Delicious, Delightful, DeLand's Athens Theater

A 1921 Italian Renaissance Revival palazzo has graced North Florida Avenue in DeLand for more than a century.  The Athens Theatre also stands as a tribute and memorial to its architect, Murry S King, who was considered in his lifetime The Dean of Orlando architects. The Athens Theatre continues to hold a place of highest esteem in the built environment of Central Florida. 

 

A visit to the theatre, whether to simply enjoy its lovely exterior, or to attend a performance in its beautiful interior, is always worthwhile.

 

The theatre is constructed of russet color brick with limestone color detailing as well as red brick accents. The symmetrical façade is balanced and pleasing to the eye. 

 

The visitor is welcomed to the theatre by a triple-arched entry in the central part of the facade. The middle arch holds the box office and the other two arches are the entrance doors. Above these is the marquee, with the curved sign that says “Theatre”.  This marquee partly obscures the triple square windows that balance with the triple entry arches below. Above them is a rectangular inset dating to the building’s creation that says: Athens.

 

On either side of the entry are large shallow rectangular niches, framed in a contrasting red brick with white accents; these are used to displayed posters of current or future productions. Above these, are very tall, rounded windows, shaped like the central portion of a Palladian window, which echo the arched curves of the main entrance.

 

Above these features is as a continuous attic story, with rectangular windows using a combined cross and x design. This motif was popular in Beaux Arts architecture and also often employed in civic Prairie Style architecture. Above these is a large limestone color cornice, allowing the eye to visually pause as it looks upward. But the eye then continues upward to the red brick parapets with gently curved arches above each of three sections of the façade, so that the arch theme that began at the main entry doors and was continued by the large windows is concluded against the sky. This is a very pleasing and harmonious effect, in what is essentially a Beaux Arts style composition, that has elements both Italian Renaissance and Prairie style.

 

Prairie style? Yes, especially noticeable in the corner of the display windows. The horizontal sill, water table, and cornice, emphasizing the horizontal, which was a hallmark of the Prairie style. The vertical embellishments at the top center of each of the four brick pilasters. Which include four faces that look down on the passerby, and four caduceus. 

 

Sprinkled attractively here and there are white tiles that enliven the brick. The cartouche in the central parapet arch is especially pleasing in this regard.

 

The DeLand community was especially proud of this exterior design for number of years, so that one would hardly guess that a very bizarre transformation took place in the middle of the 20th century, when the entire façade above the street level was sheathed in what was thought at that time and very modern and stylish design, with a gigantic sign, announcing the Athens as the central part of the facade, and very large display spaces on either side. All of the windows were obscured, and a new shallow angled marquee was created that spanned the entire building. Happily all of this has been cleared away, during major restoration, so that the original design can be seen, appreciated, and enjoyed for future generations.

 

Up near the cornice, there are four identical sculpted faces below each of which is a caduceus, that is, a staff entwined by two aches with wings. It is not clear why the architect chose these. More expected for the decoration of a theater might have been mask of tragedy and comedy, perhaps. Or depictions of the muses of the lively arts from antiquity. The face seems to be that of the Greek god Pan, indicated by the curly horns on their head. Although Dionysus is another possibility. 

 

Continuing our study of the decoration, our eyes go to the shield forming the central cartouche, upon which is a date number, 1921, the date the theatre construction began.  

 

The limestone color decorations are most likely architectural terra-cotta ornament, created to resemble limestone.  This was an exterior material of choice in the first quarter of the 20th century.  It is highly probable that the ornamentation was made by the American Terra-Cotta Company owned by William Day Gates (also the makers of Teco Pottery). The skillful modeling of the four faces at the cornice look to be the work of their gifted artisans. 

 

Not incidentally, the tallest building in the world at that time, the Woolworth Building, is entirely clad in architectural terra-cotta, as is the famous Flatiron Building, also in Manhattan.

 

The interior is in keeping with the exterior, with arched themes in the two large private box openings, the curve of the proscenium, and the curving forms of the balcony railing.  Elegant multi-globed chandeliers are suspended from the coffered ceiling.  There is a lovely bas relief above the proscenium in which six muses of Greek mythology are depicted in what resembles Wedgwood Jasperware.   The simple and elegant design is finished in a rich color scheme of red and cream.  

 

Murry S. King

 

Murry S. King (1870-1927) was a native of Western Pennsylvania who conducted his architectural career there, and more significantly in Central Florida.  King is considered the Dean of Orlando Architects, and was the first person to receive a license from the Florida chapter of the American Institute of Architects.  In addition to his influential and impressive body of work, King was the leader of a collection of significantly likeminded architects practicing in Central Florida during the boom decade of the 1920s.  This Orlando Group of architects worked to create an architecture that was appropriate to the Florida environment.  In “The Florida Circle” of May 1924, they described it (in part):

 

"Just as architects of old created styles to harmonize with their environment, so have the architects of Florida been creating, from native motifs, a style that is carefully adapted to the climatic conditions and surroundings of the state. This style has an individuality all its own…” 

 

Murry S. King designed many other notable works in Central Florida, including the Angebilt Hotel (27 N. Orange Ave.), the Beardall Residence (700 Euclid Avenue), the Woodruff Residence (236 S. Lucerne Circle E,), and his last work, the Orange County Regional History Center (formerly the Orange County Courthouse].

