Unlocking our past to preserve our future.
Norman Haines Photography
Special Events
Clark Family Cultural Center Tour
All photos by Julie B. Connerley
The most recent outing by PHF was a tour of the Clark Family Cultural Center, the home of Pensacola Little Theatre (PLT).
Kathy Holsworth, Artistic Director/Interim Executive Director took our group through the history of PLT and the building.
Built in 1911 as the county jail and court house, the building has been home to Pensacola Little Theatre since 1996. The current lobby plays a central role.
Once the open-air exercise yard for the county jail, it still features the exposed brick and window openings.
Originally open to the sky, the frame has been stabilized, and the roof is now enclosed.
On the ground floor, PLT has both its main theater and the Blanchard Theatre—a smaller venue that was once court room for the county and judges' chambers.
Ballet Pensacola and the Emerald Coast Writer’s Guild have spaces on the upper floors.
The newest addition to the building is the Rooftop Bar—an open space offering a beautiful view of the waterfront and bay.
PHF member Virginia Page, a member of the PLT Guild—a support group from the very early days of the Theatre—added her memories of PLT to Kathy’s history.
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Following the tour, many group members retired to Seville Quarter to share lunch and conversation. We are grateful to both Kathy and Virginia for a most enjoyable morning.
PHF Hosts First Tours of Scenic Highway
Board member Robin Rowan hosted the first two tours of Scenic Highway for the PHF membership March 25 and 27.
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Attendees stepped aboard a GoRetro shuttle as the group traversed the entire 11-mile corridor, from the BayouTexar bridge to the Santa Rosa Causeway. In between, there was a stop in America’s oldest neighborhood (East Pensacola Heights, where Don Tristan de Luna and 1,500 colonists disembarked to start the first European settlement in the New World); historic photos of Magnolia Bluffs Park (where Bay Bluffs Park is now); a trip into Gull Point; and an explanation of the numerous sawmills and brickyards that once made British Pensacola a thriving community.
PHF plans to offer more tours later in the year. We hope you’ll join us!
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 awarded George Washington Honor Medal
On November 4th, Pensacola Heritage Foundation was presented with an award by the Pensacola chapter of Founding Forward, a national organization dedicated to informing and engaging citizens through transformational educational experiences grounded in American history. The citation for the award reads as follows:
'The Pensacola Heritage Foundation, established in 1964, is the oldest historic preservation organization in our area. It continues to pursue it's mission of preserving and protecting Pensacola's rich history through educational programs, community activities and its regular lecture series.
This lecture series is an important aspect of Pensacola Heritage Foundation and regularly attracts about 100 attendees for its Tuesday lunch programs. Presenters include historians, college professors, archaeologists, and others. Pensacola is an area with a rich history; in 1559 it was the first attempted settlement in the new world. Understanding the historical background and varied way of life in our area is the focus of the lecture series. Dr Norm Haines is the 2025 featured speaker with additional speakers throughout the schedule. The
list of topics and presenters is released four months at a time on the website.'
Other local award recipient winners for 2025 include:
Petty Officer Reneau, USN for community service
Johnny Ardis, Open Books Prison Book Project
Sally Bergosh, Health and Hope Clinic
Mark Charles Goolsby, Educator Award
Kyle Kaye, 'Soctober' Changes Lives One Sock at a Time, School Award
Dr Donna Jacobi Pruett, Community Advocate - Family Promise Bed Race
Dianna Hayden and Dr Patty Crisp, Commemorating the Legacy of the USS Indianapolis
Cooper Nolen, Out of the Blue Denim
Pensacola Historic Preservation Society, Quina House Preservation
More information about Founding Forward can be found at https://foundingforward.org/
2026 Member Appreciation dinner
The 2026 Member Appreciation Dinner had a most interesting start. The board and a few other volunteers arrived at the Museum of Commerce at four o’clock to get tables and chairs set up only to find we had no reservation for the museum that night. After a few panicked phone calls our great friends at the UWF Historic Trust got someone on-site, opened the doors and we were ready to go. As the first members started showing up we were still bringing out tables and chairs. Everybody asked “What can we do to help?” and just pitched in. Thanks to that great spirit of cooperation the caterers announced they were ready to serve, right on time.
