Welcome to the Historical Society of Orange Park
Let's make our community a better place!
Let's make our community a better place!
Vision Statement
The Historical Society of Orange Park exists to educate the community about the rich and dynamic history of the greater Orange Park, Florida area including the contributions of those individuals, civilian and military, that shaped our past and enriched the present.
Mission Statement
To accomplish our objective, the Society collects, preserves and displays historical artifacts and relics of the past. We research and document topics of local interest then share these stories with the community. We collect, preserve and display printed and digital materials of historical value. We arrange or facilitate educational and historical tours, field trips, exhibitions and displays for residents of the greater Orange Park, Florida area.
We are always looking for volunteers to help us make our vision a reality. The Society has opportunities for research, community service and leadership, offering the chance to learn and share local history in a variety of ways. Opportunities include digitizing historical documents, helping with podcast creation, live-history re-enactment
We are always looking for volunteers to help us make our vision a reality. The Society has opportunities for research, community service and leadership, offering the chance to learn and share local history in a variety of ways. Opportunities include digitizing historical documents, helping with podcast creation, live-history re-enactment and more. We offer people of all ages a chance to help others tell the story. By joining the Society, even if for just one project, you will be fascinated by what there is to learn.
Whether you help through monetary donations, volunteering your time, or spreading our mission through word-of-mouth, thank you! We couldn't accomplish our goals without the help of supporters like you.
The Clarke House, built in 1912 and located in Clarke House Park, 1039 Kingsley Avenue, is open for tours the second Sunday of each month from 2 PM to 4 PM. Sunday afternoons are the perfect time for a leisurely tour of the house, both upstairs and downstairs.
Please note that the open house for the month of May will be held on Sunday, May 19 so that we may celebrate Mother's Day with our families on May 12.
Please join us at 5:30 PM, Monday, May 6 at the Orange Park Library, 2024 Plainfield Avenue in Orange Park, for our next quarterly member meeting. George Allen will share the story of his father, George CD Allen, an Orange Park resident who was highly decorated for bravery while serving with the US Army in the Vietnam War. Please join us to hear the story of this remarkable man.
The Historical Society of Orange Park will be celebrating the warm, rich, charming and sometimes quirky history of our town. Each month of 2024 we will post a vintage newspaper clip from The Breeze newspaper, which ran from 1959 to 1971. Check this site each month for a flashback to earlier days.
The Mandarin Museum & Historical Society is excited about our latest project - "Harriet Beecher Stowe in Mandarin". This wonderful sculpture project is being created right here in Mandarin at the historic 1911 Mandarin Store and Post Office, 12471 Mandarin Rd.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oYInhh4erU
Open Studio hours are every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10-2 through the second weekend in February. This means you can actually watch it being sculpted and talk to the artist, Brenda Councill.
We hope to see some of our Orange Park friends! This is an amazing and important project. It is definitely something worth seeing "in the making!"
And - even though she wintered in Mandarin for so long, we do not forget that Mrs. Stowe FIRST put her feet into Florida sand at the old Laurel Grove Plantation. So her history relates to Orange Park's history as well. To learn more about the project: https://www.mandarinmuseum.org/mandarin-history/mandarin-artists/brenda-councill#Harriet-Beecher-Stowe-in-Mandarin
Images of America: Orange Park, authored by Historical Society President, Cynthia Cheatwood, is a wonderful way to learn about the history of Orange Park. To date, we have been able to offer this book for sale at a cost of $15 for Historical Society of Orange Park members, $20 for non-members and $21 for online orders. However, as our costs have increased due to inflation, we are forced to increase the price of this book. As of July 1, the cost of the book will increase as follows: $20 for members of our Society, $25 for non-members and $27 for online sales. If you are interested in purchasing this book, please consider doing so in the near future to avoid the price increase.
Please click the links below to obtain a copy of our current newsletter or a recent newsletter.
Historical Society of Orange Park
P.O. Box 08, Orange Park, Florida 32067
Copyright © 2024 Historical Society of Orange Park - All Rights Reserved.
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