After I got a general overview of the history of the Orlando area in the Orange County Regional Historical Center, I wanted to delve into the social history of the Orlando area, and the Wells Black History and Culture Museum was going to give me a deeper look at the history of Orlando blacks.
To this day, the area west of I-4 is mostly inhabited by African Americans, and the difference in housing and facilities between this area and the city center is quite noticeable. In fact, the very name “Division” indicates a separate historical line of demarcation between black and white residential areas.
The origins of Wells, built in a museum, belong to a prominent local African doctor named Dr. William Monroe Wells, who began building the building in 1926 to provide housing for African Americans in an era of segregation, when housing was not available to them in other parts of Central Florida.
Next to Wells Built was once the South Street Casino, a performance hall in which musicians who traveled along the Chitlin Circuit & speaking to viewers across the country. The hotel opened with three windows on the ground floor and hotel rooms on the second floor.
Dr. William Monroe Wells was one of the first black doctors in Orlando and came to the area in 1917. Born in Ft. Gaines, GA, in 1889, Dr. Wells completed his medical training at the Meharry Medical College. During World War II, Dr. William Monroe Wells was the only African-American doctor in Orlando.
During segregation, white doctors did not refer to African-American patients. Therefore, African-American doctors have earned their money from people of their race. He worked very hard to serve the growing African-American population in Orlando. With the help of his assistant, Mrs. Josie Bell Jackson, Dr. Wells, as you know, delivered more than 5,000 children to Orlando.
He treated patients who had pneumonia, influenza, scarlet fever, and other serious illnesses before drugs such as penicillin were administered. Many Dr. Wells patients were extremely poor. He treated his diseases, although many times they could not afford to pay their contribution. This allowed them to speak decisively about the poor conditions that exist in the African American community, without fear of losing their livelihoods.
Although African Americans were taxpayers, like other Orlando residents, they did not have access to recreational facilities, good schools, police, health care and other services provided to white citizens. This led him to create a casino of South Street and a nearby hotel.
Dr. Wells ordered bands and other famous artists to perform at South Street Casino. Many famous performers we know today played at South Street Casino at Chitlin Circuit. A few examples of these artists:
- Ray Charles
- BB King
- Louis Armstrong
- Guitar Slim
- Bo Diddley
African Americans came from all over the world to Orlando to shop and play popular musicians at South Street Casino. After performances at the casino, the artists checked in at the historic Wells & Built Hotel. In its heyday, Wells Built premises for clients such as Pegleg Bates, Ella Fitzgerald, Roy Campenella, Thurgood Marshall and Jackie Robinson. Entertainers and athletes who frequently visited this institution made it one of the most popular places for African Americans in the south.
Today, the museum features over 6,000 square feet of exhibition space. It houses the original facade of the hotel, a room with original furniture, beads and decorations from the 1930s, and also has an original internal wall reflecting the important architectural elements and structures unique to this period. The exhibition materials collected for display include: official hotel documents, the original Negro league baseball jersey, photographs, artifacts, books, multimedia exhibits, slave tapes and other items of historical significance.
The House of Doctor Well has been moved to the Casino site and will be restored and opened to the public. The Museum of African American Culture and History is located next to I-4 near Church Street, 511 West South, Orlando 32801, tel. (407) 245-7535.
