After nearly two and a half years of delays from Hurricane Ian, the Jean Cleveland House is moving, representing a turning point for the museum and the community.
It's a home that means so much to Martha Bireda — a home her mom bought from the Blanchards, a prominent early African-American family.
"The thing that was important to my mother was after desegregation, she would see these African American kids, especially the boys, walk by without books or book bags," Bireda said.
Bireda said that’s why her mom knew she needed to start a museum at the Punta Gorda home: to educate.
"To let the children know what the beginnings were in Punta Gorda, how African Americans were part of this whole thing," Bireda said.
Bireda's mom’s dreams became reality. The Blanchard house is now a historic museum.
Another home that’s an important piece of the Punta Gorda historical puzzle is the Jean Clevland house.
"One of the things that happened is that my mother, Bernice Russell and U.S. Cleveland worked very closely together to bring together the Punta Gorda history," she said.
The home, damaged by several hurricanes, prepares to move from Gill Street, through U.S. 41, to an empty lot on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
"We're looking between a four and 12-hour move," said Jaha Cummings, Bernice Russell Community Development Corporation president. "We start at 10 p.m. They're going to have to actually move power lines and cable lines."
Cummings is Martha's son. He has been a big part of making the move happen. He said it’s being funded through a little less than half a million dollars of state grant money from 2022. The Jean Clevland house will now be connected to the Blanchard house.
The home will be transformed into the youth and cultural center, becoming Florida’s first cultural heritage center. There will also be a restaurant inside, which will provide them with funds.
Cummings said it's going to be a heritage boom for people who live in the area and people visiting.
"When people come here to see this, they'll stay overnight, they'll eat at our restaurants," he said. "The hope is that we're going to be an economic driver."
Cummings is grateful to be a part of passing down his family’s legacy for generations to come.
The Jean Cleveland House will be moved about a mile and a half away on Tuesday night.