Historic Lakeland, Inc.

HLI Sponsors Table for Arts Groups at Chamber Dinner

This year for its annual dinner, the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce chose the theme “We are the Arts” to honor Lakeland’s arts community. Instead of spending money to bring in a speaker for the evening they invited the Imperial Symphony Orchestra to provide a musical program and contributed that money to seven local arts organizations. Those organizations included:

• The Lakeland Community Theater
• Explorations V
• ISO
• Platform
• Polk Museum of Art
• Polk Theatre
• Florida Dance Theater

When Historic Lakeland learned of the Chamber’s plans, they decided to host a table and provide opportunities for staff and board members of some of these organizations to attend at no cost. Historic Lakeland board member Judy Cline was joined by three individuals from Platform, two from Explorations and four from the ISO. The following photo shows the group at the HLI table. The Chamber rolled out the red carpet for Lakeland’s arts organizations. Historic Lakeland, recognizing the vital role these arts organizations play in weaving together the fabric of our community, was happy to participate in this unique tribute.

Annual Meeting a Success

HLI’s annual meeting held at Florida Southern in November was educational, entertaining, and productive. It began with a remembrance of Dr. William Hatten, long time member of Historic Lakeland who passed away in just prior to the meeting. Jean Bunch gave an overview of HLI’s successes over the 30 years since its creation, key among them the Lake Mirror Promenade, Terrace Hotel, and Lake Mirror Tower. A new slate of officers was approved. Roger Haar was reelected for a second term as President; Jean Bunch replaced Dr. Hatten as Treasurer; and Mac Midyette and Tisha Sheldon will continue as Vice President and Secretary. Three new members were elected to the Board: John White, Judy Kline, and Sean Malott. In addition to Dr. Hatton, Jim Malless went off the Board. The election was followed by a humorous ceremony concocted by Jean Bunch: the “Passing of the Tennis Shoe”. She harked back to the old reference of historic preservationists being “little old ladies in tennis shoes.” As a symbol of service, she had one of her old tennis shoes painted gold. It was then passed between all members present who had served as HLI’s President. A total of 12 past presidents were in attendance, representing 17 years of service. After brief comments by President Haar, the meeting adjourned to a wonderful program on the restoration of Frank Lloyd Wright’s buildings on the Florida Southern College campus.

Downtown Lakeland Historic Walking Tours

The popular historic walking tours of downtown Lakeland continue, with two scheduled for spring, 2010. They will occur on Saturday, February 27 and Saturday March 6. They are free and cosponsored by the Downtown Lakeland Partnership. They are conducted by three informative and entertaining guides, John White, Jim Malless, and Jim Studiale. They begin at 9:30 am at Munn Park. They are free and open to people of all ages. To make your reservation, contact the Downtown Partnership at 863-513-3669.

Historic Lakeland’s Annual Meeting – November 12, 2009

Historic Lakeland will be holding their annual meeting on Thursday, November 12, 2009 at Florida Southern College. The meeting will precede the FSC Florida Lecture Series presentation by Mr. Jeff Baker, which is sponsored by HLI. The annual meeting will be held in the Honeyman Pavilion at Branscomb Auditorium. It will begin at 5:30 pm. There will be light refreshments. A brief business meeting will begin at approximately 6:00 pm., which will include election of officers for the coming year. The presentation by Mr. Baker will begin at 7:00 pm in Room 202 at Branscomb.

We are pleased to be able to hold this meeting in conjunction with Mr. Baker’s presentation, which is titled “Discovering and Restoring Frank Lloyd Wright’s Vision for Florida Southern College.” Mr. Baker is an architect with the firm of Mesick, Cohen, Wilson, and Baker Architects of Albany, New York. He is the lead architect for the College’s current restoration of the Wright buildings on campus. Baker will offer a glimpse of the architect’s vision for a “great education temple in Florida.” Baker, who holds a degree in architecture from Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute, has been involved in restoring dozens of historic structures including Monticello, James Madison’s home, Montpelier, the Emily Dickenson Museum in Amherst, Massachusetts, buildings designed by Thomas Jefferson at the University of Virginia, and many others.

