After nearly two and a half years of delays from Hurricane Ian, the Jean Cleveland House in Punta Gorda is finally being moved, marking a significant turning point for the museum and the community.
This home holds great significance for Martha Bireda, whose mother bought it 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 and without books or book bags," Bireda said.
Bireda explained that her mother knew she needed to start a museum at the Punta Gorda home to educate the community.
"To let the children know what the beginnings were, in Punta Gorda, how African-Americans were part of this whole thing," she said.
Bireda's mother's dreams became a reality with the Blanchard House, now a historic museum. Another important piece of Punta Gorda's historic puzzle is the Jean Cleveland House.
"One of the things that happened is that my mother, British Russell and US Cleveland, worked very closely together to bring together the Punta Gorda History," Bireda said.
The home, damaged by several hurricanes, is preparing to move from Gill Street through US41 to an empty lot on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
"We're looking at between a four and 12-hour move. We start at 10 p.m. They're going to have to actually move power lines and cable lines," said Jaha Cummings, president of the Bernie Russell Community Development Corporation and former city councilman for the City of Punta Gorda.
Cummings, Bireda's son, has been instrumental in making the move happen. He said it is being funded through a state grant of a little less than half a million dollars from 2022. The Jean Cleveland House will now be connected to the Blanchard House.
"As they work together in life, they're going to work together in that in terms of really celebrating and preserving the history of our region," Cummings said.
The home will be transformed into the Youth and Cultural Center, becoming Florida's first cultural heritage center, and will also include a restaurant.
"The purpose of the restaurant is really to be able to be able to have the funds to be able to pay for this," Cummings said.
Cummings added that the project will highlight the importance of the Punta Gorda community and serve as a heritage boom for both residents and visitors.
"When people come here to see this, they'll stay overnight, they'll eat our restaurants, etc. So the hope is that we're going to be an economic driver to really help, to really just maintain our quality of life," Cummings said.
The Jean Cleveland House will be moved about a mile and a half away on Tuesday night in Punta Gorda.
DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more.