The Smokey Hollow Commemoration located at Althemese Pemberton Barnes Park was constructed as part of the Cascades Park Project. Located adjacent to the historic John G. Riley Center & Museum, the Smokey Hollow Commemorative site tells the story of the community surrounding the Riley home. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the area just east of downtown Tallahassee and west of Myers Park Drive was an African American community called Smokey Hollow. The Smokey Hollow Project challenges historical narratives of government intervention in African American neighborhoods in the mid-20th century, that displaced working-class communities, immigrants, and minorities. However, this collapse did not eliminate the sense of community itself. This project exemplifies the development of this African American community, its disintegration, and its survival in memory after displacement.
Public Art Projects
The commemoration includes three “Spirit Homes”, frames of shotgun-style houses, typical of the Smokey Hollow community. Each Spirit Home is accompanied by maps, photos and historical information about the area. The site also features a fountain and plaza, an edible tree grove, community planting boxes, and a pavilion. The pavilion is a fully equipped outdoor classroom with seating, electric outlets and a fan. Also on the site are a restroom facility, bike parking, and seating.
The Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) seeks to document historic landscapes like Smokey Hollow in and around the United States and its territories as tangible evidence of our nation’s heritage and development. This HALS captures the history and individual memories of the Smokey Hollow Community and sanctifies them as public memories that embody the past and present existence of the once vibrant community.
Barbershop
The former Smokey Hollow Barbershop (formerly known as the Liberty Barbershop) was located at 621 E. St. Augustine Street, which is now home to the Florida Department of Transportation. The structure is the last remaining business structure that originally stood in the Smokey Hollow neighborhood. The Barbershop was refurbished to its current form with the assistance of Lively Technical Center and relocated to Cascades Park, near its original location in Smokey Hollow, where it now complements the Smokey Hollow Commemoration.
From the support of the community and the active participation of Smokey Hollow residents to the creative inclusion of vocational students at Lively Technical Center, the Barbershop is an example of how the community capitalized on an opportunity to leverage the planning process and preserve a piece of history. The Barbershop building now serves as an exhibit, complete with artifacts donated by Tallahassee residents, including an original and period barbering chair, and barbering tools. The Barbershop is open to members of the public for educational tours. The Barbershop’s renovation commemorates Smokey Hollow businesses and the history of this vibrant African American neighborhood.
