Hannibal Square Library
Hannibal Square Library was a library established to serve the black community in Winter Park, Florida that operated from 1937 to 1979. History Hannibal Square neighborhood In 1881, the neighborhood Hannibal Square was officially founded in Winter Park. It was home to black families who worked for white residents and visitors and in the railroad or service industry. On October 12, 1887, an election was scheduled in incorporate Winter Park formerly as a town. Residents debated whether Hannibal Square should be included in the city's bounds. Neighborhood resident Gus C. Henderson rallied his neighbors to vote, establishing a quorum and allowing the city to incorporate with the neighborhood in its bounds. Walter B. Simpson and Frank R. Israel were elected to the town council and, as of 2020, are the only people of color to ever hold an elected office in the city. They served until 1893 when William C. Comstock successfully petitioned the state legislature to remove the neighborhood from Winter Park's boundaries. In 1925, the neighborhood was reincorporated into Winter Park, as the city wanted the change its status from town to city. In the 1990s, the neighborhood began to see gentrification as black-owned businesses moved out and