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Celebrating the Historic Town of Eatonville, Florida

Last Updated on February 3, 2024

The history behind the Central Florida community of Eatonville, home of ZORA! Fest, is incredibly fascinating and rich in its heritage.

Graphic reading The Town That Freedom Built.

History of Eatonville

Men in front of a building.
Source: Digital Public Library of America

Located just a few miles north of Orlando, Eatonville was founded by three Union officers: Captain Josiah Eaton, Captain Lewis Lawrence, and another officer whose name is unknown.

Captain Eaton and the other two officers developed the land around Lake Maitland, thus establishing what we all know today as the City of Maitland. Many people helped clear the lands, and a community appeared beside Maitland where these workers lived.

Many of these workers were newly freed slaves who labored at clearing land, planting crops and citrus groves, and helping to build houses, hotels, and the railroad system.

In a few years, some of these workers became community leaders, businessmen, and respected citizens of the newly developed town of Maitland.

Source: Library of Congress

By 1887, the African-American settlers in Maitland became interested in establishing their own town.

An all-African-American town appeared to have initially been a dream of Joseph E. Clarke, but he was unsuccessful in his attempts to purchase land for that purpose.

The Town of Eatonville, Incorporated

Eventually, through the goodwill of Lewis Lawrence, a northern philanthropist, and Josiah Eaton, a local landowner, Joesph E. Clarke and others acquired 112 acres, which comprised the original city limits of the Town of Eatonville.

Lewis Lawrence suggested the name in honor of Josiah Eaton.

Eatonville Town Hall.

On August 15, 1887, 27 electors gathered at the “town hall” to cast their votes and the first town to be organized, governed, and incorporated by African-American citizens in this country was born.

Robert Hungerford Preparatory High School

Robert Hungerford Preparatory High School.

Eatonville was also home to Robert Hungerford Preparatory High School, named after Dr. Robert Hungerford, a white physician from Maitland who taught Eatonville men how to read and write.

The school was modeled after the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama in 1889 and was founded by Russell and Mary Calhoun.

Designed to educate the youth of Eatonville in a wide variety of subjects, specifically life skills, they even had gardens and chicken coops on campus.

old house.

Students lived on campus and were given jobs or chores to perform. Classes included: cooking, housekeeping, blacksmithing, agriculture, and much more.

As time went by, they offered more technological classes, including radio and mechanical drawing. The school was a private school until 1950, when the courts gave it to Orange County as a public trust.

Hungerford closed in 2009 due to budget cuts, and the area has been cleared for new development.

Eatonville’s Most Famous Resident: Zora Neale Hurston

Stamp of Zora Neale Hurston
Source: U.S. Postal Service A U.S. stamp featured author Zora Neale Hurston in 2003, pictured against a lake-view sunset in Eatonville.

Eatonville not only has a rich heritage, but it also played a big role in literary history thanks in part to one of its most famous residents Zora Neale Hurston.

Probably the most significant collector and interpreter of Southern, African-American culture, Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960) is the dominant female voice of the Harlem Renaissance era.

Zora Neale Hurston books.

In her works, she celebrates her hometown, Eatonville, as representative of the dignity and beauty of rural Southern African-American life and culture.

A consummate storyteller, she brings authenticity to her readers based on her primary research.

Zora Neale Hurston smiling.

Zora has enjoyed a revival of interest since the 1970’s due in large part to the work of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker; Robert Hemenway, her literary biographer; and also more recently, Valerie Boyd’s biography Wrapped in Rainbows.

Graphic that reads I have the nerve to walk my own way, however hard, in my search for reality, rather than climb upon the rattling wagon of wishful illusions.

The Legacy of Zora Neale Hurston

Hurston is, without a doubt, Eatonville’s biggest celebrity … there’s a museum and an annual festival to show for it.

A Life in Letters Zora Neale

Her legacy is a phenomenon that has undergone remarkable development and expansion in recent decades, embracing topics such as ethnic identity, social interaction, feminist theory, and cultural continuity.

Zora Fest annual event in Eatonville.

Her unique insights into folklore, performance, and creative expression have invited new interpretations and inspired emulation. At the same time, the corpus of her works has grown as a result of research and discovery.

Here is a list of some of her works:

  • Novels and Stories
  • Their Eyes Were Watching God
  • Dust Tracks On The Road
  • Jonah’s Gourd Vine
  • Moses, Man of the Mountain
  • Seraph on the Suwanee
  • Tell My Horse: Voodoo and Life in Haiti and Jamaica
  • Complete Stories
  • I Love Myself When I Am Laughing…and Then Again when I Am Looking Me
  • Folklore, Memoirs, and Other Writings
bus that says Zora Festival!

The 2024 Zora! Fest takes place throughout the year. It celebrates the famous artist’s life and showcases cultural arts events, among many other things.

ZORA! – Outdoor Festival of the Arts (Family Day) – January 27, 2024

Event Highlight: Outdoor festival plus live performers

Performances by: EU, Club Nouveau, Fire Light and more

  • Location: Along East Kennedy Boulevard
  • Address: 344 East Kennedy Boulevard, Eatonville, FL 32751

General Admission Costs:

  • General Admission: $20.00
  • Free Admission to Children (0 – High School) –Middle & High school students asked to show current student i.d.

Featuring:

  • Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts
  • Children’s “Make-and-Take” Tent
  • Florida Historical Society
  • Fine Arts & Master Crafts Booths
  • International Marketplace
  • Eatonville Public Library Branch Programming
  • International Marketplace Booths
  • Free Parking
  • Food, fun and shopping for all ages
  • AND MUCH MORE

For more info, visit the official ZORA Festival website.

Official Eatonville Websites:

Interested in other articles and destinations to visit in Central Florida? Check out:

If you love Authentic Florida history, make sure to also check out the Florida Stories App!

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