The Florida Historical Society is an organization that promotes the study of the

history of Florida The history of Florida can be traced to when the first Native Americans began to inhabit the peninsula as early as 14,000 years ago. They left behind artifacts and archeological evidence. Florida's written history begins with the arrival of Europ ...

. Incorporated in 1856, the Society collects, preserves and publishes materials relating to the history of Florida and its denizens. After being reorganized in 2002, the Society began annual meetings to provide a forum for professional historians, and others interested in Florida History. It publishes the journal ''

Florida Historical Quarterly ''The Florida Historical Quarterly'' is an American academic journal, published four times a year by the Florida Historical Society. With editorial offices at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida, the journal is a scholarly publ ...

'', originally the ''Florida Historical Society Quarterly,'' an academic journal which releases new volumes four times a year, and manages the Library of Florida History. Established in 1856, the Florida Historical Society is dedicated to preserving Florida's past through the collection and archival maintenance of historical documents and photographs, the publication of scholarly research on Florida history, and educating the public about Florida history through a variety of public history projects and programs. The society maintains an extensive archive at the Library of Florida History, publishes the ''Florida Historical Quarterly'' and books through the Florida Historical Society Press, manages the Historic Rossetter House Museum and Gardens, and operates the Florida Historical Society Archaeological Institute at the Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science.

Library of Florida History

Since 1905, the society has maintained th
Library of Florida History
The general collection houses over 8,000 bound volumes, many rare manuscripts and postcards, over 1,000 early Florida maps and early colonial period (1500-1800) maps, soil surveys, and over 10,000 photographs of old Florida. There is a
online catalog
that may be used to search the collection. However, in-person research at the library is by appointment only. This gives the archivist the opportunity to pull the requested material for you. The library also houses the original copies of the Florida State Genealogical Society's Pioneer Descendant certificate program applications which can be accessed by appointment. Normal operating hours are Tuesday - Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The first collection was housed in the Cordova Hotel in

St. Augustine, Florida St. Augustine ( ; es, San Agustín ) is a city in the Southeastern United States and the county seat of St. Johns County on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Florida. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers, it is the oldest continuously inha ...

before moving to

Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...

, Gainesville,

Tampa Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough Count ...

, and currently located in Cocoa, Florida since 1997. The library is housed in a 1939 historic United States post office, constructed by the

Work Projects Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, ...

, in Historic Cocoa Village, in

Brevard County, Florida Brevard County ( ) is a county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 606,612, making it the 10th-most populated county in Florida. The official county seat is located in ...

Henry Flagler Henry Morrison Flagler (January 2, 1830 – May 20, 1913) was an American industrialist and a founder of Standard Oil, which was first based in Ohio. He was also a key figure in the development of the Atlantic coast of Florida and founder ...

, the American industrialist and railway magnate, donated one of the first books to the Library of Florida History's collection: a 1605 first edition of the book '' La Florida del Inca and the Struggle for Equality in Colonial Spanish America'' written by a Peruvian named Garcilaso de la Vega. '' La Florida del Inca'' chronicles the Florida expedition of

Hernando de Soto Hernando de Soto (; ; 1500 – 21 May, 1542) was a Spanish explorer and ''conquistador'' who was involved in expeditions in Nicaragua and the Yucatan Peninsula. He played an important role in Francisco Pizarro's conquest of the Inca Empire ...

, a Spanish conquistador and explorer.

Society Activities

The Florida Historical Society is an independent, member-supported,

501c(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 50 ...

not-for-profit organization. The Florida Historical Society hosts two major conferences each year: the Florida Historical Society Annual Meeting and Symposium, which is held every October on the University of Central Florida campus in Orlando, as well as the Florida Historical Society Public History Forum, which is held in May at various locations across Florida. The annual meeting and symposium features academic paper presentations and panel discussions from a range of professional historians, graduate students, among others, who have been selected to present through a juried process. The public history forum also features presentations and panels on Florida history, and often includes a tour of local historic sites, museums, and archives. In addition, the Historical Society also presents a weekly, half-hour radio magazine entitled the Florida Frontiers, which covers Florida history, heritage, and cultural tourism opportunities across the state. Patrons can access the radio program both through the Historical Society website, broadcast on radio stations across the state, or through iTunes and other podcasting apps. Florida Frontiers is sponsored by the Division of Historical Resources, Florida’s Space Coast Office of Tourism, the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, and the Rossetter House Foundation. The Florida Historical Society also coordinates educational outreach projects and programs, which include active participation in events and festivals throughout the state, frequent public talks on a variety of subjects, workshops for teachers and students, history-based theatrical presentations, exhibits, and much more.

References

External links

*
Podcast documentary with Nick Wynne
director-emeritus of the Florida Historical Society, by RICHES {{authority control 1856 establishments in Florida Historical societies in Florida State historical societies of the United States Libraries in Florida