new ways to experience Florida’s Historic Coast. “There are lots of reasons to come to St. Augustine,” Swann added. “And if you’ve been here and you’ve loved it, come back and learn something else.”
Guidebooks to the trail are available at stjohnsculture.com/bh
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