PUNTA GORDA, Fla — The Blanchard House is usually a place where beautiful pictures, vibrant exhibits, and rich stories bring the past to life.
But the African American history museum in Punta Gorda has been empty since Hurricane Ian.
“[The day after the storm] we knew that it was not good,” Blanchard House Museum Director, Dr. Martha Bireda says.
Ian caused extensive roof damage to the historic building. And all the rain that got inside has allowed mold to grow. It’s so bad, Dr. Bireda wears a mask every time she goes inside. She and the other volunteers took all the artifacts and exhibit out of the building before the storm, so that’s all safe. But this Black History Month Dr. Bireda had to think outside the box.
“Just because Ian closed the doors, does not mean he’s closed us down,” she says.
Dr. Bireda decided to take Punta Gorda’s unique history on the road.
"So, I’m doing several programs with libraries,” she says. “I am doing something called living history, where I am in the character of my great-grandmother, Queen Andrews, who was a pioneer here.”
Dr. Bireda says that personal connection is what drives her.
“My mother’s picture used to be right on this wall and this was her dream. Bernice Russel, this was her vision,” Dr. Bireda says.
“She saw what this community was. You know, when we had stores and everything in this block. She was very proud of all that. And it was actually after schools integrated, and the kids would pass by her house, and she knew what she had to grow up with and what I had to grow up with. And some of the kids didn’t have book bags and some of the kids’ heads were down, and the mother said, 'those children need to know who they are.’ And that’s why she did this, they needed to know who they had come from, that their ancestors helped develop and settle this town.”
The museum has insurance, but Dr. Bireda says it will need more money to rebuild. She says people can send donations to 406 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Punta Gorda, Florida 33950 or go to the museum’s website for more contact information.
