The City of Homestead and the Historic Homestead Town Hall Museum will host a Lighting Ceremony and Memorial for former Homestead Vice Mayor and Museum Director Ruth Campbell on Friday, June 28th from 7:00pm until 9:00pm at the Historic Homestead Town Hall Museum (43 North Krome Avenue, Homestead, Florida). Guests will enjoy a Museum Open House with wine, soft drinks, and light hors d’oeuvres, followed by a ceremonial lighting of the Museum in honor of Ms. Campbell.
Ruth Campbell came to Homestead in 1942 from Detroit, Michigan. She quickly rose to prominence in the Homestead community and was elected to the Homestead City Council in 1963. In subsequent elections, she also became the City’s first female Vice Mayor. In 1967, she became the first President of the Chamber of Commerce. She also served as the Dade League of Cities President from 1991 to 1993 and was on the Board of the Florida League of Cities. Ms. Campbell is also credited with spearheading the effort to preserve Homestead’s first Town Hall as a museum, later becoming the Director of the same establishment until her retirement in June 2017.
About the Historic Homestead Town Hall Museum
This historic structure was constructed in 1917, and is on both the local and the national registries of historic buildings. It served as the City of Homestead Council Chambers, Police Department, and Fire House until City Hall moved in 1975. After the city vacated the old Town Hall, it was used as a Senior Citizens Center and a State of Florida Department of Corrections, Bureau of Probation and Parole, office. In 1980, at the behest of local merchants seeking to increase parking along Krome Avenue, the City Council resolved to demolish the structure. Thanks to donations from community members opposed to the demolition and a state grant for historic preservation, the building was restored and turned into a museum that opened to the public in 1994. Currently, it houses historical artifacts, photographs of early families and places, and a library and archives open to researchers. Learn more at www.townhallmuseum.org.