Soul Voices of Frenchtown

Located in the heart of Tallahassee is a community with history and culture stretching back over a hundred years. The Frenchtown neighborhood is a living and breathing monument to the contributions of the African American community in Tallahassee. The story of Frenchtown continues to be told, and the voices of its residents bring that story to life. In 2019, the John G. Riley Center & Museum launched the Frenchtown Historic Marker Trail– a series of plaques documenting the families, businesses, and innovators that shaped their community and the city. Select plaques are also accompanied with audio interviews from residents telling the stories of the community passed down through generations. Their voices tell the history that is often forgotten, that is now put on display to be shared by all.


The history of Frenchtown is expansive- taking root in the Reconstruction era as land set aside post-Civil War exclusively for recently freed slaves. This landmark moment in United States history set the course for Frenchtown to grow into the community we know today.