The Chapman House, located at 219 Northwest 8^th Street, was the home and office of Dr. William A. Chapman, Sr., a pioneer black medical doctor who settled in Miami and began his practice in 1914. Born in Marianna, Florida, Dr. Chapman was a graduate of Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. Chapman was the first African American appointed by the Florida Department of Health to travel throughout the state with an educational program.

Designed as an historic site in 1983, the Chapman house has been preserved as the multi-cultural headquarters for Dade County’s school children. Funds to restore the Chapman house were secured from the State of Florida and Dade County Public Schools, largely through the efforts of the Black Archives History and Research Foundation of South Florida, Inc. The Chapman House, a fine example of a well-executed masonry vernacular house of the 1920’s, is perhaps the most elaborate residence remaining today in Miami’s Overtown community.

Opened in April 1993, the Chapman House is currently an ethic heritage children’s folklife education center, open to the public by appointment. Students visiting the Chapman House will have an opportunity to learn about the rich cultural history of the neighborhood as well as the diverse cultural heritage of Dade County.