Our Story

The history of the Florence Museum begins, in part, with the Florence chapter of the National League for Women’s Service. During World War I, the NLWS established and operated the Blue Bird Tea Room, a kitchen and dining room, which raised funds assist the American Red Cross during World War I. When the tea room closed at the end of the war, the remaining funds were set aside for a worthwhile project.

In 1924, while visiting Phoenix, Arizona, Miss Jane Beverly Evans learned that a Santa Fe Museum was willing to sell Native American pottery from its collection to another museum. Because Florence did not have a museum, the Sante Fe Museum refused to sell the collection to Miss Jane Evans. Not to be outdone, she contacted the Blue Bird Tea Room group asking them to organize a museum and forward the remaining tea room funds to her so that she could purchase the first items for the collection. Shortly afterwards, Miss Evans was authorized to purchase this important collection of pueblo pottery on behalf of the new Florence Museum.

“My idea is to give something of educational value to children, children who never have a chance to see anything authentic… This museum will mean so much to them.”

-Jane B. Evans, 1924