We look forward to seeing you at the annual meeting and enjoying Mr. Baker’s presentation.

The Lake Mirror Story 1924 – 2009
A New Video by Historic Lakeland

A new video entitled “The Lake Mirror Story 1924 – 2009” was debuted at a special viewing held Wednesday, June 24, 2009. The video, written and produced for Historic Lakeland by Jean Bunch, one of the founders of Historic Lakeland, recounts the history of the Lake Mirror Promenade and Park from its original construction through today. The video contains numerous historic photos and interviews with persons who played a key role in its preservation. Construction of a road around the Promenade and years of neglect nearly destroyed this Lakeland landmark. In the early 1970’s, hard work by a group of dedicated individuals caused the City to restore the Promenade. This same group was the core of individuals which created Historic Lakeland Inc. Over the years, HLI fought successfully for removal of the road along the south shore of the lake and restoration of the Park. Finally, City efforts in this century, which were assisted by HLI, expanded the Park and made it the gem it is today. A special public viewing of the video as be presented at the July 3 Red White and Kaboom Celebration in the Promenade Logia on the west side of the lake.

This high quality video is available on DVD. It is professionally recorded and narrated. If you are a person who loves history and Lakeland, you should own a copy. It is available for $15.00 per copy through The General Store, 125 S. Kentucky Avenue, and the offices of Hauger Bunch Reality, 415 S. Kentucky Avenue, both located in beautiful downtown Lakeland.

News Clippings about The Lake Mirror Story 1924 – 2009: A New Video by Historic Lakeland

Please click on the images to read each article at The Ledger's website.

2008 Preservation Awards

On May 11, 2009, Historic Lakeland presented its Preservation Awards for residential and commercial work accomplished in 2008. The award ceremony took place at the Danforth Chapel, one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s gems at Florida Southern College in Lakeland. The first item on the agenda was presentation of the Preservationist of the Year award to Dr. Anne Kerr, President of Florida Southern College. Since her appointment in June, 2004, Dr. Kerr has taken a forceful role in the preservation of the Wright architecture on the campus and construction on new buildings that harmonize with the old. Some of the original Wright work that has been restored includes the Esplanades, Water Dome, Annie Pfeiffer Chapel, the Seminars building, and the Ordway building. This year three commercial properties received recognition. The first award was for the renovation of the Mid Florida Credit Union building at 205 S. Florida Avenue. Next was for the historic neon sign installed at the Bank of Central Florida, 101 South Florida Avenue. Finally, an award was presented to the law firm of Valenti, Campbell, Trohn, Tamayo, and Aranda for conversion of a coach house at 1701 South Florida Avenue.

Awards for new residential construction were presented to:

• 603 W. Belmar Street – Hal and Cheryl Samac & Sidney Edgar
• 425 Hunter Street – Thomas Lawrence
• 1828 Cherokee Trail – Brian Herring

Awards for new appurtenant structures were presented to:

• 819 Hancock Street – Rick Nicholson
• 601 Finney Street – John French
• 619 E. Park Street – Bill and Joanne Norden

Awards for restoration of historic structures were presented to:

• 124 Lake Morton Drive – Todd Bayless
• 750 Park Hill – Lauren Langford
• 301 Hillcrest Street – Jim Pickering

Historic Lakeland salutes all the winners for their hard work and outstanding results.

Lakeland City Commission Proclaims Historic Preservation Week, May 3 -9, 2009

At their meeting of Monday May 4, 2009, the Lakeland City Commission proclaimed the week of May 3-9, 2009 as Historic Preservation Week in Lakeland. The proclamation acknowledged the importance of historic preservation and of recognizing and preserving our community’s heritage. HLI President Roger Haar and Board Member Jean Bunch were present to accept on behalf of Historic Lakeland. LaBron Taylor accepted on behalf of the City’s Historic Preservation Board. President Haar thanked them for their past efforts in preservation and again reminded them of the need to preserve the Federal Building. Formal recognition of Preservation Week will take place at the Danforth Chapel, Florida Southern College, on Monday, May 11.

HLI president Roger Haar, Board member Jean Bunch, and Preservation Board member LaBron Taylor accept Preservation Week proclamation. City Commissioners Troller, Verplanck, and Wiggs are in the background.

