Actions

A Trip Through History: Goodwood Museum and Gardens

Posted at 8:52 PM, Jul 12, 2022
and last updated 2022-07-12 20:52:02-04

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Centuries old live oaks.

Amongst this beauty is where you'll find Goodwood Museum and Gardens.

Situated on 20 acres in Tallahassee, it consists of a main plantation home - now museum - and 20 other structures dating back from 1835 to 1925.

"Just another great way to spend time with people," Jennifer Humayun said.

Humayun is the Executive Director at the Goodwood Museum and Gardens.

"The main house behind me was built in the 1830s and 1840s for the owners of the plantation," Humayun said.

Those owners were the Croom family.

Enslaved people built the big house where Mr. Croom and his family lived as well as other structures.

They also cleared the land, dug wells, cared for livestock, and grew crops.

Slavery was a reality for many African Americans during Goodwood's early years. A fact that plays an integral part in Goodwood's history.

"That's important for us to have a more balanced perspective on what was happening from the 1800s and what the implications continue to be today in terms of some of those inequities," Humayun said.

The Goodwood Museum and Gardens is creating a permanent memorial to honor the people who were enslaved on the property.

It will be a tribute to the strength and resiliency of the people that lived and worked there.

Whether you're taking a guided tour of the historic house museum, enjoying a yoga class in the gardens or attending a wine tasting; Goodwood Museum and Gardens is the perfect place to connect our community, preserve and share history, enjoy the arts, celebrate significant events in our lives.

"...and hopefully start to ask questions about this space - why it's here - and the importance of our past and future and how they intersect. This is a place of intersection for those things," Humayun said.

The Goodwood Museum and Gardens' grounds are free and open to the public during museum hours of operation.

For more information, go to GoodwoodMuseum.Org.