Edward Waters College was founded in 1866 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) for the education of newly freed slaves. Located near downtown Jacksonville, Florida, the college currently sits on 23 acres and houses Centennial Hall (a nationally registered historic structure), the school’s oldest building which was constructed in 1916. A historically black college, Edward Waters College is currently a private, Christian, liberal arts college, is the oldest black college in Florida. It is a member of the United Negro College Fund.

Edward Waters College initially opened its doors as Brown Theological Institute. The school was forced to close for most of the 1870s due to financial difficulties, but re-opened in 1883 with an extended educational program. It also adopted its current name which honors the third bishop of the AME church. The college was destroyed in Great (Jacksonville) Fire of 1901, the largest urban fire in southeast United States. Three years later in 1904 the AME church began rebuilding the college. For the majority of the College’s years of operation, the AME Church also raised money to clear the school’s debt and construct most of the buildings on the College’s campus.

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