STUART, Fla — Just east of the railroad tracks and south of downtown Stuart sits a small community known as East Stuart.
It’s a place Joseph Cooper calls home.
“I was born and raised here back in the sixties,” Cooper explained. “It’s important because it’s a part of who I am.”
To the East Stuart community, it's more than just a neighborhood. The area has a history dating back to 1913.
“East Stuart is one of those historical communities that as the black population was brought to build and do all the services, they were placed near the railroad tracks,” said Cooper. “At that time, you’re talking about segregation, so it was a self contained community.”
Today, blue signs stand outside several homes and churches as a marker of the history. The community now hopes to preserve some of those buildings long term by applying for a national historic designation.
City Commissioner Eula Clarke believes they have a good shot at being selected based on a recent survey that was done for the application.
“Older buildings, some of them have been lost, some of them are still there in the community and we’re really working on making sure that we keep up those memories,” Clarke said.
While gentrification and development might be inevitable, Cooper hopes the designation will preserve what’s already there.
“At the end of the day I feel like a community that is worth valuing should always stay preserved for what it is,” Cooper said.
A slice of the city that, for many, is worth protecting.