 

King was adept at many different architectural effects, such as his Spanish Revival Park Lake Presbyterian Church neoclassical Orange County Courthouse. 

 

 

Pounds Building is Every Ounce a Treasure

 

Winter Garden, Florida, has a beautiful stroll-able downtown, complete with median plantings down the center of Plant Street, an interactive water feature, and a vintage caboose, as well as the trademark town clock. Many restaurants and shops beckon visitors as they explore this vibrant small town. 

When you get to the corner of West Plant Street and South Lakeview Avenue, you have arrived at the Pounds Motor Company Building.  An identifying bronze tablet tells you something of the significance of the building.  

 

A pioneer in advocating gasoline farm equipment (as opposed to mule powered) Hoyle Pounds established his business at the corner of Plant and Lakeview.  In addition to farm tractors he also sold Ford automobiles.  The building he commissioned from David Burns Hyer is still in use one hundred years later.

 

David Burns Hyer was one of a dozen or so architects practicing in Central Florida in the 1920s.  Hyer had come to the Orlando area from Charleston, South Carolina, and would return there again as the decade and the Florida land boom ended.  He counted among his clients innovative Central Florida go-getters like Hoyle Pounds., who among other achievements, invented the rubber tractor tire.

  

The impression the building gives is one of basic simple solid construction. You might say, no frills.  And that was intentional.  The Pounds Motor Company Building was created to showcase, sell, and service farm equipment and cars made by the Ford Motor Company, as well as to dispense first Texaco and thereafter Gulf Oil gasoline.  The resultant work by architect Hyer fulfilled all of those functions and also contributed to the streetscape “look” of Winter Garden.  It fits the location and the needs of the client.

 

Today, the causal observer might have a tendency to overlook the elements of the design that made it successful inside and out.  The exterior red brick is practically maintenance free for the owner, and is also part of a group of red brick structures that give Winter Garden its signature look.  The Pounds Building holds its own and is in harmony with other nearby structures on Plant Street including the contemporaneous Edgewater Hotel.  

 

The front elevation of the Pounds Building is immediately understood.  The big plate glass display windows flanking the central doors tell us that something was to be showcased there, for anyone who happened by.  Correct.  Tractors would have temped the owners of groves and farms from the surrounding area.  Above, a string of nine large windows indicated that the work going on inside was well lighted by the Florida sunshine.  It was a good location for the machine shop, providing employees with a space that was more comfortable, and therefore more productive. Along the roofline, there was a nod to Mediterranean or Spanish style, a stepped parapet that has a horizonal line modulated by verticals.  

 

One also notices the trapezoidal capitals on the brick piers.  They give visual interest, and yet their function is mainly  structural.  The corner at Plant and Lakeview was once an open, covered filing station for vehicles to pull into, between those brick piers.  Vintage photos show it featuring a round topped gas pump.  

 

Along the South Lakeview elevation, one sees several large garage door openings.  Only the one closest to the corner of Lakeview and Tremaine remains unchanged since its inception – it is mufti-hinged, paneled wood.  One can envision the other openings, now boarded up, being exactly the same.  

Along the second floor the large windows, like the ones on the front, continue in groups of threes, giving a geometric pattern on this long side of the building.  Similar windows were on the long opposite wall of the building where the Garden Theater now stands.

 

The Pounds Motor Company Building was designed solidly, to last. A worthy goal for an industrial / commercial building.   It has done exactly that, serving its original owners from 1926 and serving its current owners since 1985.  The Pounds building has affinities to the most famous early 20^th century automotive industrial building, the Packard Automotive Plant in Detroit by Albert Kahn.  Modern, efficient, with clean horizontal lines rendered in red brick, the celebrated Packard plant was the inspiration for industrial buildings for decades thereafter, including this one.

About the Architect:

David Burns Hyer

 

David Burns Hyer was born in Charleston, SC, on March 21, 1875 to parents James S. and Ella Payne Hyer.  His early education was in the Charleston schools, and while still a boy he began working in the office of S. Louis Simons.  When Simons merged with a partner to create Simsons-Mayrant Company in 1892, Hyer remained in their employ, until he founded his own architectural practiced. 

 

In his professional life, Hyer maintained offices in Charleston SC except in the 1920’s when his office was in Orlando FL.  Many fine examples of his work in South Carolina remain to this day.

 

In Central Florida, he worked with architect John Arthur Rogers before establishing his own practice in Orlando.  Hyer’s masterpiece is the ideally situated Grace Phillips Johnson mansion “O-Po-Le-O” (“House Between the Waters”) on the isthmus between Lake Concord and Lake Adair.  A grand Mediterranean Revival estate, it is visible from I-4 across Lake Concord, and is locally known as “The Swan Boat House”.  The house continues in private hands and is exceedingly well maintained.  Hyer’s commercial work in Florida incudes the Pounds Motor Company Building (1926)  in Winter Garden, a Prairie-meets-Mediterranean brick building that has been carefully preserved by its owners since the 1980s, Burkett Engineering. Other works by Hyer in Florida are continuing to be identified. When he returned to Charleston permanently, he left James Gamble Rogers II in charge of his Florida work that had not yet been completed. 

