The Dr. J.B. Callahan Neighborhood Center is named for the first Black physician to open a private medical practice in Orlando.
The building has been a place of learning for more than a century. It was built in 1921 and opened to students in 1922 as Jones High School under the direction of Principal L.C. Jones as Orlando’s segregated Black high school. It complimented the Johnson Academy at Jefferson Street and Chatham Avenue, Orlando’s primary school serving Black students.
Enrollment at Jones grew quickly. In 1952 the school was moved to its current location at 801 South Rio Grande Avenue. The building was converted into Callahan Elementary School in honor of Dr. Callahan. The building wasn’t just an educational facility, it was a hub of activity, hosting community events and regular gospel concerts.
Callahan Elementary was one of several Black Schools closed as part of the process of desegregating Orange County Public Schools in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Neighbors began to look for new ways the property could continue to serve the community. In the 1970’s the Callahan Neighborhood Association began efforts to improve the area. One of their original projects was to renovate the playground space behind the old school building to create a space for children to be kids. Later, the Association was joined by other groups that advocated to turn the building into a community center.
In 1982 the City of Orlando agreed to provide funding for the project but there were several delays as engineers determined that the whole building could not be saved. Instead, the facility was designed to include the original building’s façade and the Callahan name to maintain it as a source of pride in the community.
The City’s Recreation Division eventually moved into the building, bringing many programs to the community, including after-school programs, tutoring, summer camp, and feeding programs, a public computer lab, as well as a Head Start program and space for community groups to meet and hold events.