Black History

The information included on this website only scratches the surface of the contributions made to the city by black residents. If you have any information or photographs you would like added to the website, please contact the Historic Preservation Planner at (561) 742-6757.

We would like to thank the following people for their generous help and invaluable contributions: Mr. Anthony Adams, Dr. Martha Meeks Light, Brother Victor D. Norfus, Minister Bernard Wright. We would also like to thank Angelica Sanchez-Luque for providing the 3D building models.

This project is sponsored in part by the Department of State, Division of Historical Resources and the State of Florida.

Poinciana Elementary School

In 1896, Robert E. Wells and other members of St. Paul AME Church asked the Dade County School Board to provide a black teacher for the community. On September 7th, 1896 the School Board sent a black teacher from West Palm Beach and established Boynton Elementary School. Originally, the school was a one room building on Federal Highway near 3rd Avenue. In 1925, due to segregation laws, the school was physically moved to Wells Avenue and the name of the school was changed to Boynton Colored Elementary.

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Adams’ Barber Shop

Adams’ Barber Shop was located at 134 NE 10th Ave. on the property to the west of the Club Continental. The one-story duplex building contained the barber shop in the east unit and a café and juke joint in the west unit. A 1963 Business License receipt states that the barber shop had three chairs. To the rear of the duplex was a two-story building that contained two apartments and six rooms. Both buildings have been demolished.

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Robert E. Wells

Robert E. Wells and his wife Elizabeth were born in the Bahamas - Robert on Cat Island and Elizabeth on Bimini. They had three daughters named Ora, Fay, and Edna. Ora had one Daughter, Juanita Wells Wright, who is the mother of Minister Bernard Wright.

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Black History - Introduction

This website is dedicated to the rich black history of the City of Boynton Beach. By exploring the interactive map, users will be able to find information on the people and properties located within the traditionally black area located between E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. to the south, the C. Stanley Weaver Canal to the north, I-95 to the west, and the FEC Railroad tracks to the east.

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Jake Everhardt House

The Jake Everhardt House was located at 133 NE 10th Ave. As was common in the neighborhood at the time, the lot was split into two halves with the Everhardt House on the east half and a house occupied by Mrs. Hazel Jenkins on the west half. In

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James & Marie Murph House

Mr. James and Marie Murph moved to Boynton Beach in the 1930’s. At that time, 13th Ave. was an unsurfaced dirt path. Mr. Murph worked at a lumber yard where he had access to sawdust which he used to surface 13th Ave. and other neighborhood streets. Mr. Murph also built a house for his mother on NE 13th Ave.

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Rebecca J. Clay House

The Rebecca J. Clay House was located at 240 NE 13th Ave. The small Frame Vernacular structure was a typical example of many of the early home in the neighborhood.

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Club Continental

The Club Continental, located at 150 NE 10th Ave., was a two-story concrete block and stucco building built in 1945. The first floor contained a bar area and the second floor was used for dances and concerts. The club was a hub for black entertainment from the 1950s to the 1960s and was part of the Chitlin Circuit which was a network of clubs, theaters, and other venues where black entertainers were allowed to perform during the segregation era.

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Charles A. Colebrook House

The Charles A. Colebrook House was located at 117 NE 10th Ave. (E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.). In the early 1950s, the property was owned by Daniel L. Roker and it is likely the house was built around this time. It was purchased by Charles Colebrook in the late 1970s/early 1980s and was demolished in 1999.

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