A DRIVE TO RAISE MONEY TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE IS UNDERWAY.
According to the City of Plant City data, Hurricane Milton damaged 1,075 buildings plus 1,056 residences, and caused $21.6 million in flood damage. The Bing Rooming House Museum is one of these statistics.
The museum strives to accurately preserve, interpret, and present Plant City’s African-American history from an African-American perspective. Exhibits, artifacts, storyboards, oral history, and written documents help both American and international visitors better understand the experiences of African-Americans during the era of segregation.
In order for Plant Citians to access federal dollars to renovate the building and list it as a historical site, it had to be owned by a non-profit. In 1999, the owner, Jimmy Bing, generously turned the property over to the Improvement League of Plant City even though he lived in the house at the time. The Improvement League oversaw the subsequent renovation and has been running the museum since then. To obtain a designation as a historical site, the renovation had to use the same materials for both the walls and the floors—wood in this case.
When Milton hit, water rose nearly three feet in the first floor of the museum. Since events are held on the property, refrigerators sit in a kitchen for food. When people came in to assess the damage post-Milton, the refrigerators were still floating. The oak flooring is a tongue and groove system. The water caused the interlocking boards to swell and form four-inch high pyramids in several places in all of the rooms. For safe stepping while recovering historical items, many boards were removed so the remaining flooring would lay flat. The walls of the museum are wood, so once those dried out, the damage done was less than it would have been for drywall. The flooding also took a toll on furniture and display cabinets. The precious photos and papers inside the cabinets suffered the worst destruction.
Estimates of the cost to repair the museum and prevent future flooding are $200,000. In addition to fixing the damage, the plan is to raise the foundation by four feet to keep it above any flood. The cost can break down to 4,000 donations of $25.00. “We are trying to get 4,000 donors of $25 dollars each for two reasons,” Bill Thomas, chairman of the Improvement League Finance Committee, said. “Number one, the amount of money would be significant. But the greater thing is the number of people that would take interest and get involved. That sends a message to our politicians, but it sends a message to the community, too, about how important this is.” The Improvement League will seek matching grants and city, county, and state funding.
The museum is currently closed to visitors due to the damage from Hurricane Milton. However, the Improvement League’s Veterans Assistance Program is still in place. On Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., local military veterans can stop by the Bing House and receive free assistance in applying for veteran benefits. Local resident, Hampton George, who retired from the U.S. Army, has assisted more than 3,000 veterans since October 2020. There is no need for an appointment. Also, on Tuesday mornings, a food pick up opens on the site for local veterans.
Limited private tours are available to review damage prior to making contributions. To set up an appointment, call 813-757-6760. To support the repairs, go to https://www.plantcitybinghouse.com and use the QR code next to the photo of the flooded museum. The theme of the campaign is “Preserve – Interpret – Present.” There are options for donors to give more than $25 and have their names recognized on an enlarged display.
