MISSION STATEMENT
For visitors of all ages, the Panama City Publishing Company Museum preserves and exhibits local history, cultural resources, the vintage printing craft, and the stories of George and Lillian West and how they influenced the development of Bay County.
OUR COLLECTIONS AND EXHIBITS
At the museum you will see the personal and business artifacts of the West family, learn about operation of the vintage printing equipment, and enjoy a different exhibit on the gallery wall each month.
George Mortimer West, a writer, promoter, economist, horticulturist, publisher, railroader, attorney, photographer, and entrepreneur, is credited as the founding father of Panama City, developing it into an economically viable city on the shores of St. Andrews Bay. He and his third wife Lillian Carlisle West, built this Panama City Publishing Company building in 1920, in the heart of historic St. Andrews.
The building served as the home of Panama City’s first newspapers, including the Panama City Pilot, the St. Andrews Bay News, and Lynn Haven Free Press. They also did commercial job printing such as letterhead, invoices, envelopes, etc. West died in 1926, and “Miss Lillian,” continued to run the business. She was an extraordinary businesswoman for her time, and the first woman registered to vote in St. Andrews. Miss Lillian sold the newspapers to John Perry, owner of the Panama City Herald in 1937, and he merged the papers into the current Panama City News Herald.
In addition to photos, newspapers, and documents, produced by Mr. West, the building houses more than 70 major historical items, including original printing presses and office furnishings, which were still in use by Mr. West’s great-great grandson Charles (Buddy) West, who operated the business until the City of Panama City purchased the building in October 2005, restored it, and opened it as a museum in 2008.
Additional Resources:
HISTORIC GUIDED WALKING TOUR
Learn more about the St. Andrews community by taking a guided walking tour of the historic area.
Tours begin at 1 p.m. every Wednesday and Friday at the Museum.
You can also learn the history of more of Florida’s most unique cities and communities by downloading the free walking tour app produced by Florida Stories! The app can be downloaded for all iOS and Android devices or viewed on the web.
BECOME A VOLUNTEER
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer please complete our volunteer application.
Examples of a projects volunteers assist with are:
Museum Docent — greet visitors and share the history of the museum as well as St. Andrews. No experience necessary!
Press On Print Shop – Learn the printing craft using the type, plates, and 1915 press. Express your creativity! There are also print shop organizing tasks to help make it run more efficiently. Assist in hands-on crafts and demonstrations when groups are scheduled.
Collections and Exhibits – Monthly exhibits are developed for the temporary display wall and volunteers are welcome to join us. An annual schedule of topics is planned, then research into old newspapers and photos is conducted, and exhibits are developed. Volunteers also manage the archived document collection.
Museum Operations and Procedures – Volunteers perform a variety of projects and tasks for the museum based on the Museum’s Management Plan.
DONATE TO THE MUSEUM
Monetary support from donors helps continue our work to enure preservation for years to come and that our area continues to inspire and educate visitors from around the world. Please see our donate page to make a monetary donation.
If you have an artifact that matches our collection’s time frame and purpose, we would love to consider incorporating it into the collection. Please contact us to discuss your item and our Museum Committee will determine whether your piece would fit into our collection.
Another way to make a difference at the Panama City Publishing Company Museum is to sponsor the restoration of an artifact at the Museum.
Finally, the Panama City Publishing Company Museum has an ever-changing wish list with operations, preservation, and educational needs. Financial, artifact, and wish list items can be gifted as a tax deduction.
For more information regarding tax-deductible gifts, please contact Executive Director Lisa Barnes-Tapscott at 850-872-7208 or Museum@HistoricStAndrews.com.
