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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda 01.07.2025 HISTORICAL COMMISSION AGENDA ST. LUCIE COUNTY Regular Meeting Tuesday, January 7, 2025 4:00 PM St. Lucie County Commission Chambers 2300 Virginia Avenue 3rd Floor of Roger Poitras Building Fort Pierce, FL 34982 BOARD MEMBERS CHAIR Anthropology, Archaeology, History RICHARD MCAFOOS Land Use Planning or Historic Preservation Planning KRISSTA KING Architecture MIKE MENARD Layperson BETTY JO STARK Layperson PAUL LANGEL Conservation/Curation LYNN SWARTZEL Construction JUDY BIGLIN Mission Statement St. Lucie delivers superior service that enhances our quality of life Page 1 of 245 Historical Commission Tuesday, January 7, 2025 4:00 PM 2 | P a g e GENERAL RULES AND PROCEDURES – Attached is the agenda, which will determine the order of business conducted at today’s Board meeting. REGULAR AGENDA – Proclamations, Presentations, Public Hearings, and Department requests are items, which the Commission will discuss individually, usually in the order listed on the agenda. As a general rule, when issues are scheduled before the Commission under department request or public hearing, the order of presentation is: (1) County staff presents the details of the Board item (2) Commissioners comment (3) if a public hearing, the Chair will ask for public comment, (4) further discussion and action by the Board. ADDRESSING THE COMMISSION – Please state your name and address, speaking clearly into the microphone. If you have backup material, please have eight copies ready for distribution. NON‐AGENDA ITEMS – These items are presented by an individual Commissioner or staff as necessary at the conclusion of the printed agenda. PUBLIC COMMENT – Time is allotted at the beginning of each meeting for general public comment. Comments may pertain to any matter related to the Board’s duties as the County’s governing body. General comments in support or opposition to candidates for public office are not pertinent to the Board’s duties. DECORUM – Please be respectful of others’ opinions. MEETINGS – All Board meetings are open to the public and are held quarterly on the third Tuesdays of month at 4 p.m. and on the Meetings are held in the Planning Conference Room in the Planning and Development Services Department at 2300 Virginia Ave., Fort Pierce, Fla. 34982. Anyone with a disability requiring accommodation to attend this meeting should contact the St. Lucie County Human Resource Department at 772‐462‐1546, HumanResources@stlucieco.org or TDD 772‐462‐1428 at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. Page 2 of 245 Historical Commission Tuesday, January 7, 2025 4:00 PM 3 | P a g e 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. ROLL CALL 4. ANNOUNCEMENTS A. Retirement of Chair McAfoos & Vice-Chair Trewyn, from the Commission 5. PUBLIC COMMENT 6. ELECTION OF OFFICIALS 2025 A. Election of Chair B. Election of Vice-Chair 7. MINUTES A. Minutes of October 26, 2024 Historical Commission Meeting 8. ITEMS FOR ACTION / CONSIDERATION A. OLD BUSINESS 1. Edwin Binney Historic Sign Kiosk & Support Exhibit 2. Status Update: Edwin Binney Estate Historic Designations & Adjacent Indrio Woods PUD Development 3. Status Update: Fort Pierce Farms (Indrio Road) Schoolhouse Historic Sign Kiosk 4. Status Update: White City Historic Sign Kiosk at White City Park 5. Naming Request Approval Update: The Board of County Commissioners' approved of the Jean Ellen Wilson Library within the St. Lucie County Regional History Center Page 3 of 245 Historical Commission Tuesday, January 7, 2025 4:00 PM 4 | P a g e 6. Fort Pierce Farms School (AKA Indrio Road Schoolhouse) - Initiation of National Register of Historic Places Application B. NEW BUSINESS 9. MEMBER MATTERS & DISCUSSION 10. ADJOURNMENT Page 4 of 245 HISTORICAL COMMISSION ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA Regular Meeting October 1, 2024 Convened: 4:04 pm Adjourned: 5:08 pm 1. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 4:00 PM by Chair McAfoos. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Pledge of Allegiance led by Chair McAfoos. He requested 1-minute of silence follow to recognize those lost, those surviving, and those yet to be recovered from the unimaginable devastation caused in the path of Hurricane Helene. 3. ROLL CALL Present Chair Richard McAfoos, Vice-Chair Melanie Trewyn, Commission Member Betty Jo Starke, Commission Member Krissta King, Commission Member Mike Menard, Commission Member Judy Biglin Absent Commission Member Lynn Swartzel Others Present Staff: Kori Benton, SLC Planning Manager and Historic Preservation Officer; Daphne Schaub, Senior Planner; Ciara Forbes, Esq., Assistant County Attorney; Dana Pirulli, Temp Commission Secretary 4. ANNOUNCEMENTS Chair McAfoos requested everyone to silence their electronic devices. 5. PUBLIC COMMENT Ronna Perry, a resident of White City on West Virginia Drive, thanked the Commission for their efforts in creating historical kiosks, especially in White City. She requested that more than one kiosk be placed in the area. Ms. Perry shared that she had met with Mr. Benton and shown him historical information on White City and the White City Improvement Club (founded in 1901). She also expressed interest in sharing the Historical Commission's treasury and meeting minutes from the early 1900s, which were entrusted to her Page 5 of 245 Historical Commission Tuesday, October 1, 2024 4:00 PM 2 | P a g e by Herb Beach. Additionally, she expressed a desire for a historical overlay or other historical involvement. Chair McAfoos suggested that Ms. Perry display the items after the meeting, and Mr. Benton, with Ms. Perry's assistance, will work on scanning the information. 6. MINUTES A. Approval of the July 9, 2024 Historical Commission Meeting Minutes RESULT: APPROVE MOVER: Ms. Starke SECONDER: Ms. Biglin AYES: Chair McAfoos, Vice Chair Trewyn, Ms. Starke, Mr. Menard, Ms. King, Ms. Biglin NAYS: None 7. ITEMS FOR ACTION / CONSIDERATION A. OLD BUSINESS 1. Edwin Binney Historic Sign Kiosk & Support Exhibit at the St. Lucie County Regional History Center Mr. Benton provided an update on the Edwin Binney Historic Sign Kiosk, stating that the kiosk is in place, but there has been no recent progress on the goal of restoring and incorporating the watering trough feature. He expressed hope in rallying support from the County’s facilities team to help move the project forward. 2. Edwin Binney Estate Historic Designations & Adjacent Indrio Woods PUD Development Mr. Benton updated the Historical Commission on the Edwin Binney Estate, noting that the rezoning and preliminary development plan for the surrounding property has been approved. The final action by the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) is scheduled for October 15th at 9:00 AM during their regular agenda. Vice Chair Trewyn asked about the property's density, to which Mr. Benton explained that the number of units was condensed to 229, which in turn reduced the height of several buildings. 3. Fort Pierce Farms (Indrio Road) Schoolhouse Historical Sign Kiosk Mr. Benton provided an update on the Fort Pierce Farms Schoolhouse Historical Sign Kiosk. He gathered input from Ms. Cynthia Putman, and the content was passed onto the Zagat family for updates. While Mr. Benton aims to implement the sign, there has been a minor setback in securing additional sponsorship from the Fort Pierce Lion’s Club due to their commitments to other projects with the City of Fort Pierce in the Lincoln Park area. Page 6 of 245 Historical Commission Tuesday, October 1, 2024 4:00 PM 3 | P a g e County staff are currently working to secure additional funds for the powder-coated aluminum sign, with the Planning division committed to covering the sign itself. They are in the process of finding a contributor for the fixture, though a vendor is already lined up for fabrication. However, the fixture remains at a slight standstill until funding is secured. Chair McAfoos noted that the Historical Commission should explore funding for the Ordinance established Trust Fund to support such projects. 4. White City Historic Sign Kiosk at White City Park Mr. Benton provided an update on the White City Historic Sign Kiosk at White City Park. Mr. Benton stated that the County is working to finalize the content and noted that while contributions have been made for the fixture, they have secured funding for the display board itself. Currently, they are seeking local businesses to assist in completing the project shortly. Chair McAfoos inquired about the timeline, and Mr. Benton explained that it requires funding, as the project is about 95% finished. Chair McAfoos suggested setting a new target date, and Mr. Benton proposed aiming to find benefactors by the end of the year. Vice Chair Trewyn noted there is only $600-700 needed to complete the project. Mr. Benton responded stating that they have not yet made a formal fundraising request and that the fixtures are provided by a third-party vendor with whom they do not have a direct relationship. Vice Chair Trewyn asked whether we could obtain contributions from historic families, such as the Nelsons, and suggested gathering their friends to support the project. Mr. Benton responded that there are individuals, including members of the White City Improvement Club, who are actively helping to raise such funds. 5. Name Request Approval Update: The Board of County Commissioners’ approved of the Jean Ellen Wilson Library within the St. Lucie County Regional History Center (SLCRHC) The applicants for this request have been in contact with staff and are exploring options for creating the display. One limitation is the way exhibits are presented in the SLCRHC, as the walls are not suitable for relocating the sign. They initially looked at local vendors and are now considering Etsy as a potential source. Local advocates are supporting the fabrication and installation, and the goal is to have the display set up within the next month. Ms. Biglin suggested that more durable doors should be used, as the current ones won’t be able to support the plaque. She inquired whether funding is available for better wooden doors. Mr. Benton shared that he spoke with Ms. Nancy Bennett, who mentioned there is interest in renovating the library, including the doors, within the next 6-12 months. Mr. Benton spoke with Ms. Victoria Bush, who is a part of the advocacy team for the naming request, who voiced concern about the type of doors and whether to replace them with windowed doors. Mr. Benton believes there’s an opportunity for a significant upgrade and that the plaque is intended to be reused. Ms. Biglin asked if donations required an approval process or if they could be made directly. Mr. Benton clarified that while he can’t speak for St. Lucie County special Facilities department or the SLCRHC, there is a structural agreement in place where the center and museum receive some facility- related support from the County, who owns the building. If the replacement doors are safe and meet certain specifications, the County may be open to contributions. Chair McAfoos cautioned using clear or transparent door features since oral histories are audio/video recorded in that space ongoing. Page 7 of 245 Historical Commission Tuesday, October 1, 2024 4:00 PM 4 | P a g e B. NEW BUSINESS 1. Fort Pierce Farms School (AKA Indrio Road Schoolhouse ) – initiation of National Register of Historic Places Application This is County owned property, which is located at 4850 Indrio Road NE corner of Emerson and Indrio Road and approximately 10 acres in size (which Mr. Benton later corrected by confirming the site is closer to 7 ½ acres). The site itself was built in 1913. The two-story framed vernacular building was partially restored by Saint Lucie County, and was donated by the Putnam family along with a partial donation by the Russakis family. After the school ceased to operate, it was relocated largely due to the widening project of Indrio Road. There is a Publix approved due west of this site, yet has not built as they are waiting for more homes to be constructed. The County has a BBQ food truck vendor that operates onsite from Thursday – Sunday. Saint Lucie County added a separate detached public restroom facility. Chair McAfoos stated that the purpose for moving it is to preserve history and the Historical Commission’s mission is to preserve historic property. It is appropriate to take action by a motion to recommend to the BOCC to pursue the designation of this property via the application to the national registry. Chair McAfoos asked whether there was anyone interested in sponsoring this motion. Vice Chair Treywn sponsored and Ms. Biglin seconded. Mr. Menard recommended to the Commission and to Mr. Benton to review the national registration requirements. Mr. Benton stated that we would need to develop the narrative and collect additional history particularly tracking the relocation of the structures to document that fully and to hold greater association with the members of our region. Due to the unanimous decision by the Historical Commission to approve this, Mr. Benton will reach out to Ms. Jean Ellen Wilson and other resources of the history center what documentation they have and ask the County’s attorney’s office to track the history and how we acquired the land. Mr. Benton will take the recommendation of this body to the BOCC. Ms. Biglin inquired about the size of the property. Mr. Benton stated it’s approximately 7 ½ acres and there is only a school house and the bathroom. Ms. Biglin asked if there are any entities of the County that have the right to designate the property as an historic area. Mr. Benton stated that the County could initiate a request to obtain national recognition. During the extensive discussion, Chair McAfoos reminded all that the Commission’s (SLCHC) mission is the ongoing preservation of Historic/Archaeological assets in the county. While there may be times when staff may not agree with a position, it is the Commission’s responsibility to do its job. By consensus, all commission members were in agreement. COMMISSION MOTION Approval to recommend that the Board of County Commissioners advance the necessary Research, Preparation and Advancement of an application to petition placement of the Indrio Road Schoolhouse (Fort Page 8 of 245 Historical Commission Tuesday, October 1, 2024 4:00 PM 5 | P a g e Pierce Farms School), including the encompassing +/-7.5 acres, on the National Register of Historic Places. RESULT: APPROVE MOVER: Vice Chair Trewyn SECONDER: Ms. King AYES: Chair McAfoos, Vice Chair Trewyn, Ms. Starke, Mr. Menard, Ms. King, Ms. Biglin NAYS: None 2. Update from the Historical Commission Chair Chair McAfoos read excerpts from his final email, dated September 30, 2024, to Ms. Santamaria, addressing their ongoing dialogue on the Historic Preservation Trust Fund topic. A full copy of the communication is attached. It is a public record. 8. MEMBER MATTERS & DISCUSSION Mr. Benton stated there was one position up for reappointment, Commission Member Menard. By Ordinance he has half a term left of his eligibility. Next month, staff explore interest in reappointment to the Commission, with applications to be reviewed by the Board of County Commissioners. Mr. Benton provided an update on efforts to fulfill the Chair’s request for direct access to Commission minutes to the County’s website . 9. ADJOURNMENT (5:08 pm) RESULT: APPROVE MOVER: Ms. Starke SECONDER: Ms. King AYES: Chair McAfoos, Vice Chair Trewyn, Ms. Starke, Mr. Menard, Ms. King, Ms. Biglin NAYS: None Page 9 of 245 Historical Commission Tuesday, October 1, 2024 4:00 PM 6 | P a g e Appendix (Linked to Discussion under Agenda Item (7.B.2) – Member Matters) 09.30.24 Email Content Regarding LDC Section 4.11.03. - Historic Preservation Trust Fund. Follow-up inquiry by Richard McAfoos, Historical Commission Chair to Mayte Santamaria, Deputy County Administrator II (Public Record) Mon 09/30/24 8:26 AM Gooday, Ms. Santamaria, I appreciate your response, as I do know what a very busy person you are. We have been debating the trust fund (et al) issue for quite some time now, pretty much exploring every conceivable angle. Our divergent views have provided for spirited discourse. Since I was a commission member during the transition years ago, I remain familiar with staff’s reasoning, followed by BOCC action, for conversion to a new, more comprehensive model to provide SLC with a higher level of credibility resulting in new funding opportunities to pursue the redefined mission with “Certified Local Government” (CLG) status. It was real and measurable. Failure of SLC to fulfill that opportunity since inception begs the question; was it really serious or was it for political expediency? You have painstakingly done your job offering endless bases for your conclusions, or non-conclusions; caveats – nuances – what ifs – speculations - etc. But none explain the fundamental purpose in doing something so consequential, so beneficial to historic/archeological preservation in our county, if it was never intended to bring to fruition. Sort of like… We did it for the betterment of our mission but didn’t finish it because we weren’t serious? So, it’s time we bring our debate on this matter to a conclusion. We’ve reached an impasse, as we respectfully disagree. You’re a tough debate partner! On a lighter note, perhaps you missed your calling to become an attorney (defense). Prosecutors focus on conviction – the defense focuses on creating doubt (I am smiling). Respectfully, Richard McAfoos SLCHC Chair Page 10 of 245 AGENDA REQUEST 7.A.1. 2024-34335 ITEMS FOR ACTION / CONSIDERATION - PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DATE: 10/1/2024 *DISCUSSION ITEM QUASI-JUDICIAL ITEM? No TO: PRESENTED BY: SUBMITTED BY: SUBJECT: Historical Commission Kori Benton, Planning Manager Planning & Development Services Edwin Binney Historic Sign Kiosk & Support Exhibit BACKGROUND: In the Fall of 2023, after years of planning, content formulation, peer review and design efforts, the Edwin Binney Historic Sign Kiosk was unveiled at the St. Lucie County Regional History Center. The initiative, launched by the Historical Commission in partnership with Staff, garnered support from the historians at the Center, Cynthia Putnam (member of the Binney family), Fort Pierce Lions' Club and St. Lucie County team. The accompanying "Florindia" watering trough, from the Binney Estate has been examined for future restoration & the possible addition of a water circulation feature. PREVIOUS ACTION: See Background FINANCIAL IMPACT: St. Lucie County expended roughly $325 toward the sign, and in-kind contributions. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends brief discussion of strategies to jump-start attention to the watering trough enhancement. COMMISSION ACTION: RESULT: MOVER: None SECONDER: None AYES: None NAYS: None EXCUSED: None Coordination/Signatures Page 11 of 245 Edwin Binney Sign Kiosk & Outdoor Exhibit at the SLC Regional History Center Edwin Binney Sign Kiosk Page 12 of 245 Watering Trough from Florindia (Edwin Binney Estate, Indrio Roar) • Restoration & Water Circulation Feature Considered by SLC Facilities Associated @ SLCRH Page 13 of 245 AGENDA REQUEST 7.A.2. 2024-34328 ITEMS FOR ACTION / CONSIDERATION - PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DATE: 10/1/2024 *DISCUSSION ITEM QUASI-JUDICIAL ITEM? No TO: PRESENTED BY: SUBMITTED BY: SUBJECT: Historical Commission Kori Benton, Planning Manager Planning & Development Services Status Update: Edwin Binney Estate Historic Designations & Adjacent Indrio Woods PUD Development BACKGROUND: The Board of County Commissioners, at their April 2, 2024 Meeting, voted unanimously to approved Resolutions 2024-72 & 2024-74 to grant the designation of 6701 Indrio Road (Florindia aka the Edwin Binney Estate) as a locally significant historic resource. The parcel abutting the Binney Estate was under a petition for a Rezoning to change the zoning from the AR- 1 (Agricultural, Residential — 1, 1du/ ac) Zoning District to the PUD Planned Unit Development) Zoning District, with an associated Preliminary Site Plan, to develop a two- hundred and seventy-four 274) unit multifamily development to be known as the Indrio Woods PUD. The final action was a 3-2 vote to approve the petition(s) with conditions, including a reduction of 45 units to 229 units and reduction of four of the seven planned structures to two stories. The BOCC is anticipated to review the Final Site Plan for Indrio Woods at their October 15, 2024 meeting. PREVIOUS ACTION: On July 25, 2023, the St. Lucie County Historical Commission passed a motion to request staff's consultation with the St. Lucie Historical Society as to a written recommendation regarding Historic Designation of the Edwin Binney Estate. On October 3, 2023, the St. Lucie County Historical Commission, voted unanimously to initiate a Historic Designation review for the property situated at 6701 Indrio after receiving a recommendation referred, by the Port St. Lucie Historical Society. On October 19, 2023, the property owners filed a parallel designation request for their property at 6701 Indrio Road. On January 9, 2024, the Historical Commission held a Public Hearing and passed a motion to recommend the Board of County Commissioners approve designation of the structures as locally significant resources. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The Binney Estate owner may petition an Ad-Valorem Tax Exemption for future rehabilitation of the historic structure(s). RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends brief discussion.Page 14 of 245 Planning and Development Services Kori Benton, AICP, Planning Manager Agenda Items 10. A. 6 & 7 Property Owner and St. Lucie County Historical Commission Initiated Historic Designation Requests 6701 Indrio Road / Parcel ID 1313-311-0002-000-3 Board of County Commissioners April 2, 2024 Page 15 of 245 2 Public Notice Page 16 of 245 3 Parallel Requests Page 17 of 245 4 6701 Indrio Road – “Florindia” AKA “The Binney Estate” Subject Parcel Ta y l o r D a i r y R o a d Page 18 of 245 5 6701 Indrio Road – “Florindia” AKA “The Binney Estate” Page 19 of 245 6 6701 Indrio Road – “Florindia” AKA “The Binney Estate” Page 20 of 245 7 6701 Indrio Road – “Florindia” AKA “The Binney Estate” The Original Home The Barn Page 21 of 245 8 6701 Indrio Road – “Florindia” AKA “The Binney Estate” Page 22 of 245 9 LDC Section 4.11.06. Criteria A.1. Page 23 of 245 10 LDC Section 4.11.06. B. 2. 4.11.06 B. 2. Designation Reports. Prior to the designation of an individual site or a district, the Historic Preservation Officer shall prepare an investigation and designation report and submit it to the Historical Commission Page 24 of 245 11 Historical Commission Recommendations At their January 9, 2024 meeting, the St. Lucie County Historical Commission held public hearings to evaluate the Designation Reports for the Edwin Binney Estate (AKA "Florindia") at 6701 lndrio Road, corresponding with requests by the St. Lucie County Historical Commission and by the Owners. The Commission passed unanimous motions to recommend approval of the designation requests. Page 25 of 245 12 Staff Recommendation Staff recommends the Board authorize the designation requests, approving Resolutions 2024-72 and 2024-74, authorizing the Chair to sign documents as approved by the County Attorney. Page 26 of 245 Planning and Development Services Kori Benton, AICP, Planning Manager Agenda Items 10. A. 6 & 7 Property Owner and St. Lucie County Historical Commission Initiated Historic Designation Requests 6701 Indrio Road / Parcel ID 1313-311-0002-000-3 Board of County Commissioners April 2, 2024 Page 27 of 245 14 Historic Designation Referral Page 28 of 245 15 Historic Designation Referral 4.11.06.Designation Process and Procedure B. Procedures for Historic Designation. Properties that meet the criteria for local historic sites and local historic districts set forth in Section 4.11.02 shall be designated according to the following procedures: 1.Initiation. b. Initiation by the Historical Commission. Based upon written recommendations from local, state or national historical organizations, the Historical Commission may initiate the designation of properties which would meet the criteria for an Exceptional Historic Resource as defined in Section 4.11.02. When the Historical Commission votes to initiate the designation process, it shall set a date for a public hearing. Staff shall notify the property owner of the public hearing and prepare the designation report. Page 29 of 245 Page 30 of 245 Page 31 of 245 Page 32 of 245 Page 33 of 245 Page 34 of 245 Page 35 of 245 Page 36 of 245 Page 37 of 245 i RESOLUTION 2024-44 File Number: PD-2211-000022 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS e o OF ST. LUCIE COUNTY APPROVING ON RECONSIDERATION A W REVISED REZONING PETITION FROM THE AR-1 F AGRICULTURAL, RESIDENTIAL-1) ZONING DISTRICT TO THE F o PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT) ZONING DISTRICT AND A oREVISED PRELIMINARY PUD SITE PLAN FOR A 229-UNIT MULTI-co" N FAMILY DEVELOPMENT ON +/-32.58 ACRES TO BE KNOWN ASwC, 0 THE INDRIO WOODS PUD, LOCATED IN ST. LUCIE COUNTY,O N w N;s FLORIDA. J7ua0oacV,p.*in C W N WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of St. Lucie County, Florida, basedu154- J upon competent, substantial evidence, including but not limited to the staff report and z W 8° staff recommendation, has made the following determinations:ceamu_0ce ZONING ATLAS AMENDMENT 1) WGI, on behalf of Paul R. Budick, presented a petition for an Amendment to the Official Zoning Atlas from the AR-1 (Agricultural, Residential — 1, 1du/ac) Zoning District to the PUD (Planned Unit Development) Zoning District, for property located at 7075 lndrio Road, in Fort Pierce, Florida, as depicted on the attached map as Exhibit "A" and described in Part "A" below. 2) On June 15, 2023, the Planning & Zoning Commission held a duly noticed public hearing on the petition for the property described in Part "A" and voted to continue this item until the September 28, 2023, Planning & Zoning Commission meeting. 3) On September 28, 2023, the Planning and Zoning Commission held their meeting, continued the public hearing on the petition, and voted to continue this item until the November 16, 2023, Planning & Zoning Commission meeting. 4) On November 16, 2023, the Planning & Zoning Commission held their meeting, continued the public hearing on the petition and voted to continue this item until the December 14, 2023, Planning & Zoning Commission meeting. 5) On December 14, 2023, the Planning & Zoning Commission held their meeting, continued the public hearing on the petition, of which courtesy mailings were provided to owners of property within 500ft. of the petition site, and voted 5 to 3 to forward a recommendation of approval to the Board of County Commissioners, including greater tree preservation at shared Resolution No. 2024-44 Page 1 File No: PD-2211-000022 Page 38 of 245 property lines with the Binney Estate and a decrease in height from three- story to two-story buildings, and a reduction in the overall number of units density). 6) On February 6, 2024, the Board of County Commissioners held a duly noticed public hearing on the petition for the property described in Part "A" and voted to continue this item until the March 5, 2024, Board of County Commissioners meeting. 7) On March 5, 2024, the Board of County Commissioners at their regularly scheduled meeting held a public hearing on the petition and after discussion voted 3 to 2 to deny the proposed rezoning petition and the Preliminary PUD Site Plan petition. 8) On March 22, 2024, the Board of County Commissioners during their public meeting voted 4-1 to reconsider the revised lndrio Woods PUD rezoning petition, scheduling the public hearing to reconsider the revised petition for their regularly scheduled May 7, 2024, meeting. 9) On May 7, 2024, the Board of County Commissioners held a duly noticed public hearing to reconsider the revised petition for the property described in Part "A". 10) The St. Lucie County Development Review Committee has reviewed the Rezoning Petition and found it to meet the technical requirements and to be consistent with the St. Lucie County Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code, with the associated revised Preliminary PUD Site Plan noted below, subject to the conditions set forth in Part "C" of this Resolution. 11) The proposed zoning change is consistent with the St. Lucie County Comprehensive Plan and has satisfied the requirements of Section 11.06.03 of the St. Lucie County Land Development Code. PRELIMINARY PUD SITE PLAN 12) WGI, on behalf of Paul R. Budick, submitted a Preliminary PUD (Planned Unit Development) Site Plan to develop a two-hundred and seventy-four 274) unit multifamily development to be known as the Indrio Woods PUD for the property depicted in the attached map as Exhibit "A" and described in Part "A" below. Resolution No. 2024-44 Page 2 File No: PD-2211-000022 Page 39 of 245 13) On June 15, 2023, the Planning & Zoning Commission held a duly noticed public hearing on the petition and voted to continue this item until the September 28, 2023, Planning & Zoning Commission meeting. 