Dr. Joseph Wiley Jenkins
Pharmacist Joseph Jenkins
Courtesy The Palm Beach Post
In 1946 the Jenkins built a two-story house at 1117 Division Avenue, West Palm Beach, with columns and a balcony in the plantation style of Roberta’s native North Carolina. Building materials came from Winter Haven, Florida, and all the construction was done by black contractors. The Jenkins home became a meeting place for West Palm Beach’s black society.
The City of West Palm Beach bought the house to save it from demolition and relocated it to a vacant lot at 815 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd. After renovations, it opened in 2001 as headquarters for the Artists Showcase of the Palm Beaches, exhibition space for culturally diverse artists. "We're going to teach kids about their heritage through art," said Willie James, the museum's executive director.