The St. Tammany Historical Society is holding its first meeting tomorrow for the first time at the newly opened museum/ visitor center at Fontainebleau State Park… and you’re invited.

The meeting is open to the public and will begin around 6 p.m. with refreshments on hand. Following the meet and greet at 6, “Everyday Life in Colonial West Florida” will be presented by special guest Lee Smith.

Smith, a Louisiana native who received her bachelors and masters degrees from LSU, is currently pursuing her doctorate at Tulane University in New Orleans. Her studies involve the history of colonial America, specifically focusing on race, religion and community development in the colonial Deep South. Her dissertation explores the interracial family relationships during the late 18th and early 19th century in West Florida, Society President Robin Perkins said, which is what she will be discussing at the meeting using a Powerpoint presentation.

This will be the first time a social event will be conducted in the visitor’s center at the state park, Perkins said.

“In the past we’ve gone to different restaurants or country clubs but that was too expensive. This is a nice opportunity for the park to get some publicity and for the public to enjoy the wonderful facility,” Perkins said.

The facility was recently completed after the construction was put on hold due to Katrina. The meeting quarters boast couches, lounge chairs, lamps and a large fireplace.

The event is free but entrance into the park, located off U.S. Highway 190 near Mandeville, is $1 per person. The visitor center is on the main road about half a mile into the park. The St. Tammany Historical Society, aimed at collecting and disseminating historical information about the parish, has been around for 40 years now, Perkins said. With about 100 members, the nonprofit group puts out publications annually dealing with historical aspects of St. Tammany. The latest was a book on Bernard de Marigny published in 2006. The upcoming text is a book about St. Tammany, the man and the myth, Perkins said.

For more information, contact Perkins at 809-8746.