Janie L. Bing Rooming House Museum
Categories
Museums / Theme Parks
Hours:
Free Veteran Assistance every Wednesday 10am - 2pm; Free Tours Thursday and Friday 10am -2pm
Driving Directions:
From downtown Plant City, proceed east on MLK Jr. Blvd, 1/4 mile and turn right onto Allen Street immediately past Sam Cooper Lake. The two story rooming house museum is on the right.
About Us
The Bing Rooming House Museum is named after the late Mrs. Janie Wheeler Bing. The structure was built in 1928 as a rooming house to provide overnight accommodations to blacks that visited Plant City. The Seminole Restaurant was later added on the south side of the property in 1931.
The Bing Rooming House Museum at 205 South Allen Street is located in the historic neighborhood of Lincoln Park adjacent to Downtown Plant City. The Lincoln Park Historic Neighborhood also includes the former Laura Street African American Business District that thrived with restaurants, nightclubs, movie theaters, barbershops, numerous other businesses as well as Marshall High School and Midway Academy.
On September 14, 2002, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. It was renovated in 2011 and open officially as a museum. Our mission is to accurately preserve, interpret and present local African American History. Exhibits currently include Proudly Served Military Veterans, School Daze, James McDaniel tribute to Laura Street, Sports, and Black Gospel Experience. We have a oral history library with interviews of residents giving a personal perspective of life during the era of segregation.
The museum also hosts several events to include Blues-BBQ-Berries in Downtown Plant City and Taste of Laura Street Food Forks & Fun Tasting event. The museum is open Wednesday through Friday 10am to 2pm. The non-profit group Improvement League of Plant City, CDC owns and operates the museum.
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