14) On September 28, 2023, the Planning and Zoning Commission continued their public hearing on the petition for the property described in Part "A" and voted to continue this item until the November 16, 2023, Planning & Zoning Commission meeting. 15) On November 16, 2023, the Planning and Zoning Commission continued their public hearing on the petition and voted to continue this item further until the December 14, 2023, Planning & Zoning Commission meeting. 16) On December 14, 2023, the Planning & Zoning Commission continued their public hearing on the petition, of which courtesy mailing were provided to owners of property within 500 ft. of the petition site, and voted 5 to 3 to forward a recommendation of approval to the Board of County Commissioners, including greater tree preservation at shared property lines with the Binney Estate and a decrease in height from three-story to two- story buildings, and a reduction in the overall number of units. 17) On February 6, 2024, the Board of County Commissioners held a duly noticed public hearing on the petition for the property described in Part "A" and granted the applicant's request to continue this item until the March 5, 2024, Board of County Commissioners meeting. 18) On March 5, 2024, the Board of County Commissioners at their regularly scheduled meeting held a public hearing on the petition and after discussion voted 3 to 2 to deny the Preliminary PUD Site Plan petition, and the rezoning petition. 19) On March 22, 2024, the Board of County Commissioners during their public meeting voted 4-1 to reconsider the revised Preliminary PUD Site Plan, scheduling the public hearing to reconsider the revised submission for their regularly scheduled May 7, 2024, meeting. 20) On April 15, 2024, the Planning and Development Services Department received a resubmission, including a modified Preliminary PUD Site Plan, and a Traffic Impact Report (further updated April 30, 2024). The modified Preliminary PUD Site Plan presented various modifications discussed at the March 5, 2024, Board of County Commissioners' public hearing on the matter including a reduction in density to 229 units, a reduction in height of Resolution No. 2024-44 Page 3 File No: PD-2211-000022 Page 40 of 245 four (4) buildings to two (2) stories, a decrease in parking and impervious surface areas, a revised driveway connection from lndrio Road restricting access to right in only, a commitment to designing, permitting, and installing the span wire with intersection flashing beacon at the intersection of Taylor Dairy Road and lndrio Road and a commitment to pay a fair share contribution toward improving the intersection where warranted, an increase in tree preservation and open space, expanded setbacks from the adjacent Binney Estate, and expanded stormwater. 21) On May 7, 2024, the Board of County Commissioners held a duly noticed public hearing to reconsider the revised Preliminary PUD Site Plan for the property described in Part "A". 22) The St. Lucie County Development Review Committee has reviewed the Preliminary PUD Site Plan for the project and found it to meet the technical requirements and to be consistent with the St. Lucie County Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code, subject to the conditions set forth in Part C" of this Resolution. 23) The proposed project, with conditions of approval, will not have an undue adverse effect on adjacent property, the character of the neighborhood, traffic conditions, parking, utility facilities, or other matters affecting the public health, safety, and general welfare. 24) All reasonable steps have been taken to minimize any adverse effect of the proposed project on the immediate vicinity through building design, site design, landscaping, and screening. 25) The proposed project, subject to Final Site Plan approval, will be constructed, arranged, and operated so as not to interfere with the development and use of neighboring property, in accordance with applicable district regulations and this resolution. 26) The proposed project will be served by the St. Lucie County Utilities Department for water and wastewater services. 27) The proposed Preliminary PUD Site Plan is consistent with elements of the St. Lucie County Comprehensive Plan and the St. Lucie County Land Development Code and meets the standards of review set out in Section 11.02.07. of the Land Development Code. Resolution No. 2024-44 Page 4 File No: PD-2211-000022 Page 41 of 245 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners of St. Lucie County, Florida: ZONING ATLAS AMENDMENT A. The property on which the Zoning Atlas Amendment, or change in zoning, from the AR-1 (Agricultural, Residential — 1, 1du/ac) Zoning District to PUD (Planned Unit Development) is being granted is described as follows: Legal Description: THE NORTHEAST 1/4 OF THE SOUTHWEST 1/4 OF SECTION 13, TOWNSHIP 34 SOUTH, RANGE 39 EAST, ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA, LESS AND EXCEPT THE FOLLOWING: FROM THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF THE NORTH 1/2 OF THE SOUTHWEST 1/4 OF SECTION 13, TOWNSHIP 24 SOUTH, RANGE 39 EAST, RUN ALONG THE NORTH LINE OF SAID SOUTHWEST 1/4, 626.3 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING: FROM THE POINT OF BEGINNING, RUN SOUTH ON A BACK ANGLE OF 90°40', A DISTANCE OF 715 FEET; THENCE WEST 330 FEET; THENCE NORTH 715 FEET; THENCE EAST 330 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING. LESS AND EXCEPT: ROAD AND CANAL RIGHT OF WAYS. CONTAINING 32.58 ACRES MORE OR LESS. Parcel ID Number: 1313-311-0001-000-6 B. The St. Lucie County Planning and Development Services Director shall amend the Official Zoning Map to change the zoning of the property herein described, from the AR-1 (Agricultural, Residential — 1, 1du/ac) Zoning District to the PUD Planned Unit Development) Zoning District and to make a notation of the reference to the date of adoption of this Resolution. PRELIMINARY PUD SITE PLAN C. Pursuant to 11.02.05(B) of the St. Lucie County Land Development Code, the revised Preliminary PUD (Planned Unit Development) Site Plan for the project known as the Indrio Woods PUD is hereby approved for the subject property described in Part "A" above, as shown on the revised Preliminary PUD Site Plan drawings for the project, prepared by WGI and date stamped received by the St. Lucie County Planning & Development Services Department on April 15, 2024, as attached and incorporated herein as Exhibit "C", and subject to the following conditions: Resolution No. 2024-44 Page 5 File No: PD-2211-000022 Page 42 of 245 Planning & Development Services Department: 1. Prior to Final Major Site Plan approval, a small trash receptacle with screening shall be provided near the Club House/Pool/Rec Area. 2. Prior to Final Major Site Plan approval, a development schedule indicating the approximate date construction of the development, or stages of the development can be expected to begin and be completed is required. 3. The Final Major Site Plan shall include construction of Taylor-Dairy Road, by the developer, from the intersection at lndrio Road to the southern property boundary. Final intersection design shall require evaluation by the County Engineer, considering projected traffic volumes and turn movements. Where traffic volumes, configuration conditions, changes in operation or corridor characteristics warrant add-on safety features such as flashing lights, approach striping and signs, etc., such improvements shall be integrated into final design plans in the Final Major Site Plan. This evaluation may include intersection signalization warrant analysis, including consideration of timing and proportionate fare share contribution(s) where applicable (See COA #19, below). 4. The Final Major Site Plan shall preserve native trees, where possible within the Preliminary Development Plan design, in the area abutting the Binney Estate. Where possible, the design will meander the proposed berm in favor of natural tree preservation with proposed shrubs planted to supplement existing and proposed trees. 5. The Final Major Site Plan approval shall require a pedestrian easement for the proposed sidewalk link adjacent to the lndrio Road right-of-way. 6. The Final Major Site Plan shall modify the Indrio Road driveway preventing left turn movements onto and from lndrio Road at that location, as reflected on the Preliminary Development Plan. 7. The applicant shall provide 10% of the units, for a total of 23 units, as workforce housing for 15 years. 5% of the workforce housing units will be 100% of the AMI and 5% of the workforce housing units will be 120% of the AMI. 8. The Final Major Site Plan shall detail the proposed linear park along lndrio Road and the project's proposed bus stop(s). Environmental Resources Department: 9. Prior to Final Major Site Plan approval, the applicant shall provide a revised landscape plan reflecting the most recent site plan revisions. 10.Prior to Final Major Site Plan approval, a revised upland buffer planting plan shall be certified for the proposed flow way areas that includes canopy, understory, and ground cover plantings (native species only). Resolution No. 2024-44 Page 6 File No: PD-2211-000022 Page 43 of 245 11.Prior to Final Major Site Plan approval, the applicant shall provide an updated littoral planting plan consistent with the Towns, Villages and Countryside (TVC) overlay standards outlined in LDC 3.01.03.(EE.)(2.)(p.)(4.) 12.The Final Major Site Plan (Landscape Plan) shall demonstrate additional tree preservation adjacent to the property lines abutting the Binney Estate including modification of the stormwater/flow way edge) and Indrio Road where not impeding clear vision areas), both as identified on the most recent preliminary site plan revisions and generally depicted in the applicant's presentation to the Board of County Commissioners on May 7, 2024. 13.Prior to commencement of development, including, but not limited to clearing, filling, excavation, grading, or planting of vegetation, as defined in LDC 2.00.00, the developer shall provide an executed Conservation Easement over the upland preserve area, along with the approved Preserve Area Monitoring and Management Plan (PAMMP), with an attached affidavit and cashier's check (payable to the Clerk of the Court for recording fees) to the County Attorney. The applicant shall also provide a georeferenced GIS shapefile or CAD file of the conservation easement boundaries to St. Lucie County. 14.Prior to commencement of development, including, but not limited to clearing, filling, excavation, grading, or planting of vegetation, as defined in LDC 2.00.00, a 100 percent survey per Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC) protocol for gopher tortoises shall be provided. If any construction activities are proposed within 25 ft. of any gopher tortoise burrows, a relocation permit shall also be provided in accordance with FWCC requirements. 15.Prior to issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy all Category I listed invasive plants shall be eradicated from the site. Public Works Department: 16.Prior to issuance of a Site Development Permit, the five-foot Right-of-Way dedication along Indrio Road is required to be completed. 17.A Site Development Permit is required prior to performing site improvement activities. 18.Prior to issuance of a Site Development Permit, a Road Improvement Agreement and appropriate bond will be required for all permanent improvements within the Right-of-Way. 19.The applicant will design, permit and install, if permitted, the span wire with intersection flashing beacon at the Indrio Road and Taylor Dairy Road intersection. Resolution No. 2024-44 Page 7 File No: PD-2211-000022 Page 44 of 245 20.The applicant will contribute a proportionate fair share of the cost of providing intersection signalization at Indrio Road and Taylor Dairy Road, where warranted. D. The Preliminary PUD Site Plan approval granted by this Resolution shall expire on May 7, 2026, unless a Final Site Plan is obtained, or an extension is granted in accordance with Section 11.02.06(B)(3) of the Land Development Code. E. The developer is advised as part of this approval that the property owner(s), developer, etc., including any successors in interest, shall obtain all applicable development permits and construction authorizations from the appropriate State and Federal and local regulatory agencies including, but not limited to, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Department of Transportation, South Florida Water Management District, and the St. Lucie County Environmental Resources, Public Works, and Building Departments prior to the commencement of any development activities on the property described in Part A". Issuance of this authorization or permit by the County does not in any way create any rights on the part of the developer to obtain a permit from a State or Federal agency and does not create any liability on the part of the County for issuance of this permit if the developer fails to obtain requisite approvals or fulfill the obligations imposed by a State or Federal agency or undertake actions that may result in a violation of State or Federal law. F. The conditions set forth in Part "C" are an integral non-severable part of the Preliminary PUD Site Plan approval granted by this Resolution. If any condition set forth in Part "C" is determined to be invalid or unenforceable for any reason and the developer declines to comply voluntarily with that condition, the site plan approval granted by this Resolution shall become null and void. G. A Concurrency Deferral Affidavit, a copy which is attached to this Resolution as Exhibit "B" was signed by the applicant on February 21, 2024. H. A copy of this Resolution shall be mailed to the owner the of record as identified on the application. This Resolution shall be recorded in the Public Records. J. ADOPTION After motion and second, the vote on this Resolution was as follows: Resolution No. 2024-44 Page 8 File No: PD-2211-000022 Page 45 of 245 Cathy Townsend, Chair NAY Chris Dzadovsky, Vice-Chair AYE Larry Leet, Commissioner NAY Linda Bartz, Commissioner AYE Jamie Fowler, Commissioner AYE PASSED AND DULY ADOPTED this 7th day of May 2024. BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA BY: CHAIR ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM AND CORRECTNESS: S44 . DEPUTY CLERK ° ,, ; COUNTY A RNEY oO, F COUrcri-1 Resolution No. 2024-44 Page 9 File No: PD-2211-000022 Page 46 of 245 EXHIBIT "A" LOCATION MAP) r; y" h a% t ]kIVIESasawn y 'E giiII 4j p4 i g 1M1iYi .F..L " 9 k+"44,, k Mp ;#• :a Ufa w Zest, °' A Z t t 1.rt.4 1 i a SI$ /41: 3 F M l ea 1 a y . iiir 4,' '-ate qr "Cr,.., -2 „i iri,„ s ....,...„ i t Indrio Road i 4 ubje Parcel __- -.. c jiii i-I Resolution No. 2024-44 Page 10 File No: PD-2211-000022 Page 47 of 245 EXHIBIT "B" CERTIFICATE OF CONCURRENCY DEFERRAL) St.Lucie County Concurrency Deferral Affidavit Christian Bryant residing or doing business at WGLllMLMemantfll Name Street Port Si.Lucie FL , 34986 17721 40-5258 City State Zip Phone have applied for a Preliminary Site Plan and Rezoning to PUD from St,Lucie County,Florida, Type of Development Order for the following project: lndrio Woods Name of Proposed Devappment I do hereby affirm that in connection with my application for the above prOjeCt., I have elected to defer the certificate of capacity and reservation of capacity in public facilities for the above property until a liar time,but no later than the application for a final development order for the same property_ I understand and acknowledge that the above listed property will be subject to the certificate of capacity before any final development order can be issued,and that St. Lucie County can make no guarantee that adequate public facilities will be available when I apply for the final development order. 1 further acknowledge that according to Section 5,03,01 of the St. Lucie County Land Development Code, no final development approval can be granted until capacity in those facilities is available at that time. The issuance of a preliminary development order without a certificate of capacity creates no vested or other rights to develop the subject property, Signed; 477 Date: 2- 1°1 V Api want STATE OF fis011k/Diir'rex( COUNTY OF —riftltift The foregoing instrument was acknowledged before me this 11 14 day of F4'..hr1/11011 ,20 try r kr i 54-1146 iktfril ho is personally known to me or who has produced 61 r/016 t)fieff(s identificition, LoA)r V1 la id Wr Soure of Notary Type or Print Name of Notary 3 3 6'1'1 R Commission Number (Seal) LAtiaEa tidolowia I 11 44nan, 01333a441fi My Commis-slim el..1irs, Page of I October 1,,20Z5 Revtstkl. Apn 1,20t./K Resolution No. 2024-44 Page 11 File No: PD-2211-000022 Page 48 of 245 EXHIBIT "C" PRELIMINARY PUD SITE PLAN) 1 si.Fpgii;iKIp gg I i 1 111/1 i g ii F pi i 11 .......... 61°9i'A is 4. ,/ /-101, --,-.6. ,-- ,47, 1,7:--i -4° ,11 ' aili I ot i li 1 i' 1& i friii t , 3 i' I 11E 1 ' jiltI.r,) ' 1 r , i 4 lid s 1 14I !s 1 y, I) yal. i #Y iF I t §! tltl 1 , I x tl I01., i0{It I I Y 7:.i I I !0 1.,i,__2.abi. L':-._-.::;21'2"ti=gt PamI I ___' psi = ^_ a— t` lir ri_, 1111 ii ! i iij4 Imo 0 LI El ill 11 HI ! F it iifi IIHItoI01111iitl ill i1 1 s WORMWOODS D r"— sr LUCIE COUNTY,FLORIDA WOL Resolution No. 2024-44 Page 12 File No: PD-2211-000022 Page 49 of 245 Page 50 of 245 Page 51 of 245 Page 52 of 245 Page 53 of 245 Page 54 of 245 Page 55 of 245 Page 56 of 245 Page 57 of 245 Page 58 of 245 Page 59 of 245 Page 60 of 245 Page 61 of 245 Page 62 of 245 Page 63 of 245 AGENDA REQUEST 7.A.3. 2024-34329 ITEMS FOR ACTION / CONSIDERATION - PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DATE: 10/1/2024 *DISCUSSION ITEM QUASI-JUDICIAL ITEM? No TO: PRESENTED BY: SUBMITTED BY: SUBJECT: Historical Commission Kori Benton, Planning Manager Planning & Development Services Status Update: Fort Pierce Farms (Indrio Road) Schoolhouse Historic Sign Kiosk BACKGROUND: Sign Kiosk Content Review & Revisions: The revised sign content draft is enclosed, containing suggestions from review by Cynthia Putnam. George P. Putnam, Cynthia's father, donated the subject land to St. Lucie County. Eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places: The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation's historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archaeological resources. The attached application (registration) form is provided to evaluate the required content to pursue designation. A potential application would demand further consideration by the Board of County Commissioners. (See New Business Item) PREVIOUS ACTION: The Historical Commission has previously evaluated staff's efforts to prepare a Historic Sign Kiosk for placement at the park. FINANCIAL IMPACT: Sign Costs are estimated between $500-850. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends discussion of future funding sources. Page 64 of 245 Fort Pierce Farms (aka Indrio Road) Schoolhouse c1915 History Exhibit Brought to you by the St. Lucie County Historical Commission Content Contributions by Pedestal Contributed by The Fort Pierce Farms Schoolhouse This circa-1915 Frame Vernacular building is located on the northeast comer of Emerson Avenue and lndrio Road. This rectangular, one-story building has a wood frame structural system that rests on a concrete block pier foundation. The hipped roof is covered in tin shingles and the exterior is clad in drop siding. Fenestration is obscured by wood shutters; however fixed wood six-light transoms are evident above the shutters. Exterior ornamentation includes cornerboards, decorative rafter tails, knee braces, vents, shutters and wood window surrounds. A wrap-around wooden deck addition is present on the west, north, and east facades. Secondary structures include a two-story, pyramidal-roofed tower on the north end and a small wood cupola on the ridge of the main roof. Children living in rural areas of the county attended this school from about 1915 to the 1940s. The school was moved a few hundred feet to the northeast from its original location, which was closer to lndrio Road. St. Lucie County acquired the structure, and surrounding lands (approximately 7 1/2 acres) through a generous donation by George P. Putnam. The park, committed for perpetual public enjoyment, offers passive and active recreation to visitors. For many years, the structure served as a gathering space for community meetings and events. Additional rehabilitation could bring this structure back to it’s original prominence, potentially as a visitor’s center for the Lakewood Park area. The structure qualifies for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. Page 65 of 245 Emerson Ave Emerson Ave Indrio Rd Indrio Rd Indrio School House Indrio Rd 8850 Indrio Road Fort Pierce Farms / Indrio Road Schoohouse Sanborn, FDOR, Esri Community Maps Contributors, SLC Property Appraiser's Office, FDEP, © OpenStreetMap, Microsoft, Esri, HERE, Garmin, SafeGraph, GeoTechnologies, Inc, METI/NASA, USGS, EPA, NPS, US Census Bureau, USDAPage 66 of 245 NPS Form 10-900 OMB Control No. 1024-0018 expiration date 03/31/2026 1 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in National Register Bulletin, How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. 1. Name of Property Historic name: ______________________________________________ Other names/site number: ______________________________________ Name of related multiple property listing: ___________________________________________________________ (Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing ____________________________________________________________________________ 2. Location Street & number: _____________________________________________ City or town: ____________ State: ____________ County: ____________ Not For Publication: Vicinity: ____________________________________________________________________________ 3. State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify that this nomination ___ request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property ___ meets ___ does not meet the National Register Criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant at the following level(s) of significance: ___national ___statewide ___local Applicable National Register Criteria: ___A ___B ___C ___D Signature of certifying official/Title: Date ______________________________________________ State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government Page 67 of 245 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB Control No. 1024-0018 Name of Property County and State Sections 1-6 page 2 In my opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register criteria. Signature of commenting official: Date Title : State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government ______________________________________________________________________________ 4. National Park Service Certification I hereby certify that this property is: entered in the National Register determined eligible for the National Register determined not eligible for the National Register removed from the National Register other (explain:) _____________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Signature of the Keeper Date of Action ____________________________________________________________________________ 5. Classification Ownership of Property (Check as many boxes as apply.) Private: Public – Local Public – State Public – Federal Category of Property (Check only one box.) Building(s) District Page 68 of 245 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB Control No. 1024-0018 Name of Property County and State Sections 1-6 page 3 Site Structure Object Number of Resources within Property (Do not include previously listed resources in the count) Contributing Noncontributing _____________ _____________ buildings _____________ _____________ sites _____________ _____________ structures _____________ _____________ objects _____________ ______________ Total Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register _________ ____________________________________________________________________________ 6. Function or Use Historic Functions (Enter categories from instructions.) ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions.) ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ Page 69 of 245 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB Control No. 1024-0018 Name of Property County and State Section 7 page 4 _____________________________________________________________________________ 7. Description Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions.) ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ Materials: (enter categories from instructions.) Principal exterior materials of the property: ________________________ Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current physical appearance and condition of the property. Describe contributing and noncontributing resources if applicable. Begin with a summary paragraph that briefly describes the general characteristics of the property, such as its location, type, style, method of construction, setting, size, and significant features. Indicate whether the property has historic integrity.) ______________________________________________________________________________ Summary Paragraph Page 70 of 245 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB Control No. 1024-0018 Name of Property County and State Section 7 page 5 ______________________________________________________________________________ Narrative Description Page 71 of 245 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB Control No. 1024-0018 Name of Property County and State Section 8 page 6 _________________________________________________________________ 8. Statement of Significance Applicable National Register Criteria (Mark "x" in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property for National Register listing.) A. Property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history. B. Property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past. C. Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction. D. Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. Criteria Considerations (Mark “x” in all the boxes that apply.) A. Owned by a religious institution or used for religious purposes B. Removed from its original location C. A birthplace or grave D. A cemetery E. A reconstructed building, object, or structure F. A commemorative property G. Less than 50 years old or achieving significance within the past 50 years Page 72 of 245 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB Control No. 1024-0018 Name of Property County and State Section 8 page 7 Areas of Significance (Enter categories from instructions.) ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ Period of Significance ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ Significant Dates ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ Significant Person (Complete only if Criterion B is marked above.) ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ Cultural Affiliation ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ Architect/Builder ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ Page 73 of 245 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB Control No. 1024-0018 Name of Property County and State Section 8 page 8 Statement of Significance Summary Paragraph (Provide a summary paragraph that includes level of significance, applicable criteria, justification for the period of significance, and any applicable criteria considerations.) ______________________________________________________________________________ Narrative Statement of Significance (Provide at least one paragraph for each area of significance.) Page 74 of 245 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB Control No. 1024-0018 Name of Property County and State Sections 9-end page 9 ______________________________________________________________________________ 9. Major Bibliographical References Bibliography (Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form.) ___________________________________________________________________________ Previous documentation on file (NPS): ____ preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) has been requested ____ previously listed in the National Register ____ previously determined eligible by the National Register ____ designated a National Historic Landmark ____ recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey #____________ ____ recorded by Historic American Engineering Record # __________ ____ recorded by Historic American Landscape Survey # ___________ Primary location of additional data: ____ State Historic Preservation Office ____ Other State agency ____ Federal agency ____ Local government ____ University ____ Other Name of repository: _____________________________________ Historic Resources Survey Number (if assigned): ________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 10. Geographical Data Acreage of Property _______________ Page 75 of 245 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB Control No. 1024-0018 Name of Property County and State Sections 9-end page 10 Use either the UTM system or latitude/longitude coordinates Latitude/Longitude Coordinates Datum if other than WGS84:__________ (enter coordinates to 6 decimal places) 1. Latitude: Longitude: 2. Latitude: Longitude: 3. Latitude: Longitude: 4. Latitude: Longitude: Or UTM References Datum (indicated on USGS map): NAD 1927 or NAD 1983 1. Zone: Easting: Northing: 2. Zone: Easting: Northing: 3. Zone: Easting: Northing: 4. Zone: Easting : Northing: Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property.) Page 76 of 245 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB Control No. 1024-0018 Name of Property County and State Sections 9-end page 11 Boundary Justification (Explain why the boundaries were selected.) ______________________________________________________________________________ 11. Form Prepared By name/title: __________________________________________________________ organization: ________________________________________________________ street & number: _____________________________________________________ city or town: _________________________ state: ____________ zip code:___________ e-mail________________________________ telephone:_________________________ date:_____________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ Additional Documentation Submit the following items with the completed form: •Maps: A USGS map or equivalent (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property's location. • Sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources. Key all photographs to this map. •Additional items: (Check with the SHPO, TPO, or FPO for any additional items.) Page 77 of 245 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB Control No. 1024-0018 Name of Property County and State Sections 9-end page 12 Photographs Submit clear and descriptive photographs. The size of each image must be 1600x1200 pixels (minimum), 3000x2000 preferred, at 300 ppi (pixels per inch) or larger. Key all photographs to the sketch map. Each photograph must be numbered and that number must correspond to the photograph number on the photo log. For simplicity, the name of the photographer, photo date, etc. may be listed once on the photograph log and doesn’t need to be labeled on every photograph. Photo Log Name of Property: City or Vicinity: County: State: Photographer: Date Photographed: Description of Photograph(s) and number, include description of view indicating direction of camera: 1 of ___. Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for nominations to the National Register of Historic Places to nominate properties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and to amend existing listings. Response to this request is required to obtain a benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C.460 et seq.). We may not conduct or sponsor and you are not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for each response using this form is estimated to be between the Tier 1 and Tier 4 levels with the estimate of the time for each tier as follows: Tier 1 – 60-100 hoursTier 2 – 120 hours Tier 3 – 230 hours Tier 4 – 280 hours The above estimates include time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and preparing and transmitting nominations. Send comments regarding these estimates or any other aspect of the requirement(s) to the Service Information Collection Clearance Officer, National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Drive Fort Collins, CO 80525. Page 78 of 245 AGENDA REQUEST 7.A.4. 2024-34330 ITEMS FOR ACTION / CONSIDERATION - PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DATE: 10/1/2024 *DISCUSSION ITEM QUASI-JUDICIAL ITEM? No TO: PRESENTED BY: SUBMITTED BY: SUBJECT: Historical Commission Kori Benton, Planning Manager Planning & Development Services Status Update: White City Historic Sign Kiosk at White City Park BACKGROUND: White City is located approximately five miles southwest of Fort Pierce, just east of the St. Lucie River. Portions of White City are situated to the north and south of Midway Road, the main thoroughfare. Frank Bell was one of the earliest settlers in the area now known as White City. A Historic Sign Kiosk, as White City Park, has been a goal of the Historical Commission and Staff. Staff recently presented to the White City Improvement Club (Presentation Attached), which has grown its membership and community involvement in recent years. The Club may review the draft Sign Content, provide feedback and consider approaches to support this initiative. PREVIOUS ACTION: The Historical Commission has discussed, reviewed and supported the initiative of creating Historic Sign Kiosks for various sites, including White City. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The White City Historic Sign Kiosk, at White City Park, is anticipated to cost between $500-850. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends brief discussion as to the progress of, and potential partnership with funding sources for, this sign. Page 79 of 245 White City is located approximately five miles southwest of Fort Pierce, just east of the St. Lucie River. Portions of White City are situated to the north and south of Midway Road, the main thoroughfare. Frank Bell was one of the earliest settlers in the area now known as White City. He lived in the vicinity of Sunrise Boulevard and Bell Avenue. He was a member of the school board and a member of the county commission (Rights 1994:105). Frank Bell and Edward Traynor, another early settler, donated the land for the White City Cemetery, situated near Bell’s former homestead (Rights-Murtough 2003). With so few people living in the area, White City did not develop until the 1890s, when Louis Pio arrived in St. Lucie County. Louis Pio, a Dane from Chicago, ran the Florida Exhibit at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1892. While in Chicago, he met Henry Flagler, who was sponsoring the exhibit. After hiring Pio to write a promotional brochure, Flagler encouraged him to go to Florida. A new town along the route of Flagler’s rail- road, which was quickly moving south, would be beneficial to the railroad tycoon. Soon after, a group of settlers rowed up the north fork of the St. Lucie River chose the location of the new town in an area that was high and dry, and purchased it from Flagler (White City Historic Committee 1996:7–8). Pio named “White City” for the White City, the main exposition of the World’s Fair, which ex- hibited “classical beauty and majesty never seen in America” (White City Historic Committee 1996:7). The main street in the new community in St. Lucie County was named Midway Road in honor of the exposition’s main artery. The World’s Fair influenced small communities and towns all over the nation and beautification efforts, referred to as the City Beautiful movement, ensued (White City Historic Committee 1996:7).Louis Pio’s plan to promote White City with the help of Danish settlers had an unstable be- ginning. A number of Scandinavians left the town after Col. Myers, who kept surplus cash from lot payments in his bank, absconded with the money. Many who stayed had their crops destroyed in the freeze of 1894–1895 (Rights 1994:105). White City survived partly be- cause the railroad and canal companies, which owned the land in the area, opened a commissary and gave each settler a monthly credit for the next two years. In 1896, the railroad companies offered to deed the land in White City to the settlers if they improved their property to the amount of their indebtedness. The property owners would then be allowed to work out the interest improving local roads. As a result, the situation improved and in the early 1900s, a bridge was built across the St. Lucie River to the railroad station, which was later called Carson (Rights 1994:105– 106). White City became a close-knit community after surviving the 1890s. In the early 1900s, the Immigrant House, built on the riverbank at Midway Road, provided shelter and a short-term home for Scan- dinavian immigrants. New arrivals were allowed to stay until a home could be built for them. Before the railroad extended to Okee- chobee, fruit from the area was hauled to White City to be loaded on the trains. Native Americans also used the old military trail, passing through White City on their way to Fort Pierce (Rights 1994:107). Surveyor Franklin Sheen created a plat for the Town of White City in 1907 and it was recorded in 1908 in the official land records of St. Lucie County (Figure 12). It is evident from the plat that the White City of the World’s Fair and the City Beautiful movement influenced the inclusion of broad streets, varied lots sizes, and service alleys (White City Historic Committee 1996:7). White City historically relied on agriculture for its economic stability. Pineapples and vegetables were among the crops grown for consumption and export. Citrus, however, became the mainstay crop during World War I and it has continued to play an important role in White City’s economy (White City Historic Committee 1996:9). The Nelsons, longtime citrus farmers, continue to farm and sell citrus and citrus products in White City today. White City’s simple beginnings, centered on the farmers and businesses along Midway Road (Figure 13). It eventually developed into a unique community inhabited by many descendants of its original pioneers, and featuring the historic fabric of its past. The White City Mercantile building, located on the north side of Midway Road, was built in the early 1900s and still operates today (Figure 14). Other promi-nent buildings, such as the White City School (built in 1927; Figure 15), the Christensen House, the Dutton Memorial Church (now part of the Islamic Center), and the Nels Hansen House (now owned by the Nelsons), still stand as a testament to the pioneers of White City. White City Park 27°22’22”N 80°20’40 “ W White City, St. Lucie County, FL Historic Photograph of Midway Road, Circa 1920 Courtesy of St. Lucie County Historical Museum Construction of White City Mercantile Building, Circa 1900 Courtesy of Mrs. Clara Sogaarte Pore Historic Photograph of White City School, Date Unknown Courtesy of St. Lucie County Historical Museum Est. 1893 History Exhibit Brought to you By St. Lucie County Historical Commission Historic Photograph of the North Fork of St. Lucie River near White City Page 80 of 245 W M i dw ay Rd White City Park RiverBranch Dr Palmetto Ave White City Park Sanborn, FDOR, Esri Community Maps Contributors, SLC Property Appraiser's Office, FDEP, © OpenStreetMap, Microsoft, Esri, HERE, Garmin, SafeGraph, GeoTechnologies, Inc, METI/NASA, USGS, EPA, NPS, US Census Bureau, USDAPage 81 of 245 Page 82 of 245 White City, St. Lucie County FL Kori Benton, AICP Bentonk@stlucieco.org / 772-462-2518 Page 83 of 245 St. Lucie County, FL St. Lucie County & Municipal Census Data – 2010 to 2020 Changes The University of Florida Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR) Projections of Florida Population by County for 2025–2050, projects a total population between 373,200 to 609,400 by 2050 for St. Lucie County. BEBR believes the medium series is the most likely to provide accurate forecasts in most circumstances, which would place the St. Lucie County population at 493,500 by 2050. This is a total change of 164,274 or a percent change of 49.9% from the 2020 Census count. It should be noted that St. Lucie County is a fast-growing county, with a population estimated at 350,518 in 2022 (BEBR). Page 84 of 245 St. Lucie County, FL St. Lucie County & Municipal Census – Projections Page 85 of 245 St. Lucie County, FL St. Lucie County & Municipal Boundaries – with SLC Residential Developments COPSL COFP SLV https://gis.stlucieco.gov https://gis.stlucieco.gov/landuseplanning Page 86 of 245 Stormwater Improvements Water Quality •Melville Road Phase I:Completed •Melville Road Phase II: Construction to launch shortly. •Melville Road Phase III: In Development Page 87 of 245 6 Preserves & Recreation Facilities •George LeStrange Preserve •Savannas Recreation Area •Jones Hammock •Sweetwater Hammock Preserve •Platts Creek Preserve •White City Park •Ancient Oaks Preserve/ Weldon B. Lewis Park •Captain Hammond's Hammock Preserve •Citrus Hammock Preserve •Petravice Family Preserve •Myers Stickel Preserve •Savannas Preserve State Park & Beyond County Parks & Preserves Edwards Road Midway Road Prima Vista Page 88 of 245 7 White City Zoning -North Midway Road US H i g h w a y 1 25 th St r e e t Ravinia PUD Residential Proposals Public Land Acquisition . Ancient Oaks Retail / Restaurant Misc. Proposals Ol e a n d e r A v e Me l v i l l e R o a d Page 89 of 245 8 White City Zoning -South US H i g h w a y 1 Me l v i l l e R o a d Ol e a n d e r A v e Ci t r u s A v e Easy Street Saeger Ave Eden Oaks Residential / Mixed Use Concepts Self Storage Tidewater Townhomes Residential Concept SL G a r d e n s County Land Residential / Mixed Use Concepts Storage Travel Camp Kitterman Rd Page 90 of 245 WC Zoning Districts -Snapshot Zoning District Typical Use Scope (Density)Height AR-1, Agricultural Residential - 1 Single-family (1 unit/acre)35 ft. RS-2, Residential, Single-family - 2 Single-family (2 units/acre)35 ft. RS-3, Residential, Single-family - 3 Single-family (3 units/acre)35 ft. RS-4, Residential, Single-family - 4 Single-family (4 units/acre)35 ft. PUD, Planned Unit Development Primarily Residential (up to 15 units/acre)Set During Rezoning (BSF) CN, Commercial Neighborhood Neighborhood Commercial Retail & Services 35 ft. CG, Commercial General Commercial Retail & Services 60 ft. I, Institutional Institutional (Parks, museums, etc.) government, non-profit, cultural. 40 ft. U, Utilities Electric Lines, Utility Substations, etc.40 ft. CPUB, Conservation Public Conservation/Public, preserves, very low density – where applicable. 30 ft. Page 91 of 245 10 Rezoning/Conditional Use Petition - Example Outlook Staff Review (Development Review Committee) Technical/Policy Planning & Zoning Commission – Public Hearing Recommendation Board of County Commissioners – Public Hearing Final Action Pre-Planning / Neighborhood Meeting Encouraged Planning Projects & Public Hearings Page 92 of 245 Land Development Code & the Comprehensive Plan •Future Land Use Amendments •Rezoning o Including “PUDs” (Planned Unit Developments) •Site Plans •Conditional Uses •Variance •Historic Designations Page 93 of 245 Land Development Code & the Comprehensive Plan In reviewing … an application for a proposed amendment to the Official Zoning Atlas, the Board of County Commissioners and the Planning and Zoning Commission shall consider: A. Conflict with any applicable portions of this Code; B. Consistency with all elements of the St. Lucie County Comprehensive Plan. C. Consistency with existing and proposed land uses; D. Changed conditions that require an amendment; E. Demands on public facilities… F. Significant adverse impacts on the natural environment; G. Adversely affect the property values in the area; H. Result in an orderly and logical development pattern, specifically identifying any negative effects on such pattern; I. Conflict with the public interest, and is in harmony with the purpose and interest of this Code; and J. Any other matters that may be deemed appropriate by the Planning and Zoning Commission or the Board of County Commissioners, in review and consideration of the proposed amendment. Page 94 of 245 Land Development Code & the Comprehensive Plan Site plan approval shall be granted only if the applicant demonstrates the following: A.Consistency With Local Ordinances and Comprehensive Plan. B.Effect on Nearby Properties. 1. The proposed building or use will not have an undue adverse effect upon nearby property, the character of the neighborhood, traffic conditions, parking, utility facilities, and other matters affecting the public health, safety, and general welfare. 2. All reasonable steps have been taken to minimize any adverse effect of the proposed building or use on the immediate vicinity through building design, site design, landscaping, and screening. 3. The proposed building or use will be constructed, arranged, and operated so as not to interfere with the development and use of neighboring property, in accordance with applicable district regulations. C.Adequacy of Public Facilities. D.Adequacy of Fire Protection. E.Adequacy of School Facilities. F.Environmental Impact. Page 95 of 245 7.A.5. 2024-2766 ITEMS FOR ACTION / CONSIDERATION - PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AGENDA REQUEST DATE: 10/1/2024 *DISCUSSION ITEM QUASI-JUDICIAL ITEM? No TO: PRESENTED BY: SUBMITTED BY: SUBJECT: Historical Commission Kori Benton, Planning Manager Planning & Development Services Naming Request Approval Update: The Board of County Commissioners' approved of the Jean Ellen Wilson Library within the St. Lucie County Regional History Center BACKGROUND: A St. Lucie County Resident, Anne Sinnott, filed a Naming Request petition to rename the Library within the St. Lucie County Regional History Center, at Museum Pointe Park, in Fort Pierce. The subject “Library” is located within the St. Lucie County Regional History Center, Main Building. The library is approximately 160- 200 sq. ft. of the structure's 7,548 sq. ft. finished floor area. The Center features the Main Building (Museum), the historic Gardner House, an accessory structure to the house, and an array of outdoor exhibits and pathways supporting the collective history display. Jean Ellen Wilson, a native of Fort Pierce, was the librarian at the St. Lucie County Regional History Center for over a decade, and is the director of an oral history project titled "St. Lucie Families--Crafters of Local History." At their September 3, 2024 Meeting, the Board of County Commissioners acted unanimously to approve the naming request. Since authorization, Ms. Sinnott and Ms. Victoria Ward (Bush) are exploring sources to commission the bronze sign at the Library, within the Historic Center. PREVIOUS ACTION: N/A FINANCIAL IMPACT: None at this time. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends brief discussion. COMMISSION ACTION: Page 96 of 245 RESULT: MOVER: None SECONDER: None AYES: None NAYS: None EXCUSED: None Coordination/Signatures Page 97 of 245 Meeting Date July 9, 2024 Owner St. Lucie County Historic Status Non-Designated Structure, within a Public Park, within the City of Fort Pierce Applicant Request Rename the Library within the St. Lucie County Re- gional History Center as the “Jean Ellen Wilson Library” Request & Staff Recommendation Evaluate the request in ac-cordance with the St. Lucie County Public Facilities Naming Policy, and consider a recommendation. Staff Kori Benton, AICP Historic Preservation Officer S t . L u c i e C o u n t y H i s t o r i c a l C o m m i s s i o n Agenda Item 7.B.1 Location 414 Seaway Drive Planning and Development Services Department Historic Preservation St. Lucie County—Regional History Center, Interior Library Request: Rename the Library within the St. Lucie County Regional History Center, on Seaway Drive, at Museum Pointe Park, Hutchinson Island, Fort Pierce. The community asset is located on a 12.6 +/- acre parcel, on Causeway Island, north of SR A1A (Seaway Drive), along the Indian River Lagoon/Fort Pierce Inlet, within the City of Fort Pierce limits. S i t e O v e r v i e w Historical Context The subject “Library” is located within the St. Lucie County Regional History Center, Main Building. The library is approximately 160-200 sq. ft. of the structure's 7,548 sq. ft. finished floor area. The Center features the Main Building (Museum), the historic Gard-ner House, accessory structure to the house subject County, and array of outdoor exhibits and pathways supporting the collective history display. St. Lucie County owns the col-lective parcel, maintaining the Center, surrounding riverwalk, park, and Aquarium at Museum Point Park, while a maintenance agreement with Fort Pierce is in place for South Causeway Beach, east of the service road entry at Seaway Drive and boat ramp. “The Gardner House” - c.1925, featured at the Center, was generously donated by the Maurice Gardner Family. The house, donated in 1985, originally sat on Magnolia Ave- nue (present day U.S. Highway 1) at Moore’s Creek. The “Summerlin Dock” extends north from Museum Pointe park, adjacent to the Center. Zoning COFP— OS-1, General Recre-ation & Open Space Parcel ID 2402-244-0001-000-7 Dan McCarty MS Track St. Lucie Elementary Trinity Lutheran Applicant Anne Sinnott Subject Site Interior Library Overall SLCRHC Grounds Aquarium Page 98 of 245 2 B a c k g r o u n d The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) approved Resolution 15-098 to establish a Public Facilities Naming Poli- cy that updated and consolidated prior naming policies for County facilities. The Resolution provides criteria for St. Lucie County to use when it desires to confer a specific name on a County owned property.  This policy affects County owned property including, but not limited to, buildings, structures and real property, including open space, parks, and recreational facilities.  This policy does not apply to the naming of streets, historically registered properties with a recognized name on a nomination form, or public art installations that have been commissioned with a title, and is not applicable to federal, State or municipal facilities. In October 2019, the BOCC adopted Resolution 19-201 to include referral of applications to Name Public Facilities to the Historical Commission for review and recommendation.  Context and geographical location •Sites and facilities should be given names that directly reflect or are contextually related to the history of the site. •Common usage names that have developed over time shall be favored.  Natural or geological features •Names may be based on distinctive, predominant, and defining natural features of an area.  Historical significance •The name may be one associated with a historically significant event or for events reflecting broad patterns of County history. •The name may be one associated with the lives of persons of countywide significance in St. Lucie County's past. •The name may reflect a distinctive architectural, engineering, or technological achievement. •The name may be related to an existing or proposed registered historic property or district. R e q u e s t & A n a l y s i s On April 22, 2024, Anne Sinnott of St. Lucie Village filed a Naming Request to St. Lucie County. The request, to name Library within the St. Lucie County Regional History Center’s after Jean Ellen Wilson, is coupled with a request to the Board of County Commissioners, proclaiming Jean Ellen Wilson a “History Hero". The application cites the “countless hours” dedicated by Jean Ellen in the library; researching, authoring and contrib- uting to telling St. Lucie County’s history. The request seeking to recognize the many valuable public service contributions, by Ms. Wilson, of historic literature, lessons, research, historic novels, public information, oral histories, and exhibits. The contributions, past and ongoing benefit the community in many ways, including both residents and visitors, supporting appreciation of the county's local history and its cultural heritage. Her vast knowledge of our County’s rich history is well documented, with the application declaring her “an encyclope- dia of C ounty history”, acknowledging her frequent contributions to research, written history, oral history and publica- tions. Her passion for preserving, protecting and promoting the history of St. Lucie County is apparent and deep. N a m i n g P o l i c y H i s t o r i c a l C o m m i s s i o n R o l e & C r i t e r i a Page 99 of 245 3 S t a f f R e c o m m e n d a t i o n Staff recommends the Commission evaluate the request to name the Library (Research Room) within the St. Lucie County Regional History Center in accordance with the St. Lucie County Public Facilities Naming Policy, and con-sider a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners. Jean Ellen Wilson is a native of Ft. Pierce, Florida. She has been the librarian at the St. Lucie County Regional His-tory Center for over a decade, and is the director of an oral history project titled "St. Lucie Families--Crafters of Lo- cal History." Ms. Wilson is mother of Captain Harold “Buzz” Smyth, and sister of Mayor Linda Hudson. Ms. Wilson is the Author, Writer and Editor of several books, including: “A Caregiver in Search of Authenticity,” 2000 "Legendary Locals of Fort Pierce," 2014 "A Small Town in Dixie," 2021 "The Puzzle of Watergate," 2020 "A History of Fort Capron," 2020 "Machiavelli in Paradise," 2021 "Fort Pierce in the Roaring Twenties," 2023 A 2016 Letter to the Editor exclaimed, “Jean Ellen should be recognized as a cultural icon, because she is a treasure for Fort Pierce.” In 2021, Ms. Wilson was recognized by the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR), for Historic Preservation (submitted by the local Cora Stickney Harper Chapter). Ms. Wilson contributed to the Edwin Binney Historic Sign Kiosk Content, recently completed. T h e L i b r a r y ( R e s e a r c h R o o m ) a t t h e R e g i o n a l H i s t o r y C e n t e r The Library—Entry The Library—Interior Page 100 of 245 4 St. Lucie County Regional History Center (Main Building/Museum) Layout —Interior Library Identified Below Library’s Location If approved by the Board of County Commissioners, the Library’s Naming can be displayed at the space’s interior entry doors—by means of a plaque, or similar feature. A custom crafted entry floor plate could be considered as well, at the Library’s doors. While visiting the Museum to capture photographs, it was noted that interior renovations of the library may be contemplated in the future—which may offer additional op- portunity to commemorate naming of this subset of the Museum’s floor area. Page 101 of 245 5 Summerlin Dock at Museum Point Park, Riverwalk (North of the Center) Snapshots of the History Center’s Entry, and support Wayfinding Signs—See Full Collage in Attachments Page 102 of 245 Page 103 of 245 Page 104 of 245 Page 105 of 245 Page 106 of 245 Page 107 of 245 Page 108 of 245 Page 109 of 245 Page 110 of 245 Page 111 of 245 Page 112 of 245 Page 113 of 245 Page 114 of 245 NAMING REQUEST - POTENTIAL MOTIONS: MOTION TO FIND NO OBJECTION AFTER CONSIDERING THE PRESENTATION DURING THE PUBLIC MEETING, INCLUDING STAFF COMMENTS, I HEREBY MOVE THAT THE HISTORICAL COMMISSION FORWARD A FINDING OF NO OBJECTION TO THE REQUESTED LIBRARY NAMING, WITHIN THE ST. LUCIE COUNTY REGIONAL HISTORY CENTER, TO THE ST. LUCIE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS BECAUSE…. MOTION TO APPROVE AFTER CONSIDERING THE PRESENTATION DURING THE PUBLIC MEETING, INCLUDING STAFF COMMENTS, I HEREBY MOVE THAT THE HISTORICAL COMMISSION FORWARD AN APPROVAL RECOMMENDATION FOR THE REQUESTED LIBRARY NAMING, WITHIN THE ST. LUCIE COUNTY REGIONAL HISTORY CENTER, TO THE ST. LUCIE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS BECAUSE…. MOTION TO DENY AFTER CONSIDERING THE PRESENTATION DURING THE PUBLIC MEETING, INCLUDING STAFF COMMENTS, I HEREBY MOVE THAT THE HISTORICAL COMMISSION FORWARD A DENIAL RECOMMENDATION FOR THE REQUESTED LIBRARY NAMING, WITHIN THE ST. LUCIE COUNTY REGIONAL HISTORY CENTER, TO THE ST. LUCIE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS BECAUSE…. Page 115 of 245 ITEM NO. (ID # 2024-2748) ITEMS FOR ACTION / CONSIDERATION - PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AGENDA REQUEST DATE: 10/1/2024 *ACTION ITEM - BOARD APPROVAL QUASI-JUDICIAL ITEM? NO TO: PRESENTED BY: SUBMITTED BY: SUBJECT: Historical Commission Kori Benton, Planning Manager Planning & Development Services Fort Pierce Farms School (AKA Indrio Road Schoolhouse) - Initiation of National Register of Historic Places Application BACKGROUND: Ft. Pierce Farms Schoolhouse at 8850 Indrio Road - Florida Master Site # 8SL115 This building was built circa 1915 in the Frame Vernacular style and exhibits ornamentation, such as decorative rafter ends, a cupola on the roof, and a two-story tower at one end. Children living in rural areas of the county attended this school from around 1915 to the 1940s. It is now owned by the county and used as a recreation center. According to county staff and photographs from the 1990s, the school was moved a few hundred feet to the northeast of its original location, close to Emerson Avenue. Its current orientation and setting remain similar to the original orientation and setting. In addition, this building’s historic physical integrity remains largely intact. A National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) Determination of Eligibility report was completed in 1998 for this property by ACI (Scupholm and Hinder 1998) and the Florida State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) concurred that this resource was eligible for the NRHP in 1999 (Florida Department of State 1999). Eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places: The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation's historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archaeological resources. The attached application (registration) form is provided to evaluate the required content to pursue designation. A potential application would demand further consideration by the Board of County Commissioners. To assist in exploring the NRHP nomination for the Fort Pierce Farms School, the back-up material includes example applications for two local sites (The St. Anastasia School House on Orange Avenue and St. Lucie Elementary/High School AKA the Delaware Ave School House AKA CAST AKA the Magnet School of the Arts, on Delaware Avenue), and a standard example application the Department of Interior provided. PREVIOUS ACTION: Page 116 of 245 At the Historical Commission's April 2, 2024 and July 9, 2024 meetings, the Commission discussed the potential to recommend the County initiate an application to place the Fort Pierce Farms School on the National Register of Historic Places. FINANCIAL IMPACT: No immediate impact identified. