“LaFrance Hotel: Havens of Joy” will be the featured exhibition at the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum from November 1, 2025 – January 3, 2026, as the first of a series of exhibits spotlighting historical spaces in South Florida.
Co-curated by Violet Asmara Tafari, the exhibit is based on The LaFrance book and the enduring Patrick family legacy. (1) Charles and Francina Patrick were the first black family to own and operate a hotel in the Delray Beach community. It is now affordable, senior-living housing that preserves its longtime service to the Black community of Delray Beach.
During segregation, the hotel served Black people who were migrant workers, service workers and musicians, some of whom learned of it through The Green Book.
Through threaded memories and stories stitched across generations, the exhibit journeys into the legacy of the LaFrance Hotel. Drawing from archival research and the fashion of the era, the show explores the lived experiences of those who found refuge and joy within its walls. “Havens of Joy” honors that lineage, a time of resilience and resistance.
Visit – www.spadymuseum.com
(1) Danciu, Parker and Clio Admin. “LaFrance Hotel (Delray Beach 1949-1972).” Clio: Your Guide to History. December 17, 2017. Accessed July 29, 2025. https://theclio.com/entry/52319
