By Salma Dhalla
Herald Correspondent
Many people may have heard of the name Castle Brewer Court, but not everyone knows the
history behind it. Castle Brewer was an important figure in Sanford’s community, and his life reflects a larger story of freedom and faith.
Castle Brewer was born on December 25, 1853, in South Carolina, during slavery. This means he spent the first part of his life enslaved before freedom came after the Civil War. Like many formerly enslaved African Americans, Brewer later moved to Florida in search of opportunity and became part of Sanford’s growing community.
Brewer later became known as Reverend Castle Brewer, meaning he served as a pastor of the St. Paul Baptist Church in Georgetown. During this time, Black churches were important community spaces that offered leadership, support, and connection for families.
Brigitte Stephenson, Curator at the Sanford Museum, gave some insight on who Castle Brewer was as a community leader and figure.
“In both Georgetown and Goldsboro, the churches were important places for spiritual learning. [Castle Brewer] was a leader of spiritual education of the Black community in Sanford for a huge period of time,” Stephenson explains. Brewer’s family legacy continued through later generations, including his grandson Charles Gray, who became a teacher in Sanford during segregation. His family’s story shows how one generation’s strength can impact the next.
Years after his death, Sanford honored Brewer by naming a housing development called Castle Brewer Court after him in 1951. This public housing community was built for African American families during segregation, becoming home to many Sanford residents for decades. This development has since been demolished many years ago.
Stephenson explains why Castle Brewer was chosen to be honored through the housing development: “There was a woman named Josephine Strawn who was from British Guiana and came to the United States. She actually did the evangelical circuit throughout the United States but her home base was here in Sanford. She was living with Reverend Castle Brewer and his wife.”
Stephenson emphasizes that “it’s very possible that Josephine Strawn was not the only person that Castle Brewer [assisted with housing].” When the community was “deciding to make housing in Goldsboro, [Castle Brewer] was a person the community chose because of what he gave back” she also explains.
Castle Brewer’s story is important because it reflects a larger history of struggle, leadership, and resilience in Sanford’s community. His legacy reminds people that local history is shaped by individuals whose lives made a lasting impact.
“So much of Black History is told through the lens of only oppression without names, instead of the people who were able to create safe communities for them, so we have an individual name of this person and I think that’s so important,” Stephenson adds.
