The Spanish Revival building that has been home to the Park Lake Presbyterian Church since its completion in 1925 is an excellent example of early environmentally appropriate design. Architect Murry S. King created the church building to be beautiful and functional, with a manner entirely in keeping with Florida’s history. Inspired by Spanish mission churches of California and cathedrals of South America, the design features elements that were innovative then, and have become familiar over the past century. Stucco walls, red roofs, round headed window openings, and bold geometric roof parapets all contribute to the building’s lasting appeal.
Situated on the shores of bucolic Park Lake, the church building was part of a larger intentional movement among the dozen or so Orlando architects practicing in the 1920’s, who, together, sought to design in a manner that was appropriate to Central Florida. In so doing, they fostered a poetic romanticism that approaches fantasy architecture, giving the burgeoning “City Beautiful” a sense of glamour; and foreshadowed later theme-park architecture.
Building Name: Park Lake Presbyterian Church
Address: 309 East Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32801
Year Built: 1924-1926
Architect of Record: Murry S. King
Noteworthy Architectural Features:
The house of worship follows Spanish Revival or Mediterranean Revival inspiration. The stucco exterior, arched windows, elaborate parapets, and attached towers all contribute to an over-all romantic and pleasing design. The design includes an inviting and inspirational Sanctuary, suitable for what was then and remains a close-in suburban location. The design is in keeping with the homes surrounding Park Lake, which utilize similar design elements, creating a neighborhood with an historic architectural appeal.
How to Visit:
Park Lake Presbyterian Church offers worship services every Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. Arrangements may be made for groups or individuals to visit the church at other times by calling the church office.
Architectural Style: Florida Spanish Revival
Website: www.plpc.org
Related Links:
Murry S. King Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murry_S._King
Description:
Park Lake Presbyterian Church – 309 East Colonial Drive, Orlando – is one of the most accessible and well-preserved works by the dean of Orlando architecture, Murry S. King, whose influential practice was centered in Central Florida in the`1910s and 1920s. King is an important figure in the profession of architecture in Florida. He was a charter member of the Florida State Association of Architects, and served on Florida Board of Architecture, as well as being a pioneering member of the Florida chapter of the American Institute of Architects (his architect’s seal is engraved with the number 1). A native of Murrysville, in Allegheny County Pennsylvania, King and his family relocated to Orlando in 1904.
Dr. Clarence Ferran was a distinguished Presbyterian minister who held pastorates in Deland and other Florida towns before founding the Park Lake Presbyterian Church. The site his congregation selected for the new building was what had formerly been Orlando’s first public laundry owned by a Mrs. Manning.
“Park Lake was first known as Manning's Pond. On the site of the Park Lake Presbyterian Church, Mrs. Manning, a widow, established what may be called Orlando's first public laundry. A few wooden barrels, cut in two, served as tubs, an iron wash pot, the bushes as clothes lines, a "flat iron" heated on the coals made up the equipment. When Dr. Givens homesteaded that section, it became known as Givens Lake. Later a wilderness of guava bushes grew upon the southeast side, it was commonly called Guava Lake. Prof. Norman Robinson bought twenty acres in 1875, and renamed it Leora in honor of his wife. In 1912 it was changed to Park Lake.” (Orlando in the long, long ago and now Kena Fries, 1938)
Now approaching its centenary, the Park Lake Presbyterian Church offers a glimpse into what was then cutting-edge design for houses of worship in Central Florida. The collegial group of architects working in the Orlando area in the early 1920s had sought to create an architecture that was specifically suited to the climate and character of their community. Together, they chose motifs hearkening back to Spanish Colonial architectural forebears. This was partly an outgrowth of their awareness of the Spanish influence on early Florida history, and also prompted by contemporary scholarly articles about the California mission architecture.
Murry S. 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 was the dean of these Central Florida architects, not only because of his stature as the first registered architect in the state, but also because he was highly and fondly regarded by area colleagues in his profession. It was a logical decision for the building committee of Park Lake Presbyterian Church to select King as the architect for their new building.
The building design was a happy confluence of prevailing theories about worship spaces in the 1920s, and the commitment that Murry S. King and his collegial group of Orlando architects had sought to create in Central Florida. Thus, the Sanctuary, which forms the spiritual and literal heart of the facilities, was designed in a nave-and-chancel configuration, with a long central aisle, side aisles, a raised chancel that included a place for the choir as well as the pulpit and communion table, and a lofty ceiling height both as a visual symbol of the aspirations of the worshipers as they gathered in God’s presence, and also as a means to create acoustical resonance. Supporting the Sanctuary were rooms to accommodate offices, meetings, and Sunday school classrooms.