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the Historical Commission evaluate the NRHP Program, Application Form & Requirements, and Criteria, and provide guidance as to further intent to initiate a request to the Board of County Commissioners. COMMISSION ACTION: RESULT: MOVER: None SECONDER: None AYES: None NAYS: None EXCUSED: None Coordination/Signatures Page 117 of 245 October 1, 2024 Historic Status Non-Designated Structure Eligible for Local Designation & National Register Staff Request & Evaluate the historic signifi-cance, evaluate the criteria for listing on the National Register of Historic Places and consider advancing an application for action by the Board of County Commis-sioners Staff Kori Benton, AICP Historic Preservation Officer S t . L u c i e C o u n t y H i s t o r i c a l C o m m i s s i o n N a t i o n a l R e g i s t e r o f H i s t o r i c P l a c e s H i s t o r y c. 1913-1915 Date of construction per Florida Master Site File / Available Records Architectural Narrative: This two-story wood Frame Vernacular building is located at 8850 Indrio Road. Notable architectural features include a hip roof, a two-story hip tower, exposed rafter ends, and shed entrance overhang. Clad in drop siding, this building rests on concrete block piers. It retains its original appearance and is in good condition. Architectural Context: Frame Vernacular, the prevalent style of residential architecture in Florida, refers to the common wood frame construction technique employed by lay or self- taught builders. Before the Civil War, residents relied upon local materials and their own methods and designs to construct buildings. The Industrial Revolution permitted standardiza- tion of building materials and parts and exerted a pervasive influence over vernacular house design. Popular magazines helped to make architectural trends universal throughout the country. The railroad provided cheap and efficient transportation for manufactured building materials. Ultimately, individual builders had access to a myriad of finished architectural products from which to create their own designs. Historical Narrative: The Fort Pierce Farms School House, built in c. 1915, is located in an unincorporated area of St. Lucie County. According to local sources, the building remained a school until the 1940s, when the county used it as a recreation center. (Interview with An- drew Jorgensen by William Adams, 6/90). Agenda Item 7. B. New Business 1. Location 8850 Indrio Road Parcel ID 1314-233-0001-000-0 8850 Indrio Road—Fort Pierce, FL Zoning I, Institutional Indrio Road Planning and Development Services Department Historic Preservation Owner St. Lucie County Em e r s o n A v e n u e Page 118 of 245 2 Page 119 of 245 3 Site Aerial—Looking East Page 120 of 245 4 Site Detail & History As documented by the Florida Master Site File, the circa-1913/1915 Frame Vernacular building is located on the northeast comer of Emerson Avenue and lndrio Road in Township 34 South, Range 39 East, Section 14 (Oslo USGS Quadrangle) in the general vicinity of Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Florida. This rectangular, one-story building has a wood frame structural system that rests on a concrete block pier foundation. The hipped roof is covered in tin shingles and the exterior is clad in drop siding. Fenestration is obscured by wood shutters; however fixed wood six-light transoms are evident above the shutters. Exterior ornamentation includes comerboards, rafter tails, knee braces, vents, shutters and wood window surrounds. A wrap-around wooden deck addition is present on the west, north, and east facades. Secondary structures include a two-story, pyramidal-roofed tower on the north end and a small wood cupola on the ridge of the main roof. This building is in good condition. Children living in rural areas of the county attended this school from about 1915 to the 1940s. It is now owned by the county and used as a recreation center. The building was built circa-1915 in the Frame Vernacular style; however it exhibits ornamentation such as decorative rafter ends, a cupola on the roof, and a two-story tower at one end. According to photographs from the 1990s, the school was moved a few hundred feet to the northeast from its original location, closer to lndrio Road. This building is considered significant at the local level and potentially eligible for the NRHP under Criteria A for Education and Community Planning and Development and Criteria C for Architecture. However, this building is not considered part of a histor- ic district. This building is also considered eligible for listing in the NRHP as part of a potential Multiple Property Submission (MPS), which includes buildings located in rural areas of unincorporated St. Lucie County. The MPS could include five historic build- ings that are associated with the citrus and cattle industries, which played significant roles in the development of the county. National Register & Criteria for Evaluation The National Register is the United States’ inventory of historic places, serving as the national repository of documentation on the variety of historic property types, significance, condition, ownership, needs, and other information. Listing properties in the National Register is a critical component in our Nation’s preservation process. The responsibility for the identification, initial evaluation, nomination, and treatment of historic resources lies with private individuals, State historic preservation offices, and Federal pres-ervation offices, local governments, and Indian tribes (NRHP Bulletin, 1997). The final evaluation and listing of properties in the National Register is the responsibility of the Keeper of the National Register, a National Park Service (NPS) official within the Department of the Interior. The quality of significance in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, and culture is present in dis- tricts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that possess integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workman-ship, feeling, and association, and: A. That are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; or B. That are associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; or C. That embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that represent a significant and distinguisha-ble entity whose components may lack individual distinction; or D. That have yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. Ordinarily cemeteries, birthplaces, or graves of historical figures, properties owned by religious institutions or used for religious purposes, structures that have been moved from their original locations, reconstructed historic buildings, properties primarily commemorative in nature, and properties that have achieved significance within the past 50 years shall not be considered eligible for the National Register. However, such properties will qualify if they are integral parts of districts that do meet the criteria or if they fall within the following categories: b. A building or structure removed from its original location but which is significant primarily for architec-tural value, or which is the surviving structure most importantly associated with a historic person or event; or A resource moved from one location on its original site to another location on the property, during or after its Period of Significance. S t a f f A n a l y s i s Page 121 of 245 5 S t a f f R e c o m m e n d a t i o n Evaluate the historic significance, evaluate the criteria for listing on the National Register of Historic Places and consider advancing an application for action by the Board of County Commissioners Attachments Florida Master Site File St. Lucie County Historic Resources Survey—Excerpts NRHP Application Form NRHP Example Applications Page 122 of 245 Page 123 of 245 Page 124 of 245 Page 125 of 245 Page 126 of 245 Page 127 of 245 Page 128 of 245 Page 129 of 245 Page 130 of 245 Page 131 of 245 Page 132 of 245 Page 133 of 245 Page 134 of 245 Page 135 of 245 Page 136 of 245 Page 137 of 245 Page 138 of 245 Page 139 of 245 Page 140 of 245 Page 141 of 245 Page 142 of 245 Page 143 of 245 Page 144 of 245 Page 145 of 245 Page 146 of 245 Page 147 of 245 Page 148 of 245 Page 149 of 245 Page 150 of 245 NPS Form 10-900 (3*2) OMB No. 1024-0018 Exp. 10-31-84 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form See instructions in How to Complete National Register Forms Type all entries—complete applicable sections_______________ 1. Name_________________ historic St. Lucie High School_________________________ and/or common Fort Pierce Elementary School_____________ 2. Location street & number 1 1 nn not for publication city, town Fort Pierce vicinity of state Florida code 12 county st. Lucie code 3. Classification Category Ownership district x public x building(s) private structure both site Public Acquisition object in process being considered N/A Status x occupied unoccupied work in progress Accessible yes: restricted x yes: unrestricted no Present Use agriculture commercial x educational entertainment government industrial military 4. Owner of Property museum park private residence religious scientific transportation _x_ other: Community Rec- reata name . Lucie County School Board street & number 2909 Delaware Avenue city, town Fort Pierce N/A vicinity of state Florida 5. Location of Legal Description courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. St. Lucie County Courthouse street & number 221 South Indian River Drive city, town Fort Pierce state F1 OT: i 6. Representation in Existing Surveys titie St. Lucie Co. Historical Survey has this property been determined eligible? __ yes 2E_ no date 1980 . federal __ state __ county 2?_ local depository for survey records st Tilinifa r.nnn1-y Hi Ml]RpllTn city, town Fort Pierce state Florida Page 151 of 245 7. Description Condition excellent y good fair deteriorated ruins unexposed Check one unaltered x altered Check one x original site moved date Describe the present and original (iff known) physical appearance The Fort Pierce Elementary School is a notable example of Mission Style architecture and was the first building of this style to be constructed in St. Lucie County. The original building was begun in 1914 following the design of W.B. Camp, a Jacksonville architect.2 It was completed in 1915, having been constructed by Smith and Watson, contractors of Albany, Georgia. There were two major additions to the school which were constructed in 1924 and 1926. The 1924 expansion, a separate building to the west of the original, was designed by J.N. Sherwood Construction Company of Fort Pierce and was built by J.C. Hanner Construction Company of Orlando.^ In 1926, a classroom wing was built onto the 1914 structure. This new addition was designed by Hatcher and Funke and was built by the Cahow Construction Company.6 Both firms were based in Ft. Pierce. In terms of physical appearance, the Fort Pierce Elementary School should be considered as a "whole" school, not as three separate buildings. With respect to design and construction, the 1924 and 1926 additions are highly consistent with the original school. Moreover, many of the same building materials (cream-colored brick, red tile) are used throughout all'three structures. r ' Each :of the three buildings was built in the Mission Style and display the characteristic clay barrel tile roofs associated with the style. Covered outdoor walkways or portals are plentiful, and these are well suited to the Florida climate. Prominent exterior materials include red barrel roof tiles and a facade of cream-colored brick. According to specifications, this brick "...is a select pressed brick with white cement trimmings and is laid in a rake joint fashion." The beams and rafters are unusually thick, having been cut from virgin heart pine The protruding beams and outside trim are made of cypress. Likewise, the foundations are strongly built, using brick supports and concrete. The 1914 building utilized granite footings from Georgia.^ The interior of the Fort Pierce Elementary School is spacious as well as practical. All the rooms were designed with high ceilings and abundant windows which guaranteed plenty of cross ventilation. This kept students relatively cool and attentive in the days before air conditioning. While plaster walls and ceilings show a certain simplicity, much of the interior woodwork is finely Grafted. Wood moldings outline doorways and windows, and exquisite beaded panelling is evident in both staircases and ceilings. The school has hardwood floors throughout (although many are now covered with wall-to-wall carpet) and its windows are wood frame double hung sash. 1914 The original 1914 school building begins at the corner of 10th Street (on the east) and continues 395 feet west along Delaware Avenue. The front of the school and its main entrance are on Delaware. There are five distinct sections to the building: Two (two-story) corner wings; two (one-story) rows of classrooms; and a central section that includes the main entrance foyer and auditorium. All of these areas are basically rectangular in shape. The eastern end of the building is a two-story corner wing surmounted by an open air brick belltower. There is a side entrance off of 10th Street. Each floor has one large classroom although'all have been altered. On the-second floor, the original slate blackboard remains behind its replacement, a dark green chalkboard. Continuing westward (paralleling Delaware Avenue) is a row of three single-story classrooms. Each room is self contained, having a separate entrance, hallway, and lavatory. All of the single-?- story sections throughout the school follow this pattern. Some renovation of these classrooms has taken place, such as the lowering of ceilings and installation of central air conditioning. (See Continuation Sheet) Page 152 of 245 8. Significance Period prehistoric 1400-1499 1500-1599 1600-1699 1700-1799 1800-1899 X 1900- Specific dates Areas of Significance — Check and justify below archeology-prehistoric community planning archeology-historic conservation agriculture x architecture art commerce communications 1914. 1924. 1926 economics x education engineering exploration/settlement industry invention Builder/Architect w D r landscape architecture law literature military music philosophy politics/government- .... .1 amp/Smith and Watson religion science sculpture social/ humanitarian theater tra nsportation other (specify) (1914) Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) The Fort Pierce Elementary School, formerly the St. Lucie High School, is illustrative of Florida's architecture and education during the early twentieth century. The original structure was built in 1914 from plans developed by the W.B. Camp architectural firm of Jacksonville. In 1924, another building was constructed and in 1926 a wing was•j added onto the original 1914 structure. The architectural style is a landmark in St. Lucie County. It is of Spanish mission design and was the first examples of this style to be built in the area. Today, the exterior of the school is nearly identical to when it was first constructed. Impressive both in size and craftsmanship, Fort Pieree 'Elementary is one of the few historic -buildings remaining in the City of Fort Pierce.- It -has the distinction of being the oldest school in the county, having been -in continuous use as an educational institution for 69 years. Outstanding personalities such as former Florida Governor Daniel McCarty have graduated from the school (when it served as the county's high school) . The school is a source of pride for the local community arid has been declared a local historic site by the St. Lucie Historical Society. Architectural Significance The Fort Pierce Elementary School is an outstanding example of the Mission Style, a popular architectural style in Florida during the early twentieth century. The school, with its red barrel tile roof and cream-colored-brick, -was described by one historian of that period as being "the most magnificent, the most modernly planned and the most architecturally beautiful public school building in Florida. "^ The school was built in three phases. The original structure was started in 1914 on an eight-acre site at an approximate cost of $75,000. The school was designed by W.B. Camp, who enjoyed a good reputation as an architect, particularly in the design of academic architecture. His work at the time included several high schools in Jacksonville and the Ocala National Bank in Ocala, Florida.8 The architectural characteristics of Fort Pierce Elementary School are distinguished by quality of design and fine craftsmanship. This is maintained throughout the subsequent additions which were made to the school. The 1914 structure is massive, measuring 395 feet in length with a maximum width of 165 feet. Despite its size, Camp created a school that exhibits both beauty and balance. He accomplished this by using variations in height, graceful belltowers at both corners, and the softening effect of red roof tiles and cream-colored brick. One constant theme in the construction of Fort Pierce Elementary School is the use of quality materials. The foundations are of Georgia granite. Rafters were cut from beautiful virgin heart pine. Cypress was used for projecting beams and wood trim. In 1914, the local newspaper proudly- pro claimed that ".....the roofing for. the building is to be of the best dark red clay tile, the exterior of the building will be the best select pressed brick with white cement trimmings. The entire building will be wired throughout for the latest type of electric lights, and steam heat and sanitary plumbing will be installed. "9 According to Bob,. Gdwin, (whose father was on the County School Board in 1914), the School also was f-irst \buil ding in town to utilize Venetian blinds. (See Continuation Sheet) Page 153 of 245 9. Major Bibliographical References (See Continuation Sheet) 10. Geographical Data Acreage of nominated property approximately 8 Quadrangle name Ft * Pierce UTM References A I n vl I sl 6i sl 7i ?isl I sioUisleiiiol Zone Easting Northing cLU I I i I i i I I i I i I i i I El , I I I , I . . I I . I i I l , I G , I I I , I i i I I , I i I i , I Quadrangle scale 1:24,000 B LJ l I .-I-.-.- II ,1.1 i•. Zone Easting Northing pi i IT i TV Fl i I I I I I J_I j_I l l H I . I 1 I . I l . I I.I.I.. Verbal boundary description and justification Begin at S.E. corner of NE h of SE h-, run N. 539 ft., W. 479 ft., S 143 "ft., W. 330 ft., S. 396 ft., E.- to Beginning, less a strip 9x28 ft. to Roebuck. This area indues all significant properties.____" '' ________________ List all states and counties for properties overlapping state or county boundaries state N/A code N/A county N/A code N/A state N/A code N/A county code N/A 11. Form Prepared By name/title Mary A. Bennett/Michael F. Zimny, Historic Sites Specialist organization Division of Archives date December 9, 1983 street & number The Capitol telephone (904) 487-2333 city or town Tallahassee Florida 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification The evaluated significance of this property within the state is: __ national __ state y local As the designated State Historic Preservation Officer for the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89- 665), I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to the criteria and procedures set forth by^he^NationaJ Park Servj State Historic Preservation Officer signature title George W. Percy, State Historic Preservation Officer Page 154 of 245 NFS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 (3-82) Exp. 10-31-34 United States Department off the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form Continuation sheet One__________________Item number 7 Page 1 The focal point of the 1914 school is a massive three-story central section that includes the auditorium and main entrance. Approaching this entrance from Delaware Avenue, one enters through massive double doors that lead into the entrance foyer. These wooden doors are framed by pane glass windows and an arched brick lintel. The first floor originally contained two classrooms that opened off the entrance hall. Today, these classrooms have been adapted into administrative suites. The second floor contains three classrooms and two lavatories. Original tile and louvered doors still remain in the lavatories. Wh'i'le these rooms have retained many of their 1914 materials, they are in need of repair - paint and plaster is cracked and peeling. A large open air study was originally on the third floor. This area is now enclosed and houses the learning lab; however, the arched brick walls and hardwood floors still remain. Entering through the main double doors and continuing through the entrance foyer one finds the auditorium. With a seating capacity of 700, it has served as an assembly room, theater and lecture hall. The auditorium contains an upstairs gallery, a traditional feature of theaters built during the early twentieth century. Every seat in the house has an unobstructed view of the stage. The auditorium is the best preserved interior space of the school. Built of quality materials with fine workmanship, it has changed very little since 1914. Its original seats remain, exhibiting polished wood and ironwork. An elaborate ceiling medallion and stage decorations endure as fine examples of the architect's craft. This ornamentation, with its intricate geometric/floral motif, shows a distinct "Sullivanesque" influence. W.B. Camp was a contemporary of Louis Sullivan and was most likely familiar with his work, either through publications or directly through the work of his Jacksonville contemporary, Henry Klutho. Continuing west from the center section is another row of single-story classrooms. These are identical to the previous classroom row and contain separate foyers and lavatories, The western end of the 1914 school terminates in a two-story corner wing which is crowned by an open air belltower. With its counterpart at the eastern end of the school, the belltower creates a balanced and harmonious appearance. The western section of the 1914 school originally contained three or four small classrooms. It has been renovated and today houses the school library and media center. The staircases and ceilings in the west end exhibit fine examples of beaded panelling which continues up to the belltower. The west tower contains the school bell which has been rung every day since 1915. This bell predates the school itself, having been used in an earlier school that was built in 1902. When completed, the 1914 building contained the elementary school, middle school, and senior high school. There were fourteen classrooms, study hall, offices, and auditorium. While six interior classrooms have been renovated, the exterior remains relatively unchanged. Metal fire escapes have been added but these do not detract from the school's original appearance. (See Continuation Sheet) Page 155 of 245 NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-OO18 Exp. 10-31-84 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory — Nomination Form Continuation sheet TWO _________________ Item number 7 ___________ Page 2 _____ 1924 The first major addition to the 1914 school building was constructed in 1924. This expansion was built in response to overcrowding in the 1914 school. Between 1910 and 1920, St. Lucie County's population nearly doubled in size. The new school building was built to the west of the original and was intended solely for use as the county's high school. In design, construction, and materials, the new structure was almost identical to the original. The interior had twenty- three rooms which included classrooms, a science laboratory, restrooms, an auditorium and even a darkroom. Today a covered walkway (built in 1982) connects the original school building with the 1924 addition. The first section west of this passageway is a two-story wing. Its style and size are comparable to the 1914 belltower corners; however, the 1924 version does not have the tower. In this section much of the interior has been altered. Walls have been replastered, central air conditioning installed, and lavatories remodeled. Conforming to W.B. Camp's original design, a single-story row of classrooms connects the corner wing with a large central section. These classrooms are in the familiar "suite" design, with separate entrance foyers and lavatories. These rooms ahve seen only minor alterations since 1924. Their high ceilings, wooden frame windows, and other original features offer a valuable glimpse of what classrooms looked like during that period. The center section of the 1924 school is two stories high with a brick belltower rising atop the roof. The front entrance closely resembles that of the 1914 original. Large double doors are framed by glass windows and arched brick lintels. The first floor has intersecting hallways which outline two classrooms. Up seven steps is the teacher's lounge and the health room. To the rear of the center wing and up five steps was the auditorium. Originally used for daily assembly, study hall, and entertainment, the auditorium has since been sectioned off into four additional classrooms. This section also has a cellar which was used as a cafeteria for many years. After a new cafeteria was built in 1983 (a separate building) , the Teacher Education Center moved into the old cafeteria. Continuing west of the center section are two classrooms. The one closest to the center wing was originally used as the science laboratory. It has two small rooms attached to it, one of which was a photographic darkroom. The westernmost section of the school, a two-story wing on the corner of Delaware and Preston Court, contains four classrooms. These have remained largely unchanged. Although there is a decided similarity in appearance and design between the 1914 and 1924 school buildings, there are some marks of variation and originality in the 1924 structure, particularly in the central wing. Of note is the rear section which originally housed the auditorium. In exterior design, this area is different from the rest of the school. It has a graceful, curving facade that is reminiscent of the stuccoed mission churches of the southwest. Instead of a hipped tile roof, this section has a flat roof. 1926 By 1926, the Fort Pierce schools on Delaware Avenue were overcrowded again. The school board supported the construction of an eight room addition to the 1914 building, and work began in March of 1926. ^ The new two-story wing that was constructed parallels (See Continuation Sheet) Page 156 of 245 NPS Form 10-900-a (3-82) OMB No. 1024-0018 Exp. 10-31-64 United States Department off the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form Continuation sheet Three Item number Page 10th Street and extends northward from the 1914 school. In exterior style and construction, it is indistinguishable from the earlier buildings. It is rectangular in shape with a hipped red tile room, cream-colored brick. There are two entrances to the wing - the 1914 side entrance (from 10th Street), and a doorway at the north end of the wing. This door is framed by pane glass windows and covered by a red tiled portal. The interior of the 1926 wing differs from earlier classroom sections. Classroom rows in the 1914 and 1924 schools were designed as separate suites, including entrance halls and lavatories. The 1926 rooms are built next to each other, four to a floor. The restrooms are at both ends of the wing and are shared by the four classrooms. Another difference in design is that the 1926 structure is totally enclosed. Classrooms open to an interior corridor rather than directly to the outside as the suites do. One last innovation was the design of a spacious teacher's restroom, "the first of its kind in the local seat of learning." This room is now being used as a restroom for students. The classrooms in the 1926 addition have retained most of their original character. There has been some painting and minor improvements but these have not significantly altered the rooms' original appearance. The corridors and stairways have also maintained their original appearance. Molded staircases and beaded panelling are still evident, as are the original lighting fixtures and lamp globes. FOOTNOTES St. Lucie Tribune June 26, 1914, p. 1. 