The main focus of the event was to honor someone who has been an important member of PHF for at least forty years. Jim Green was first elected to the board of directors in1988, has served as president at least twice and been on the board more times than any of us can remember. Jim managed the sound system for the very first Evening in Olde Seville Square concert and set up the sound for every one thereafter from 1988 until 2012. He has been key in providing technical support for the sound system at Jazz Fest and Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival, both of which use PHF’s sound equipment. Jim managed PHF’s role as the non profit organization which administered collection and distribution of funds for the Bernado de Galvez Mounument on Palafox St. Jim was involved in most of the events and maintenance at the Barkley House plus every major project PHF has undertaken. His steady, quiet counsel, good humor and seemingly endless energy have have helped many new board members, including this writer, find their way at PHF.
Members were entertained during the meal by music provided by Mike Whetstone. Mike has worked sound with Jim on several Jazzfest and Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival events and choose as the playlist music by artists who have performed over the years at those two events.
After the meal, past board members and presidents, Virginia Page, Billy Harrell, Claudine Kriss and David Richbourg reminisced about PHF events and working with Jim over the years. After Jim’s wife, Anne, begged us not to give him anything to hang on the wall, member Leland Leonard put his furniture maker talent to use and built an inlaid mahogany keepsake box as a memento of the Foundation’s appreciation. To further honor Jim’s remarkable history of service to the Pensacola Heritage Foundation the board announce the creation of the Jim Green Award, which will be made to individuals who demonstrate an exception level of service to the organization over a period of time.
The evening closed with a song written in honor of Jim by Dr. Norm Haines.
It was a most enjoyable evening and we look forward to seeing all the PHF members at next year’s dinner.
PHF Presents awards to escambia county school district history fair contestants
For the past several years, the Pensacola Heritage Foundation has presented the Junior Heritage Keeper Award, along with a $100 prize, to selected Escambia County School District History Fair contestants. PHF judges choose the recipients based on the strength of their presentations across various categories.
Several past awardees have gone on to place first in state competitions and as high as third at the national level.
This year, PHF increased the number of Junior Heritage Keeper Awards to four. In addition to these awards, contestants are also evaluated by school district judges for official History Fair rankings.
This year’s Junior Heritage Keeper Award recipients are:
Damien Peaden
SHP-5: Senior Historical Paper
Revolution: How Inventions Created the Modern World
Jacob Ramsey
SIP-1: Senior Individual Performance
McCarthy and AntiCommunism: a Conversation Between Two Friends
Also placed 1st in division for Escambia County.
Graeme Harrell
SID-1: Senior Individual Documentaries
If They Can Move Fruit, We Can Move Bodies
Clayton White & Josh Ibrahim
SGD-2: Senior Group Documentary
From Rubber to Restaurants to Ratings
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.
North Hill Tour
On June 25, 2022 we had a tour of the amazing 120 year old historical home of Melanie Nichols and Jeff Dearth, complete with a piano player and refreshments for our enjoyment. PHF has plans for more of these member benefits. The summer is hot and so is PHF.
Brick Street Tour
Our first Brick Street Tour was held on January 8, 2022. PHF Members visited houses in Old East Hill and heard from the owners how they renovated their homes while retaining their historical beauty. Afterwards, we had a lovely brunch at Nick's Boathouse. We plan to offer more tours like this in the near future.
River Delta Adventure
Fifty years after the Atlantic slave trade was outlawed in the United States, (1808), the sailing vessel, Clotilda attempted to bring enslaved Africans ashore near Mobile, Alabama where she was built. The Pensacola Heritage Foundation recently chartered a boat tour of the Mobile/Tensaw River Delta that included a trip up-river to the final resting site of the Clotilda.
Importing slaves was a capital offense. In order to evade capture and prosecution, the wealthy owners and captain of the Clotilda attempted to hide their crime by taking the ship up-river. Her illegal cargo was unloaded and the ship was burned and sunk. Tales have been told, stories written and documentaries made about this ill-fated trip, but members of the Pensacola Heritage Foundation were able to visit the still submerged wreck site.
Our boat captain, Chris Harris and Blakely State Park Ranger, Brian Gilchrist were extremely knowledgeable and helpful as we experienced the beauty, wildlife and wildness of this hidden river delta. Along the way we learned about the state park itself, Revolutionary and Civil War history of the park and were able to visit the site of the 1993 Amtrak train derailment - what went wrong and what safety measures have been implemented as a result.
All-in-all, a most rewarding tour. Join us for the next one.
Unlocking our past to preserve our future.
Norman Haines Photography