Have you visited the permanent exhibit celebrating the legacy of Peck High School?
It is open Monday-Friday from 8:00am-5:00pm at the Peck Center (516 S 10th Street).
Exhibit includes replicas of cafeteria food you can smell, testimonials from former students, and other interactive displays.
Peck High School was built in 1927 as part of the Rosenwald Schools program which constructed approximately 5,000 schools in the South. It was named after William Henderson Peck, the school’s influential second principal and champion of African American education in Fernandina Beach.
The school closed in 1969 after desegregation and became vacant in 1976. In the 1980s, community activists including former students, historic preservationists, and local government officials joined forces to save the landmark. Today Peck Center is recognized as a significant component of African American heritage in Fernandina Beach.
The Historic Peck Center, A Rosenwald School Heritage Education Project (“Peck Exhibit”) was sponsored in part by the Department of State, Division of Historical Resources and the State of Florida, in collaboration with the City of Fernandina Beach, the Peck Alumni Association, and the Amelia Island Museum of History.
