Florida Trust's Eleven Most Endangered Historic Sites for 2009
The sites are not ranked in any particular order.
Bonnet House, Fort Lauderdale - American artist Frederic Clay Bartlett designed and built Bonnet House in the 1920s as a winter retreat for the Birch Bartlett families. His wife Evelyn Fortune Bartlett was also an artist. The home is the only home and studio of two recognized American artists with original furnishings that is open to the public. Bonnet House is a unique Florida treasure and its 35 acres of pristine barrier island ecosystem figure prominently in the City of Fort. Lauderdale's Comprehensive Plan. In the past, inappropriate developments that would negatively impact Bonnet House were rejected by the City’s governing agencies, but that is beginning to change. An astonishingly high amount of intense, intrusive development is advancing closer and closer to Bonnet House, demonstrating the need for stronger protection of the historic site.
Fernandina Post Office, Fernandina Beach – This 1912, three-story Mediterranean Style building is a contributing building to the Downtown Fernandina Beach Historic District. The building served as a Customs House, and Admiralty and Customs courts were heard in the courtroom on the second floor. Federal offices were relocated in the late 1930s and early 40s. The Post Office occupies the first floor and until the late 1990s, some space on the second and third floors was occupied by businesses. A structural analysis shows signs of water damage from the failure of drainage systems and the accelerated deterioration of the building due to the lack of maintenance threatens the building if it is not soon addressed.
Dr. Henry Nehrling’s Palm Cottage Gardens, Gotha - Palm Cottage Gardens, one of Florida’s first tourist attractions, was the home and working gardens of noted horticulturalist Dr. Henry Nehrling. Over the years the property has changed owners and sections were sold. That, coupled with increased development, has diminished the 40-acre garden so that only 6 acres of the original homestead remain. The property is currently listed for sale and at risk of being razed for an estate home. The Henry Nehrling Society has a contract to purchase the property but has a daunting task of raising the necessary funds by September 2009.
Sanford Grammar School, Sanford – This 1902 Romanesque Revival style building served as the Sanford High School and later the Sanford Grammar School. It is located in the Old Sanford Historic District. In 1984 the building became the Student Museum and Center for Social Studies and was placed in the National Register of Historic Places. Approximately 6,500 students visit each year and experience a hands-on learning environment where they learn about Florida History. The Seminole County School Board is faced with budget cuts and is considering closing the museum and declaring it surplus property. If sold, the building would face redevelopment pressure. There are also some deterioration issues that need to be addressed.
Hialeah Park Race Course, Hialeah – This nationally significant site is the oldest and widest continuously operating turf horse racing track in the United States. The park marks the beginning of the City of Hialeah, and represents a symbolic resting place for the champion thoroughbreds that raced there. Proposed development threatens several of the structures within the park, and could jeopardize the site’s National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmark eligibility.
Coconut Grove Playhouse, Coconut Grove - The playhouse has been a cultural centerpiece for the Grove since it was built in 1924, but is not protected by local designation. Financial issues have forced the owners of the building to close the theater until a decision on its future is decided. The local historic landmark designation was previously threatened by appeal from the owners but that decision is now pending the financial situation of the theater. Proposed redevelopment around the theater could also adversely affect the historic site.
Model Land Company, Saint Augustine - The Model Land Company Historic District is 20 blocks of 1839-1930 Frame Vernacular and various Revival style structures, located at an important entry point to the city. This district includes the Hotel Ponce de Leon (Flagler College) and the Grace Methodist Church. The residential neighborhood within this historic district developed mainly during the Flagler era. The threat to the Model Land Company district is proposed demolition of 7 houses and a potential zoning change to allow new construction of a hotel.
Miami Marine Stadium, Biscayne Bay - The Miami Marine Stadium dominates the small barrier island of Virginia Key that was separated from Miami Beach in the 1830’s and reconfigured to its current form in the 1960s. The stadium was designed by Hilario Candela with the firm of Pancoast, Ferendino, Grafton, Skeels, and Burnham with other collaborating partners in 1963. The stadium has stood vacant since Hurricane Andrew hit Florida in 1992, which caused substantial damage, and vandalism and a lack of maintenance exacerbated the situation. The City of Miami is engaged in a master plan for Virginia Key, and the Marine Stadium should play a great role in it. The local historic designation, that includes the stadium and basin, was passed by Miami’s Historic and Environmental Preservation Board. The threat to the site is that the city is appealing the boundaries of the designation, seeking to exclude the basin from the designation.
Boynton High School/Mangrove Park School - Noted architect William Manly King designed the Boynton High School as an additional school for the area. This 1927 building was constructed in the Mediterranean Revival style and incorporates elements of Art Deco. The school was used as a school and community center until 1994, and then transferred to the City. Since that time, the building has stood vacant and has been slowly deteriorating. Development pressure, poor maintenance, and the current economic conditions all factor into the increasing threat of demolition to the school building.
Chert Structures in University of Florida Related Neighborhoods, Gainesville - The Gainesville area is home to a distinctive vernacular architecture constructed with chert - a local fieldstone. These chert structures are unique in construction and represent the skill of local craftsmen. Development pressure and re-development plans have taken their toll on the chert structures, most evidently in the five neighborhoods surrounding the University of Florida: College Park, Hibiscus Park, Golfview Estates, University Heights North, University Heights South. If protections aren’t enacting to save these structures soon, we may lose these unique historic resources.
Bob White Citrus Packing House & Strawn Sawmill National Register Historic Districts, DeLeon Springs - Historic sites illustrating Florida’s citrus industry are disappearing and only a handful of existing historic citrus packing houses remain in Florida and California. The Strawn Sawmill and Citrus Packing House were developed under supervision of Theodore Strawn, an internationally-known orange cultivator. The 15 historic structures located in these historic districts are threatened by vacancy, lack of financial resources for their preservation, and proposed demolition.
Nomination Form for the 2010 Most Endangered Program will be available in October 2009.