After the success of Jackson County’s award-winning project, the Florida State University Department of Urban & Regional Planning (FSU-DURP) is again working with Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University’s (FAMU) Dr. Sandra Thompson on the next iteration of preserving and documenting North Star Legacy Communities. With the support of the Florida Department of State’s Division of Historical Resources, the Fall 2022 Barnebey Planning and Development Lab Team engaged with Gadsden County residents to profile their legacies along with opportunities for economic development. 

FSU-DURP Barneby Lab Studio of Fall 2022 was the primary working team for the Gadsden County Legacy Project. The team worked under the guidance of Planner-in-Residence Dennis J. Smith, Senior Planner Billie Ventimiglia, and Dr. Sandra Thompson to document historic African American communities in Gadsden County, FL.

The Fall 2022 team acknowledges the residents, business owners, stakeholders, faculty, and staff who contributed their time to document the history of legacy communities for the Gadsden County Heritage project.