Unlocking our past to preserve our future.
Norman Haines Photography
About us
Pursue the Past..... Enrich Your Future
Just think of Pensacola without Seville Square and its historic neighborhood, the historic Dorr house and the restored Barkley House. All of these areas are preserved, to be enjoyed today and into the future because of Pensacola Heritage Foundation.
The Pensacola Heritage Foundation, Inc. was established in 1964 by its founder Mary Turner Rule and is affiliated with the National and Florida Trusts for Historic Preservation. The Foundation is the oldest historic preservation organization in our area and continues to pursue its mission of preserving and protecting Pensacola’s rich history through educational programs and community activities.
Whether you are a newcomer to the area or a life-long resident, we promise that you will discover something new through our educational programs. If you are interested in and care about the rich heritage of our community, then we invite you to become a member of this Foundation.
Pensacola: Restoring Our Past
The Pensacola Heritage Foundation’s first project was to restore one of the oldest homes in downtown Pensacola to its original condition. That was the Dorr House, located right on Seville Square. Next was the restoration of Seville Square itself. The Foundation also undertook the restoration of the Barkley House from which we operated more than 15 years.
For 25 years the Pensacola Heritage Foundation had a long tradition of making Seville Square the center of our community as well as a gathering ground for the Evenings In Olde Seville Square concert series which offered free entertainment to the public with thousands of people attending the concerts every Thursday during the summer.
Mission Statement
To preserve and protect Pensacola’s heritage through advocacy, education and community involvement.
Education
Promoting Education
Scholarship Essay Contest
Pensacola Heritage Foundation promotes education with our annual Scholarship Essay Contest. The Foundation awards two deserving college bound high school students, one student from Escambia County and one student from Santa Rosa County, $1000 scholarships towards their college education.
2024 History Fair
The Escambia County History Fair was held on February 4. PHF member Jim Gulley attended and judged the many great submissions from Escambia County students. The three winners chosen by Pensacola Heritage Foundation are Sarah Tanveer, Luke Tarnosky and Alice Zhang who were each awarded a $100.00 check from PHF at the ceremony on February 7.The Santa Rosa County History Fair was held on February 16 and Jim Gulley chose Kira Benton from Santa Rosa Online Academy as our PHF winner. Congratulations to all the students who participated!
Lecture series
Lecture Series
The Pensacola Heritage Foundation is pleased
to present its 2024 Lecture Series
with Dr. Norm Haines and others.
The lectures are held every other Tuesday at The Wright Place, 80 E. Wright Street, Pensacola, Florida.
Doors open at 11:00 and lunch is served at 11:30. The lecture starts at 12 noon and lasts 1 hour. Lecture cost is $5.00 for non-members and is free to members. Lunches are $12.
Reservations are required for planning purposes and can be made by contacting Pensacola Heritage Foundation by email pnsheritage@yahoo.com or phone reservation 850-380-7759.
The deadline for the lunch reservation is the Friday prior to the lecture.
2024 Schedule of Daytime Lectures
Nov. 19th The Republic of West Florida by Norm Haines
Dec. 3rd The War With Canada by Norm Haines
Dec. 17th Andrew Jackson: His War Within & His War Without by Norm Haines
Dec. 31th No Meeting
2024 Schedule of Evening Lectures
The July 9th program was presented and performed by the Pensacola Early Music Consort. The Consort performs music of the late medieval and Renaissance periods, approximately 1400-1600, music that would have been familiar to Don Tristan De Luna. Director Charles Tucker demonstrated and explained the various instruments played in the Consort, including recorders from the soprano through the great bass, the six-foot sub-bass. The sixteen-foot sub-sub bass, is currently one of only seven such instruments in the world and the only one in North America. Additional instruments were gemshorns, krummhorns, a hammered dulcimer and various percussion instruments.
The July 23rd lecture described the development of the road between Pensacola and St. Augustine from its beginning as disconnected animal trails to a constructed road. He also provided a biography of Father Michael Portier who was appointed as apostolic vicar for the territory from Mobile to St. Augustine.
