97 M. L. King Avenue

Early History

This building was constructed in the 1920s by local businessman Frederick E. Martin. The front was operated as a small general store for neighborhood students and workers.

The back section, facing DeHaven Street, was a pool hall and a barber shop until the 1950s.

Lincolnville Public Library

According to the ACCORD Freedom Trail marker on the site, the Lincolnville Public Library was operated at 97 M.L. King Avenue by Mrs. Dorcas B. Sanders.

Mrs. Sanders and her team lent books to local African Americans, as the public library on Avilés Street (now the location of the St. Augustine Historical Society Research Library) was segregated, for White people only.

In 2020, Edwin Turner, operator of the Biblioklept blog, gave the Internet a glimpse into the Lincolnville Public Library's collection when he bought a first edition copy of Langston Hughes' novel Tambourines to Glory (1958). On the front flyleaf of the book, he found the following inscription:

Civil Rights Activities

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 Lincolnville Public Library was also used by local NAACP President Reverend Thomas Wright to host nonviolent protest training for local student activists, preparing them for peaceful sit-ins and demonstrations. Many of these young people attended Florida Memorial College in the West Augustine Neighborhood.

The Corner Market

In 2016, local businesswoman Nyk Smith opened the Corner Market at 97 M. L. King Blvd., her family's building. Much like the store owners during the 1920s, she offers baked treats, beet honey, and other goods to locals and tourists alike.

Resources

Tap the blue underlined text to view the following resources.

Online Resources

Biblioklept blog post from September 2020, showing Lincolnville Public Library stamp.

97 M. L. King marker text from the Historical Marker Database.

"NAACP is ready to continue fight," 2007 article, from The Gainesville Sun discussing the present-day connections to Civil Rights activists Reverend Thomas Wright.

"Unearthed Treasures of Lincolnville" digital exhibit, from the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center.

"Forgotten History of Lincolnville" 2016 article, from Florida Memory.

Further Reading

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