FMM HISTORY
The Story of the Cortez Rural Graded Schoolhouse
Down in the fishing village of Cortez, Florida sits an old building with many stories to tell. This building is the former Cortez Rural Graded Schoolhouse, now the home of the Florida Maritime Museum (FMM). The schoolhouse was built in 1912 by a man named F. Jones for $7,746.71 after the village outgrew its original one-room schoolhouse. The schoolhouse was not just a center for education, it was also a center of community for the people of Cortez.
The schoolhouse watched hundreds of Cortez residents grow up, and shaped many of their stories. The book Cortez: Then and Now states, “’If these walls talked, they would tell of events shared by generations of children who came for reading, writing and arithmetic, and left with memories of so much more. They would talk of the dedicated teachers who gave so much.”
Beyond its normal function as a school, the building also served as a community center, a hosting spot for weekly movies, and a location for political rallies and holiday festivals. It was even used as a hurricane shelter during the 1921 hurricane which destroyed much of Cortez.
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The school closed in 1961 and the students were transferred to Palma Sola Elementary School. The closure was felt by the whole community of Cortez. Robin Schoch, a former FMM volunteer, wrote in a research paper, “There was no longer a central place for the children to play or a large place for community meetings.”
For a period of time the school was used by the Manatee County Art League. Then, in 1974, the building was bought by artist Robert Sailors who used it as his private residence. He added a kitchen and a solarium to the schoolhouse. He also added fun, artistic additions to the grounds such as a horse fountain modeled after a 3-inch reproduction of a Greek artifact, and a mosaic waterfall. After Sailors passed away in 1995, the schoolhouse would begin its next chapter in life.
Throughout the latter half of the twentieth century the people of Cortez worked tirelessly to preserve their history and heritage in light of the changes that were affecting Manatee County. They formed the Cortez Village Historical Society (CVHS), published multiple books, and advocated for their history. After years of work and research, they placed Cortez on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995, and advocated for the preservation of many buildings in the fishing village. They wanted to see buildings that had been in the community for decades to continue to be focal points. In addition to saving buildings, they also formed the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (FISH) and saved about 100 acres of land along Sarasota Bay.
The people of Cortez supported the public purchase of the schoolhouse which was approved by the Manatee County Board of Commissioners in 1998. The grounds were then purchased in 1999 with funding from the Florida Communities Trust Preservation 2000 Program and the Manatee County Board of County Commission.
Construction began on the schoolhouse in 2005 to transform it into the Florida Maritime Museum (FMM). FMM opened in 2007 with the mission to collect, preserve, and share traditional knowledge, cultural artifacts, and personal stories specific to Florida’s fishing and maritime heritage. It is under the Manatee Clerk of Circuit Clerk & Comptroller's Historical Resources Department.
Historic preservation is an ongoing effort; the Florida Maritime Museum is currently closed for a necessary rehabilitation of the schoolhouse. We look forward to reopening our doors to the public once all the work has been completed. While we are closed, we are still taking every opportunity we can to connect with the public, check out what we have going on here.
Betty MacColl's Story
Some of the most interesting stories about Manatee County's past come from teachers. Betty MacColl, a former teacher at the Cortez Rural Graded Schoolhouse, paints a wonderful picture of her time at the school and World War II era Cortez. MacColl moved to Cortez, FL from up north. She graduated from the Pennsylvania College for Women. She then worked at the Christodora Settlement House in New York City, and for the YWCA in Pittsburg prior to moving to Florida to teach. MacColl taught Elementary School for over 30 years and was active in the Manatee County Art League.
Take some time to read her memoir by clicking here.
Betty MacColl (blue patterned shirt) at the "Betty MacColl Day Party" hosted by the Manatee County Art League. Image Courtesy of Manatee County Public Library Historical Digital Collections