GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla – On September 19, 2022, Clay County and the City of Green Cove Springs dedicated the new Florida Historical Marker at the childhood home of Augusta Savage on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd in Green Cove Springs. City officials also held an open house for the new Augusta Savage Museum and Mentoring Center, now open to the community for after school programs and classes.  Both the historical marker and the mentoring center are located in the Augusta Savage Arts and Community Center complex, which includes an active community gym, an outdoor baseball and soccer field, a playground, and building space for several community service organizations.

Local Officials Dedicate Historical Marker in Honor of Augusta Savage

The topsoil near this Florida Heritage Site, where Augusta Savage grew up, was made of red clay. That same red clay from pits on the old brickyard on Houston Street fed a thriving brick-making industry that produced the building materials for many of the city’s historic structures.  It also inspired 15-year-old Augusta to cultivate her imagination and talent into a force that helped shape the face of sculpting in the 1920s. More than a talented sculptor, Augusta Savage was an admired teacher and a fighter for civil rights.

Augusta Savage with Clay Animal Sculpture 

Through a partnership with the Historical Preservation Board, the State Division of Historical Resources, the City of Green Cove Springs, and the Board of County Commissioners, there is now a permanent tribute to both the art of Augusta Savage and her legacy of activism in the form of the Florida Historical Marker titled: Augusta Savage: Sculptor, Teacher, Civil Rights Activist.

Historical markers are unique snapshots of history that inspire interest and call attention to significant historical resources. District 5 Commissioner Kristen Burke said, “I am so honored to help pay tribute to and celebrate the life and legacy of Green Cove Springs-born artist and activist Augusta Savage.” Burke added, “This historical marker reflects the importance the City of Green Cove Springs places on its heritage and allows the stories of the places and people that created the Florida we all enjoy today to be told and remembered.”

Commissioner Kristen Burke Led the Historical Marker Dedication

The historical marker stands in front of the Augusta Savage Museum and Mentoring Center, the newest addition to the Augusta Savage Arts and Community Center complex. Built in 2021, the mentoring center will open its doors to the community this fall with free classes in visual arts, dance, and tutoring in math and reading for youth in grades 1 through 12. It is Clay County and the City of Green Cove Springs’ goal that the volunteer-run programming at the mentoring center will blossom to inspire future generations in the same way that Augusta Savage’s classes inspired generations of artists.

Community Photo at Historical Marker Dedication

Green Cove Springs City Manager Steve Kennedy said, “Today is a great day to celebrate our continued partnership opportunities with Clay County as well as recognizing, honoring, and memorializing Augusta Savage in such a permanent manner.” Kennedy added, “The new mentoring center and historical marker will allow her memory and example to continue through these young citizens that will be impacted by her life and perseverance.”

Henrietta Francis with the Augusta Savage Mentoring Center Committee shared the Story of Augusta Savage

The live stream of the historical marker unveiling ceremony can be found at https://fb.watch/fEn1gjmWAT/.

More information about free classes at the Augusta Savage Museum and Mentoring Center can be found at https://www.greencovesprings.com/ASMMB.

For more information about the historic marker contact Clay County PIO Annaleasa Winter at 904-436-3102 or annaleasa.winter@claycountygov.com.

For more information about the mentoring center contact City of Green Cove Springs PIO Tiffanie Kelly at 904-295-9471 or tkelly@greencovesprings.com.