 

In 1904, Hyer married Susan Yeadon Mazyck.  They were the parents of four children: David B. Jr., Yeadon M., Robert P., and Helen.

 

Throughout his life Hyer was accorded the nickname “Neighbor” because invariably he greeted others in that friendly way.  He was said to have been of a most congenial disposition, which surely served him well in the pursuit of his profession. He had many repeat clients, and they were glad to wait however long it might take him to prepare his designs, even if at a more leisurely pace than other architects. Hyer was an avid golfer and was constantly trying to improve his game. 

 

Late in life Hyer had one leg amputated. He was awaiting an adjusted leg prosthesis when, after a brief illness, he died in Charleston on December 11, 1942 at the age of 67.  He is buried alongside his wife in the old historic Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston.

(Do you have a photo of David Burns Hyer?  I would love to have a copy.  Please get in touch with me.  Thanks!)

Orlando Film Festival Features Documentary on Isabel Roberts and Ida Ryan

"Two Women and the Pavilion in the Water"

As noted in the poster illustrating this post, the documentary called "Two Women and the Pavillion in the Water" will be shown several times during the 2023 Orlando Film Festival.  This is exciting news.  The film chronicles the work of teh Ryan and Roberts Studio, one of the first all -women architectural firms in the United States, dating back to one hundred years ago.

I have been researching Isabel Roberts' life and legacy for nearly twenty years.  Over that time, I have learned much about her that was not in the architectural history consciousness previously.  Isabel was a trained architect, worked on architectural projects in teh Oak Park Studio of Frank Lloyd Wright, designed or contributed greatly to the design of her own famous house in River Forest, Illinois (yes the one with the tree growing through the roof), and moved to Florida after the Oak Park studio closed, and entered into a productive partnership with architect Ida Annah Ryan.  You can read more about both of them in previous posts here on my blog.

The film that is being shown at the Orlando Film Festival utilized much of my research and also features me, as well as several other wonderful chroniclers of Central Florida history and architectural history.  It is good that the film will reach a wide audience, and perhaps stimulate further understanding of these two pioneering women in teh field of architecture.  If you are in Central Florida, I encourage you to see it.  

Cleveland Heights in Lakeland, Florida - A 1920's Planned Community with a Mediterranean Revival Flair

 Up until this week, I knew nothing whatsoever about Lakeland's 1920's planned suburban community called Cleveland Heights. "Lakeland's Finest Residential Section".

I had been to Lakeland a number of times, and as you might suppose, the trip there was always prompted by the Florida Southern College campus, with its many buildings by Frank Lloyd Wright. If you have not been there, I encourage you to go, but not in hot weather. A good late fall or early spring field trip.

This week, I was "looking" at historic homes for sale in Central Florida.  Such searches I conduct on line, and when I do, I sometimes discover places that are new to me.  And that was the case, this week.  Among a group of very interesting old houses all dating from the 1920's and scattered from Titusville to Lakeland, there was one that fairly leapt off the page.  Because although I had never been there, and had never even seen it before, I knew immediately who its architects were.  

To give you the same thought progression that I had, I will post, first, a front facade photo of the house for sale in Lakeland, and then another photo of a Central Florida house that is well-known to me.

The Lakeland House.

The Winter Garden Austin House.

These two are sibling designs.  Not identical certainly, but from the very same mold, and from the very same drafting board.  The front part of the houses differ only in slight details.  The shape of the entry porch, the height of the central of the triple windows, and the location of the chimney.  But they are the same concept, developed for two different clients.  I was delighted.  

The Winter Garden example is the Austin House.  The Lakeland example is a home situated in Cleveland Heights. Both are by Ryan and Roberts.  

I am always looking for more works by Ryan and Roberts (Ida Annah Ryan and Isabel Roberts), the women whose architectural firm created homes, businesses, and churches, as well as public buildings, all over Central Florida between 1920 and 1930.  Elsewhere in this blog, I have articles about both of them.  And I will probably add the Lakeland discovery to the article on Isabel Roberts. But I think that Cleveland Heights warrants its own article.  Both because of this discovery, and also because Cleveland Heights is yet another example of boom and bust Florida growth.  

Like Indrio, a planned community I tell about in another blog article, the goal was a place where northerners (anyone north of the Florida Georgia line!) and sun seekers could find a home, either year round or to live in part of the year, snowbird fashion.  Unlike Indrio, Cleveland Heights got off the ground, and then some.  But like Indrio, the advent of the Great Depression pulled the rug out of further successful development, at least, for a time.  

Funny thing is, I have been able to find much more about Indrio in its formative days than I have found about Cleveland Heights.  Many lavish promotional advertisements, for example.  I would guess that there were good ads for Cleveland Heights, too.  But so far, only the most basic of ads has surfaced.  

You know me.  I will keep searching  But as I do, I wanted to share what I have found out so far.  So here goes.

