Dedicated To Keeping Tallahassee As The State’s Capital
Springtime Tallahassee, Inc. was chartered as an organization dedicated to keeping Tallahassee as the state’s capital. In 1967, Florida had its first Legislature based on reapportionment when Southern and Central Florida Legislators suggested moving the capitol to Orlando. Local business and civic leaders met behind closed doors to map their strategy to keep the state’s capital in Tallahassee.
The legislative delegation asked for help. At a luncheon of the Tallahassee Real Estate Association in May, the speaker suggested: “We should have a festival in the spring when Tallahassee is so beautiful!” By the fall, more than 20 groups were planning the First Annual Spring Festival March-April 1968. As a result, the Legislature historically chose to keep our state’s capital in Tallahassee.
With the passing of each festival, Springtime Tallahassee has grown a little bigger and better through the dedication of its community-minded members. Since 1968, Springtime Tallahassee continues to showcase and celebrate our Capital city!
Springtime Tallahassee is a civic organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Tallahassee’s history. The original home and meeting place of the organization was the David S. Walker Library located in downtown Tallahassee. The building was built in 1903 and was named after David S. Walker, Governor of Florida from 1865-1868 and the founder of Tallahassee’s first library. The Walker library was a functioning library until 1976 and then was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Springtime Tallahassee members raised the funds necessary to restore the building and it remained open to the public for viewing until 2019 when it was sold.