Directions to Preservation Awards Event - MAY 11, 2009

This year, Historic Lakeland will be holding its Preservation Awards ceremony at the Danforth Chapel, a Frank Lloyd Wright gem, on the campus of Florida Southern College in Lakeland. The event will be on Monday, May 11, 2009 beginning at 5:30 pm. At this meeting, individuals and businesses receive recognition for their efforts in historic preservation over the last year.

Light refreshments will be served. We look forward to seeing you there.

Please see map below for directions.

Polk Theater Showcased on WUSF Florida Matters

Watch the full video that originally aired on April 10, 2009 below.

Historic Lakeland Appears Before Lakeland City Commission Requesting Repairs to the Federal Building.

At their meeting of April 20, 2009, the City Commission heard an appeal from Historic Lakeland to begin repairs of the Old Federal Building’s roof, as soon as possible. President Roger Haar and several Board members, including Jim Malless, Dr. Bill Hatten, Irbye Giddens, Mac Midyette and Anne Wilson represented Historic Lakeland. A PowerPoint presentation was used to illustrate the building’s history and its current deteriorating condition. It appeared the majority of attendees had no idea the building dated to 1917 and was Lakeland’s main Post Office for some 45 years.

A four point plan for the building was recommended, as follows:

1. Repair the roof and parapets immediately. Continued leaking of the roof and roof drains can cause irreparable damage to the structure. With the building boarded up and no environmental systems operating, it will also be overtaken by mold and other indoor environmental issues. A handout was distributed showing how approximately $250,000.00 could be made available for the roof repairs from the City’s Public Improvement Fund.
2. Budget moneys to employ an architect to prepare a restoration plan for this historic structure, which is listed in the Federal Register.
3. Budget moneys in the Five Year Capital Improvements Program for its restoration.
4. Consider using a City function to anchor the building, such as the Civil Service and Pension Offices.

Unfortunately, the City is facing some significant financial challenges over the next two years, primarily because of the bad economy. As a result, the Commissioners were noncommittal about acting on HLI’s recommendations. However, HLI will continue to seek action on saving this important downtown historic structure. If you feel the building is important to Lakeland and needs to be saved, please contact the Commissioners at the following email addresses:

• Ralph.fletcher@lakelandgov.net
• Gow.fields@lakelandgov.net
• Glenn.higgins@lakelandgov.net
• Justin.troller@lakelandgov.net
• James.verplanck@lakelandgov.net
• Howard.wiggs@lakelandgov.net
• edith.yates@lakelandgov.net

Please click on the image above for a copy of The Ledger article that appeared on Tuesday April 20 discussing the meeting.

RESERVE THE DATE – MAY 11, 2009 – Preservation Awards Event

This year, Historic Lakeland will be holding its Preservation Awards ceremony at the Danforth Chapel, a Frank Lloyd Wright gem, on the campus of Florida Southern College in Lakeland. The event will be on Monday, May 11, 2009 beginning at 5:30 pm. At this meeting, individuals and businesses receive recognition for their efforts in historic preservation over the last year.

Light refreshments will be served. We look forward to seeing you there.

HLI’S ANNUAL MEETING RESCHEDULED! – November 13, 2008

The annual meeting, originally scheduled for Monday November 10, 2008 has been rescheduled. As you may know, HLI is sponsoring one of the programs in the Florida Southern College Florida History Lecture series. That program, “Loosing it All to Sprawl: How Progress Ate My Cracker Landscape”, by author Bill Belleville, is scheduled for Thursday, November 13, 2008. We have combined the two events! The annual meeting will now precede the lecture on the 13th. The annual meeting will begin at 6:00 pm. It will be held in the Hollis Room, the site of the lecture, which is located on the west side of the campus, off Johnson Avenue. There will be a brief business meeting, which includes election of new officers. Light refreshments will be served. Mr. Belleville’s program will follow at 7:00 pm. We apologize for the confusion and look forward to seeing you there.