The developer was a man by the name of H. A. Stahl.  Mr. Stahl had a good track record of creating new suburban neighborhoods, his having done so several times over in Cleveland,  Ohio.  Indeed, one of them was called, you guessed it, Cleveland Heights.  But sunny Florida beckoned.  Mr. Stahl was vacationing in Tampa when he was contacted by some of the city fathers of Lakeland, who invited him to come along and see their city, with the hope that he might do his next planned neighborhood right there.  He went, he saw, and he agreed to do just that.

Ah yes, "Where homes and Playgrounds meet"!

The development was quite ambitious, as such Florida developments in the 1920's tended to be.  After all, Lakeland was growing by leaps and bounds.  Between 1910 and 1920 it had doubled in population, and Polk County in which Lakeland is situated, was said to be the wealthiest county in the entire United States.  Here is another advertisement for Cleveland Heights. I must say that both are pretty bland and uninspiring.  When we compare them to the ads for Indrio, for instance, which are beautifully illustrated and about as swank as a Packard ad of the same era.  It appears that they didn't spend a whole lot on their advertising budget.  But still. the people came.

Above is shown a very helpful map from 1924, with some colors to make the features stand out.  I call it the green map.  You see Lake Hollingsworth up at the top left.  And on the shores of Lake Hollingsworth the newly constructed Golf and Yacht Club.  The golf course itself was located some distance from the clubhouse, and so, if you came to play, you parked your roadster at the clubhouse and then were transported to the course itself. This is very much like the arrangement that was used at the golf club at Howey-in-the-Hills (see my blog post about that).  

If you trace the line of the street that starts at the clubhouse and goes toward the bottom of the page, and look closely, you will see that it was a divided street with a landscaped median. As it is to this day.  That is Cleveland Heights Boulevard.  Looking closer still, you can see indicated in a reddish color the homes that had been built by that time.  I can count 11 of them here and there on the map.  These were the pioneers, and included in them, the model home/s.  More houses were to come as the 1920's roared on.

A mild sunny climate, room for every sort of outdoor activity, and a home base far from the dust and noise of big cities, all appealed to the well-to-do and those of more than moderate means.  So the idea was off and running.  

Cleveland Heights was situated on the south shore of lovely Lake Hollingsworth.  The softly undulating terrain gave credence to the word "Heights" in comparison to most of Florida, which is typically flat.  But why "Cleveland"?  One: It offered an association with r. Stahl's successfully completed Cleveland Heights in Ohio. Indeed, many of the street names in the Florida development were the same as street names up in Ohio,  And two, Lakeland had become the winter home of the Cleveland Indians, back in the day when America's Pastime was a huge craze.  

The clubhouse.  Every new community in Florida in the 1920's worth its salt had a private club, that is, a golf club. Where people could not only go round the 18- holes in their plus fours but also gather in the club dining room or on the terrace and mingle stylishly with like minded folks.  Cleveland Heights was no exception.  A marvelously evocative Spanish Colonial style clubhouse, designed by Henry P. Whitworth, a Cleveland, Ohio, architect of all things (Cleveland has never been known for Spanish influence on its history, nor for Spanish Revival architecture but it suggests just how widespread the interest in Mediterranean Revival style was in the 1920's).  

Architect Henry Pearson Whitworth (1888-1976) was born in Cleveland. He was employed as a draftsman according to the 1915 and 1916 Cleveland City Directories. He was listed as an architect beginning in 1917, when he worked for William R. Watterson. He was a partner with Charles Johnson in 1920. He practiced as a residential and commercial architect.  Whitworth lived at 1287 Carlyon Road in East Cleveland and had an office at 526 Hickox Building. He moved to Miami in the late 1940's and then on to Winter Park, Florida. In 1928 he and his partner Albert James Poteet designed the John F. Cox Grammar School in Lakeland.  In 1928 and 1929, Whitworth served as vice president of the Florida Association of Architects. His son, also named Henry P., followed his father in an architectural career.

Mr Stahl and Mr. Whitworth knew one another from their Cleveland years.  Thus the modern-day hacienda was built on the scenic shores of Lake Hollingsworth.  It was thus both a golf and a yacht club.  If the links were not your thing, maybe the other 1920's craze of motor boating would be.  Or a snazzy sail to and fro.  

The club is still there, in a somewhat different iteration and in a completely reconstructed building that lacks the studied charm of the original, but it IS there.  It is at the end of Cleveland Heights Boulevard, one of the major streets in the Cleveland Heights neighborhood, the one that is divided by a landscaped median planted with palms.

I want to say something about the phrase used on the green map: "A Highly Restricted Residence and Golf & Country Club Development".  Do you understand what that meant?  I am sure in part that it meant that there were rules and guidelines as to the size and character of the homes that new residents would construct there. But that isn't all it meant.  In the between-the-lines and not so subtle lingo of one hundred years ago it also meant this: Only certain kinds of people would be admitted. Certainly, "highly restricted" meant that persons of color would not have been considered for residency.  Probably "highly restricted" also meant that those who were not of the Christian faith, even if they were only culturally and nominally Christians and never darkened the door of a church, need not apply.  Our nation has  made some progress since those unenlightened days, but not nearly enough.  Not yet.   But to expand upon this matter, at the same time that "Cleveland Heights" was getting underway, the City of Lakeland was building a new hospital, "For whites only".  

