Frenchtown is an historical section of Tallahassee

Tallahassee, Florida

Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...

, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

Origin

Frenchtown originated from 19th century settler

Settler

A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...

s who moved to the area from France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

. Their relocation was prompted by the July 4, 1825 Lafayette Land Grant

Lafayette Land Grant

The Lafayette Land Grant was a gift by the government of the United States of just over of real estate in central Leon County, Florida, United States.-Origins:...

 which gave Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette a township in the U.S. of his choice. Many of his acquaintance came over and began to carry on with their lives.

History

The Frenchtown area was home to those French settlers that did not move west to New Orleans or back to France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

. After the Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

, African-Americans moved to the Frenchtown section. From the early 20th century this area became a hub of activity with growing businesses. From 1940—1945, Ray Charles

Ray Charles

Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...

 lived in this community. Nat Adderley

Nat Adderley

Nathaniel Adderley was an American jazz cornet and trumpet player who played in the hard bop and soul jazz genres. He was the brother of saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley....

 and brother Cannonball Adderley were known to have played here in their younger days. Both Nat and Cannonball are buried here. The Red Bird Club and Cafe DeLuxe in Frenchtown provided a wealth of musical talent with "Lawyer Smith and his Band" having been here for 30 years. The 1960s became a period of decline for Frenchtown with increases in crime. In April 2005, the Frenchtown Renaissance Center was completed and revitalization started with little success.

Location

Frenchtown is located northwest of downtown Tallahassee. The boundaries are generally accepted to be Seventh Avenue and Alabama Street to the north, Bronough Street to the east, Tennessee Street to the south and Woodward Avenue to the west. Old Bainbridge Road bisects Frenchtown north to south.