A museum vital to St. Augustine’s Black history is now home to another prominent piece of history. Part of the original Woolworth’s lunch countertop where historic sit-ins were staged is now on display at The Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center.
In July 1963, Black students in St. Augustine staged a sit-in at the segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter on King Street. The students were arrested and charged with public vagrancy and disturbance of the peace.
While the counter where they once protested may look simple enough, the museum’s executive director, Gayle Phillips, says it serves as a powerful symbol of the times.
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