Building has Served the Community as a Trailblazing High School, an Elementary School and Neighborhood Center
WHAT:District 5 Orlando City Commissioner Regina I. Hill will join alumni of Jones High School, Callahan Elementary and the Dr. J.B. Callahan Neighborhood Center for a fun and nostalgic 100-year celebration to recognize how the City of Orlando continues to use this space as a place for learning and a source of pride for the community.
The building served as the original Jones High School, built at the corner of North Parramore Avenue and West Washington Street, and opened for the 1922-1923 school year. During this time, the school was the first and only high school for Black students in Orlando. In 1952, this location became the site for Callahan Elementary in honor of Dr. J.B. Callahan, the area’s only Black physician who raised money to build a new hospital to treat Black residents, which would later become Orlando Regional Medical Center and Orlando Health. In 1970, Callahan Elementary became the only school in Orange County to close permanently due to desegregation. The site was repurposed into the Dr. J.B. Callahan Neighborhood Center and educational hub it is today, offering numerous activities from tutoring and financial literacy to summer camps and after-school programs.
The celebration will feature the Jones High School Band followed by an official proclamation and the unveiling of a commemorative plaque. Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in a historical trivia activity.
WHEN:Saturday, August 27, 202210:30 a.m.
WHERE:Dr. J.B. Callahan Neighborhood Center101 North Parramore Avenue
INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES:District 5 City Commissioner Regina I. HillJones High School Alumni Dr. Alzo ReddickCallahan Elementary Alumni Josephine Anderson
MEDIA PARKING:Parking is available on-site or in the parking lot of the Downtown Recreation Center at 363 North Parramore Avenue.
Original source can be found here.
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