Florida Tech’s Little Red Schoolhouse to Receive Plaque

– At the edge of Florida Tech’s Botanical Garden stands Melbourne’s oldest surviving schoolhouse, moved here in 1970 from its original place in South
Melbourne, along the Indian River. The 9-foot-by-12-foot structure rests on a slab of coquina rock, donated by the pioneering W. Lansing Gleason family.

On Oct. 18 at 3 p.m., the public is invited to attend a brief ceremony to affix a new, permanent metal plaque to the schoolhouse. The event was organized
by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Abigail Wright Chamberlin chapter, and the South Brevard Historical Society.

Melbourne Central Catholic School tenth grader Chelsea Grabowski will unveil the plaque. Grabowski won a DAR-sponsored contest for an essay she wrote about
the schoolhouse.

Brevard County pioneer John Goode built the schoolhouse in 1883. Both African American and Caucasian students attended classes there for five or six months
in the mid-year.

Parking is available in the university lots on Babcock St. and on Country Club Road. The schoolhouse is located just behind the Denius Student Center and
near Evans Library.

For more information, contact DAR member, Betty Preece, at 723-6835.