BARTOW — As Clifton Lewis strode the lawn of the L.B. Brown House, the historic structure in Bartow that still exists mostly because of his efforts, a postal carrier made a delivery on a sunny afternoon last week.
Opening an envelope, Lewis found a handwritten note from a woman in Richmond, Virginia, whom he had recently met when he gave her and her husband a guided tour of the house.
“If Mr. Brown were alive today, he would be pleased to call you a friend and brother,” the woman wrote.
Few who know Lewis would dispute that assertion. Lewis crusaded for the preservation of the house when it faced potential demolition in the 1990s, and he has been the guiding force behind the L.B. Brown Heritage Festival, which runs from Friday through Sunday.
The festival celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, but Lewis deflects praise for its longevity.
“It would be very tempting to take credit for it lasting 20 years, but the people of Bartow and Polk County have really kept it going because typically in late July or August people start calling me — ‘When are you going to have the festival again?’ So we kind of rode on the waves of that momentum and support from the community,” Lewis said. “We always said if we could keep the festival going for at least five years that it would become sort of a tradition and continue. That’s clearly what happened.”
Lawrence B. Brown, a man born into slavery in North Florida, migrated to Bartow in the 1880s and became a versatile entrepreneur. Among other endeavors, the self-taught carpenter constructed several houses, including the two-story, Victorian structure, which boasts porches on both floors and elegant exterior details, such as wooden scrollwork and porch balusters.
The nine-room house, which dates to 1892, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and recognized in an exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.
Lewis moved to his wife’s hometown of Bartow in 1989 and soon learned that about the house, which had fallen into neglect following the death that year of Brown’s daughter, Lavinia Thomas, its last resident. He founded the Neighborhood Improvement Corp., a nonprofit, and led a successful quest to prevent the house’s demolition and raise money for a restoration.
Bartow City Commissioner Leo Longworth was one of Thomas’ students in the 1960s when she taught at Bartow’s Union Academy, then an all-black school. Many years later, as Thomas occupied the stately but haggard old house, she feared that the home might not endure after she was gone.
“She used to always tell me, ‘Don’t let them tear this house down,’ ” Longworth recalled. “ ‘Don’t let them demolish this house because it has a lot of history.’ Of course, I took it lightly, being a younger person.”
Longworth is grateful that Lewis eventually heeded Thomas’ wishes.
Lewis recalled walking the grounds of the Brown House in the late 1990s with two history professors, Canter Brown, a Fort Meade native, and James M. “Mike” Denham of Florida Southern College. Brown suggested staging a history conference at the site, along with social activities.
“He said, ‘Can’t you just see it?’ ” Lewis said. “I said, ‘No.’”
Lewis said Brown persisted with the suggestion and enlisted Larry Rivers, a history professor at Florida A&M University, in helping with the persuasion.
The event was called the African American Heritage Conference and Festival for three years, until Lewis revised the name to emphasize that the gathering is open to all. He said a core group of several volunteers help keep the festival going.
Lewis initially conceived the event as a scholarly conference at which academics would examine historical issues. After a few years, the entertainment elements of the festival took priority.
In keeping with this year’s milestone, Lewis has revived an element of the scholarly talks. On Saturday morning, Canter Brown will moderate a panel discussion titled “African-American Defenders of Freedom,” with J.J. Corbett of Bartow among the participants.
Corbett, 97, was a paratrooper during World War II, when segregation prevailed in the military. He and other members of the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, nicknamed the “Triple Nickles,” were blocked from serving in Europe and instead sent to fight fires in the western United States.
Other scheduled panelists include Cynthia Wright Downing, commandant of Summerlin Academy in Bartow; Richard Wilder, founder of W Youth Outreach in Lakeland and president of a local Buffalo Soldiers re-enactment group; Retired Sgt. Maj. Rudy Carter, who leads the JROTC program at Winter Haven High School; and Lemuel Geathers Sr., a retired educator and the first black mayor of Winter Haven.
Corbett, a retired teacher and School Board member, said he relishes the L.B. Brown Youth Leadership Awards, which take place Friday at 9:30 a.m.
“My observation in talking to some of the students is some are amazed at work (Brown) did during those times,” Corbett said. “When you look at the house, at the structure, and how well it was put together, that somebody that didn’t have the tools and the things they have today, some kids are amazed in talking to them at what they see, just as I was.”
Throughout Friday morning, re-enactors will demonstrate customs and chores from Florida’s early era, such as pumping water and washing clothes. The Second Infantry Regiment of the United States Colored Troops will be present in uniform for a Civil War-era camp, and performers will portray Black Seminoles and Buffalo Soldiers, the black troops stationed on the Western frontier following the Civil War.
Saturday afternoon is devoted to entertainment. The lineup includes musical performers, dance squads, step teams and fashion shows. The festival culminates Sunday with an afternoon of music in the gospel vein.
Vendors will be present throughout the festival, offering foods and other items, many of them reflecting African-American culture.
The L.B. Brown House will be open, but tours will not be available because of the large numbers expected. Guided tours can be arranged throughout the year.
Longworth said the restoration of the Brown House and the festival have “helped to put Bartow on the map” and established the city as a tourism destination. Longworth said he eagerly anticipates the festival each year.
“It’s grown from a few people to many, many from all over the state and I think even from all over the country,” Longworth said. “I meet people who are not even from Florida, who are from outside the state of Florida, who come to enjoy and witness the festivities. So it’s something I think is going to be around for a long time and has a strong legacy.”
Bartow City Commissioner and former mayor James F. Clements said the festival helps reinforce the city’s promotional slogan, “Our history comes to life!”
“I’ve said this many times — it’s a real treasure to the community of Bartow,” Clements said. “It brings a lot of folks to Bartow that wouldn’t normally have Bartow on their radar.”
Myrtice Young, historic preservation manager for the Polk County History Center, located inside the former courthouse in downtown Bartow, said the festival deepens awareness of the county’s history.
“I think we have an opportunity to celebrate our heritage. It’s exciting for everybody in the county, and certainly the L.B. Brown House is a significant piece of architecture that talks about African-American heritage in the county,” Young said. “So we’re always just delighted when the festival is going on. It gives us the opportunity to cross-promote each other and to just together celebrate Polk County history and heritage.”
Though no official attendance figures are compiled, the festival is estimated to draw several thousand visitors each year. Lewis said he has purposely avoided any changes, such as serving alcoholic beverages, that might increase attendance but tarnish the event’s appeal for families and children.
At age 77, Lewis remains vigorous and energetic. But he recognizes that he won’t be able to run the festival forever. Lewis said he has discussed the need for a succession plan with the board of directors.
While Lewis could easily pass along historic material, he carries in his brain valuable details collected from conversations with Robert Brown and with now-deceased residents who knew Lawrence B. Brown himself.
“You need to have someone shadowing you and just kind of following you around, listening to the tours and picking up bits and pieces,” Lewis said. “Our board is very sensitive to that.”
Just as L.B. Brown constructed a sturdy house, Young said Lewis has built a durable event honoring Brown.
“It takes people with the passion of someone like Clifton Lewis to keep these kinds of projects going,” Young said. “It takes a lot of time; it takes a lot of effort. Fundraising is very central to preservation, and when you have someone like Clifton Lewis, who is so focused and has such a strong passion for that project, it will certainly succeed. Without Clifton, success is a lot less likely.”
Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on Twitter @garywhite13.
470 L.B. Brown Ave., Bartow
Friday 9:30 a.m. to noon; Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.; festival grounds with vendors each day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
