JACKSONVILLE BEACH, FL-The Save the Oldest Cracker House capital campaign, to relocate and preserve the oldest remaining house in the Beaches area to the Beaches Museum & History Park, is close to a major milestone-raising $50,000 to receive the $50,000 matching gift from the Davis family, developers of Nocatee.
Once the match is met, combined with other designated gifts, the Museum will be able to move the Oesterreicher-McCormick Homestead from its original location on the Duval Country line near Twenty Mile Road on the McCormick Ranch in Palm Valley to the Pablo Historical Park.
“We are so thankful for the generous support we’ve received so far” says campaign chair Jack Schmidt, “and we are counting on the community to step up and help us with this final stretch”. With less than $5,000 left to raise toward the matching amount, the Museum has created the “1873 Club”. In honor of the year that the house was built, donors are encouraged to make gifts of $18.73 to show their support of the effort. “We’d like to see individuals show their support with a gift of any size, large or small. They will all help us save this piece of history” says Schmidt.
As a rare example of Duval County’s “cracker” architecture, the 1873 homestead, donated by the J.T. and Jean McCormick family, will join other historic structures in the park, including the chapel, the old Pablo Station Post Office, the Florida East Coast Railway Mayport Depot, the Florida East Coast Railway’s Foreman’s house and the iconic Cummer Lumber Company steam locomotive.
The Beaches Area Historical Society is a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to archive and chronicle the history and heritage of the Beaches communities of Mayport, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Ponte Vedra and Palm Valley. The museum building, which opened in 2006, and History Park occupy Pablo Historical Park, a three-block campus at 381 Beach Boulevard, Jacksonville Beach.
For more information, please call 904-241-5657, or e-mail info@BeachesMuseum.org.
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About The Beaches Museum & History Park
Beaches Museum & History Park is operated by the Beaches Area Historical Society at Pablo Historical Park, Jacksonville Beach, Florida.
The mission of the Beaches Area Historical Society is to nurture civic pride for the distinct history of the Beaches, while providing education, information and entertainment for those who live, work and vacation in our communities.
The Beaches Museum & History Park is located at 381 Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville Beach. To Learn more about the Beaches Museum & History Park, please visit our website at www.BeachesMuseum.org
Contact:
Beaches Museum & History Park
381 Beach Blvd.
Jacksonville Beach, FL. 32250
904.241.5657 BeachesMuseum@gmail.com
This mailing is partially funded by the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville.
Beaches Museum & History Park is operated by the Beaches Area Historical Society, Inc., a 501(c)(3) Corporation Registration # CH1597. Your donation is tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling toll-free (800-435-7352) within the State of Florida. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation by the State.
