John Gilmore Riley House

Early life Born a slave in Leon County on September 24, 1857, John Gilmore Riley was the son of Sarah and James Riley. According to the National Register of Historic Places inventory, Riley never attended school, but was taught by his Aunt Henrietta ,who had been a school teacher. The NRHP states that from the 1880s until 1926, Riley worked for the local Board of Public Instruction. This school was later named Lincoln High School. He also served as the Secretary of the Florida NAACP and was a Member of the Negro Business League. Legacy Riley purchased seven major properties in Tallahassee, on one he built his home and rented several properties to other families. Some of his land ended up being the future sites of the Department of Natural Resources, Bryant Building, and the parking lot of the Florida State University Law School. John Gilmore Riley died a millionaire at the age of 97. He lived in his house until his death in 1955. == History ==

Constructed circa 1890, the Riley House is the last physical evidence of a thriving middle-class African-American community that existed in downtown Tallahassee at the turn of the 20th century, known as Smokey Hollow. The house remained in the family until the 1970s. The city bought the house after Riley's family moved out in 1973. With help from the Historic Tallahassee Preservation Board, the site was soon added to the National Register of Historic Places. The museum opened in 1996 with Althemese Barnes as the founding director, Barnes is responsible for creating the group that developed the commemorative shotgun homes of Smokey Hollow in Cascades Park, across the street from the museum. Barnes also interviewed and recorded hundreds of interviews with former residents of Smokey Hollow. == Architecture ==

The John Gilmore Riley House is a two-story vernacular wood-framed building. During the 20th-century restoration of the house, several additions were made, including a two-story extension at the back of the building, to ensure the building's preservation while ensuring it could function properly as a museum. The structure was stabilized, deteriorated materials were replaced, and electrical systems were added. == Museum: collections and programs ==

The John G Riley Center and Museum of African American History and Culture was reopened in the 1990s. == Present ==

The museum is open to the public Tuesday through Thursday and offers guided tours, which include a tour of the Smokey Hollow Commemorative Park. These tours focus on taking visitors through Riley's life and the history of African Americans in Tallahassee. ==References==