John Gilmore Riley House and Museum

This museum honors the life and legacy of John G. Riley who was born enslaved in 1857 and died a millionaire in 1954. A largely self-taught person, Riley would later become the principal of Lincoln High School, the first high school for African Americans in Tallahassee. Riley served as principal between 1892 and 1926. He built the two-story house around 1890 and lived here for the rest of his life. The museum also preserves and shares the history of Native Americans and the unique connection between Native tribes and people of African descent between the colonial period and the early 1800s. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. It is the only building still standing in what was a vibrant African American community called Smokey Hollow.

John Riley was born on September 24, 1857 in Leon County to enslaved parents Sarah and James Riley. His maternal aunt, Henrietta, who was a teacher, taught him how to read and write. Riley's maternal grandfather, who had become a merchant after the Civil War, gave him his first job, which was transporting fish by wagon from St. Marks to Tallahassee.

Riley was passionate about reading and education and decided to become a teacher. He was one of the first African Americans in Florida to obtain a teaching certificate. He started teaching in Wakulla County in 1877 and later moved to a school in Gadsen County. It appears he arrived in Tallahassee in 1885 upon being hired to teach at an African-American school called Lincoln Academy, which was the largest school in Florida. He became principal in 1893 and served in that role (and continued to teach) until retiring in 1926 at the age of 59. Riley also served on the School Board and the board of St. James Church A.M.E., and was member of the local masons.

In addition to his commitment to education, Riley was also a successful businessman. He acquired land and bought houses that he repaired and rented to those who could not afford to buy a home. Over time he became a prominent landowner (his holdings included parcels in downtown Tallahassee), and accumulated wealth. It is likely he was was the first African-American millionaire in the city. Riley bought the land on which the house stands in 1885.

Restoration of the Riley House began in the 1970s and was finished in 1981, at which point the John G. Riley Foundation, Inc. purchased it. It opened as a museum in December 1995. The museum tells the story of this remarkable individual, his commitment to education, and the history of communities such as Smokey Hollow and other African-American communities that existed near Tallahassee. These communities provided a sanctuary for African Americans between Reconstruction and the era of Jim Crow.

"Florida Frontiers 'The John G. Riley House Museum'." The Florida Historical Society. Accessed January 2, 2023. https://myfloridahistory.org/frontiers/article/55.

Hare, Julianne. "Out of the Past a Noble Leader." John Gilmore Riley House and Museum. 2002. https://www.leonschools.net/cms/lib/FL01903265/Centricity/Domain/262/Out%20of%20the%20Past%20A%20Noble%20Leader.pdf.

"Life & Legacy of John G. Riley." John Gilmore Riley House and Museum. Accessed May 5, 2014. http://rileymuseum.org/site/about/life-legacy-of-john-g-riley-2.

Monroe, Elizabeth. "Riley, John Gilmore, House." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. August 1, 1978. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/7a19d4a8-b0d8-431b-b362-e863c6f0547f.