Document Type

Oral History

Publication Date

5-21-2025

Biography

Fairolyn H. Livingston ’83 is known as the “institutional memory of Winter Park’s west side,” where she was born and raised by what she lovingly refers to as a village. She earned her bachelor’s degree in humanities from Rollins’ Hamilton Holt School, is a retired human service specialist with the State of Florida, and has been associated with the Heritage Center since it opened in 2007, becoming its chief historian in 2014. In 1997, Livingston received the Rhea Marsh and Dorothy Lockhart Smith Research Grant—awarded annually by Rollins’ Olin Library in partnership with the Winter Park Public Library—to support research related to local history. In 2018, Winter Park Magazine featured Livingston as one of the city’s 10 “Most Influential People” for her contributions to preserving and understanding Central Florida’s African American history.

As the chief historian of the Hannibal Square Heritage Center, Fairolyn Livingston has served on the Photo Collection Team since 2001. She has interviewed over 200 current or former residents to glean their stories about life in the segregated community. She was instrumental in establishing the Center’s Walking Tour to share the rich history of the now gentrified community. She also helped develop the SAGE Project, so Hannibal Square Elders tell their stories. For her contributions to preserving the history of Hannibal Square and the west side the Winter Park, Livingston has received accolades from numerous sources including the Winter Park Unity Festival, and Rollins College’s Fred Rogers Global Citizenship Award. Fairolyn enjoys learning more about Black History, traveling, visiting museums, and attending Broadway Shows. She also enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and her church.

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Fairolyn H. Livingston

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