In the upscale surroundings, lots were platted and homes were built.  At least one, and I believe several more, were built as model homes (see below).  Maybe because of the number of houses shown on the 1924 green map, many of the reference materials that I have found thus far about Cleveland Heights say that new residents built no more than a dozen houses before the land boom bubble went bust.  Not so, if my survey of the neighborhood is accurate.  As you will see below, there were about 38 and counting houses built in the prevailing Mediterranean Revival, Spanish Colonial, and Tuscan Revival styles, before construction came to a standstill.  Add to that number a smattering more of English Cottage, late Prairie Style, and Colonial Revival homes as well, including Mr, Stahl's own Colonial Reviva home. Only one reference I found says about 100 homes were built.  I tend to believe that number more than the dozen others mention.  

So what were they like?  

If you think of romantic, poetic Spanish style homes with arches, towers, porches, courtyards, Juliet balconies, round headed windows, stuccoed walls, and more than a hint of drama and storybook, that is what they were, and are.  You see, the neighborhood was to be a kind of fantasia on the genteel and lovely past.  Unreality becoming reality.  Everyone would like to live in a make believe land come to life.  In Cleveland Heights, you could.  For a price, of course.  Other places in Florida did much the same, from the continuing glamour of Coral Gables, to the sadly scary demise of Opa Laka.  The quixotic Addison Mizner did it in tony Palm Beach (think Mar-A-Lago, friends).  The mercurial David P. Davis did it with splashy developments on both coasts until his own untimely mid-ocean splash, a disappearance out of an SS Olympic porthole (See that story elsewhere on the blog). Birds did it.  Bees did it. Everyone but educated fleas were getting into the land boom speculation. 

But back to Lakeland's own Cleveland Heights. 

Homes that I have identified that were built in the 1920's in the Cleveland Heights neighborhood are primarily Spanish Colonial or Mediterranean Revival in style, although some Colonial Revival homes (and at least one Norman French home) were built as well.  Here is an overview of the homes I have identified so far, with research ongoing:

(Photos will be added, over time.  After all, they tell the real story, don't they?)

The 1920's houses of Cleveland Heights:

751 E Edgewood Drive, Lakeland FL - Norman French Revival - 1925 - This 2529 square foot single family home has steeply pitched roofs and a pleasing stucco finish. In add-on to the front door w which is sheltered by an overhanging porch roof, there is a sweet side entry that is somewhat screened by a curved top wing wall butters.  All of these elements combined to make the house very Hansel and Gretel or Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in character.  There are 3 bedrooms and 2.0 bathrooms.  A two car detached garage.  To my eyes it looks very James Gamble Rogers II or Sam Stoltz in style. The (one the other) may have been working with Ryan and Roberts when this house was conceived, both are known to have done so.  This house is to the left of the Ryan and Roberts "new discovery" home shown next. Photos:

743 E Edgewood Drive - 1926 - Without a doubt, this home was designed by Ryan and Roberts. As noted above, it is very like the Austin House in Winter Garden. Not clones, but siblings in design. It was this house that drew my attention to Cleveland Heights. Photos:

2725 Cleveland Heights Boulevard, Lakeland FL - 1925 - This 2505 square foot single family home has 3 bedrooms and 1.0 bathrooms. Photos:

2609 Cleveland Heights Boulevard, Lakeland FL - 1925 - This 2556 square foot single family home has 4 bedrooms and 2.0 bathrooms. Photos:

2417 Cleveland Heights Boulevard, Lakeland FL - Mid-1920's - I am relying on a realtor's description for what follows. This Spanish style beauty has been meticulously maintained and is in the heart of Cleveland Heights, just a few steps away from Lake Hollingsworth and the Yacht Club.  The main home features  four very large bedrooms, two full baths that have been completely renovated, and one half bath.   The flooring consists of beautiful hardwood, slate and tile.  As you enter the front door you will notice the architectural character this home has to offer.  The winding staircase is unique within itself (the photo of the rear of the house indicates the location of this staircase in the projecting two story tower).  The formal living room, dining room and newly added office (new addition) are great in size, perfect for entertaining.  The family room is enormous as well   Both family room and dining room feature wood burning fireplaces.  The kitchen boasts granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. Brand new double-paned windows were just installed in the kitchen and dining room. A new addition was added, providing a laundry room, a 4th upstairs bedroom and an office downstairs, that opens into the living room. The huge backyard has had a beautiful luxurious pool added and has a fully fenced-in yard and electric remote gate.  This home comes with an added bonus: an apartment over the two car garage featuring a one bedroom / one bath with kitchenette.  (Not currently rented.)  The main home has 4216 sq ft living and the aparment has 480 sq ft living.  The main house has been completely updated with new electrical, central heat and air, two brand new flat roofs and main roof was replaced in 2016 by  owner.  This is a very impressive home. I would say say it is certainly Mediterranean Revival and has many elements of what has been called Tuscan Revival.  Although chiefly symmetrical, and given a sense of repose and gravitas as such, there are enough variations, especial in the projecting one story wings, to give the house a bit of syncopated rhythm.  Photos:

