The Riley House Museum

Built in 1890, the historic John G. Riley House at 419 East Jefferson Street in Tallahassee, Florida is the last visible evidence of the middle-class African-American community that existed in downtown Tallahassee from the period of reconstruction to the 1950's. Because of its signifigance, the house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The mission of the museum is to preserve the cultural and educational history of African-Americans in the Tallahassee area and the state of Florida, from the reconstruction era throughout the civil rights movement. The Riley House Museum provides cultural programs which help to remember, to preserve, and to cherish what is left of this noble past.

Historical Note: John Gilmore Riley was born in 1857, when slavery was a way of life and educational pursuits for negroes were illegal. Mr. Riley defied the law of the land and dared to become an educated man, largely self-taught. Later, he went on to become the principal of the first public high school for blacks in Tallahassee, Lincoln High School. He also distinquished himself as a leader in business and was grand high priest of the Royal Arch Masons of Florida. John. G. Riley died in 1954. The house that he built for his family in 1890 stands today as a testment to a rich cultural heritage of African-Americans.

The Riley House Museum is a rich resource for further information on the history of African-American education in Leon County. We encourage you to visit the museum at 419 East Jefferson Street in Tallahassee, or to contact the education curator, Geraldine Johnson, at (850) 681-7881.

Bill Piotrowski
Leon County Schools