The aesthetic of the structure alludes specifically to Spanish Colonial antecedents. Stucco is the medium of choice for creating a plasticity of form that is consistent with historic precedents. Shapes derived from both the Spanish architypes of Europe, and the California missions; these merged to create the poetic and romantic ideal. It might seem somewhat incongruous that the church which had its origins in Scotland would have an architecture that did not allude to that locality whatsoever. Instead of hewn stone and pointed arches, the church has smooth walls and rounded arches. And yet, this same style was used elsewhere in Central Florida protestant worship centers such as the St. Cloud Presbyterian Church by Ryan and Roberts, and the now-replaced First Presbyterian Church of Orlando. It was, for Central Florida, the prevailing mode.
The entrance facade on Colonial Drive is graced by asymmetric towers, between which is a vestibule-porch consisting of three arched doorways. The arch motif is used throughout the exterior. On each of the towers, groups of arched window openings helped create a sense of verticality, as well as a statement of the Spanish revival themes.
The tower parapets are somewhat elaborate; to the right of the doorway, a castellated affect. And to the left of the doorway, the higher tower makes use of curved geometric forms and open arches that suggest a setting for church bells. Also notable is the red roof., the combination of white stucco and red roof being a hallmark of the Spanish Revival style.
The side entrance façade on Highland Avenue is extremely pleasing.
The placement of the arched and round windows to the right and left of the entry vestibule enliven an otherwise plain wall. The angular forms of the parapet above are a pleasing counterpoint to the arched forms elsewhere.
The recessed arch doorway with supporting columns, and the decorative urn at the peak of the vestibule roof all add to visual appeal.
Inside, the sanctuary is graced by a rectangular shape, supported overhead by trusses and a gable roof, the wood stained a dark shade. Arch forms continue in the side walls, supported by columns, above which ae smaller arched windows.
It’s clear that the Chancel area has undergone at least one revision, probably more than one. It now has broad steps that span the width of the church, creating an elevated platform for worship leader ship. The choir is divided from this platform by a decorative low screen, original to the building. The reredos behind the chancel conceal the organ pipes and serve as a screen for them; while it is a reworking of what was originally there, it is subtle enough not to be jarring.
Overhead, suspended from the roof trusses are the typical elongated lamps of the period, which are an interesting mixture of Spanish revival meets Art Deco.
Park Lake Presbyterian Church is part of a cohesive group of religious buildings created in central Florida in the 1920s, including First Presbyterian Church of Orlando and St. Cloud Presbyterian Church (both no longer extant), as well as the former Calvary Presbyterian Church at 709 Edgewater Drive, Orlando. The style persisted for some years, and can be seen in the Central Christian Church of Orlando (Disciples of Christ), Knowles Chapel on the campus of Rollins College in Winter Park, and in the First United Methodist Church in Mount Dora. To many observers, these look “the way a church ought to look in Florida”. Park Lake Presbyterian Church has retained its original features and is a significant contributor to the charm of the Park Lake neighborhood and the architectural heritage of Central Florida.
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 neoclassical Orange County Courthouse. A casual observer would not immediately grasp that it and the Park Lake Presbyterian Church were from the same drafting board. Yet, it might be supposed that King was more closely adhering to the shared vision of the Orlando Group of architects in using Spanish revival forms for the church structure.
Today, such buildings sometimes get lumped into a category that does not do justice to the theoretical focus of the Orlando architects. There has been a worldwide tendency since the mid 1900s to deride any architecture except the international style. This is unfortunate. Excellent regional work therefore is often ignored or deemed unworthy of appreciation or preservation. And it flies the face of what King and his fellow architects were attempting to accomplish. They were intentionally seeking a type of architecture that was suitable to Florida’s history and environment. If one studies the work of the architects listed in the Orlando City Directory of the mid 1920’s one finds that they were all creating pleasing buildings in this manner.
Early postcards of Orlando include a very poetic view of the newly completed Park Lake Presbyterian Church as seen from the far shore of Park Lake. It is a picturesque building in a pastoral setting. No doubt the new church building became an admired feature for those who passed by on busy Colonial Drive, as well.
Similarities to the buildings on the Rollins College Campus are worth noting, especially the poetic allure of Knowles Chapel, which, both inside and out, echoes Park Lake Presbyterian Church’s aesthetic. That the college chapel was designed by a nationally celebrated architect, Ralph Adams Cram, means that it enjoys greater historic appreciation today than does Park Lake Presbyterian Church.
The church building was dedicated on October 14, 1925. On the preceding Sunday, October 7, the congregation received its first group of more than 160 members. From its beginnings, Park Lake Presbyterian Church has had a strong group of constituents and a building they would utilize with a sense of pride.
The streetscape of Orlando has much changed in the past 100 years. Colonial Drive was formerly a quiet two lane street, that actually curved to follow the south shore of Park Lake. Today, it is a straight, extremely busy four lane commuting artery. Nonetheless, Park Lake Presbyterian Church continues to serve as a striking visual landmark for the community.
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