64 Washington Street

Note: This is a private residence. If you plan to visit this site to view the historical marker, be respectful.

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)

Founded by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1957, the SCLC is a Civil Rights organization. During the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, they organized demonstrations against systemic injustice throughout the USA. Dr. King and hundreds of activists who worked for the SCLC visited various cities — mostly in the South — and supported local peaceful protests, strengthening them with organization and media attention.

According to the Freedom Trail plaque on the site, the first Executive Director of the SCLC, Dr. John Tilley, was a "former St. Augustinian" who taught at Florida Memorial College in the 1940s.

To this day, the SCLC is still active, operating from its main headquarters in Atlanta.

The St. Augustine Movement

The St. Augustine Civil Rights Movement took place throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the most intense years being 1963 and 1964 (when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference joined the efforts).

The SCLC office at 64 Washington St. was operated by local nurse Mrs. Loucille Plummer, who hosted national leaders of the organization like Dr. King, Reverend Ralph Abernathy, and Andrew Young.

Mrs. Plummer and her family risked life and limb to protest segregation. After the Civil Rights Act passed, she also campaigned to make sure local businesses and school districts adhered to federal law by integrating.

64 Washington After Civil Rights

This building changed hands several times after the 1960s. Washington Street was once the center of the Black business district in St. Augustine's Lincolnville Neighborhood.

The Freedom Trail marker also highlights that Ernest Wells (local Civil Rights activist) and Chris Lightburn (alligator wrestler) operated businesses here at different times.

The ACCORD Freedom Trail marker at 64 Washington St was unveiled in July 2008.

Resources

Tap the blue underlined text to view the following online resources.

Online Resources

64 Washington Street marker text, from the ACCORD Freedom Trail website.

1965 letter to Loucille Plummer, from St. Johns County Superintendent W. Douglas Hartley.

"More than half a century later, man remembers St. Augustine photo" 2018 article, from The Florida Times Union, featuring Mrs. Plummer's son, Eric James.

Further Reading

St. Augustine, Florida, 1963-1964: Mass Protest and Racial Violence, edited by David Garrow, 1989.