FORT MYERS, Fla. — Once a vibrant hub for African American life in Southwest Florida, McCollum Hall now stands in a state of disrepair. However, thanks to the efforts of the Fort Myers Mural Society, the building's rich history is being brought back to life outside—one brushstroke at a time.
In the 1930s and 1940s, McCollum Hall was a thriving center for music, dance, and community gatherings. It was one of the few places in the region where Black and white patrons could dance together, and it was listed in the Green Book—a crucial guide for African American travelers seeking safe accommodations during segregation.
Watch senior reporter Emily Young learn the history of McCollum hall, and the murals surrounding it:
During this era, legendary musicians such as Louis Armstrong, B.B. King, Ella Fitzgerald, and Duke Ellington made their way through Fort Myers and found refuge at McCollum Hall. Its owner, Buck McCollum, struck a deal with these traveling artists: they could park their vehicles on his property in exchange for a performance at his event center.
Crowds would gather to see these musical icons perform, and even those who couldn’t afford a ticket would stand outside, listening along the walls. Some brought their own instruments, turning the area into an impromptu musical celebration.
As the years passed, McCollum Hall fell into neglect. The once-vibrant venue sat empty, overtaken by vines and decay. But one day, Shari Shifrin, Executive Director of the Fort Myers Mural Society, drove by and saw potential where others saw ruin.
“I drove past every day and saw the vines, the mold, the dirt,” Shifrin recalled. “But to me, it looked like a blank canvas.”
Determined to honor McCollum Hall’s history, Shifrin and the Mural Society worked with the city and the Community Redevelopment Agency to create murals depicting the hall’s legacy. Using vintage photographs, they painted scenes from its heyday onto its walls, reintroducing the community to its rich past.
One of the murals even sparked a personal connection—a woman recognized herself in one of the historic images and visited the site to take a picture in front of it, linking the past to the present in a powerful way.
Now, the Fort Myers Mural Society hopes their work will inspire a broader restoration of McCollum Hall, transforming it back into a gathering space for the community.
“We want this to be a colorful place for colorful memories,” Shifrin said.
With every brushstroke, McCollum Hall’s story is being retold, ensuring its place in Fort Myers’ history and its future as a cultural landmark.
