A new exhibit acknowledging the history of the area now occupied by the new buildings at Cascades Park was unveiled on Thursday, Aug. 25. The displays were part of a promise the developer made before the first shovel of earth was turned. Shaun McIntyre, managing partner of North American Properties, the Cascade project developer, said the pledge came before the construction, which included the demolition of the former county jail building, began in 2017.
“We made a promise to the City in the very beginning that if you’ll allow us to remove the jail, we will honor the civil rights history and we’ve done that. Probably the thing I’m most proud of is that this group came together and stuck together for quite a long time and today is the unveiling of their efforts.”
FSU Professor Jennifer Koslow was a member of the Community Historical User Group that brought the expansive exhibits to fruition. That group was made up of local educators, preservationists and activists.
“If you can’t tell it like it was, it can never be as it ought to be,” she said at the unveiling, quoting a prominent civil rights leader.
The display includes fourteen panels depicting the significance of the site to Tallahassee’s Civil Rights struggle and a smaller exhibit about the various historical structures that are still standing nearby.
Florida State University’s Master Craftsman Studio was responsible for the design, manufacture and installation of the displays.
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