HLI Sponsors Center for Florida History Lecture – November 13, 2008

On November 13, Historic Lakeland Incorporated will sponsor a lecture by award-winning author and documentary producer Bill Belleville, who will discuss his recent book Losing It All To Sprawl: How Progress Ate My Cracker Landscape, (2006). This program is one of several included in this years Florida Lecture Series, which is sponsored by Florida Southern College’s Center for Florida History. Belleville’s book explores original vernacular Florida architecture, and recounts his personal struggle to protect his historic farmhouse and “relic” neighborhood for encroaching development. Belleville has written over 1,000 articles and essays in such publications as Newsweek, Audubon, the New York Times, Sports Afield and Oxford American. Besides Losing It All To Sprawl, Belleville has written three other books. He won an Emmy for the production and scripting of “Wekiva: A Legacy or Loss?” He has worked overseas as a writer on Discovery Channel expeditions in the Galapagos and Cuba. He's scripted and co-produced five PBS documentaries, including the recent "In Marjorie's Wake: Rediscovering Rawlings, a River and Time", and has worked with Philippe Cousteau for NPR's "Living on Earth". He has lectured widely on environmental literature and was named Environmental Writer of the Year by the Florida Audubon Society and Florida Wildlife Federation. An avid kayaker, hiker, and diver, Belleville lives in Sanford, Florida.

Florida Southern College’s Center for Florida History Presents Florida Lecture Series (2008-2009)

September 18
Robert V. Remini (Historian, United States House of Representatives)
“Andrew Jackson's Triumphs in Florida as General and Governor”

October 16
Paul Schneider (Author, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts and Bradenton, Florida)
“Brutal Journey: The Epic Story of the First Crossing of North America”

November 13
Bill Belleville (Author, Sanford, Florida)
“Losing it All to Sprawl: How Progress Ate My Cracker Landscape”

*January 22
Risdon N. Slate (Florida Southern College)
W. Wesley Johnson (University of Southern Mississippi)
“The Criminalization of Mental Illness in Florida: Crisis and Opportunity for the Justice System”

February 5
Paul Ortiz (Associate Professor of History and Director, Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, University of Florida)
“Emancipation Betrayed”

March 12
Rody Johnson (Author, Vero Beach, Florida)
“The Rise and Fall of Dodgertown: 60 Years of Baseball in Vero Beach"

***All Lectures are free and open to the public. Those interested in learning more about the Florida Lecture Series can call Dr. James M. Denham at (863) 680-4312.

2007 Preservation Awards

Historic Lakeland’s annual Preservation Awards ceremony was held Monday, May 12, 2008. The presentation and selection of the awards is a joint venture with the City’s Historic Preservation Board. The meeting was held in the restored John Cox School, now occupied by Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine. The awards recognize the best examples of historic restoration/renovation in both residential and commercial categories. Exceptional examples of new construction done in an historic manner are also recognized. An individual is also recognized annually who has exemplified the principles of preservation/restoration over the past year. This year, Mr. Steve Raiche, was named Preservationist of the Year. He has served on the Lakeland Historic Preservation Board and Design Review Committee for several years. He has a long history in the preservation field and currently acts as a preservation contractor. His award was presented by Lakeland’s Director of Community Development, Mr. Jim Studiale. Please click here (this link will download a powerpoint file) to view this year’s winners.

David and Jean Bunch Dedicate New Offices

On Thursday, October 4, David and Jean Bunch dedicated their new office located at 415 South Kentucky Avenue in downtown Lakeland. The office is located in the newly restored “English” house, which was originally constructed in 1909. It is one of the last original frame residences which still exist in the downtown area. Renovations began in 2006. Great care was taken in preserving the original character of the house. The Bunch’s have long been involved in historic preservation in Lakeland. The event was well attended and highlighted by a ribbon cutting by Mayor Buddy Fletcher and Chamber of Commerce Chairman Paul Noris. Jean and David should be very proud of their outstanding new office and their continuing efforts in historic preservation in Lakeland. They have also made their conference room available as the new meeting location for Historic Lakeland. Thank You!

You're Invited!

