MEBA Facilities
The Meek-Eaton Black Archives is comprised of three facilities: The Carnegie Library, the Union Bank, and the Expansion Facility.
Facility Rentals Are Not Available At This Time
- The Meek-Eaton Black Archives (MEBA) and Union Bank are available for facility rental for meetings, receptions, seminars, workshops, and other gatherings.
Facility Rentals Are Not Available At This Time
The Meek-Eaton Black Archives (MEBA) and Union Bank are available for facility rental for meetings, receptions, seminars, workshops, and other gatherings.
Please Call (850) 599-3020 For Additional Information.
ROOM/AREA NAME — CAPACITY
Children's Activity Room — 40
Carrie Meek Seminar Room — 15
James N. Eaton, Sr. Seminar Room — 15
Carnegie Library Floor 1 — 25
Conference Room — 15
African Art Gallery — 50
Lecture Room — 50
Gamble Street Portico — 70
Temporary Exhibit Room — 40
Rotunda and Archive Room — 40
About The MEBA Facilities
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I. The Carnegie Library
The Black Archives Research Center and Museum is housed in the historic Carnegie Library, the oldest brick building at Florida A&M University.
Built in 1907 with a $10,000 donation from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie following a fire that destroyed the original library in Duval Hall, it served as FAMU's second library until 1947 when Coleman Library was constructed.
Over the years, it had various uses, including art classes and a religious center. In 1976, it became the founding home of the Black Archives Research Center and Museum, gaining a spot on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. In 1991, the building underwent exterior renovations.
More About the History of Carnegie Library -
II. The Union Bank Facility
The Union Bank, Florida's oldest surviving bank, was constructed in 1841. Initially, it functioned as a planter's bank during Florida's territorial period. Between 1869 and 1874, it served as the home of the 'National Freedmen's Savings and Trust Company,' a bank associated with the Freedman's Bureau, designed to aid emancipated enslaved African Americans and refugees. Its historical significance earned it a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1996, interior renovations were carried out at the Carnegie Library, leading to a collaborative effort with the State of Florida. During this period, the Black Archives established a satellite facility in downtown Tallahassee’s historic Union Bank building.
Today, the Union Bank serves as the location for the Black Archives' Capitol Complex satellite facility.
More About the History of The Union Bank -
III. The Expansion Facility
Over nearly 30 years, public demand for the center's services grew, and generous donations from the public led to overcrowding of the Black Archives’ Carnegie Library facility.
In 1998, a bill sponsored by U.S. Senators Bob Graham and Connie Mack, Congresswoman Carrie Meek, and Congressman Allen Boyd secured federal funds to support the physical expansion of the Black Archives into a regional research facility.In 2005, a state-of-the-art facility, with a construction cost of $7 million, was finished and opened to the public in 2006. With the acceptance of federal funds and matching contributions from the State of Florida, the center expanded its mission to include the southeastern region of Florida. In June 2006, the Florida Legislature officially designated the new expansion facility as the Carrie Meek - James N. Eaton, Sr. Building.
Presently, the two facilities, Carnegie Library and the Expansion Facility, form the Carrie Meek - James N. Eaton, Sr. Southeastern Regional Black Archives Research Center and Museum at Florida A&M University. The center is commonly referred to as the Meek-Eaton Black Archives, often abbreviated as MEBA.
More About the Expansion of The Black Archives