2401 Cleveland Heights Boulevard, Lakeland FL - AKA - Originally one of the Cleveland Heights Model Homes - 1920 (so say property records, but in keeping with the Cleveland Heights timetable, it would be circa 1924) - Historic home located in the heart of Lakeland, FL. The home was one of the original "show houses" for the famous Cleveland Heights development built during the height of the 1920's.  The home is an icon of the Mediterranean Revival architectural style and is one of the only homes in Lakeland with a functioning cellar. What the seller loves about this home: It's a classic home that has a beautiful Floridian history. The South Lakeland neighborhood the house resides in is within walking distance to the most popular public park in Polk County - the Lake Hollingsworth Walking Path. The rear of the home has a beautiful sunroom and its flooring is all original hardwood built in the 1920's. This home has character, class and history - there really isn't a comparison like it. From my perspective, I would say also that I am glad the owners have chosen easily readable house numbers.  Photos:

2305 Cleveland Heights Blvd, Lakeland, FL - 1925 - This 1834 square foot single family home has 5 bedrooms and 2.0 bathrooms. The look is a version of Spanish Revival that we might call an updated Prairie Style, with the low hip roof, grouped windows, and boxy square design, all from the Prairie Style sensibilities, but relieved by the Spanish Revival lines of the offset arched porch.  There are several houses in Winter Park Florida that have used the same design sensibilities, several blocks apart located on the south side of Aloma Avenue. It is more than likely these three homes are connected by their designer.  Photos:

2211 Coventry Ave, Lakeland FL - 1925 - Capture a moment in time, and a part of the history of Lake Hollingsworth in this lovely upscale home located just steps from Lake Hollingsworth Drive.  Sprawled across two lots, this home features glimpses of its traditional style and more modern features from the first story addition which added a first-floor master suite and large family room.  Barrel tile roof gives the traditional exterior a Spanish/Mediterranean flair to this 3700+ square feet home featuring 4 full bedrooms (two primary bedrooms), 3.5 bathrooms, formal living and dining rooms, Sunroom or possible office/den, oversized family room adjacent to the kitchen affords space for casual dining area and a grotto style pool with rock waterfalls, wet bar and outdoor space for relaxing in private.  There is also a semi-detached 2-car garage, basement workshop and more charm than most homes today. Photos:

2414 Coventry Avenue, Lakeland FL - 1927 - Two story stucco house with flat decorative parapets and pent eve tile roof over the second floor windows which appear to be French doors..  This house features an arched front porch and attached two car arched carports.This 2554 square foot single family home has 4 bedrooms and 3.0 bathrooms. Photos: 

2417 Coventry Avenue, Lakeland, FL - 1925 - This is a five bedroom and two bathroom 2,365 square feet single family home.  It is a handsome Mediterranean Revival two story house with tile roofs, stucco walls, grouped windows, Juliet balcony, and side buttresses. The details of the arched opening in the chimney and the cross mullioned windows on each side of the second story arched French door, contribute to the charm.  A giveaway design element that suggests its origins with Isabel Roberts is the projecting porch in front of the three French doors, which is designed and planted in such a way that it could have come directly from the Oak Park Studio drawing boards.  Although larger, it shares many design sensibilities with the Ryan and Roberts Home and Studio in Orlando.    Photos:

2419 Coventry Avenue, Lakeland, FL - 1927 -  An English Country Cottage inspired design, with a charming front porch and a garden pergola in the back that suggests the long pergolas that Frank Lloyd Wright specified everywhere from the Martin House in Buffalo, NY to the esplanades at Florida Southern College, but in a style consistent with the front porch arches.  Lovely design.  3 bedroom and 3 bath 3,533 square foot house, on a third of an acre lot. The muted blue color of the house is probably very close to the original paint color.  Photos: 

2415 Fairmount Ave Lakeland FL - House with extra lot and wall. ???? Address confusion 

2406 Fairmount Avenue, Lakeland FL - 1925 -  Beautiful 4 bedroom 2 bath historic home with wood and ceramic floors. 1/2 a block from Lake Hollingsworth. 2 bedrooms and 1 bath upstairs and 2 bedrooms and 1 bath downstairs. All bedrooms have walk-in closets. Non-working fireplace. 18' x 16' wooden deck. The flat roof is new. Beautiful wood floors refinished downstairs in August 2018. The house has the low hip roofs and overhanging eaves one expects to see in a Prairie School design.  The use of an H plan is unusual apart from that movement.  Stylistically, this house could be considered a late Prairie tending toward vernacular design.  Which wold be in keeping with its date.  By this time, the Prairie Style had waned.  But the interior special lessons it taught were still with us.  Photos:

2205 Cambridge Avenue, Lakeland FL - 1924 - This 2845 square foot single family home has 3 bedrooms and 3.0 bathrooms.   It is a stunning and well-executed one story house in a L shaped plan, with a broad entry terrace.  Tile roof, stucco finish, round headed windows and arches, and buttresses all work together to set the Mediterranean Revival mood.  In the property records this house is called "Cleveland Heights Unit No 1". Was it really the first house built in the subdivision? Could be.  Given the date of construction, this is entirely possible.  So picture this as another (and the first) model home.  Would it have convinced you that Cleveland Heights was the place to be?  It would have convinced me.  Photos:

