Founded in 2008, HHPS offers monthly meetings, guest lectures, and historic tours. The efforts of organizing historic preservation in Hernando County can be originally traced to that of Virginia Jackson in the late 1970’s and early 80’s. The Hernando Historical Museum Association Inc. was founded to “collect, preserve, restore, arrange, and display articles depicting pioneer life in the County of
Hernando and State of Florida.” Her efforts led to the current museums in Hernando County, including the May-Stringer Museum, the 1885 Train Depot Museum, and the Countryman One Room School House Museum. By 2006, Dr. Roger Landers, a historian with the Museum Association, stated: “There are a few efforts around the county to preserve local history. There’s the May-Stringer Hernando Heritage Museum on Museum Court & there’s Bob Martinez’s publication Old Brooksville in Photos & Stories. But it is not enough.” (St. Pete Times article: Know Thy County is historian’s goal for us: He fears that local history is being forgotten, so he hopes to form a historical committee, by Asjylyn Loder, published May 20, 2006). Dr. Lander’s goal was to establish the Hernando Historical Advisory Board Committee, to be appointed by the Hernando County Commission. He added, “ It could even be a private commission or foundation that relies on grants. “ However, this goal never came to fruition, since “the board [Hernando County Commission] decided to hold off in case such a committee came with unforeseen costs.”
In the Spring of 2008, at an event sponsored by FPAN (Florida Public Archaeology Network), Dr. Roger Landers again suggested that a new organization be founded in Hernando County, whose focus would be on the preservation of Hernando county’s historical/cultural resources. The Hernando County Museum Director, Virginia Jackson, supported this Preservation Society to meet at the 1885 Train Depot Museum. By May of 2008, the attending meeting participants formed a sub-committee to draft a charter for approval. This effort was led by Mr. David Letasi (PreHistorian/Paleontologist retired from MOSI (Musuem of Science & Industry in Tampa), who would become the group’s first President. On July 16, 2008, the newly created charter was passed into adoption and formally started The Hernando Preservation Society, also known also as Hernando Past (Preservation A Sacred Trust). This newly formed organization functioned as a committee (chair) of the Hernando Historical Museum Association Inc., until 2011, when the Preservation Society became a separate and independent non-profit corporation under the laws of the State of Florida.