Membership
Become a Member
Benefits & Dues
Pensacola Heritage Foundation
Become a part of an organization whose work is never finished. As long as our community's heritage is threatened, we will be there to encourage preservation and remind others that our heritage is what makes Pensacola a unique and very special place.
Individual: $40/annual
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Free admission to the lecture programs for one individual
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Heritage Times Newsletter
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Free admission to the Annual Members Party
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Access to Members-only Historical Tours
Family: $70/annual
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Free admission to the lecture programs for two adults and all children in the household
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Heritage Times Newsletter
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Free admission for two adults to the Annual Members Party
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Access to Members-only Historical Tours
Lifetime Member: $500/one time
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Same benefits of Family membership for a lifetime
Historian Level: $1,000/one time
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Same benefits of Lifetime Membership plus
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Two free Historical Home Tour & Luncheon Tickets
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PHF Swag Bag with miscellaneous perks
* Existing "Lifetime" Level Members may upgrade their membership to "Historian" Level with an additional $500 donation.
Pensacola, Florida 1885
Special Events
Norman Haines Photography
Galvez Project
In March 2016 Pensacola Heritage Foundation joined in a collaboration with other heritage and history organizations to construct a statue of Bernado de Galvez. On March 18, 1781, Gálvez led the naval charge into the well-defended Pensacola Bay, a feat of daring that would earn him a royal patent adding the words “Yo Solo” (“I alone”) to his coat-of-arms. His forces landed near Bayou Chico and began a steady advance towards the city’s defenses, which included Fort George on Gage Hill (Palafox Street) and its two advance redoubts. After weeks of siege, a Spanish mortar detonated the powder magazine at the Queen’s Redoubt on May 8, devastating the British fortification. Gálvez accepted the surrender of British Governor John Campbell and claimed West Florida for Spain. By taking Pensacola, Gálvez stripped Britain of a key foothold on the Gulf Coast, which in turn benefited the American Colonists in their quest for independence. General Gálvez was named a "Great Floridian" in 2012. In 2014, the United States Congress conferred an Honorary Citizenship on Gálvez, citing him as a hero of the Revolutionary War.
The monument is a life-size bronze statue of Gálvez astride his horse and facing the site of Fort George, his hat raised in victory.
Created by retired Navy captain Robert Rasmussen and his daughter Kathryn R. Vincze, the $450,000 statue was unveiled and dedicated at the intersection of Wright and Palafox Streets on May 8, 2018 as part of the celebration of Galvez Day.
The event drew several hundred people, including Spanish dignitaries from Gálvez's birthplace, the Spanish city of Macharaviaya.
General Bernardo de Gálvez
PHF First Evening Lecture
After many had requested related evening lectures, PHF will now be presenting them quarterly. They too will focus on local history and heritage. The first featured Origins, Character and Evolution : North Hill and East Hill , a tale of two classic Pensacola neighborhoods.
Here are some of the photos from that June 27th gathering:
The next one will be in September 2024 featuring the Pensacola Red Light District. Check back for exact dates and details.
60th Anniversary Party
2024 marks 60 years that that the Pensacola Heritage Foundation has been working to preserve, protect and educate about our rich history and heritage.
Early organizational years were successful and notable because of our strong working partnerships. Those included the City of Pensacola - especially Parks and Recreation , local financial institutions , news media, architects and other influential business leaders as well as Junior League and other civic efforts related to historic reservation.
Over the years PHF has had continued contacts and cooperation with historically minded groups laying the foundation for the North Hill Association and the Preservation Board concept for the Historic Village.
Focus was on notable and sustainable activities such as building restoration of the Dorr House, the Barkley House, the Mary Turner Rule Cottage, 4th of July at the Barkley House and the decades long, out door music and social event - Evenings in Old Seville.
Our 60th celebration emphasized accomplishments of the past with excited anticipation for PHF going . Some of those attending included…
Tours of Historic Homes and Architecture
In the past, we toured the 1895 Charles Hill Turner Cottage owned by Lisa and Tommi Lyter. Contractor Nanette Chandler conducted the tour and explained the various techniques that she and her crew used to renovate this house and restore it to its former beauty. The tour was followed by a lunch at Seville Quarter.