2 St. Lucie County School Board, Minutes of the St. Lucie County School Board Meetings, Meeting of April 7, 1913. School Board Minutes, Meeting of February 16, 1914. 4 School Board Mintues, Meeting of December 18, 1923. School Board Minutes, Meeting of February 19, 1924. School Board Mintues, Meeting of February 12, 1926. St. Lucie Tribune, June 26, 1914. 8Ibid. 9 Marcus Whifften, American Architecture Since 1780, MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass., 1969. Lucille Rights, Historical Tools and tours in St. Lucie County (Ft. Pierce, FL: St. Lucie County School Board Printing Office, 1980), 2. (See Continuation Sheet) Page 157 of 245 NFS Form 10-900-a (342) United States Department off the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form Continuation sheet Four Item number OMB No. 1024-0018 Exp. 10-31-34 11 12 13 14 Census Records (FL), 1910, 1920. Blue Prints of Ft. Pierce High School, 1924. J.N. Sherwood, Architect. School Board of Minutes, Meeting of March 16, 1926. Ft. Pierce News Tribune, September 9, 1926. Page 158 of 245 NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 (342) Exp. 10-31-34 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form Continuation sheet Five_________________Item number 8____________Page i_____ Perhaps the masterpiece of construction within the school is the auditorium. Over 100 feet deep and two stories high, it has a seating capacity of 700. In addition, it has a second floor gallery that offers a birds-eye view of the stage below. The auditorium is arranged in the style of an amphitheatre, with the floor sloping steeply back from the stage. The stage itself is 35' by 25" with ample dressing rooms in the rear. The original floors and lighting are all intact, as are the plaster decorations around the stage and an elaborate ceiling medallion. This ornamentation bears a decided "Sullivanesque" influence. During the next ten years, the population of St. Lucie County grew substantially. At Fort Pierce Elementary School, class enrollment from 1923 to 1924 increased by 111 pupils. Obviously, expansion was necessary. In 1924, a separate building was constructed west of the original. It was designed by John Sherwood of Fort Pierce and built by J.C. Manner Construction Company of Orlando. In describing this new addition, local columnist Charles Miley called it the "Sister" of the 1914 original. Both buildings are in fact nearly identical in appearance and utilize the same materials. While the 1914 building housed the elementary through high school grades, the 1924. building was designed and built solely as a high school. Originally there were "...23 rooms in the new building for classroom purposes, laboratory, restrooms, offices, study hall, and an assembly room or auditorium."1^ In 1954, the school was adapted for use as an elementary school; consequently, most of the rooms above were turned into classrooms. However, many of the original feature's remain such as, hardwood floors, double hung wood frame windows, beaded panelling, cement-based blackboards, and double entrance doors with glass transoms. Two years after the 1924 section was built, there was an apparent need for even more classroom space. In 1926, an eastern eight classroom addition was made to the original school. The architects were.William Hatcher and Lawrence Funke; the builder was Cahow Construction Company.1^ The two-story addition was intended for grammar school classes only. The interior design is one of economy and simplicity. Each floor has four class- rooms, built one after the other. Lavatories are located at both ends of an interior hallway. While this wing is totally closed from the elements, there are enough windows to facilitate cross ventilation. Educational and Social Significance In terms of educational and social importance, Fort Pierce Elementary School has had a long history. From the very start, the school was heralded as "magnificent" and the "pride of St. Lucie County." It developed not only as an educational institution but also as an integral part of the community. By analyzing some of its highlights and personalities, its significance becomes apparent. Fort Pierce Elementary, known originally as the St. Lucie High School, the Fort Pierce High School or the Fort Pierce Schools,-^ was for many years the only high school between Stuart and Melbourne. Many families moved closer to Fort Pierce so that their children could receive formal schooling. Some parents like the mother of renown landscape artist Beanie Backus, moved into town and rented an apartment during the school year so that their children could attend the high school.18 (See Continuation Sheet) Page 159 of 245 NFS Form 10-900-.Exp. 10-31-34 United States Department off the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory — Nomination Form Continuation sheet six _______________ Item number 8 ____________ Page 2 _____ ^ It can be assumed that school life at Fort Pierce Elementary was much like any other in Florida during that time. However, specific clues havec been discovered which help to bring alive details of the daily activities in the school. For instance, in a 1983 remodeling of a second floor classroom in the 1924 building, an original blackboard with writing still on it was discovered. This writing turned out to be the class schedule for that date, which was January 12, 1925. 19 The schedule listed 20 minutes of spelling followed by a 25 minute study period, and arthimetic session, recess, and a history session. Lunch lasted from noon to 1 p.m.?0 ~ Over the years, a number of students attended Fort Pierce who later gained distinction in various fields of endeavor. A partial list is included below: James Alderman, present Chief Justice of Florida Supreme Court A:\E. Beanie Backus, noted landscape Artist Thomas H. Bruhn, Chairman of St. Lucie County School Board Ben L. Bryan, Jr., St. Lucie County School Board Attorney and former Mayor of Fort Pierce, Florida Dale Cassens, former Florida State Representative and current St. Lucie County School Board Member Edward Gladwin Enns, former Chairman of the St. Lucie County Commission (Graduated, 1951) Charles King, President of"a Junior College in the State of Virginia (Graduated, 1952) Maxwell King, President of Brevard Junior College, Melbourne, Florida (Graduated, 1946) Daniel McCarty, former Governor of Florida (Graduated, 1930) John Moore McCarty, former State Senator of Florida Perhaps the most notable graduate was Daniel Thomas McCarty, the thirty- first governor of Florida. He had a very close and active relationship with Fort Pierce High School (St. Lucie High School). He attended grade school, junior high, and senior high school there. While in high school, he enjoyed great success as both a student and an athlete. He was captain of the football team, editor-in-chief of the year book, and vice-president of his class. A quote from the 1930 yearbook described him as "The captain of our school ship of state - and how able a captain."21 McCarty went on to become a citrus grower and beef cattleman in Fort Pierce. He served as St. Lucie County's Representative in the 1937, 1939, and 1941 sessions of the Florida House. During the 1941 session he was Speaker of the House. After being runnerup for the Democratic Gubernatorial nomination in 1948, he was elected Governor in 1952. He suffered a disabling heart attack on" February 25, 1953, and died September 28, 1953. The new high school built in 1954 (which replaced Fort Pierce Elementary) was named Daniel T. McCarty High School in his honor. Over the last 69 years, the Fort Pierce Elementary School has played an important role in the education of thousands of local people. One point that is perhaps overlooked is that the school is "educational" in itself. It is a visible reminder of a distinguished style of architecture - a style in which quality materials and quality craftsmanship were most important. It offers a valuable glimpse into the historical development of education in St. Lucie County. Finally, the school is a source of pride for the local community. (See Continuation Sheet) Page 160 of 245 NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 (342) Exp. 10-31-34 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form Continuation sheet seven_______________item number Q____________Page 3_____ It is a positive and public example of many of the issues that people value: education, entertainment, and tradition. In the words of the late columnist Charles S. Miley, "I haven't the slightest idea what it would cost to renovate her (Fort Pierce Elementary)p "3 but you can be sure that it would take a plenty to replace her." FOOTNOTES St. Lucie County School Board, Minutes of the meetings of the School Board, Meeting of January 6, 1914. 2 School Board Minutes, Meeting of April 1, 1924. School Board Minutes, Meeting of October 5, 1926. 4 St. Lucie Tribune, June 26, 1914. St. Lucie Historical Society, Minutes of the Meetings of the Historical Society, Meeting of October 20, 1981. Charles S. Miley, Miley's Memos (Fort Pierce: The Indian River Community College Historical Data Center, 1980), p.9. School Board Minutes, Meeting of May 13, 1914. 8 St. Lucie Tribune, January 9, 1914, p. 1. 9 Ibid. Interview with Robert Gladwin, (By Edward McCarron), Fort Pierce, August 23, 1983. Fort Pierce News Tribune, February 29, 1924, p. 1. 12School Board Minutes, Meeting of December 18, 1923. 13School Board Minutes, Meeting of February 19, 1924. 14Fort Pierce News Tribune, Octojber 8, 1978. Fort Pierce News Tribune, January 1, 1924. School Board Minutes, March 16, 1926. Fort Pierce News Tribune, February 29, 1924. 1 8 Interview with Beanie Backus (By Lucille Rights) Fort Pierce, Florida, November 6, 1980. (See Continuation Sheet) Page 161 of 245 NFS Form 10-900-a (342) OMB No. 1024-0018 Exp. 10-31-34 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form Continuation sheet Eight Item number Page 19Fort Pierce News Tribune , February 3, 1983, p. A-11. 2°Ibid. 21.,.High School Year Book, 1930. 22Alan Morris, The Florida Handbook. (Tallahassee, Florida: Company; 1983), p. 280. The Peninsular Publishing 23Fort Pierce News Tribune, October 8, 1978. Page 162 of 245 NPS Form 10-900-. OMIJ No. 1024-0018 Exp. 10-31-64 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form Continuation sheet Nine_________________Item number 9___________Page i Books Miley, Charles S. Miley's Memos. Fort Pierce, Florida: The Indian River Community College Historical Data Center, 1983. Morris, Alan. The Florida Handbook. Tallahassee, Florida: The Peninsular Publishing Company, 1983. Rifkind, Carole. A Field Guide to American Architecture. New York: New American Library, 1980. Rights, Lucille. Historical Tools and Tours in St. Lucie County. Fort Pierce, Florida: St. Lucie County School Board Printing Office, 1980. Whiffen, Marcus. American Architecture Since 1780. Cambridge: The M.I.T. Press, 1969. Newspapers St. Lucie Tribune, Fort Pierce, Florida, 1914, 1915. Fort Pierce News Tribune. 1924-1926. Fort Pierce News Tribune. 1978, 1983. Unpublished Material St. Lucie County School Board, Minutes of the School Board Meetings. 1913-1914, 1923-1924,. 1926. Record Books in the School Board Office, Fort Pierce, Florida. Fort Pierce Grade and High School Buildings. No. 56-2 Plot Plan and No. 56-1. School District No. 2, St. Lucie County (G.M.H.) Blue Prints - Fort Pierce High School, 1924. J.N. Sherwood - Architect. Blueprints in County School Board Office, Fort Pierce, Florida. Blue Prints - Fort Pierce Grammar School Building, 1926. William W. Hatcher and Lawrence S. Funke, Architect. Blueprints in County School Board Office, Fort Pierce, Florida. Interviews Interview with Norman Behling. Fort Pierce, Florida, September 14, 1976. Interview with Beanie Backus, Fort Pierce, Florida, November 5, 1980. Interview with Addie Emerson, Fort Pierce, Florida, August 23, 1983. Interview with Robert Gladwin, Fort Pierce, Florida, August 23, 1983. Page 163 of 245 NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES REGISTRATION FORM RECEIVED 2280 0Mb NO. 1024-0018 JUL j NAT,i:!ACES NationalThis form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instrtlCtlonsin Register of Historic Places Registration Form (National Register Bulletin 16A). Complete each item by marking "x" in the appropriate box or by entering the information requested. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. Place additional entries and narrative items on continuation sheets (NPS Form 10-900a). Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer, to complete all items. 1. Name of Property______________________________ ___ historic name ST. ANASTASIA CATHOLIC SCHOOL, OLD__________________________________ other names/site number /8SL571____________________________________________ 2. Location street & number 910 Orange Avenue City or town Fort Pierce state ____FLORIDA N/A n not for publication ___N/A D vicinity code FL county St. Lucie .code 111 zip code 34950-4187 3. State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify that this ^ nomination Q request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property ^ meets fj does not meet the National Register criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant fj nationally fj statewide £3 locally, (fj See continuation sheet for additional comments.) /ing o/ficial/Title Date ' Florida State Historic Preservation Officer, Division of Historical Resources State or Federal agency and bureau In my opinion, the property D meets D does not meet the National Register criteria. (DSee continuation sheet for additional comments.) Signature of certifying official/Title Date State or Federal agency and bureau 4. National Park Service Certification I hereby certify that the property is: D entered in the National Register D See continuation sheet D determined eligible for the National Register D See continuation sheet. D determined not eligible for the National Register D See continuation sheet. D removed from the National Register. D other, (explain) ______ lorn Page 164 of 245 ST. ANASTASIA CATHOLIC SCHOOL, OLD Name of Property St. Lucie, Florida County and State 5. Classification Ownership of Property (Check as many boxes as apply) EX] private D public-local D public-State D public-Federal Category of Property (Check only one box) ^ buildings D district Q site D structure D object Number of Resources within Property (Do not include any previously listed resources in the count) Contributing 1 0 0 0 1 Noncontributing 1 buildings 0 sites 0 structures 0 objects 1 total Name of related multiple property listings (Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple properly listing.) Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register N/A 6. Function or Use Historic Functions (Enter categories from instructions) EDUCATION/School Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions) VACANT/NotinUse 7. Description Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions) OTHER/Early Christian Revival Materials (Enter categories from instructions) foundation Concrete_______ walls Brick_________ roof Asphalt other Wood Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current condition of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) Page 165 of 245 ST. ANASTASIA CATHOLIC SCHOOL, OLD Name of Property St. Lucie, Florida County and State 8. Statement of Significance Applicable National Register Criteria (Mark "x" in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property for National Register listing.) ^ A Property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history. n B Property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past. ^ C Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction. n D Property has yielded, or is likely to yield information important in prehistory or history. Criteria Considerations (Mark V in all the boxes that apply.) Property is: ^ A owned by a religious institution or used for religious purposes. G B removed from its original location. n C a birthplace or grave. O D a cemetery. Q E a reconstructed building, object, or structure. O F a commemorative property. n G less tnan 50 years of age or achieved significance within the past 50 years Narrative Statement of Significance (Explain the significance of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) Areas of Significance (Enter categories from instructions) ARCHITECTURE EDUCATION Period of Significance c.1914 1919-1936 Significant Dates c.1914 Significant Person N/A Cultural Affiliation N/A Architect/Builder UNKNOWN UNKNOWN 9. Major Bibliographical References Bibliography Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form on one or more continuation sheets.) Previous documentation on file (NPS): G preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 36) has been requested Q previously listed in the National Register [] previously determined eligible by the National Register G designated a National Historic Landmark Q recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey # Primary location of additional data: ^ State Historic Preservation Office n Other State Agency G Federal agency G Local government n University D Other Name of Repository recorded by Historic American Engineering Record Page 166 of 245 ST. ANASTASIA CATHOLIC SCHOOL, OLD Name of Property ,St. Lucie, Florida County and State 10. Geographical Data Acreage of Property Less than one acre UTM References (Place additional references on a continuation sheet.) 1 1 7 90 0 0 0 Easting Northing Zone Easting Northing I | See continuation sheet Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property on a continuation sheet.) Boundary Justification (Explain why the boundaries were selected on a continuation sheet.) 11. Form Prepared By name/title William R. Adams, Consultant; Gary Goodwin, and W. Carl Shiver Historic Preservation Planners organization Bureau of Historic Preservation date June, 2000 street & number R.A. Gray Building, 500 S. Bronough Street_______________ city or town Tallahassee____________________ state Florida telephone (850) 487-2333 ___ zip code 32399-0250 Additional Documentation Submit the following items with the completed form: Continuation Sheets Maps A USGS map (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property's location. A Sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources. Photographs Representative black and white photographs of the property. Additional items (check with the SHPO or FPO for any additional items) Property Owner_______________________________________________ (Complete this item at the request of SHPO or FPO.) name Peter Scherer, Southern Property Investments, c/o Gerde Behnke, Echo Real Estate Investments, Inc. street & number 1432 Knollwood Drive city or town Palm City state Florida telephone (561) 221-7878 ____ zip code 34990 Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for applications to the National Register of Historic Places to nominate properties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and amend listings. Response to this request is required to obtain a benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.). Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 18.1 hours per response including time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this form to the Chief, Administrative Services Division, National Park Service, P.O. Box 37127, Washington, DC 20013-7127; and the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reductions Projects (1024-0018), Washington, DC 20503. Page 167 of 245 NPS Form 10-900-a OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section number 7 Page 1 ST. ANASTASIA CATHOLIC SCHOOL, OLD Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Florida SUMMARY The Old St. Anastasia Catholic School at 910 Orange Avenue in Fort Pierce, Florida, is a two-story, Early Christian Revival style building erected c.1914. Stylistically, the building is a modern interpretation of Italian Early Christian memorial chapels and mausoleums—like the Mausoleum of Galla Placida in Ravenna—dating from c. A.D. 400-600. The major distinguishing features of the exterior of the building are its composite style raised portico on the main (south) facade, the rear extension with its crenellated parapet surrounding the roof covering the stair-hall area, and the hood moldings and voussoirs decorating the major windows. The facility was the first Catholic parochial school in the Indian River section of the state and also served for a time as the public school in the city of Fort Pierce. SETTING The city of Fort Pierce is located on the east coast of Florida, approximately twenty miles south of Vero Beach. The seat of St. Lucie County, Fort Pierce encompasses approximately nine square miles of land and is bound by unincorporated areas of St. Lucie County. The city is situated on the banks of the Indian River and Fort Pierce Inlet and occupies the northern tip of Hutchinson Island, the barrier island lying between the mainland and the Atlantic Ocean. The governmental and industrial center of St. Lucie County, Fort Pierce features a historic business district, large residential areas, and an oceanfront resort section. The major thoroughfares that serve the city are Interstate Highway 95, U.S. Route 1, and Coastal Highway A1A. The city can also be reached by ship from the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway. The Old St. Anastasia Catholic School is located at the southeast corner of Orange Avenue and North 10th Street (Photo 1) in a mainly residential section of the city of Fort Pierce, Florida. During its heyday, there were several more buildings on the property in addition to the school. There was a Catholic Church, a rectory, and several small wood frame buildings used as a convent by the teaching nuns. These have been demolished, and the only structure remaining on the property other than the former school building, is a noncontributing, one- story, concrete block outbuilding constructed during the 1950s. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Exterior The rectangular plan, gable-roofed structure rests on a poured concrete foundation and half-basement (crypt) constructed of rusticated concrete block. The exterior walls of the upper stories are surfaced in buff-colored patterned brick. The gable roof is supported by exposed wood brackets and is covered with asphalt shingles. Originally the roof was sheathed in clay tile—more appropriate to its style—but this was replaced with its present roofing material at an unknown date. Page 168 of 245 NPS Form 10-900-a QMB Approval No. 1024-0018 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section number 7 Page 2 ST. ANASTASIA CATHOLIC SCHOOL, OLD Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Florida The main (south) facade features a raised entrance portico (Photo 1-4) that stands atop a high-rusticated concrete block stoop or platform. The deck is accessed by a pair of concrete steps that flank the portico and the second floor arcaded gallery. The flanking steps that parallel the facade wall are bounded at the front of the portico by rusticated block balustrade walls that are attached to paneled pedestals at grade. Rising from the pedestals is a molded concrete handrail that visually continues through the column bases and balustrade wall of the portico itself. Metal handrails are attached to the wall of the building at the rear of the steps. The entablature of the one-bay portico is supported by paneled piers at the front and pilasters at the facade wall. The plain entablature, with its low pediment, is actually a parapet, which is surmounted by a decorative crenellated cresting. Standing atop a small pedestal above the peak of the faux-pediment is a small Latin cross. In the center of the base of the portico is a segmental arched entranceway to the one-bay, recessed porch that provides access to the ground floor of the building—what historically would have been the crypt of Early Christian churches. The fenestration (Photo 3) of the second story of the main facade of the building consists of two pairs of 1/1-light double hung wood sash windows that flank the portico. Each pair is united by a continuous concrete hood molding. The fenestration of the third story also features paired wood sash windows with hood moldings but the windows are 6/6-light and feature 3-light transoms. The main entranceway to school features double doors set in a molded doorframe that features a large transom light above the door. The transom has been covered over. Above the doorframe, rising to the ceiling of the portico is a shallow rectangular niche, an original feature whose purpose is decorative rather than structural. The major vertical divisions of the building are defined by a concrete water table at grade and molded concrete belt courses between the three stories. The fenestration of the second and third stories of the side elevations (Photos 5-9) of the building—except for the rear stair-hall extension—repeat the window types found on the main facade. There are seven window bays on each story; however, one of the third floor window bays on the east elevation incorporates an emergency exit door that leads to a metal frame fire escape (Photos 4-5) that descends along the elevation wall toward the rear of the building. There are eight window bays—including those in the rear extension—along the rusticated basement walls of the side elevations of the former school. These are set in low segmental arches whose heavy voussoirs are reminiscent of the shape of the hood moldings of the windows of the upper stories. There are no windows on the second story of the side elevations of the rear or stair-hall extension of the building (Photos 5-8). On the third story, however, is a single tripartite arched window on each side elevation. Three more windows of similar design are found in the rear wall of the third story (Photos 8-9), and a single example is found in the center of the rear wall on the second story. Like the portico, the stair-hall extension has a flat roof with a decorative crenellated parapet. At ground level at the rear of the building, is a rectangular doorway giving access to the basement and a transverse hallway containing a single stairway leading to the upper floors. Page 169 of 245 NPS Form 10-900-a OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section number 7 Page 3 ST. ANASTASIA CATHOLIC SCHOOL, OLD Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Florida Interior First Floor (Basement) The exterior door to the basement at the rear (north) of the building (Photos 10-11) opens into a transverse stair hall with a single flight of stairs to the right of the entranceway that leads to the second floor of the former school. A central hallway running through the center of the long axis of the structure gives access to a series of rooms. The walls of the hallway are plastered, and wainscoting constructed of novelty wood siding rises to a height of approximately four feet above the concrete floor. The far end of the basement, beneath the portico, is devoted to storage. Second Floor The arrangement and finishes of the second floor are similar to those on the first floor (Photos 12-16), with a long central hallway separating classrooms and former offices on either side. On this floor the doorways have transom lights and there are other windows at transom height that provide some cross ventilation and illumination between the rooms and the hallway. At the north end of the hall is a doorway leading to the stair hall/foyer that provides access to the third floor where the school auditorium is located. Third Floor The stairs leading to the third floor terminate at a landing from which three doorways open into the school auditorium (Photos 17-20). The auditorium space consists of a large open area with a small stage at the south end and a balcony at the north end. The stage has a narrow proscenium molding, and the platform of the stage is bowed slightly at the front and its front wall or wainscot area is covered with vertical novelty siding. The stage is accessed by two flights of wooden steps that lead to the wings. At the other end of the auditorium is a wooden balcony that is reached by two stairways with balustrade walls that rise in two stages from near the auditorium entrance toward the exterior walls of the building. The balcony is supported at the sides by the interior piers of the building's walls and. from above by metal rods suspended from the roof joists. The auditorium has hardwood flooring and a paneled plaster ceiling. Page 170 of 245 NPS Form 10-900-a OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section number 8 Page 1 ST. ANASTASIA CATHOLIC SCHOOL, OLD Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Florida SUMMARY The Old St. Anastasia Catholic School in Fort Pierce, Florida, is significant at the local level under criteria A and C in the areas of Education and Architecture. The facility was built ca.1914 and served as the the first Catholic parochial school in the Indian River section of the state beginning in 1919, assuming high school status in 1936. In addition to being the site for educating the region's Catholic children, it also served for a time as the only public school in the city of Fort Pierce. The building is also an unusual example of the use the Early Christian architectural style, drawing its inspiration from the building forms of the later Roman Empire that were used in the construction of small churches in Italy during period from approximately A.D. 400 to 800. HISTORICAL CONTEXT The first permanent settlement in the Indian River region occurred in 1879 when Benjamin Hogg established a trading post on the Indian River within the original city limits of Fort Pierce. Hogg's store was a reliable provider of goods and supplies to the early settlement, then accessible only by riverboat. Economic activity at that time was limited mainly to fishing—particularly the harvesting of turtles—and cattle ranching on the large undivided tracts of land in western parts of present-day St. Lucie County. A post office was established at Fort Pierce in 1888. The last years of the nineteenth century saw the construction of the first railroads that would eventually stretch into all parts of the interior of Florida. Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railway played a major role in the development of Fort Pierce and St. Lucie County. Starting in Jacksonville in the 1880s, Flagler began extending his rail system down the east coast of Florida by buying up existing lines and laying new track. Flagler's tracks reached Fort Pierce in 1894. In 1901, Fort Pierce was incorporated as a city. The local economy was fueled by citrus agriculture and the growing of pineapples that were shipped by rail to northern markets. St. Lucie County was reestablished in 1905, carved out of a portion of Brevard County, with Fort Pierce named the county seat. The availability of rail transportation encouraged expansion of the citrus industry. Land development companies subdivided large tracts of property to be devoted to the production of citrus and pineapples. Other sections of land were set aside for residential and commercial development in Fort Pierce and new towns in St. Lucie County. By 1910, the population of St. Lucie County had reached more than 4,000 of which approximately 1,500 resided in Fort Pierce. At the end of the first decade of the twentieth century, Fort Pierce contained two newspapers, a bank with $250,000 in deposits, an opera house, six hotels, paved streets, a thriving commercial district, and substantial residential areas. Land reclamation projects drained the surrounding swampy land opening new areas west of the city for settlement. By 1920, Fort Pierce was firmly established as the leading citrus process center for the Indian River area. Fort Pierce entered its most dynamic period of growth during the 1920s. Driven by speculation in real estate, the great Florida "land boom" brought thousands of tourists and new permanent settlers to the area. The city Page 171 of 245 NPS Form 10-900-a OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section number 8 Page 2 ST. ANASTASIA CATHOLIC SCHOOL, OLD Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Florida rapidly expanded in size and population. New subdivisions were laid out and their lots filled with houses to accommodate residents of a variety of incomes. A causeway was constructed across the Indian River to the barrier island and Atlantic Beaches in 1924. Linking the mainland with the beaches increased the city's recreational base and opened new land for development. The Florida land boom began to slacken in mid-1925, and in 1926, the land speculation bubble burst, hastened by a destructive hurricane that struck south Florida in October of that year. Fort Pierce appeared to survive the shock, and development of the community continued unabated for a time. The population of Fort Pierce, which had stood at around 2,000 in 1920 soared to over 8,000 by 1928. Attempts to reinvigorate an economy that had depended in large part on ever-new land development proved fruitless. The entire state was adversely affected by collapse of the real estate market, so that Florida slipped gradually into the depression that was to afflict the nation as a whole by the early 1930s. Fort Pierce fared better than some other parts of the state during the Great Depression. Real estate sales took a sharp downturn. One of its two banks failed shortly after the stock market crash in 1929, and several of its citrus packing houses closed. Yet, the city's economy continued to exhibit strength. Fort Pierce lay directly on the route of the Dixie Highway—constructed along the east coast of Florida to facilitate automobile travel to tourist destinations— which was nearing completion. A 167-acre airport was opened south of the city, and harbor improvements made Fort Pierce the only major deep-water port between Jacksonville and Miami. World War II brought the United States out of the Depression. In Florida, established military bases were expanded and new ones constructed. In 1943, the U.S. Navy established an amphibious training base at Fort Pierce. Through the 1940s, the population of St. Lucie County and the economy benefited from activities undertaken to support the war effort. Servicemen who had been stationed in Florida during the war returned with their families after the end of the conflict to make their homes there. Inexpensive housing, the absence of a personal income tax, and the warm climate made Florida an attractive place to live for older Americans. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF ST. ANASTASIA CATHOLIC SCHOOL Although it had been organized just three years earlier, in 1914 the small Roman Catholic parish of St. Anastasia decided to build an impressive parochial school to serve the children of the approximately thirty Catholic families in Fort Pierce and others residing between Titusville and Vero Beach. Although the 1900 census recorded no Catholics in Fort Pierce, by 1906 there were 26 families in the area. Father Michael J. Curley, the pastor of St. Peter's in DeLand—150 miles northwest of Fort Pierce—made bi-monthly visits to the community to celebrate mass. Ceremonies were held in the town hall and the homes of the worshipers. One of persons in Fort Pierce attending services was a winter visitor named James P. McNichol, a Philadelphia building contractor and owner of the W.J. McNichol Brothers firm. In 1908, McNichol purchased a city block of land near the western limits of Fort Pierce and paid for the construction of a wooden church (cost unknown). Page 172 of 245 NFS Form 10-900-a OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section number 8 Page 3 ST. ANASTASIA CATHOLIC SCHOOL, OLD Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Florida Three years later, he paid $5,000 for the construction of a rectory, and in 1914 provided $6,000 to build a school and convent. The parish was named St. Anastasia in honor of McNichols' deceased first wife. The first pastor of the church was Father Rupert Gabriel (1910-1929). Gabriel was born in Gall, Switzerland on April 3, 1868. He was schooled in the Order of St. Benedict at St. Meinrad Academy in Indiana. He was ordained in 1894 at St. Boniface in New Orleans and took his vows in 1897, at which time he was assigned to St. Augustine in Florida. During his pastorate in Fort Pierce, St. Anastasia changed from a missionary outpost to a nuclear parish serving a 4,400 square mile area that reached from Titusville, approximately 60 miles to the north, to Lake Okeechobee, about 50 miles to the southwest. In 1910, Father Gabriel counted 93 Catholics in Fort Pierce, including 34 children. When the school was completed in 1914, it had no teachers or students and stood empty for its first five years. In 1919, the public school on Delaware Street burned, and the parish lent the county the use of its school building rent-free for the next six years. The original wooden church was torn down in 1923, and the school was used for religious services. A new church was built on the Catholic lot in 1925. In the fall of 1926, three Dominican nuns arrived from the motherhouse in Adrian, Michigan. The order had been invited to the St. Augustine Diocese by Bishop Patrick Barry in 1923 when a parochial school was initiated at St. Ann's in West Palm Beach. Fifty-two children were registered in September 1926 for the first classes, grades one through eight, and in November, the enrollment was increased by 25%. The school became the central part of church life. At the start of 1927, the church had a debt of $48,000. In 1929, Father Gabriel retired because of poor health and was replaced by his assistant, Pastor Michael Beerhalter, who guided the church and school through the difficult period of the Great Depression. In 1930, there were 53 pupils attending St. Anastasia Catholic School. In 1932, a ninth grade was added to the school, and in 1936, the first high school class was graduated. Tuition was three dollars a month during the 1930s, but the church absorbed the cost of children whose parents could not pay. With financial help from Mother Gerad Barry, sister of Bishop Barry and Superior of the Adrian Dominicans, a black school, Blessed St. Martin's was established in the African-American section of Fort Pierce. She made a $5,000 donation. Two nuns were assigned as teachers to St. Martin's. The Catholic Church was the only white church in town permitting "colored people" to attend. At first, there was a separate bench in the back of the sanctuary reserved for blacks. It was marked by a sign on the wall that said "For Colored." Assistant Pastor Michael Beerhalter, a foe of racial segregation, had the sign removed, but the only Negro Catholic family in town at the time continued to sit there out of force of habit. St. Martin's remained open from the 1930s to 1962 when it was integrated with St. Anastasia, a courageous move at the time. Page 173 of 245 NPS Form 10-900-a QMB Approval No. 1024-0018 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section number 8 Page 4 ST. ANASTASIA CATHOLIC SCHOOL, OLD Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Florida In the 1950s, there were about 400 families in the parish. School enrollment in 1951 was 201. The growing population of the parish required planning for a new facility. George Guetller, a wealthy parishioner, offered 20 acres located at Orange Avenue and 33rd Street for the construction of a new school. The Diocese of Miami was created on October 7, 1958 and included Fort Pierce. In that year, the parish had 700 families. The elementary school had an enrollment of 700 students and the high school had 120. A new church school auditorium was opened on April 29, 1960 at the new 33rd Street location. Elementary school students were moved there. The high school remained at the 1914 facility until the fall of 1965, when the remainder of the students were moved to the new St. Anastasia High School (later renamed the John H. Carroll High School). The 1914 building was leased to the local CETA program for several years, and in 1978, the Miami Diocese sold the property for $120,000. The church that had also stood on the city block occupied by the school was demolished in 1984. The old rectory and convent buildings have also been razed. New facilities were constructed on property near the high school. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE The Old Saint Anastasia Parochial School is an unusual example of the revival of Early Christian church architecture that had appeared in the declining years of the Roman Empire, particularly after the removal of the governmental center of the empire from Rome to Constantinople in A.D. 330. The monumental marble temples, with their classical orders, that had distinguished the far-flung empire under the pagan emperors gave way to more modest "meeting houses" when Christianity achieved official sanction under Constantine. The model for many early churches was the basilica, a large Roman meeting hall, but many smaller buildings were also erected to house the earthly remains or other relics associated with various saints. In some cases, pagan temples were demolished and a new building constructed on the base or platform on which the temple had stood. These memorial churches and mausoleums often retained the traditional features of pagan Roman architecture—although often degraded in form. The rusticated base on which the St. Anastasia School Building stands recalls the base or platform that contained the crypt of early churches. In the case of mausoleums, the remains of the saint or church patron were also placed in the crypt, while the principal altar was placed on the main floor. Multi-story early Christian churches were rare—but not completely unknown—since the second principal story was usually occupied by clerestory windows. Notable antecedents for inspiration in the design of the St. Anastasia School in Italy are the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia (c. 450) and the church of S. Apollinare in Classe (c. 550), both found in the city of Ravenna. Page 174 of 245 NFS Form 10-900-a OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Section number 9 Page 1 ST. ANASTASIA CATHOLIC SCHOOL, OLD Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Florida BIBLIOGRAPHY Adams, William R. et al. Historic Properties Survey of Fort Pierce. Florida. St. Augustine: Historic Property Associates, 1992. Bell, Emily Lagow. My Pioneer Days in Florida, 1876-1898. Miami: McMurry Publishing Co., 1928. Clausen, Carl. "The Fort Pierce Collection, " Bureau of Historic Sites and Properties, Bulletin No. 1. Tallahassee, 1970. Cunningham, J.M. Fort Pierce, Florida, "The Sunrise City" County Seat of St. Lucie County. Ft. Pierce, Florida, 1928. Dovell, Junious. Florida: Historic, Dramatic, Contemporary. New York, 1952. Federal Writers Project. Notes for the American Guide, St. Lucie County, Florida. St. Lucie County, Florida, 1936. Fort Pierce. City Code of the City of Fort Pierce, Including Enacting Ordinance and Charter Amendment, Forth Pierce, 1927. Fort Pierce Chamber of Commerce. Economic Survey of Fort Pierce and St. Lucie County, a Compilation of Facts and Information for the Homeseeker. Winter Visitor and Manufacturer, etc. Fort Pierce, 1934. Mcdonald, William L. Early Christian & Byzantine Architecture. New York: George Braziller, 1962. Mahon, JohnK. A History of the Second Seminole Indian War. Gainesville, Florida, 1967. Morris, Clyde. Place Names in Florida. Polk, R.L. & Co. Polk's Ft. Pierce, Florida City Directory Including St. Lucie County. Jacksonville, Florida, 1918-1992. Schene, Michael. Hopes, Dreams and Promises. Daytona Beach, Florida. 1976 St. Lucie Chamber of Commerce. History of Fort Pierce. Fort Pierce. 1966. Tebeau, Charlton W. A History of Florida. Coral Gables, Florida. 1980. Page 175 of 245 NPS Form 10-900-a OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section number 9 Page 2 ST. ANASTASIA CATHOLIC SCHOOL, OLD Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Florida Thorndale, William and Dollarhide, William. Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Census, 1790-1920. Baltimore, 1987. Williams, Ada Coats. A Brief History of St. Lucie County. Fort Pierce, 1963. U.S. Navy Construction Battalion 1011. "Seabees, United States Amphibious Traning Base," Fort Pierce, 1942. Vertical Files. St. Lucie County Historical Museum. Fort Pierce, Florida. Vertical Files. St. Lucie County Library. Fort Pierce, Florida. Page 176 of 245 NPS Form 10-900-a OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section number 10 Page 1 ST. ANASTASIA CATHOLIC SCHOOL, OLD Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Florida Verbal Boundary Description A parcel of land lying and being in the South one-half of the Northwest one quarter of Section 10, Township 35 South, Range 40 East, City of Fort Pierce, County of St. Lucie, State of Florida, said parcel being more particularly described as follows: Lot 10, Block I of B. Hogg's Addition to Fort Pierce, a portion of the parcel described in OR Book 1143, Page 1685, Public Records of St. Lucie County. Boundary Justification The above described parcel of land contains the Old St. Anastasia Catholic School Building and a small, non- contributing out building, the only physical resources that remain of the complex of buildings comprising the St. Anastasia School, Catholic Church, and Convent that once stood on the property. Page 177 of 245 NPS Form 10-900-a QMB Approval No. 1024-0018 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section number PHOTOS Page 1 ST. ANASTASIA CATHOLIC SCHOOL, OLD Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Florida List of Photographs 1. Old St. Anastasia Catholic School 2. 910 Orange Avenue, Fort Pierce (St. Lucie County), Florida 3. William R. Adams 4. July 1999 5. Historic Property Associates 6. South (Main) Facade and West Elevation, Streetscape Looking Northeast 7. Photo 1 of 20 Items 1-5 are the same for all remaining photographs. 6. South (Main) Facade and East Elevation, Looking Northwest 7. Photo 2 of 20 6. South (Main) Facade, Looking North 7. Photo 3 of 20 6. South (Main) Facade (Detail Showing Portico), Looking Northwest 7. Photo 4 of 20 6. East Elevation, Looking west 7. Photo 5 of 20 6. East Elevation, Detail, Windows and Fire Escape Stairs, Looking West 7. Photo 6 of 20 6. West Elevation, Looking East 7. Photo 7 of 20 6. East and North (Rear) Elevations with Outbuilding, Looking Southwest 7. Photo 8 of 20 6. East and North (Rear) Elevations, Looking Southwest 7. Photo 9 of 20 6. Interior, First Floor (Basement), Hallway, Looking South from Entrance 7. Photo 10 of 20 Page 178 of 245 NFS Form 10-900-a OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section number PHOTOS Page 2 ST. ANASTASIA CATHOLIC SCHOOL, OLD Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Florida 6. Interior, First Floor (Basement), Stairs to Second Floor, Looking West 7. Photo 11 of 20 6. Interior, Second Floor, Hallway, Looking South from Main Entrance 7. Photo 12 of 20 6. Interior, Southwest Corner Room, Detail, Wainscot, Looking Southwest 7. Photo 13 of 20 6. Interior, Southwest Corner Room, Detail, Molded Plaster Ceiling 7. Photo 14 of 20 6. Interior, Southwest Corner Room, Doorway, Looking Northeast 7. Photo 15 of 20 6. Interior, Second Floor, Detail, Floor Tiles 7. Photo 16 of 20 6. Interior, Third Floor, Stair Landing, Looking Southeast 7. Photo 17 of 20 6. Interior, Third Floor Auditorium, Stage View, Looking South from Rear 7. Photo 18 of 20 6. Interior, Third Floor Auditorium, Balcony View, Looking North from Stage 7. Photo 19 of 20 6. Interior, Third Floor Auditorium, Detail, Molded Plaster Ceiling 7. Photo 20 of 20 Page 179 of 245 OLD ST. ANASTASIA CATHOLIC SCHOOL Fort Pierce, St Lucie County, Florida P\\OTO D A fly S r A Oi Q © <£) £T n D •3c •••McrI r-^, 1 1]DD 0> Q a Page 180 of 245 -O 50II 9 CO o o no r~ > 1:0 -H 70O0 I/ )zo—i oomC/ ) CO CD of-coCO70oo or~•^ ^COCO oo2 0r—^w COCO 0o2 HA L L W A Y o1— • ^^COCO oos: CO-HO70 Om f < x» \ A /* ^ \ (i l l ^^ i ^ -d ) m mX 0— 1 cCOm c zXz0 01 COCOxO0o of-coCO70 O O Or-COCO 70 O O 01—COCO70 0 O CO•H 70 Om OL D ST . AN A S T A S I A CA T H O L I C SC H O O L 91 0 OR A N G E AV E . , FO R T PI E R C E , FL O R I D A SC A L E IN FE E T PR E P A R E D BY HI S T O R I C PR O P E R T Y AS S O C I A T E S , IN C . JU L Y 19 9 9 Page 181 of 245 ^ O 3 2 -I o 0 _ 9 O O;u TI 70o o z o o omCO CO CD I—m O CO CO O O O CO CO 70o o o CO CO70o o HA L L W A Y mX o— 1c • COm cz zo ^^ ^ o•n•n O m Or~^>CO CO700o oJ—^>CO CO70o0 or~^>CO CO3DOo OL D ST . AN A S T A S I A CA T H O L I C SC H O O L 91 0 OR A N G E AV E . , FO R T PI E R C E , FL O R I D A SC A L E IN FE E T PR E P A R E D BY HI S T O R I C PR O P E R T Y AS S O C I A T E S , IN C . JU L Y 19 9 9 Page 182 of 245 3D U OO TI c/ )o m o 5c S CO JO CO O O OL D ST . AN A S T A S I A CA T H O L I C SC H O O L 91 0 OR A N G E AV E . , FO R T PI E R C E , FL O R I D A SC A L E IN FE E T PR E P A R E D BY HI S T O R I C PR O P E R T Y AS S O C I A T E S , IN C . JU L Y 19 9 9 Page 183 of 245 NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in National Register Bulletin, How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions 1. Name of Property Historic name: Heiden, Philip C., House__________________________ Other names/site number:_______________________________________ Name of related multiple property listing: N/A____________________________________________________ (Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing 2. Location Street & number: 116 North Blanding Street___________________________________ City or town: Lake City State: South Carolina County: Florence 3. State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify that this X nomination ___request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property X meets ___does not meet the National Register Criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant at the following level(s) of significance: national ___statewide X local Applicable National Register Criteria: ___A ___B _X_C ___D Signature of certifying ofíícial/Title:Date Elizabeth M. Johnson, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government 1 Not For Publication:Vicinity: Page 184 of 245 ______________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Heiden, Philip C. House Florence County, SC Name of Property County and State In my opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register criteria. Signature of commenting official: Date Title : State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government 4. National Park Service Certification I hereby certify that this property is: entered in the National Register determined eligible for the National Register determined not eligible for the National Register removed from the National Register other (explain:) _____________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Signature of the Keeper Date of Action X9/10/20215. Classification Ownership of Property (Check as many boxes as apply.) Private: X Public – Local Public – State Public – Federal Sections 1-6 page 2 Page 185 of 245 ____________________________________________________________________________ ___________________ ___________________ United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Heiden, Philip C. House Name of Property Florence County, SC County and State Category of Property (Check only one box.) Building(s) X District Site Structure Object Number of Resources within Property (Do not include previously listed resources in the count) Contributing Noncontributing ___2_______ _____________ buildings _____________ _____________ sites _____________ _____________ structures _____________ _____________ objects ____2______ ______________ Total Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register __0_____ 6. Function or Use Historic Functions (Enter categories from instructions.) DOMESTIC: single dwelling DOMESTIC: secondary structure Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions.) DOMESTIC: single dwelling DOMESTIC: secondary structure Sections 1-6 page 3 Page 186 of 245 _______________________________________________________________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Heiden, Philip C. House Florence County, SC Name of Property County and State 7. Description Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions.) MODERN MOVEMENT: Streamlined Moderne Materials: (enter categories from instructions.) Principal exterior materials of the property: Foundation: Stucco Walls: Stucco, Tile Roof: Rubber Other: Steel Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current physical appearance and condition of the property. Describe contributing and noncontributing resources if applicable. Begin with a summary paragraph that briefly describes the general characteristics of the property, such as its location, type, style, method of construction, setting, size, and significant features. Indicate whether the property has historic integrity.) Summary Paragraph The Philip C. Heiden House at 116 North Blanding Street is significant as a notable residential example of Streamline Moderne architecture in Lake City, South Carolina. The building still retains many of its original character-defining features, such as a flat roof with a parapet, horizontal black glazed tiles, steel casement corner windows, and curved entrance. A porthole window is present within the bathroom on the south facade. The walls are constructed out of hollow clay tiles and brick and covered by a smooth concrete stucco render. The exterior was originally painted white, but is currently a deep coral. Indicative of the style, the house lacks excessive ornamentation and emphasizes horizontality. At 1,300 square feet, the house and garage are in keeping with the modest proportions of the surrounding homes in the neighborhood, but the Streamline Moderne architecture contrasts sharply with the contemporary Minimal Traditional and Craftsman residences on Blanding Street. Section 7 page 4 Page 187 of 245 ______________________________________________________________________________ United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Heiden, Philip C. House Florence County, SC Name of Property County and State Narrative Description Site Description The Philip C. Heiden House is located within Lake City, South Carolina at 116 North Blanding Street. The street contains many small one to one-and-a-half story residential homes with detached single-car garages. The back of the lot faces Main Street Elementary School, located to the west of the property. The building is set in the middle of the lot on a small hill back from the street, creating a dramatic entry to the home. Several sections of low-rise concrete steps are set within the landscape and provide access to the elevated reinforced concrete veranda. The back of the lot slopes away from the house. A small driveway leading to the garage is present on the north side of the property. Main House (Contributing Building, 1938) Exterior Description The main house is designed in the Streamline Moderne style and measures approximately thirty-eight by thirty-two feet wide and is one-story in height. The exterior of the building is covered with a smooth Portland cement render. The original white stucco has been painted pink and red in recent years. All elevations contain three continuous bands of black glazed ceramic tiles installed horizontally. Two tile string courses frame the sill and head of the steel windows. The flat roof is concealed by a small parapet capped by a band of black horizontal tiles. The parapet obscures the central chimney from the street. The parapet is currently covered with an aluminum cap. The wooden front veranda railing, which emphasized the horizontality of the house, is no longer extant. The railing is visible in historic photographs and its design consisted of a series of horizontal wood members with intermediate vertical blocking spaced evenly apart from one another and offset from the vertical members above and below. The spacing between the horizontal balusters increased toward the top of the railing to create a unique design feature. Posts were integrated into the railing design at each stair opening. The outdoor terrace stretches across the entire façade and wraps the northwest and southwest corners. The east (front) façade contains steel corner windows located at each of its three corners. Each typical window unit contains two left and right three-lite pivot casements capped by a fixed two-lite transom. A square steel column provides support at the window corners and is integrated into the window. Metal casement windows are set in wide openings throughout the building that typically wrap around the main corners. The central living room corner window contains two windows at the east side and one on the north side. The north dining room steel corner window contains a left and right casement sash separated by a fixed two-lite center and below a three-lite transom. The northern side of the window contains two connected steel window units with Section 7 page 5 Page 188 of 245 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Heiden, Philip C. House Florence County, SC Name of Property County and State operating casement windows on each side. The southern bedroom corner window has one window on the east side and two windows on the south side of the corner. The central main entrance is framed by two rounded walls that provide access to an open vestibule adjacent to the front door. Two doors are present, one on