A Rich Tradition Continues at Historic Church

Mattie J. Ford attended the Citrus Park Colored School for five years until it closed in 1948. The school was built in 1924 by the area’s African American community on land donated by prominent African American land owner Barbara Allen.

“My whole family and I attended this school, it was nine of us and it was like a family school,” said Ford on a recent day. “As I could remember, we had teachers who were caring for us.”

Citrus Park Colored School has long stopped educating African Americans in the Citrus Park, Keystone-Odessa area, but Ford is still just as close to the one-room structure.

Ford is a 24-year member of Mt. Pleasant A.M.E. Church, which is a small, white cinderblock building with red trimming that sits adjacent to the former school.

“This is my dedicated home,” Ford said, while standing inside the small church.

Both the church and the school are tucked away in a pocket just off Gunn Highway in Odessa at 9703 Gunn Highway in Keystone. Mt. Pleasant has been providing spiritual guidance in the area for 105 years. In 1949, the church purchased the school for $400 and first used it for services. Now, it serves as the fellowship hall. Citrus Park Colored School is a designated Hillsborough County Historic Landmark.

With about 20 members and a new pastor, Mt. Pleasant is looking to grow. The Rev. Jean V.S. Davis was appointed pastor of the church last October. She said she is proud to be a part of the church’s history.

 “I never would have imagined in a million years that I would be a part of such rich history,” Davis said. “….to be a part of this historical Zion is very most uplifting and enriching moment in my life.”