The Bing Rooming House Museum in Plant City was named after its late owner, Janie Wheeler Bing. The structure was built in 1928 as a rooming house to provide overnight accommodations to African Americans who visited Plant City. The Seminole Restaurant was later added on the south side of the property in 1931. The museum is owned and operated by the nonprofit group Improvement League of Plant City, CDC.
“I became involved with the Bing Rooming House because I always love the underdog,” said William Thomas Jr. of the Bing House. “The house was in horrible condition and the city had voted against keeping it, but I knew it needed to be preserved because it’s a part of Plant City history.”
Many local organizations came together to save the beautiful house.
“The Improvement League of Plant City and other local organizations come together to save it and restore it,” Thomas said. “Today, the Bing Rooming House of Plant City is owned and operated by the Improvement League of Plant City. It serves as one of our local museums that is rich in African American history.”
Bing operated the Bing Rooming House and Seminole Restaurant in the eastern half of the store, closest to the corner. Bing once said that she “could cook, clean up and deal with customers while still keeping an eye on the children settled in one corner with their lessons.” The earliest city directory (1937-38) available for Plant City lists Elisha L. and Bing at 725 E. Laura St., where they operated a lunchroom.
Anchoring the Laura Street African American Business District, Bing operated the rooming house until 1975, providing overnight accommodations during the era of segregation for various black professionals, including doctors, teachers, entertainers and Negro League baseball players. Bing died on August 16, 1984.
James ‘Jimmy’ Washington was Bing’s grandson. He was born and raised in the Bing House. He is credited with having the vision to preserve the structure as an African American museum in recognition of his grandmother’s accomplishments as a business owner and educator. Washington started his efforts to have the structure recognized as a historic landmark in 1995 and deeded the house to the nonprofit organization Improvement League of Plant City in 1999 to restore through both public and private donors.
Today, the Bing Rooming House Museum is home to historical artifacts and local history, and it hosts various events throughout the year. If you’d like to learn more about the Bing Rooming House Museum, you can visit its website at www.plantcitybinghouse.com. The museum is located at 205 S. Allen St. in Plant City.
