Page 16 - 08.11.2025 Council Packet

HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE

This community center is a deferred dream and soon to be realized for many members of the
Town of Berlin. "Bringing this project to life has been an inspirational dream for our community—one
that was long overdue. Though past challenges delayed its progress, the new center will restore a lost
asset and become a tremendous resource for future generations. From children to senior citizens, it
will serve as a place of enjoyment, education, and enlightenment. With the dedication of key
contributors such as Dale Smack, Sr., Patrick Henry, Gabe Purnell, and Diana Purnell, and countless
others, we look forward to moving this vision forward and creating an engaging, welcoming space for
all." – The Honorable James N. Mathias Jr.

Located on the site of the historic Flower Street School, the proposed location of the
Community Center has important historical significance. Flower Street School dates back to 1869
and was one of the first five African American schools in Worcester County. In the late 1920s, the
original schoolhouse was replaced by a state-of-the-art building, one that served African American
Students in the north part of the County until desegregation in the late 1960s. Worcester County
holds the infamous designation as the last County in Maryland, and among the last 25 counties in the
nation, to finally desegregate in 1970. The history and meaning of The Flower Street School will be
inexorably tied up in the space and function of the new Berlin Community Center, as it seeks to serve
many of the descendants of the same community in the historic Town of Berlin. The memory of the
school and the education it provided is fresh in the minds of many of our local citizens and the plan to
include this rich history as part of the Community Center’s design is vital to preserving our shared
Worcester County heritage.

Figure 1: The original Flower Street School

08.11.25 Council Packet Page 16 of 140
TOWN OF BERLIN COMMUNITY CENTER: FEASIBILITY STUDY 1