OUR
VISION
Reconnecting Clearwater with Downtown
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The Garden is a Multi-Media Engagement Platform
Downtown Clearwater has struggled to attract locals, but we're changing that with a multimedia experience that educates citizens about their rich history. We are creating a museum without walls. Starting at The Garden, this mile-long walkable journey brings history to life.
Each stop along Memory Lane highlights not only the stories of what once stood there, but also introduces you to the people who keep downtown alive today—store owners, artists, chefs, and everyday citizens shaping the future of Clearwater.
It’s a living, breathing tribute to our community—inviting you to fall in love with Clearwater all over again.
Garden Ave.Â
Remembering...
The people who bridged the divide
During segregation, Garden Avenue was more than the heart of Clearwater’s Black business community—it quietly symbolized cooperation between Black and white citizens. While laws enforced separation, real life told a different story: Black-owned businesses served all, and downtown’s success relied on shared labor and mutual respect.
Today, “The Garden” honors that legacy. Our first multimedia installation, The Story of Clearwater: In Black and White, begins the walking tour by highlighting the unspoken partnerships that helped build a resilient and unified city.
Sidney Wigfall
For 47 years, Sidney was the trusted cab driver in town. Though he began serving only Black passengers, his reputation for reliability helped bridge the racial divide, eventually making him the driver of choice for all.
Frank Muscarella, Esq
Appointed to the U.S. Attorney's Office under President Eisenhower, Frank worked in downtown Clearwater, where his generosity and integrity earned the trust of the African American community and helped bridge racial divides during segregation.
Johnny Sorey
For over 30 years, Johnny Sorey served customers at the Pure Oil gas station on the corner of Fort Harrison and Park Avenue. Known for his kindness and tireless work ethic, Johnny earned the respect of all who knew him, showing how unity and interdependence could thrive across racial lines.
French Dry Cleaners
Located at the northwest corner of Garden Avenue and Pierce Street shown in an early 1900s photo. African Americans worked in many white-owned businesses served the community. The African-American workers pictured from left to right are Theod Jenkins, Ora S. Hart, and Mr. Wallace.
The Local Barber
Jack Morris, a local barber, is pictured serving young customers in his barbershop on North Garden Avenue in this 1940s photo. He offered a choice selection of cigars and cigarettes at an affordable price for the gentlemen in the business district.
Garden Ave. Cafe
James and Stella Bradley operated this Cafe in the late 1940s. Serving homestyle food, it attracted people from both sides of Garden Ave and became a secret meeting place in a racially divided city.
Charles Rutledge Sr.
Charles Rutledge Sr., a leader in Clearwater’s NAACP, played a key role in advancing civil rights by partnering with white allies to advocate for policy change. As a respected businessman and quiet strategist, he worked across racial lines to push for desegregation and equal opportunities, helping pave the way for a more inclusive Clearwater.
Minnie Kerbo
From the 1920s until Williams Elementary (Clearwater’s first Black elementary school) was built in 1946, Kerbo taught many African American children in her Garden Avenue home. While this was a Black-led solution, it garnered the respect of some white educators and officials. White neighbors occasionally donated used books or supplies to Kerbo’s home school, recognizing the value of her work. This quiet support across racial lines helped uplift Black education.
“Miss Christine” Morris
Clearwater’s first Black librarian and longtime resident near Garden Avenue. She devoted 33 years to running the North Greenwood library (established 1950), which was itself a product of Black-white cooperation – white city commissioners approved funding for the library in the Black neighborhood once Morris and others lobbied for it.
Memory Lane
The year is 1926...
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Step onto Memory Lane, a one-mile, one-hour journey that brings Clearwater’s vibrant past to life. This immersive walking tour transports you to the Roaring Twenties—a time when Clearwater boomed with energy, ambition, and architectural beauty. As you follow the path through our carefully mapped route, you’ll encounter preserved historic buildings that once housed bustling businesses, jazz-filled lounges, and family-run shops. Each stop unveils a story: not just of brick and mortar, but of the dreams, risks, and resilience that built this town during its golden era.
What makes this tour truly special are the voices you’ll hear along the way—firsthand stories from residents who grew up on these streets, shared laughs at the soda fountains, or danced beneath the glow of neon signs. Through audio recordings, archival photos, and guided QR code experiences, we invite you to relive the magic of the 1920s and see Clearwater not only as it was, but as it lives on in memory. This is more than history—it’s a love letter to the city’s spirit, waiting for you to rediscover.
Meet Barbara
The Garden wouldn't exist without this beloved local historian. Barbara Sorey-Love is a Clearwater native who has worked to preserve the history of Garden Avenue’s interracial community. The Clearwater Historical Society called her a "Trailblazing Woman".
As the president of the Clearwater African American Foundation, she reminded city leaders that “the African American presence... was once thriving on Garden Avenue” and deserves honor. In doing so, she’s built partnerships with city council members in recent years to memorialize that legacy. Her efforts underscore that Garden Avenue’s story of cooperation is not only remembered by Black citizens, but recognized by white leaders today as a crucial part of Clearwater’s heritage
"We need to build this park. What Clearwater could do for the African American Community and all of Clearwater citizens is a win-win. If it's money we need, we can raise that money."
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Mike Mastruserio
Speaking To City Council
"I'm backing this project. It would be good for our city. It's the most inspiring way to reconnect Clearwater with the downtown that we all love. Every one of you knows that when I put my name behind something, I get it done."
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Tony Tello
Speaking to City Council
We can't do this without you!
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Dear Clearwater,
At this very moment, you are experiencing a true grassroots movement designed to offer a better way forward—one that helps the City activate downtown Clearwater in a meaningful and lasting way. Right now, three out of five council members are leaning toward selling South Garden Avenue to the Church of Scientology, believing the organization will respond by opening its vacant buildings to the public. But that feels less like a partnership and more like a negotiation under pressure. And even if they open their buildings for retail, there’s no guarantee the public will be invited to enter those establishments.
 Through the #SaveTheGarden initiative, we plan to raise and invest over two million dollars over the next three years in reawakening Clearwater’s story, through powerful open-air exhibits and historical markers that reconnect us to the soul of our city. This is a bold initiative that will need to involve over 100 local leaders and be supported by thousands of residents. We can’t do it alone.
To be clear: This is not about being against anyone. It’s about standing for something—and stepping up to partner with our City Council to ensure a future that reflects the voice and values of all Clearwater residents.
Let's secure a win for the people!
Brooks Gibbs
Reconnect Clearwater