either side of the vestibule. The southern opening features a wooden flat panel door that opens to a small exterior closet and storage area. The door to the interior is present on the north side of the vestibule and contains a circular porthole in the upper half. The south side of the building encompasses the southern sides of the southeast and southwest steel corner windows and a circular porthole window in the center. The southwest corner window contains a left and right three-lite casement sash with a center three-lite divider on the south side and two three-lite pivot casement sashes to the west. The west (rear) elevation faces the back yard and contains the west side of the southwest corner window and a rectangular double steel casement window in the center. A small six-lite fixed steel casement window is located adjacent to the kitchen door. The kitchen door is comprised of a modern two-lite metal paneled door. Historic images indicate that the entryway originally contained a door within a small vestibule. The vestibule has been removed and the original masonry opening has been infilled at the top with stucco to accommodate the size of the replacement door. A metal awning is present over the kitchen door and adjacent casement window. A set of precast concrete steps provide access to the kitchen door. The railing on the right side of the stairs is a modern aluminum replacement. The left railing is constructed with welded angle iron and is believed to be original as it is captured in the family photographs. A large galvanized downspout is located to the north of the back door. The ceramic tile string courses are also present on this elevation and are well preserved. Interior Description The interior is accessed through a recessed curved entryway facing Blanding Street. The interior layout features a large L-shaped living room with a striking fireplace containing a low curved plaster mantel on the interior wall. The mantel is located on the west interior wall and serves as a focal point for the room. The sides of the curved mantel contain recessed shelving and the right side of the mantel transitions to a half-round wood and plaster pedestal. The firebox contains yellow bricks with a black tile hearth. A small open dining room area is located directly off the living room towards the north. The original plaster has been covered with midcentury wood paneling on the walls (now heavily painted) and composite tiles on the ceiling. The bedrooms of the home are accessed via an interior hallway with doors on either end. Marshall Heiden, the son of the original owner, noted that the hallway was reconfigured in the 1940s so that the Heiden family could barricade themselves within the hallway when the air raid sirens sounded during World War II.1 Originally, the home consisted of three bedrooms and a bathroom, but the center-east bedroom has been modified for a sitting room to the south of the 1 Heiden, Marshall. Facebook Correspondence with Rusty Gaskins. July 14, 2017. Section 7 page 6 Page 189 of 245 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Heiden, Philip C. House Florence County, SC Name of Property County and State kitchen. The dividing wall between the kitchen and the current sitting room was removed sometime during the 20th century. The kitchen was modified in the 1950s and lacks original Streamline Moderne style fabric. It features a galley-style layout with cabinets along the north wall. The back-kitchen door was also modified and replaced with a smaller door. The east and center-west bedrooms also display recessed plaster niches for headboards. A smaller bedroom is located within the southwest corner of the house. Each bedroom space has a small closet with a plane wood door. Simple wood half-round trim is present on all the interior doorways. The interior wood casement for the steel corner windows is orthogonal and lacks decoration. The bathroom is tiled with white and black porcelain tile matching the black tile used on the exterior façade. A circular wood porthole window is on the south wall. The surround for the tub and shower features a stepped geometric design. Garage (Contributing Building, 1938) A contemporary one-story garage is present adjacent to the north corner of the main house. The garage is constructed out of identical brick and hollow clay tiles. Matching decorative tiles are present on the east (front) façade, facing Blanding Street. The building contains an open garage at front and a small storage room on the western back end. The garage originally featured a flat roof matching the main house. A gable roof was installed over the original flat roof sometime after 1938. The original flat roof framing remains encapsulated within the current roof but is deteriorated at the western end of the garage. Section 7 page 7 Page 190 of 245 _________________________________________________________________ X United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Heiden, Philip C. House Florence County, SC Name of Property County and State 8. Statement of Significance Applicable National Register Criteria (Mark "x" in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property for National Register listing.) A. Property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history. B. Property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past. C. Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction. D. Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. Criteria Considerations (Mark “x” in all the boxes that apply.) A. Owned by a religious institution or used for religious purposes B. Removed from its original location C. A birthplace or grave D. A cemetery E. A reconstructed building, object, or structure F. A commemorative property G. Less than 50 years old or achieving significance within the past 50 years Section 8 page 8 Page 191 of 245 ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Heiden, Philip C. House Name of Property Florence County, SC County and State Areas of Significance (Enter categories from instructions.) ARCHITECTURE___ Period of Significance 1938_______________ Significant Dates 1938_______________ Significant Person (Complete only if Criterion B is marked above.) N/A________________ Cultural Affiliation N/A________________ Architect/Builder Heiden, Philip C. _____ Section 8 page 9 Page 192 of 245 ______________________________________________________________________________ United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Heiden, Philip C. House Florence County, SC Name of Property County and State Statement of Significance Summary Paragraph (Provide a summary paragraph that includes level of significance, applicable criteria, justification for the period of significance, and any applicable criteria considerations.) The Philip C. Heiden House, located at 116 North Blanding Street in Lake City, South Carolina, is significant under Criterion C in the area of Architecture at the local level as an excellent and rare residential example of the Streamline Moderne Style in Lake City. Designed by Heiden in 1938, the small house embodies the basic tenants of Streamline Moderne architecture, including the flat roof, smooth exterior render, and soft, rounded corners. Horizontality is highlighted throughout the building by bands of ceramic glazed tiles and metal casement corner windows set within wide openings. These architectural features celebrate the aerodynamic design principles of the Streamline Moderne and create a distinctive street-front façade. Select nautical motifs such as porthole windows are incorporated throughout the house. Previously listed examples of Streamline Moderne architecture in South Carolina, such as the George R. Price House (1939) and the later Raymond Price Houses (1952) are much larger in scale and located in the state capital of Columbia, one of the state’s largest cities. Streamline Modern design is more commonly expressed in commercial buildings throughout the state and the use of this style for residential construction is unusual and rare in a small town in the rural Pee Dee region. The house and its detached one-car garage retain excellent integrity and the original 1938 design remains largely intact throughout the interior and exterior. Narrative Statement of Significance (Provide at least one paragraph for each area of significance.) Criterion C: Architecture The Philip C. Heiden House is an excellent residential example of Streamline Moderne architecture within the Pee Dee region of South Carolina. As an architectural style rarely seen in small town South Carolina, the Streamline Moderne Heiden House highlights the tenets of the short-lived trend that grew out of a subset of the Art Deco movement. The original inspiration for the Streamline Moderne style was derived from Eliel Saarinen’s runner-up design for the 1922 Chicago Tribune Tower Competition and the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris.2 The term Art Deco was first used by British historian Bevis Hillier in 1968 to describe the architecture produced between the two World Wars. Art Deco architecture typically incorporates and emphasizes verticality, often manifested using columns, piers, or setbacks. Abstract and natural decorative motifs are widely employed and typically rendered in low relief with sharp angular contours.3 Streamline Modern represents the last phase of the Art Deco period and is generally a more pared-down version without excess ornamentation. Streamline Moderne was influenced by abstract aesthetics from the Bauhaus in Germany and the International Style. The style focused on a machine aesthetic and avoided natural forms applied as decoration. The simpler 2 Trieschmann, Laura V., Weisher, Paul, and Schoenfeld, Andrea. National Register of Historic Places Nomination: Streamline Moderne Houses in Arlington County, Virginia: 1936-1945, February 2010. 3 Breeze, Carla. American art deco: architecture and regionalism. New York: W.W. Norton, (2003), 14. Section 8 page 10 Page 193 of 245 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Heiden, Philip C. House Florence County, SC Name of Property County and State aerodynamic lines and forms are reminiscent of ships, airplanes, and automobiles from the era and this type of industrial design greatly inspired this futuristic style. The style projected an image of a scientifically advanced and hygienic world while incorporating mass-produced, easy to install materials.4 Streamlining was a “Stripping away of the excesses of the past, of even just a few years prior” and a clear reaction to the preceding Art Deco style.5 The first experimentation with what became known as the Streamline Moderne style occurred in 1914 with the construction of the Deutscher Werkbund Exhibition theatre in Cologne, Germany. In the 1920s, German Architect Erich Mendelsohn further advanced this style with his designs for department stores and offices, most notably the Schocken Department Store. In 1931, architect and designer Norman Bel Geddes designed “The House of Tomorrow” which further popularized the style in Europe and the United States for residential construction. Bel Geddes noted in this design that modern life was increasingly centered around work and there was a greater need for objects that function to promote ease and efficiency.6 The multiple World’s Fairs that occurred during the 1930s helped to spread the popularity of the style and Mendelsohn’s popularity in America rose due to numerous publications, exhibitions, and tours.7 Prior to World War II, the Streamline Moderne style further evolved into the International Style, which renounced the use of ornament and nonessential design and further elevated simplicity, representing true Modernistic ideals. The George R. Price House (1939), a Streamline Moderne residence in Columbia, SC, exhibits elements of this transition, while the Heiden House is more indicative of textbook Streamline Moderne design.8 The use of Streamline Moderne architecture in South Carolina is rare as it never became a preferred residential style throughout the state. Nationwide, the Art Deco and Streamline Moderne styles ended abruptly with the entrance of the United States into Word War II on December 8, 1941, with wartime restrictions limiting new construction and access to building materials across the nation.9 Within South Carolina, several notable examples of commercial Streamline Moderne architecture are preserved in major cities such as Columbia and Charleston. The work of architect Augustus E. Constantine during this era popularized Moderne architecture in Charleston, specifically for commercial buildings along major street corridors. The Heiden House is contemporary with the notable 1938 Greyhound Bus Station located in Columbia, SC and designed in the Streamline Moderne style by George D. Brown. Residential examples of the style within the state are exceedingly scarce or unknown and largely exist as unique landmarks 4 Felzer, Lissa. Avoiding the theme park: a study of the architecture of Augustus Edison Constantine, and the need for preservation policy reform in Charleston, South Carolina for the twenty first century. (2000), 38. 5 Kowalik, William. “Streamline Moderne Design in Consumer Culture and Transportation Infrastructure: Design for the Twentieth Century.” (2017), 1-4 6 Bel Geddes, Norman. “The House of Tomorrow” The Ladies' Home Journal. Philadelphia, April 1931. 7 Hotten, Alison L., Building Bagel Beach: An Examination of Jewish Architects and Regional Design, (Ph.D. dissertation, University of Nevada Reno, 2018), 79 8 Sherrer, John M. III, National Register of Historic Places Nomination: George R. Price House, April 1997. 9 Whiteson, Leon. “The Graceful Lines of Streamline Moderne” Los Angeles Times, February 11, 1990. Section 8 page 11 Page 194 of 245 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Heiden, Philip C. House Florence County, SC Name of Property County and State within residential neighborhoods. The most notable known residential examples of this style within South Carolina are the large George R. Price House (1939) and the Raymond Price House (1952) both of which are located in Columbia, SC and postdate the Heiden House. Owner & Designer: Philip C. Heiden The dwelling was designed by Dr. Philip C. Heiden, a local pharmacist and drug store owner. Heiden was born in Brooklyn in New York City and attended the Brooklyn College of Pharmacy. In 1912, he married Helen Werner and the couple moved to Lake City in the 1930s where his brother and sister-in-law, Jay Julies and Rose Heiden, operated the local dry goods store "Heidens" and later the "Glamour Corner."10 The Heiden brothers’ parents, Max and Minnie, were Austrian immigrants who moved frequently between neighboring Marion County and Brooklyn during the early 20th century.11 The Heiden family was one of the few Jewish families within Lake City, and they often faced discrimination. Philip operated Hotel Drug, and later Heiden Drug, within the Truluck Hotel at 142 East Main Street. It is compelling that Heiden chose a novel modern style for his home in a community where he and his family were often perceived as outsiders prior to World War II.12 This unusual modern design choice further highlighted Heiden’s outlier status within Lake City. The dwelling appears to be Philip’s only known design. Information supplied by Philip's son, Marshall Heiden, indicates that Philip designed the home after returning from southern Florida, and the design was greatly influenced by the striking Streamline Moderne architecture of South Beach.13 The Jewish community was beginning to establish itself in Florida prior to World War II as restrictive barriers to Jewish ownership of real estate were dismantled and Jewish investors flocked to purchase depressed property.14 Heiden’s visit came at an important time of South Beach’s history as the area’s architecture was quickly transitioning from Art Deco and Mediterranean design to the emerging Streamline Moderne style. Well-known examples such as the Colony Hotel (1935), the Congress Hotel (1936), and the Commodore Hotel (1936) exhibit similar architectural elements to the Heiden House and are excellent representative examples of the Streamline Moderne.15 In his design for his new home, Philip incorporated new prefabricated and mass-produced building materials such as hollow clay structural tiles and prefabricated steel corner windows. 10 “Heiden’s Clothing”, The Jewish Merchant Project. http://merchants.jhssc.org/merchants/heidens-clothing/ 11 1920 United States Census, Marion County, South Carolina, digital image s.v. "Max Heiden," Ancestry.com. U.S. and NY State Census records indicate that Max Heiden and family lived in Marion County South Carolina during the first decade of the twentieth century. Jay Jules was born in Marion in 1905 before the family moved to Brooklyn in 1907 prior to the birth of Philip. In 1910, the family was once again living in Marion County before moving to Brooklyn permanently around 1924. 12 Heiden, Bari King, and Dale Rosengarten. 1998. Oral history interview with Bari King Heiden. Family interviews note that Jay Heiden originally completed law school in New York but did not start a practice in Lake City due to what he perceived as antisemitism in the state. 13 Heiden, Marshall. Facebook Correspondence with Rusty Gaskins. July 14, 2017. 14 Zerivitz, Marcia Jo. “A Brief History of the Jewish Community of Greater Miami” The Greater Miami Jewish Federation” https://jewishmiami.org/about/federation/miami_jewish_history/ 15 Hotten, Building Bagel Beach, 83-86 Section 8 page 12 Page 195 of 245 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Heiden, Philip C. House Florence County, SC Name of Property County and State The Heiden family resided within the home and raised their three children there until 1964, when Philip and Helen sold the property and moved to Miami Beach, Florida.16 While the home at 116 North Blanding stands out among its neighbors due to its design, the building is generally in keeping with the height, scale, and massing of other houses in the neighborhood. A complementary example of the International Style architecture that incorporates Streamline Moderne elements is located nearby at 208 Nesmith Street and was built in 1947.17 These two homes represent the only known extant Moderne/International style residential buildings within the local community and have been notable landmarks within the neighborhood since their initial construction. The remaining neighborhood is largely filled with homes of similar size in the Minimal Traditional and Craftsman styles. The use of this style for a small dwelling in a small town in the rural Pee Dee region elevates the significance of the dwelling and highlights Heiden’s unique choice to build a home of this style for his family. The property at 116 Blanding Street represents a custom design for an individual property owner, Philip C. Heiden, and his family. The home exists as a successful example of the short-lived Streamline Moderne architectural style while also showcasing the individuality of the homeowner. Developmental history/additional historic context information (if appropriate) In 1935, Philip and his business partner C.G. McElveen issued a charter for Hotel Drug located in downtown Lake City within the Truluck Hotel at 142 East Main Street.18 Helen Heiden served as the bookkeeper for the pharmacy. While living in the home, the Heidens had three children Marshall, Merle Ruth, and Teresa Susan. In the 1940 Census, Philip, his wife Helen. and his two children, Marshall and Merla Ruth, were recorded as living together in “213 Blanding Street” which was owned by the family. His neighbors were middle-class families who were dentists, bookkeepers, and the City Treasurer.19 16 “Helen Schulman Obituary”. Legacy.com, Accessed on November 19, 2020. https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/charleston/obituary.aspx?n=helen-schulman&pid=98492988 17 Florence County, South Carolina. Property Card File for 208 Nesmith Street. Tax Map Number: 80020-15-002. 18 News and Courier, “Hotel Drug”, March 10, 1935, 5, Newsbank. 19 1940 U.S. census, Florence Co., Lake City, SC., p. 11B, Philip C. Heiden. Section 8 page 13 Page 196 of 245 ______________________________________________________________________________ United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Heiden, Philip C. House Florence County, SC Name of Property County and State 9. Major Bibliographical References Bibliography (Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form.) 1920 United States Census, Marion County, South Carolina, digital image s.v. "Max Heiden," Ancestry.com. 1925 New York State Census, New York, New York, digital image s.v. "Max Heiden," Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Census, Brooklyn Borough, Kings County, New York, digital image s.v. "Max Heiden," Ancestry.com. 1940 U.S. census, Florence Co., Lake City, SC., p. 11B, Philip C. Heiden, Ancestry.com Bel Geddes, Norman. April 1931. “The House of Tomorrow” The Ladies' home journal. Philadelphia Carla, Breeze. 2003. American art deco: Architecture and regionalism. New York: W.W. Norton. Charleston Evening Post. Microfilm, South Carolina Room, Charleston County Public Library and digitized through “America’s Historical Newspapers” Newsbank database. Charleston News & Courier. Microfilm, South Carolina Room, Charleston County Public Library and digitized through “America’s Historical Newspapers” Newsbank database. Florence County, South Carolina. Property Card File for 208 Nesmith Street. Tax Map Number: 80020-15-002. Heiden, Bari King, and Dale Rosengarten. 1998. Oral history interview with Bari King Heiden. Heiden, Marshall. Facebook Correspondence with Rusty Gaskins. July 14, 2017. “Heiden’s Clothing”, The Jewish Merchant Project. http://merchants.jhssc.org/merchants/heidens-clothing/ “Helen Schulman Obituary”. Legacy.com, Accessed on November 19, 2020. https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/charleston/obituary.aspx?n=helen-schulman&pid=98492988 Hotten, Alison L., 2018. Building Bagel Beach: An Examination of Jewish Architects and Regional Design, Ph.D. dissertation, University of Nevada Reno, Online. Sections 9-end page 14 Page 197 of 245 ___________________________________________________________________________ United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Heiden, Philip C. House Florence County, SC Name of Property County and State Felzer, Lissa. Avoiding the theme park: a study of the architecture of Augustus Edison Constantine, and the need for preservation policy reform in Charleston, South Carolina for the twenty first century, (Master’s Thesis, University of Pennsylvania, 2000). Findagrave.com. Accessed 2020. Kowalik, William. “Streamline Moderne Design in Consumer Culture and Transportation Infrastructure: Design for the Twentieth Century.” (2017). Sherrer, John M. III, National Register of Historic Places Nomination: George R. Price House. (April 1997). Trieschmann, Laura V., Weisher, Paul, and Schoenfeld, Andrea. National Register of Historic Places Nomination: Streamline Moderne Houses in Arlington County, Virginia: 1936-1945. (February 2010) Whiteson, Leon. “The Graceful Lines of Streamline Moderne” Los Angeles Times, February 11, 1990. Accessed November 2020. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-02-11-re-632-story.html Willette, Jeanne “Aerodynamics and Streamline Design 1930s, Part One” Accessed December 10, 2020, https://arthistoryunstuffed.com/aerodynamics-as-streamline-design-1930s-part-one/ Zerivitz, Marcia Jo. “A Brief History of the Jewish Community of Greater Miami” The Greater Miami Jewish Federation” Accessed November 2020 https://jewishmiami.org/about/federation/miami_jewish_history/ Previous documentation on file (NPS): ____ preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) has been requested ____ previously listed in the National Register ____ previously determined eligible by the National Register ____ designated a National Historic Landmark ____ recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey #____________ ____ recorded by Historic American Engineering Record # __________ ____ recorded by Historic American Landscape Survey # ___________ Primary location of additional data: _X__ State Historic Preservation Office Sections 9-end page 15 Page 198 of 245 ______________________________________________________________________________ United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Heiden, Philip C. House Florence County, SC Name of Property County and State ____ Other State agency ____ Federal agency _X__ Local government _X_ University ___ Other Name of repository: ____ _____________________ Historic Resources Survey Number (if assigned): __0422_________ 10. Geographical Data Acreage of Property ___0.50____________ Use either the UTM system or latitude/longitude coordinates Latitude/Longitude Coordinates (decimal degrees) Datum if other than WGS84:__________ (enter coordinates to 6 decimal places) 1. Latitude: 33.871236 Longitude: -79.747250 Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property.) The property is on the West Side of Blanding Street fronting on Blanding Street eighty-nine and two-tenths feet and extending back from Blanding Street a distance of eighty-nine and seven-tenths feet, extending back in depth from Blanding Street on its southern boundary line ninety-six and one-tenth feet, and measuring along its western or rear boundary line a distance of one hundred five and five-tenths feet. The boundaries of the nominated property are shown on the dark red line marked on a copy of the Florence County GIS online map including tax parcel 80016-02-003. Boundary Justification (Explain why the boundaries were selected.) The boundaries of the nominated property were derived from the current legal description of the property recorded in the office of the Court of Clerk for Florence County. The boundaries are recorded at Lot No. 7 and the southern portions of Lots No 8 and 9, Subdivision “A” of Carter’s Park in plat book “C”, page 125 recorded in the office of the Court of Clerk for Florence County. Sections 9-end page 16 Page 199 of 245 ______________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Heiden, Philip C. House Florence County, SC Name of Property County and State 11. Form Prepared By name/title: _Kalen McNabb____________________________________________ organization: _Meadors, Inc.__________________________________________ street & number: P.O. Box 21758______________________________________ city or town: Charleston state: South Carolina zip code:29413_________ e-mail kalen@meadorsinc.com telephone:843-723-8585 date: November 01, 2020_________________________ Additional Documentation Submit the following items with the completed form:  Maps: A USGS map or equivalent (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property's location.  Sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources. Key all photographs to this map.  Additional items: (Check with the SHPO, TPO, or FPO for any additional items.) Photographs Submit clear and descriptive photographs. The size of each image must be 1600x1200 pixels (minimum), 3000x2000 preferred, at 300 ppi (pixels per inch) or larger. Key all photographs to the sketch map. Each photograph must be numbered and that number must correspond to the photograph number on the photo log. For simplicity, the name of the photographer, photo date, etc. may be listed once on the photograph log and doesn’t need to be labeled on every photograph. Photo Log Name of Property: Heiden, Philip C., House City or Vicinity: Lake City County: Florence State: South Carolina Sections 9-end page 17 Page 200 of 245 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Heiden, Philip C. House Florence County, SC Name of Property County and State Photographer: Kalen McNabb Date Photographed: November 2020 Description of Photograph(s) and number, include description of view indicating direction of camera: 1 of 20: East (front) Blanding Street elevation. 2 of 20: Front elevation from pathway. 3 of 20: Northeast elevation. 4 of 20: Southeast corner of elevated terrace. 5 of 20: Southeast elevation. 6 of 20: Southwest corner of building. 7 of 20: Northeast Corner adjacent to the driveway. 8 of 20: Detail of steel corner window. 9 of 20: Detail of porthole window. 10 of 20: Detail of front entrance with curved walls. 11 of 20: East elevation of detached garage. 12 of 20: South elevation of garage. 13 of 20: Living room looking west. 14 of 20: Detail of fireplace mantel. 15 of 20: Detail of fireplace hearth. 16 of 20: Living room looking southeast. 17 of 20: Front door with porthole. 18 of 20: Detail of historic door hardware. 