by James Coulter
A prominent resident who played a vital role in the preservation and recognition of a local historic landmark was honored by the City of Bartow.
At their regular meeting on Mon. Aug 4, the Bartow City Commission presented an official proclamation to Clifton Lewis, director and curator of the Historic L.B. Brown House Museum and president of the Neighborhood Improvement Corporation of Bartow Inc.
Since moving to Bartow in 1989, Lewis (affectionately known as Cliff) has had a “distinguished career” with “visionary leadership” through many local boards and organizations, including the Habitat for Humanity of East Polk County, the Bartow Chamber of Commerce, First Missionary Baptist Church, and Bartow Rotary Club.
His most significant milestone was with the preservation and recognition of the L.B. Brown House Museum, a historic landmark built in 1892 by former slave Lawrence Bernard Brown, which is listed on the National Register for Historic Places and honored in the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture.
Aside from this proclamation from the city, Lewis has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the Polk Arts and Cultural Hall of Fame 2023, Citizen of the Year award, and the Medal of Honor from the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, which is his proudest achievement.
Born in Louisiana, Lewis is a proud U.S. Army Veteran, who served as an Army Signal Corp. high-speed radio and crypto operator from 1961 to 1963, including a tour in Korea.
His proclamation states: “Following his honorable discharge, he became the first African American telephone man in Washington, DC for the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company in 1963, where he participated in and supported landmarks civil rights advancements including logistical assistance during the Poor People’s Campaign of 1968.”
A devoted family man, Lewis is married to Linda Ray Washington Lewis, with whom he has two children and eight grandchildren.
“His unwavering commitment to faith, family, and community exemplifies the highest ideals of citizenship, inspiring others through his actions grounded in love, forgiveness, and compassion, and fostering progress and unity for current and future generations of Bartow residents,” his proclamation read.
Bartow Mayor Tanya L. Tucker expressed her honor in presenting the proclamation to Lewis, whose many accomplishments in the community she considers more than worthy of recognition.
“You have brought so much to this community,” she said. “I think a lot of people do not realize all the things you have done, a lot of it behind the scenes. There are a lot of things that would not happen or would not exist without you and what you contribute to the city…We owe you a great deal, and we are grateful you are part of our community, and you are a citizen of Bartow, and we love you.”
Lewis thanked his family, his community, and, most importantly, his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for allowing him to have accomplished as much as he has for the city. He boasted how he had even more to accomplish, even despite a recent heart attack, from which he was released from hospice care two weeks ago.
“I feel like we have done nothing more than put one foot in front of the other and move forward,” he said. “Seeing that it was that easy, I get confused sometimes why people make so much of a hullabaloo over the few things we have achieved, but I would really be a fraud if I did not give credit where credit is due.”