The annual meeting of Historic Lakeland is scheduled for Monday, November 12, 2007 at the Garden Bistro in Lakeland. The meeting will begin at 5:30 pm. The Garden Bistro is located in the basement of the historic Magnolia Building, which is located in Lake Mirror Park. There will be a program on the history of the Lake Mirror Promenade. Mr. Bill Tinsley, the City of Lakeland’s Director of Parks and Recreation, will also speak on the improvements currently under way in the Park. Light refreshments will be served. The meeting is open to any current member of HLI and those interested in joining. We look forward to seeing you there.

Historic Preservation ALERT

Historic Lakeland Incorporated urges the City of Lakeland to begin the restoration of the Old Federal Building located at 124 South Tennessee Avenue as soon as possible. This restoration should be historically sensitive, restoring the building as closely as possible to its original state. The Federal Building played a key role in the development of the downtown and the City as a whole. Construction of the building was started in 1917, some 90 years ago. The building was nearly doubled in size in 1929/30. It served as Lakeland’s central Post Office until 1964, when the main operation relocated to Lake Wire. It continued as a branch until 1972. From that year, it housed a variety of U. S. Government operations, including the offices of then Senator Lawton Chiles, later Florida’s Governor. It is architecturally unique, being one of the only original Georgian Revival style structures in the community. Its Doric columns, fanlight transoms, brick walls with stone trim, and balustraded roofline all add strong character to the structure.

As the owner of the building, it is clearly the City’s responsibility to restore this architecturally and historically significant structure. Historic Lakeland is very concerned about the lack of progress in even maintaining the building. Blue tarps have been on the roof for months and the balusters along the roof and the windows continue to deteriorate. Benign neglect only adds to the ultimate cost of restoration. The interior has suffered from years of unsympathetic renovations. Any restoration project would appropriately return the public areas of the building to their original high ceilings and wainscoting.

Historic Lakeland deeply appreciates all the City has done to preserve a variety of historic structures in our community. Lakeland would not the outstanding city it is if we had not worked together to interweave the old with the new, maintaining a sense of place for our community. If you share our concern, please let your City Commissioner know. We all need to work together to save this architectural gem.

The following photos show the building exterior as it appeared in the Teens and Twenties. The other two views show the interior while functioning as the City’s central Post Office.

Historic Preservation Awards 2006 on May 14, 2007

Historic Lakeland Inc. and the City of Lakeland Historic Preservation Board held their annual Preservation Awards meeting on Monday May 14th at 5:30 pm. The meeting was held at the Junior League of Greater Lakeland Building (The Sorosis Building at 90 Lake Morton Drive).

The Awards honor owners of residential and commercial structures restored or rehabilitated in calendar year 2006. Urban Design Awards are presented to owners of new structures that are designed to fit in the historic fabric.

Tampa Tribune Article "From Our Town to Boomtown" Promotes Development in Polk County

Check out this Tampa Tribune article written by Bill Townsend about development in the County.

http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGBKPGUPIWE.html

President Todd Christian, Other Incumbent Officers Agree to Serve HLI One More Year

The current leadership of Historic Lakeland, Inc. will remain intact for at least one more year, after President Todd Christian and all other incumbent officers were returned to office by acclamation during HLI's 2006 annual meeting in the Garden Bistro.

"I look forward to continuing to serve this wonderful organization (Historic Lakeland, Inc.) as president in the coming year," Christian said. "I pledge to work closely with all of our other officers and directors, as well as the general membership to keep historic preservation in the forefront in the City of Lakeland."

Other officers who will continue serving HLI through 2007 are Joyce Brennan, president elect; William Hatten, treasurer and Roger Haar, recording secretary. Jim Malless also remains in the post of immediate past president.

While all of the incumbent officers are returning for another year of duty, three members of the board of directors whose terms expired this year – Ruth E. Gardner, George Ross and David Rubin -- will step aside, to be replaced by Ann Hilliard, Trisha Shelden and Irbye Giddens. The latter is a former president of HLI.

"We thank Ruth E., George and David for their past service to HLI as directors and welcome Ann, Trisha and Irbye as our new directors," said Malless, who presented the slate of officers in his role as nominating committee chair.

In his new term as president, Christian pledged to continue keeping HLI active in Lakeland community affairs and to reach out to other nearby communities that may need assistance with historic preservation initiatives.