Black History Driving Tour in Oxford, Ohio

The Black community has a rich and important history in Oxford, Ohio. After over a year of research and writing, Enjoy Oxford has published their Black History Self Guided Tour — you can stop by the Enjoy Oxford Office for a hard copy of the guide, or download one here. It is through this self-guided tour that Oxford aims to keep these important historical events, people, and memories alive.

This article includes excerpts from the original article by Taylor Meredith at Enjoy Oxford 

Black History Driving Tour

There are a total of 16 different stops along the tour. For further information and history on each stop, head over to Enjoy Oxford's full guide. 

How to use this guide: The letter next to each title and description corresponds with the letter on the map. Some locations on the tour will not have a clear place to pull over if you are driving, so please exercise caution and park in the closest parking lot if you wish to stop to observe the location more closely. The tour takes roughly one hour to complete.

Stop A: Bethel A.M.E. Church | 14 S. Beech St.

Stop B: First Baptist Church | 14 E. Vine St.

Stop C: Cephas Burns House | 310 N. Main St.

Stop D: Richard Burns House | 314 N. Main St.

Stop E: Sycamore Car Wash | 9 E. Sycamore St.

Stop F: God's House of Praise and Worship | 100 Homestead Ave.

Stop G: Knoxy’s Delicatessen | 209 E. Sycamore St.

Stop H: Lewis Place | 310 E. High St.

Stop I: Freedom Summer Memorial | 650 Western College Dr.

Stop J: Maurice Rocco Burial Place | Burial near parents in Woodside Cemetery

Stop K: McGuffey Laboratory School | 216 E. Spring St.

Stop L: Oxford Panthers Basketball Team | 101 E. High St.

Stop M: Oxford Public School  | 115 W. Spring St. This site is now Stewart Square

Stop N: Elm Street Christian Church | 300 W. Withrow St.

Stop O: Peter Bruner House | 319 W. Withrow St.

Stop P: Oxford Municipal Pool in Roosevelt Park | 6192 Contreras Rd. This property now belongs to the Oxford Country Club

Acknowledgments

Information gathered and summarized by Taylor Meredith at Enjoy Oxford.

Thank you to Valerie Elliot at the Smith Library of Regional History for providing information and assistance.

For a print copy of the driving tour, please visit the Enjoy Oxford office at 14 W. Park Place, Suite C.

For more information on Oxford history, visit:

The Smith Library of Regional History
441 S. Locust St.
(513) 523-3035