FORT PIERCE — On Nov. 10, 2018, members of the Laura Riding Jackson Foundation unanimously approved a future site recommendation for the historic Laura Riding Jackson house. Two weeks later, on Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018, the Indian River State College District Board of Trustees unanimously accepted the proposal to relocate the structure on its Mueller Campus in Vero Beach. The Foundation anticipates moving the celebrated homestead during summer 2019.
“Members of the Laura Riding Jackson board are delighted with this outcome,” says Laura Riding Jackson Foundation Board Chair, Marie Stiefel. “The IRSC Vero Beach campus is an ideal location. It not only offers a new level of amenities for our guests, it provides a new level of stability for the Foundation, allowing us to become creative again and focus on the myriad ways we can expand service to the community.”
The house will be situated on approximately one acre of land between the Brackett Library and the Schumann Center, on what is currently the western end of the IRSC Mueller Campus. Guests will benefit from enhanced amenities such as ample paved parking, nearby restrooms, beautiful landscaping, lighting and security, and meeting spaces for workshops and events. The active, centrally located campus—serviced regularly by GoLine—provides increased accessibility and visibility for Laura Riding Jackson Foundation activities.
“The partnership with the Laura Riding Jackson Foundation is one of infinite possibilities,” affirms Casey Lunceford, IRSC Provost, Indian River County. “We envision synergies with college-level classes on topics such as literature, literacy, environment, history and education; service learning opportunities for our students; and enhanced programming for adult learners and community patrons.” The Foundation board is planning a celebratory way to mark the move and engage the community throughout the process. Details will be released in coming weeks.
About the Laura Riding Jackson House and the Laura Riding Jackson Foundation:
The Laura Riding Jackson house is an example of a disappearing architectural style and a symbol of a more environmentally sensitive, way of life. Constructed in 1910, it serves as a good example of Florida’s historic “cracker” style of vernacular architecture. The mission of the Laura Riding Jackson Foundation is to preserve and interpret the historic home of poet Laura Riding Jackson and promote literary programs that nurture passion for the written word. A primary mission is to preserve the 1910 homestead of Laura Riding Jackson both as an example of environmentally sensitive Florida architecture and as a valued emblem of her significant contributions made in a life devoted to language and literature. The Foundation sponsors public programs that focus on literature, history and the relationship of man and environment. Among these are Teen Writers Workshops, an annual Poetry & Barbecue outdoor reading, Poetry Open Mic, an Oral History Program, a summer writing camp for Middle School students, Adult Writing Workshops and multiple day retreats to work with a published author.
About IRSC and Mueller Campus:
Indian River State College is a public, comprehensive college with a nationally recognized commitment to helping students succeed. The College was selected out of 1,000 colleges nationwide as a Top Three College and Finalist with Distinction for the prestigious Aspen Prize for Excellence and designated an Achieving the Dream Leader College for support of students from enrollment to employment. Over 30,000 people enroll in IRSC courses each year, attracted by the College’s combination of quality, convenience and affordable tuition. The 141-acre Mueller Campus was established in 1976 as the first Indian River State College branch campus. Located at 6155 College Lane in Vero Beach, Mueller Campus offers daytime, evening and weekend classes leading toward Associate in Arts and Associate in Science Degrees, as well as customized industry training, and technology and professional certification programs. The Richardson Center at Mueller Campus is a unique entrepreneurial center and houses the Fielden Institute for Lifelong Learning and the Culinary Institute of the Treasure Coast. Mueller Campus is also home to the Brackett Library, a joint-use facility partnership with the Indian River County Library System.
For more information, visit www.irsc.edu.
This article was distributed through Treasure Coast Business, a news service for the readers and advertisers of Indian River Magazine.