A Century-Old Lifeline: Welbourne Preschool Endures Amid Loss of Black Landmarks
As change continues on Winter Park’s west side, a preschool that opened in 1927 continues to provide a heartbeat for the neighborhood
Nov. 24, 2025
By Beth Kassab
On Sundays, you can find the Rev. Ronald Critton preaching at Bethel Baptist Church, one of Winter Park’s oldest historically Black sanctuaries.
But more than 65 years ago, Critton started out just steps across Welbourne Avenue from his pulpit as one of the tiny voices on the playground of the Welbourne Nursery and Preschool, once known as the Winter Park Day Nursery Association for Colored Children.
“I do recall the merry-go-round,” Critton told a group gathered recently at a celebration of Welbourne’s history and a fundraiser for its future. “Back then, being a young Black kid, we weren’t allowed to be in certain environments, and that was the only school for us … I felt that I was loved and cared for.”
On Winter Park’s west side — where old homes and buildings disappear almost as quickly as parking spots along Park Avenue at Christmastime — the Welbourne has remained a beating heart of the historically Black neighborhood for nearly 100 years.
This year, Hannibal Square, founded in 1881 by free Black families who worked for the city’s wealthy white winter residents, lost the Gardens at DePugh Nursing Center.
The first licensed facility for Black seniors, dating back to 1956, announced in September that it would close — the latest in a wave of redevelopment over the last two decades as land values have soared.
But the Welbourne, which opened in 1927, continues to buck the odds.
Executive Director Latonya Pelt said the school’s mission is too important to let go. She is grateful for a group of loyal supporters, including alumni like Critton, who have helped raise about $70,000 toward the school’s $100,000 goal. Local business leaders such as Gary Lambert of Gary Lambert Salon on Park Avenue and Rick Baldwin, founder of Baldwin-Fairchild Funeral Homes and Cemeteries and now operator of Baldwin Brothers Funeral & Cremation Society, were recognized among key supporters at the recent event.
“I tell our teachers all the time — we care beyond the classroom,” Pelt said. “We care if the children are hungry, if they need anything. We are all a village.”
The Welbourne provides child care and preschool for free or on a sliding scale based on a family’s income. Full tuition for an infant is $315 per week and decreases to $170 per week for a 4-year-old.
The school currently serves 53 children, from infants to age 4 and is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The fundraising campaign helps provide reduced tuition for qualifying families and increase teacher salaries to reduce turnover. Payroll is the school’s biggest expense but also its greatest asset.
“It’s not a high-paying industry,” Pelt said. “We want to make sure we keep qualified teachers.”
Minnie Woodruff remembers one such teacher from when she attended Welbourne before graduating at age 4 in 1943.
Rick Baldwin talks with Mary Daniels, who once worked as a teacher at the school and later served as president of its board, and Mayor Sheila DeCiccio.
At the recent gathering, she recalled Mrs. Richardson, whom she described as “the teacher, the cook, and if you got sick she would blow your nose.”
Woodruff went on to attend Spelman College and graduate school and enjoyed a long career as an educator. She credits the preschool with helping lay a solid foundation for herself and her seven siblings in a segregated world.
That work continues today, though the school now draws families from a broader area than just Winter Park. Many parents choose Welbourne because they work in Winter Park or face long waiting lists for subsidized child care elsewhere.
“The average two-parent working family in the U.S. cannot afford high-quality childcare,” said Sharon Carnahan, who serves on Welbourne’s board of directors and recently retired from Rollins College as a psychology professor and executive director of the Hume House Child Development and Student Research Center.
Critton, the pastor at New Bethel, said he hopes more Welbourne graduates find their way back to supporting the school and the neighborhood, where he recently became a resident once again.
“It’s been full circle for me,” he said.
WinterParkVoiceEditor@gmail.com
Mrs. Lawson and Mrs. Phillips, both teachers at Welbourne, are pillars of the community and dedicated professionals who taught generations of Winter Park residents. My own daughters are products of their dedication to pre Kindergarten education.
I enjoyed reading this profile of a local organization doing good things. It is nice to find a cause to support.
Thank you for this beautiful story. It has brightened my day.
What an inspiring article! As a proud grad of Welbourne, I can absolutely attest to how big a difference this school and its teachers made in my life.
Many years after I left Welbourne and Winter Park, I met many families who reminded me of my early years. My mother worked hard to support a large family, yet all of us attended Welbourne. The difference was kindergarten was free when I grew up. Some families today are forced to make tough choices, including whether they can afford to pay for preschool and kindergarten.
I made a commitment to help other children in need because I know how important early childhood is in instilling a belief and ability to envision a better tomorrow.
The school, the people, the children the heart of our community is so overwhelming with what it brings to the table to help families to be who they need to be. I am so fortunate to have found this niche and I get to be a part of it I thank you so much for working so hard to keep this alive and thriving. My hat and heart off to u all make this commitment.
Mrs Claireta Cobb was my kindergarten teacher. She taught us values and respect for everyone. God bless the Melbourne day care . So happy it is still here in winter park .
Thank you all.
Wonderful story inspiring!