2209 Cambridge Avenue, Lakeland FL - 1923 - This 3,295 square foot single family home has 3 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms. Conceived in the Mediterranean Revival idiom, it owes, nonetheless quite a lot to the pared down poetic modernism invented by Irving Gill.  Indeed, if the window frames were painted "Gill Green" that would be even more apparent.  The central two story section of the house is nearly monolithic, and the entire house has been pared down of any ornamentation, so that the geometrics alone carry the day.  Now, some of the work of Walter Burley Griffin in Mason City, Iowa could be referenced as well.  Of special interest are the two second floor windows with triangular tops, something unseen elsewhere in Lakeland.  By the way, this is a perfect example of photos that make it hard to see the architecture, when trees (that is one big crepe myrtle!) and cars (Volvo sets the tone) get in the way of the architecture.  Well we work with what we have!  Photos:

2213 Cambridge Avenue, Lakeland fl - 1923 - This 1691 square foot single family home has 3 bedrooms and 2.0 bathrooms.  This is one of the smaller houses in teh Cleveland Heights development, and presumably it served as a model home first, to show how big of an impact  a smaller home could have.  Low to the ground, the stucco and red tile set the tone, along with the arches of the entry porch.  The triple arched top windows pack a lot of punch. This house and the two preceding it in this list are all side by side on Cambridge Avenue, making for a lovely composition.  Photos:

632 Easton Drive, Lakeland FL - 1925 - This 2150 square foot single family home has 3 bedrooms and 1.0 bathrooms.  Photos:

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979 Lake Hollingsworth Drive, Lakeland FL - 1927 - Spectacular Lake Hollingsworth home. This beautiful historic pool home overlooks Lake Hollingsworth and has all the charm and character of a home built in the 1920's. This home features a large open kitchen, high ceilings adorned with art deco chandelier, a press tin ceiling, gorgeous cabinetry 48", Subzero refrigerator and freezer with panel doors, and 2 sinks. The pool and entertaining area offers a perfect space for summer time entertaining and beautiful lagoon style heated pool. Photos:

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443 Eunice Road, Lakeland FL - 1925 - Renovation complete and this wonderful historic home is ready for a new owner! Original hardwood floors in quilt pattern refinished and restored to a beautiful shine! Property sits on a double lot that backs up to Minnehaha with double gate perfect for pulling in aboat or other recreational toys. In-law apartment over looks sparkling open pool that also offers views of Lake Hollingsworth. This is a true historic home with historic documentation, and several views of Lake Hollingsworth. Photos:

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441 Eunice Road, Lakeland Fl - 1925 - Casa Bella! Come experience this beautiful, Mediterranean Style home mere steps from Lake Hollingsworth. Its warmth and charm envelop you upon entry. Cove ceilings, European tile, wrought iron and stained glass compliment Lake views from 3 balconies.  This Lake Hollingsworth classic features concrete block construction with stucco. Beautiful original tile flooring on the main floor and hardwoods on the second, A portico for parking, And a one-bedroom, one-bathroom casita behind the 2 car garage. This home is perfect for generational living, or aging in place with the unique floor plan and extra lot for potential development. Recently refreshed with some interior and exterior painting, beautiful new awnings and professional landscaping. Original pond has been professionally restored, and could be used for a “cold plunge” or koi. Superior value in this property lies with the property lines extending to Minnehaha Trail. A rare gorgeous adjoining passthrough lot with many possibilities for development.   This classic home boasts top end appliances, granite countertops, and stylish tile. 4 bedrooms, 4 and 1/2 bathrooms. Each bedroom has its own bathroom. All with ample closet space. The fourth bedroom and bath are in the detached rear apartment.  Photos:

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432 Eunice Road, Lakeland FL - 1928 - Three doors up from Lake Hollingsworth - 1928 vintage Spanish / Mediterranean style Home. Special architectural features / hardwood floors and lake views from several rooms.  Photos:

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165 Morningside Dr, Lakeland FL - 1922 - This 3600 square foot single family home has 4 bedrooms and 5.0 bathrooms.  Photos:

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202 Morningside Drive, Lakeland FL - 1925 - 202 Morningside Dr, Lakeland, FL 33803 is a single family home that contains 5,890 sq ft and was built in 1925. It contains 6 bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms. This home last sold for $867,000 in May 2023.  Photos:

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307 Miramar Road, Lakeland FL - 1922 - Imagine the possibilities for restoring this 1920's Mediterranean bungalow with separate guest suite near Lake Hollingsworth!  Photos:

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327 Miramar Road, Lakeland FL - 1927 - Absolutely stunning Lake Hollingsworth treasure! Built in 1927 & beautifully updated & maintained, this home showcases 4 bedrooms, 4 baths & over 3700 sf of AC living space in addition to a formal living room, formal dining room, two bonus rooms, & family room, that is overlooked by the completely redone kitchen. The kitchen showcases wood cabinetry, granite countertops, gas cooktop & grill, double ovens, & stainless appliances. In 2005, many renovations were made to the home, & a downstairs master suite was added that is absolutely stunning! The master bedroom is very spacious, & the master bath showcases cherry wood cabinetry, granite countertops, walk in shower with subway tile, garden tub, dual sinks, tons of storage space, and an enormous walk-in closet & dressing area. Upstairs there are 3 large bedrooms, 2 full baths, and a wonderful bonus room that would be a perfect upstairs den, office, playroom or study area. The pavered lanai & built in summer kitchen overlooks the fenced back yard with lush landscaping & is perfect for outside entertaining! For a home this size, it is very energy efficient, and in one of Lakeland's most desirable areas, you won't want to miss it! Photos:

