SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. — As one of only two surviving Black homesteading communities in the entire nation, residents in the Sumter County community of Royal are petitioning to be added to the National Register of Historic Places.

While the community initially supported the Florida State Historic Preservation Office’s nomination, a descendant of a founding family member said the state failed to adequately justify the boundaries of the Royal Historic District. Now members are petitioning to get the proper recognition.

A picture worth a thousand words, and for Beverly Steele, the community of Royal is more than what it appears. After the Civil War ended, formerly enslaved people came to the community of Royal after obtaining 40-acre or more parcels under the Homestead Act of 1862. Many of the families still in the community can trace their lineage back to the founding families of Royal, including Steele. In the historic center is a portrait of her aunt.

“Just hold to God’s unchaining hand," Steele said. "That’s what kept them, that’s what led them, that’s what propelled them to hold onto what they had and be able to pass down that through the generations. That’s what I think of when i see this picture of her."

Steele is spearheading the push for Royal to become Florida’s first Rural Historic District to be added the National Register of Historic Places.

“We’re talking about not just Royal’s history, we’re talking about a nation’s history," she said. "Because we’re talking about intergenerational wealth that has been passed down to the descendants of those original four founders."

But with encroaching development in the surrounding area, Steele told Spectrum News that the boundaries of Royal are in question, which has forced the nomination process to come to a halt.

“I want the history to be true, correct and on-point,” she said.

The national recognition won’t stop development from happening within the community, but for Steele it’s properly recognizing Royal that matters. She said she hopes to work with the Florida State Historic Preservation Office and residents of Royal to ensure the boundaries of the community are correct.