NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — The old schoolhouse, now home to the West Pasco Historical Society, is more than a century old and survived two hurricanes without a scratch.

“It was touch and go for a while,” Bob Langford said.

Langford is president of the historical society and said he never lost faith that centennial plans for the city of New Port Richey would go ahead as planned, even after the storms caused so much destruction.

“I knew we had put so much work, time and people into it that if there was a way to achieve this, we would do it,” Langford said.

A wall-size painting in the Historical Society museum shows an eastward view of Main Street in 1927.

“It was a very different time then,” Langford said. “People were farming and the orange grove industry was big here.”

Main Street is now filled with new shops and restaurants, including the historic Hacienda Hotel.

They will all be part of the project100th anniversary celebration on Saturday, October 26It will be filled with activities in Sims Park and will culminate in a drone show.

“Our community has suffered greatly from the loss of Helene and the subsequent damage caused by Milton,” New Port Richey Public Information Officer Judy Myers said. he said. “We think this is a great event that the community really needs.”

Many people have spent time in New Port Richey, from Johnny Cash to James Irwin who walked on the moon.

However, everyday faces from the past and present have kept the city alive for 100 years.