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415 Miramar Rd, Lakeland FL - 1925 - This 3009 square foot single family home has 4 bedrooms and 3.0 bathrooms. This home is located at 415 Miramar Rd, Lakeland, FL 33803. Built in 1925, this 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms Single Family property at 415 Miramar Rd, Lakeland, FL 33803 is approximately 4459 square feet. Movoto's Comparative Market Estimated Value is $1,141,873 with a value per Sqft of $256. 415 Miramar Rd is located in the Lake Hollingsworth neighborhood in the Polk. The closest school is Dixieland Elementary School.  Photos:

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498 Kenwith Rd, Lakeland FL - 

306 Kenwith Road, Lakeland FL -

298 Kenwith Road, Lakeland FL -

185 Kenwith Dr, Lakeland FL - 1925 - Admire this stately historic home, reminiscent of a stunning Mediterranean Italian Villa, on a extra-large lot, complete with a charming outside courtyard. Conveniently located in one of the most desirable locations in Lakeland and situated on a cul-de-sac, it is surrounded by some of the most beautiful and architecturally significant homes in Lakeland.  As you enter the home, feel the warmth of the natural wood floors, appreciate the soaring ceilings, custom moldings, and old-world charm finishes. The first floor has a spacious living room large enough to accommodate a concert piano with plenty of seating. Move on to the expansive family room and find a wood burning fireplace with French doors that open into the outdoor courtyard, allowing you to host large social events. Do not miss the wall-to-wall custom built in entertainment center and library. The grand formal dining room can easily accommodate an extra-large table for your family and friends. Your guests will be delighted by the recently updated bathroom that looks like a jewel box. The lovely kitchen has a built-in banquette with hidden bench storage and a breakfast bar. Upstairs, a unique feature of this home is the double master bedrooms. A long row of closets separates the two master bedrooms that feature a stunning en-suite master bath with top-of-the-line amenities, such as an incredible Toto motion sensor toilet, a marble top double-sink, and marble tiled floors. You could also appoint the second master bedroom as a nursery or office. Also located upstairs are two additional, large, sun-filled bedrooms and one bathroom with a tub. There is a detached garage with a laundry room that features a split ac/ heating unit that has plenty of storage, and a finished upgraded enclosed shower and toilet. This structure could be used for multiple purposes with slight modification. Walking distance to Lake Hollingsworth, close to Lakeside Village, grocery stores, downtown and public parks, this beautiful property has been professionally maintained and updated throughout the years. Lakeland is a growing area in Central Florida with easy access to I-4, a 45-minute drive to Tampa or Orlando and close to some of Florida’s most popular tourist attractions. This home is a rare find. Do not delay and schedule your showing today!  Photos:

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415 E Maxwell Street, Lakeland, FL - 1925 - This 2957 square foot single family home has 3 bedrooms and 2.0 bathrooms.   Photos:

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137 E Maxwell Street, Lakeland FL

148 E Belvedere St, Lakeland FL

208 E Belvedere St, Lakeland FL

403 Palmola St, Lakeland FL

301 Palmola St. Lakeland FL

116 Patten Heights St, Lakeland FL

What one gathers from the features and photos of these homes is that they were desirable then, and one hundred years later, they are even more desirable.  People respond to thoughtful recreations of past architectural wonders, especially when they combine a sense of charm, glamour, drama, and individuality.  You will note that none of them are exactly alike, and the effect they create in the neighborhood today is one of interest and delight.  Of course the neighborhood is still very desirable.  Infill houses were built all though the 20th century, starting with circa 1934 down to recently, few of which have carried through the original Spanish Colonial / Mediterranean Revival chic of the originals.  I could not find any information about whether these homes are in any way officially considered historic and / or protected.  I doubt it.  Today's residents of Cleveland Heights seem to trust one another to make sound decisions about the ongoing care and remodeling of their homes.  Which is quite nice.

If you decide to go and look at these houses in person, please be mindful they are private homes.  Do not go further than the public street and sidewalk.  Admire them from a distance.  Before or after you do, be sure to visit the buildings by Frank Lloyd Wright, Robert A. M. Stern, and  Frederick H. Trimble on the Florida Southern College campus.  Lakeland is a wonderland of good architecture, to be sure.

Now, here is my challenge.  I am absolutely certain that the house at 743 E Edgewood Drive was designed by Ida and Isabel.  I believe some of the others were, as well.  I suspect that some of the other leading Central Florida architects of the 1920's might have also been called upon for some of their designs, and that perhaps the Philadelphia architect who did the original clubhouse might have done so as well.  But I do not know.  If you live in or used to live in Cleveland Heights, and know or have heard stories about who designed this or that 1920's home there, please be in touch.  I would be thrilled to hear from you.