19 of 20: Interior hallway looking west. 20 of 20: Bathroom looking south. Index of Figures Figure 1 of 12 1945 Sanborn Map illustrating the building and garage at 113 N “Blandin” street. Figure 2 of 12 Front façade around 1940. Figure 3 of 12 Front façade in winter around 1938-1939. Figure 4 of 12 Heiden family on steps in front of house. Figure 5 of 12 Heiden children on front terrace with railing in background. Figure 6 of 12 Philip Heiden with daughter on terrace. Sections 9-end page 18 Page 201 of 245 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Heiden, Philip C. House Florence County, SC Name of Property County and State Figure 7 of 12 Children in backyard around 1950. Figure 8 of 12 Heiden children at back of house. Figure 9 of 12 Philip Heiden in living room adjacent to hallway door. Figure 10 of 12 Helen Heiden in front of living room window. Figure 11 of 12 Heiden children in front of the living room fireplace mantel. Figure 12 of 12 Heiden family celebrating the fourth night of Hanukkah on mantel pedestal. Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for applications to the National Register of Historic Places to nominate properties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and to amend existing listings. Response to this request is required to obtain a benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C.460 et seq.). Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 100 hours per response including time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this form to the Office of Planning and Performance Management. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, 1849 C. Street, NW, Washington, DC. Sections 9-end page 19 Page 202 of 245 Page 203 of 245 Page 204 of 245 Page 205 of 245 Page 206 of 245 Page 207 of 245 Page 208 of 245 Page 209 of 245 Page 210 of 245 Page 211 of 245 Page 212 of 245 Page 213 of 245 Page 214 of 245 Page 215 of 245 Page 216 of 245 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET Requested Action:Nomination Property Name:Heiden, Philip C., House Multiple Name: State & County:SOUTH CAROLINA, Florence Date Received: Date of Pending List: Date of 16th Day: Date of 45th Day: Date of Weekly List: 7/27/2021 8/11/2021 8/26/2021 9/10/2021 Reason For Review: Reference number:SG100006885 Nominator:SHPO X Accept .Return Reject 9/10/2021 Date Abstract/Summary Comments: AOS: Architecture; POS: 1938; LOS: local. Rare residential example of the Streamline Moderne style in Lake City, SC. Architect: Philip C. Heiden. Recommendation/ Criteria NR Criterion C. Reviewer Lisa Deline Discipline DateTelephone (202)354-2239______________ DOCUMENTATION: see attached comments : No see attached SLR : No If a nomination is returned to the nomination authority, the nomination is no longer under consideration by the National Park Service. Historian Page 217 of 245 July 27, 2021 Ms. Joy Beasley Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places National Register of Historic Places 1849 C Street NW, Mail Stop 7228 Washington, DC 20240 Dear Ms. Beasley: Enclosed is the National Register nomination for the Heiden, Philip C., House in Lake City, Florence County, South Carolina. The nomination was approved by the South Carolina State Board of Review as eligible for the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion C at the local level of significance. We are now submitting this nomination for formal review by the National Register staff. The submitted PDFs contain the true and correct copy of the nomination for the Heiden, Philip C., House to the National Register of Historic Places. If I may be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me at the address below, call me at (803) 896-6179, or e-mail me at vharness@scdah.sc.gov. Sincerely, Virginia E. Harness Architectural Historian and National Register Co-Coordinator State Historic Preservation Office 8301 Parklane Rd. Columbia, SC 29223 8301 Parklane Road • Columbia, SC 29223 • scdah.sc.gov Page 218 of 245 Page 219 of 245 ENNS OF AN ERA The Enns family’s journey in America started in Kansas in 1879 and spread to Florida in 1923. Seen here in 1905 are seven of the nine Enns brothers. Nick Enns, far left, and Paul Enns, fourth from left, arrived in Fort Pierce from Kansas exactly a century ago. They laid out the Maravilla development, planted a citrus grove and later owned and ran the Fort Pierce News-Tribune. Brother, John Enns, second from right, helped finance the venture. ENNS FAMILY PHOTO Publisher Gregory Enns retraces his family’s arrival in Fort Pierce from Kansas exactly 100 years ago BY GREGORY ENNS They traveled from the valleys of Prussia to the steppes of Russia, the wheat fields of Kansas and, finally, to the citrus rows of Florida. The precise reason for the Enns family’s move to Florida is lost to the memories of those who have long since passed, but it resulted in the creation of a citrus grove, construction of a development called Maravilla and the purchase of the local newspaper. (https://indianrivermagazine.com/) Menu (https://indianrivermagazine.com/#mobile-menu-toggle) Download PDF View PDF Smart PDF Tool Open Page 220 of 245 Looking for answers to the question of why they moved is occasioned by the 100th anniversary of the Enns family’s arrival to Fort Pierce from Kansas in 1923. Read more (https://indianrivermagazine.com/my-familys-journey-to-america/) about the Enns family’s journey to America from Russia and their early days in Kansas. FLORIDA PURCHASE ANNOUNCED The Ennses’ departure for Florida was marked with a simple announcement April 23, 1923, in the Inman Review newspaper in their hometown of Inman, Kansas, where the family had arrived in 1879 and began raising cattle, growing wheat and later running a flour mill. The newspaper, quoting chief family financier John Enns, reported that the family had just purchased land in Fort Pierce to create a citrus grove. “Mr. Enns speaks very highly of this country and thinks with proper care the land can be made very productive,” said the announcement in the Inman Review. “The land that they purchased will have to be cleared and it is expected that N.F. Enns and Elmer Enns will go there soon to look after this work.” John had just returned from a visit to Fort Pierce about a week earlier and must have liked what he saw. He certainly had the means to invest. He was president of the Farmers State Bank and president of the family enterprise, Enns Milling Co., which had been infused with cash from wheat and flour contracts from World War I. The N.F. Enns mentioned in the 1923 newspaper announcement was Nick Enns, John’s youngest brother. John, 44, and Nick, 33, were two of the nine sons of Cornelius and Elizabeth Enns, Mennonites who had emigrated from Gnadenfeld, South Russia [now Ukraine] in 1879. At the time of their immigration, Cornelius and Elizabeth had six sons who would have faced the prospect of military service, counter to their pacifist religious beliefs. Their other three sons were born after their arrival in the United States. The Elmer Enns mentioned in the Inman Review announcement was my grandfather, Elmer Rowland “Putz” Enns, 22, the son of their brother, Abraham Cornelius, who had died in 1901 when my grandfather was an infant. Putz was close to getting a college diploma but opted for the Florida adventure instead of graduating. Page 221 of 245 The Enns family migrated from Russia in 1879, buying a 160-acre farm near Inman, Kansas, and raising cattle and planting Hard Winter Wheat brought by the Mennonites from Russia. The Enns family purchased the Inman Milling Co. in 1894 and later expanded it, naming it the Enns Milling Co. The family sold the mill in 1946. Profits from the mill undoubtedly helped finance the family’s expansion to Florida. Enns Milling Co. made three types of flour: N’s Best, Sasnak and Kansas Hard Wheat Flour. BROTHER BEHIND THE SCENES One name not mentioned in the Inman Review article was that of Paul Enns, brother of John and Nick. Paul, 38, was likely the architect of the family’s expansion to Florida and would make the move with Nick and Putz later in the year. Perhaps Paul was working behind the scenes and for competitive reasons his participation in the move was not disclosed. He also had a good banking job in Kansas City and probably hadn’t informed his bosses yet of his plans. Page 222 of 245 Brothers, Paul Enns, left, and Nick Enns, center, and their nephew, Elmer ‘Putz’ Enns, arrived in Fort Pierce in late 1923. Paul had undoubtedly accompanied John to Florida on the April 1923 trip, with the Inman Review reporting that John had stopped in Kansas City before heading down “on a land inspection trip.” Paul had grown up in Inman, attended Fairmont College, now part of Wichita State University, and after school moved to Kansas City to work as a banker. At First National Bank of Kansas City, two of his fellow employees were Harry S Truman and Roy Disney, who had backgrounds similar to Paul and had grown up on farms in Missouri. Paul would later say that he didn’t agree with Truman’s politics, but voted for him once so that in case he ever saw Truman again, “I could tell him truthfully that I had.” Of Disney, he could boast that he had beat him and his brother, Walt, to Florida by a half century. And like the Disneys, who created Main Street USA at their tourist parks as an idealized version of their childhood hometown of Marceline, Missouri, Paul had a dream of creating a model community based on his experiences growing up in Inman. An inveterate newspaper reader, Paul undoubtedly saw the full-page ad on Page 36 of the Sept. 3, 1922, edition of the Kansas City Star. In the ad, a man named Jimmie Welch gave a testimonial about a place called Fort Pierce, Florida, where you could buy 40 acres, build a home and earn as much as $800 an acre from growing vegetables and $1,000 an acre from growing citrus. Welch’s testimonial made Fort Pierce sound like front-porch America with a rural twist. The ad excoriated places “where pavements were hot and no place [is] provided for the children to play.” It described homes surrounded by big trees where “fresh air, pure water and sunshine were the rule and not the exception.” The ad was taken out by a concern called the Indian River Community, which also ran classifieds in Kansas newspapers recruiting people to take an excursion to visit Fort Pierce and “inspect the best 20,000 acres in Florida.” The ad also invited Star readers to visit an office in the New York Life Building in downtown Kansas City that week to learn more about Fort Pierce. Did Paul perhaps visit the office and come up with a plan to create his own Florida development? The ads were just a few of many similar ones appearing in papers nationwide during what became known as the Florida Land Boom of the 1920s. With the arrival of the railway a quarter century earlier, improved roads and more disposable income to buy cars and real estate, more people were seeing the wonders and future of semi-tropical Florida. A rush to buy land was on. Paul, a devoted golfer, also would have seen dispatches about Fort Pierce in February 1921, when then President-elect Warren Harding came down the Indian River aboard his houseboat Victoria to play a round of golf in Fort Pierce before heading to Palm Beach. Later, as president, Harding returned to Fort Page 223 of 245 John Sherwood, architect of the Sunrise Theatre in Fort Pierce, designed the early homes at Maravilla in a Spanish Colonial motif. Pierce in March 1923, just weeks before the Enns scouting mission, to play another round of golf. Hitting the links in the winter and playing year-round must have been appealing to a Midwest golfer like Paul, who was limited to playing in the good-weather months. A LONG JOURNEY The exact date of the arrival of Paul, Nick and Putz Enns to Fort Pierce in 1923 is unknown, but it was likely after June 1923 and before October 1923, a time when there was a hiatus of their names appearing in the Kansas or Fort Pierce papers. That brothers Paul and Nick teamed up to move to Florida is not surprising. They were the two youngest brothers and, along with brother Jacob, who became a physician in the nearby town of Newton, were the only ones born in the United States. Their parents were Cornelius and Elizabeth Martens Enns, whose ancestors in the century before their U.S. migration had moved to Russia at the invitation of Catherine the Great. The colony in which they lived consisted of German Mennonites who had come from West Prussia [modern Poland] and were given 165 acres of land by Catherine and the promise that they would never have to serve in the Russian military. With the grant of home rule and other special privileges, the Ennses lived in Russia for nearly a century, free to practice their religion and maintain their cultural customs. Home rule had allowed them and others to create insular Mennonite villages, forming their own local governments and overseeing the education of their children. Speaking their own Plautdietsch, the Low German dialect spoken by Mennonites, they had little assimilation with Russians and enjoyed a better standard of living than the Russian serfs. In an effort to improve the life of the serfs, Czar Alexander II in the 1870s removed many of the privileges that emigrants such as the Mennonites enjoyed, including the exemption from military service, which prompted the Enns migration to the United States The Enns family presumably originated from the town of Enns, Austria’s oldest city and located on the Enns River. With Austria under the Catholic Hapsburgs who fought the Reformation beginning in 1517, many Anabaptists — people who believed in voluntary adult baptism — such as Mennonites were expelled from or left Austria. Page 224 of 245 Alto Lee Adams Sr., who would become a Florida Supreme Court justice, was one of the early residents of Maravilla. He is seen about 1927 with his son, Alto Lee ‘Bud’ Adams. ADAMS FAMILY ARCHIVES TEAM OF BROTHERS The Enns family had migration in its soul, and several of the brothers alighted out of Inman to other places in the Midwest. But the move to Florida by Paul and Nick was the family’s farthest from their Inman base. Paul’s and Nick’s personalities couldn’t be more distinct. Paul was fastidious, cerebral, reserved and self- disciplined. Nick, a former standout football player for the Kansas State Aggies and a hometown hero, was a hail- fellow-well-met who was more impulsive and liked a good drink or two. The first Enns’ name to appear in the Fort Pierce News- Tribune was Paul’s, with the announcement on Nov. 2, 1923, that he was beginning construction of a housing development south of Fort Pierce. Plans at the new development called for grading the road that would become Sunrise Boulevard and building Spanish-style bungalows on 100-foot frontage lots that would average two acres each. “These homes will be offered upon the usual partial payment terms so as to enable those who have but a small amount to pay to secure one and pay the balance in monthly installments,” the article stated. The 400-acre development was initially called the Enns subdivision but by February 1924, when it was announced that 10 homes had been built and another 10 were on the way, it had a name: Maravilla, a Spanish word that means wonderful. Paul, once a staid banker more comfortable behind the scenes, was now front and center in the public as Maravilla’s chief pitchman. By the end of Marvilla’s first year of construction he boasted that the rate of construction was one home per week. Designer of the model bungalows was architect John Sherwood, who had also designed the mammoth 1,300-seat Sunrise Theatre, a Mediterranean Revival-style building that had just opened a few months earlier in August 1923. The bungalows were typically Spanish Colonial Revival — less ornate than Mediterranean Revival — and were covered in stucco with arches and barrel tile roofs. Paul touted Maravilla as an exclusive subdivision with deed restrictions that included setback requirements, construction cost minimums and the use of Spanish-style design. Publicity about Maravilla also boasted of improvements in the community, with one newspaper update noting that oil would be Page 225 of 245 coated on Sunrise Boulevard, then a dirt road, to reduce dust from kicking up. Sunrise Boulevard was named after Fort Pierce’s recently acquired nickname, “The Sunrise City.” The name, suggested by Mrs. N.F. [Anna Mae] Holmes, was picked in a nickname-the-city-contest held by the News-Tribune in May 1923. Holmes won $15 for her efforts. Other entries included “the inlet city,’’ “the progressive city,’’ “the citrus city’’ and “city of opportunities.’’ OTHER INTERESTS To sell their lots and homes, Nick and Paul formed the Keystone Realty Company, whose tagline was “Founders of Maravilla.” L.W. Halbe, head of the trust department at First National Bank of Kansas City and a co-worker of Paul’s there, moved to Fort Pierce with his wife in October 1924 and joined Keystone The former home of Alto Adams and family as it appears today. ROBERT ADAMS Bud Adams and Elaine Adams in front of the family’s Spanish- style home along Sunrise Boulevard in the Maravilla development. ADAMS FAMILY ARCHIVES Page 226 of 245 Realty and Maravilla as an investor. Keystone advertisements listed Paul as president, Nick as vice president and Halbe as secretary. Paul and Halbe also formed Fort Pierce Building and Loan, which used money from local investors to provide financing to homebuyers. By the summer of 1924, Maravilla was on the way to becoming the model community Paul had envisioned. A concrete arch gateway was erected over Sunrise Boulevard at the Maravilla entrance at present-day Virginia Avenue. Promotions pushed by Paul made Maravilla sound like a picture-perfect community. In a blurb headlined “Maravilla the Beautiful,’’ the News-Tribune described Maravilla as “pretty well-kept yards with large beds of beautiful flowers, green lawns and sidewalks, surround the attractive Spanish style bungalows at Maravilla, Fort Pierce’s exclusive residential district.” Maravilla’s crown jewel would be a 9-hole golf course, which was under construction in September 1924. When completed a few months later, the new amenity helped distinguish Maravilla from the others Paul and Halbe were competing against and would make it one of South Florida’s first golf course communities. Paul became ever-present on the golf course and at one time was playing 72 holes a week. Also in September, it was announced that an independent basketball team called Maravilla and backed by Keystone Realty was being formed to represent the city of Fort Pierce. Players on the Maravilla team, identified as former high school and basketball stars, included Putz Enns, Swede Hellstrom, George Gortner, Al Gordy, Corney van der Lugt and Joe Jackson. “Putz Enns was playing on the Fort Pierce basketball team when I came to this county fifty years ago,” the late Florida Supreme Court Justice Alto Lee Adams wrote in his 1976 memoir, The Fourth Quarter. “Fort Pierce had a very fine semipro basketball team.’’ Adams, incidentally, and wife, Carra, lived at Maravilla shortly after arriving in Fort Pierce in 1924. Both their children, Alto Lee “Bud’’ Adams Jr. and Elaine, were born during the Adamses years in Maravilla. Page 227 of 245 Putz Enns, in photo at left, created the Enns Grove at 10 Mile west of Fort Pierce. In photo at right, he shows off the grove in its early stage of development. ANOTHER COMPANY In 1925, Paul Enns and L.W. Halbe formed another real estate agency, the Enns-Halbe Company. Their Keystone Realty company would continue to focus on real estate sales at Maravilla while Enns-Halbe would handle sales elsewhere in the region. While Paul and Halbe focused on the success of the Maravilla development, Nick and his assistant, Putz, were at work developing an 80-acre grove at 10 Mile, an area approximately 10 miles southwest of downtown Fort Pierce. The family’s switch from raising wheat to growing fruit wasn’t too far fetched, with many of Nick and Paul’s older brothers recalling the beautiful orchards owned by their maternal grandfather, Abraham Martens, in Landskrone, Russia. “Grandfather Abe Martens’ orchard with its cherries, apples, pears, plus, etc., was our paradise,” their older brother, Cornelius, wrote in 1937. Building the grove, which was at the intersection of Midway Road and Shinn Road, must have been difficult work for Putz, the project’s chief laborer. It required clearing the acreage of thick Florida underbrush and removing stumps, grading rows for the trees and digging wells and irrigation ditches. The family operated the grove under a company called the Enns Development Association. Nick and Paul both had houses at Maravilla while Putz lived in a house on the grove. Halbe also lived at Maravilla. TRAGEDY AND CELEBRATION Page 228 of 245 The Florida land boom was trending toward its peak as 1925 approached and all seemed to be going well for the newcomers. But tragedy struck that April when Nick’s wife, Martha, 36, died at their home of myocarditis, an inflammatory disease of the heart. Martha had grown up in Inman, graduated from the University of Kansas and married Nick in 1917. They had a daughter, Kathryn “Cash,’’ who was 6 at the time of her mother’s death. Nick and daughter traveled to Inman for the burial and returned in July. Kathryn would spend much of her childhood between Fort Pierce with Nick and relatives back in Inman. The year 1926 was more celebratory for the family. After clearing land for planting the citrus grove, Putz began buying young trees from Robert Reed Gladwin, a citrus grower at Fort Pierce Farms north of Fort Pierce. Gladwin especially prized his China honey oranges, larger than popular honeybells and with a looser peel that made shipping them impractical. During the visits to do business with Gladwin, a county commissioner and former Fort Pierce mayor who had arrived in Fort Pierce in 1901, Putz got to know Gladwin’s daughter, Margaret, a teacher at the Fort Pierce Farms School, now known as Indrio Road Schoolhouse. Putz, 26, and Margaret, 24, married Nov. 12, 1926, and the following August became parents of my dad, Robert Nicholas Enns. The baby’s first name was in honor of Margaret’s father and the baby’s middle name was in honor of Nick Enns. Growing up without a father, Putz had seven paternal uncles he could look up to, and he became closest to Nick. Sadly, one uncle, Herman, had been committed to an asylum in 1892, where he stayed until his death at 63 in 1931. Rather than uncle and nephew, Putz and Nick were really more like brothers, with just 10 years separating them in age. Putz followed Nick at Kansas State, joined Beta Theta Pi, whose chapter at Kansas State Nick founded, and tried to follow in Nick’s athletic footsteps. But he never played football at Kansas State, which he left his senior year to play football at McPherson College. PAUL GETS MARRIED, TOO Putz wasn’t the only Enns who found a mate in Florida. A few years after arriving in Fort Pierce, Paul, seemingly a confirmed bachelor, met Helen Groh, secretary for young lawyer Alto Adams, the future state Supreme Court justice. Helen also shared Paul’s passion for golf. Helen was previously married and in 1926, with her mother, Natalie T. Scott, and 9-year-old son, Harkless, moved from Kansas City to Fort Pierce, where her brothers Clifford Scott, manager of the New Fort Pierce Hotel, and Karl Scott, an auditor for the St. Lucie County Bank, lived. Even though Paul and Helen later learned they lived a few blocks from each other in Kansas City, they did not know it at the time and their meeting in Fort Pierce was their first. Paul, 44, and Helen, 34, married in West Palm Beach on March 30, 1929, and lived at a new home in Maravilla. Paul later adopted Harkless, known as Harkie. He would graduate from the Georgia Military Academy in 1937 and go on to pilot a B-17 Flying Fortress in the 384th Bomber Group in World War II Page 229 of 245 John Enns, president of Enns Milling Co. and Farmers State Bank in Inman, helped finance the family’s ventures in development, citrus growing and newspapers. He visited Fort Pierce several times over the years but lived in Inman until his death in 1946. and earn the Air Medal for meritorious achievement in combat. THINGS GO SOUTH While Nick and Putz got the grove up and running, there were problems at Maravilla. The subdivision enjoyed strong sales in 1924 and 1925, but they began to drop in 1926, as Florida’s Land Boom began to go bust. The favorable national press that Florida enjoyed in the early 1920s began turning negative in 1925 as newspapers reported on IRS investigations and land fraud cases, with Forbes magazine reporting that land prices were based on the expectation of finding customers and not on actual land value. Over-ordering of building supplies to construct new homes had choked the rail system to a point that the big three rail lines in October 1925 imposed an embargo on bringing in building supplies and limiting cargo coming into Florida to essentials such as food and fuel. The railroads lifted the embargo in May 1926, but by then the need for building supplies had cooled. The death and devastation caused by the Great Miami Hurricane of September 1926 exposed the downside of living in Florida and shattered its blustery image as a tropical paradise. Would-be investors, once brought by the trainload to Florida, slowed to a trickle. Land prices dropped precipitously, putting mortgagees underwater and mortgage holders at risk, as many of the people who had already invested in land quit making payments and walked away from their purchases. Florida was fully three years ahead of the nationwide Great Depression that would begin in 1929. The completion of the golf course at Maravilla by Paul and partner Halbe and the paving of Sunrise Boulevard did little to improve sales. The situation got so worrisome that Paul’s brother, John, a major backer in Maravilla and the grove, traveled from Inman in 1927 to assess the situation. He was quoted in the newspaper as lamenting “the present quietness which is prevalent throughout most of the state.” John was considered the financial whiz of the family, purchasing a farm as a teen and paying it off by 19 and then seeing Enns Milling through the profitable World War I years. But with Maravilla and the current situation in Florida, he must have been nervous, for much of his own money and perhaps that of Farmers State Bank in Inman, where he was president, was at risk, as the Florida land bust hit a major blow to the national banking industry. Page 230 of 245 A NEW INTEREST Nevertheless, despite the economic downturn, Paul and Halbe expanded their holdings. In 1926, they became investors in the local News-Tribune. Apparently frustrated with out-of-town ownership of the paper, they and some 40 other investors led by St. Lucie County Commission chairman and future state Sen. C.F. “Frank” Raulerson bought the paper from a group led by L.P. Artman of Key West. The history of the newspaper dates to Dec. 11, 1903, two years after Fort Pierce’s incorporation, when Charles E. Emerson began publishing the Fort Pierce News. On July 21, 1905, another newspaper, the St. Lucie County News founded by A.K. Wilson, began publishing. That a town with a population of barely 500 at the turn of the century had two newspapers was rather exceptional. The two newspapers battled it out until March 1, 1920, when they merged to become the News-Tribune, with offices and its printing press at Atlantic Avenue in downtown. The 1926 investors who sought to bring the newspaper back to local ownership read like a Who’s Who of Fort Pierce at the time and also included Crayola founder Edwin Binney, who had retired to Fort Pierce after first visiting in 1911, rancher Lin Carlton and attorneys Alto Adams and Fred Fee. Paul’s nephew, H.T. Enns Jr., known as Ted or Heinie, was also listed as an investor and secretary of the newspaper, with Raulerson listed as chairman. Ted Enns had arrived in 1924 after the initial trip and had been selling real estate with the Enns-Halbe agency. A Kansas State graduate who also followed Nick at Beta Theta Pi, Ted would leave Fort Pierce and the paper around 1928, but later return to play a major role. THE BUST YEARS A challenging business environment also didn’t deter Paul from running for a seat on the Fort Pierce City Commission in 1927 against incumbent J.A. McNeil. Paul would later recall that as the votes cast in the race were counted the night of Jan. 9, the lights suddenly went out at City Hall and when they went back on his opponent was announced the winner by one vote. It was Paul’s only attempt at politics. Meanwhile, economic conditions in Fort Pierce continued to deteriorate. When the St. Lucie County Bank reached near collapse in 1929, Binney stepped in with enough of his own money to keep it open. With the stock market crash in the fall of 1929, the Great Depression was on. Despite hundreds of other developers in Florida going out of business during the bust, Maravilla remained viable. Reducing one of the development’s expenses, Paul had successfully persuaded the city to lease and run the Maravilla golf course. But the city in 1930, facing its own financial challenges, asked that the lease be canceled. Paul refused the request, and in a letter to city commissioners claimed that neither the golf course nor the Maravilla development had ever made its investors any money. Page 231 of 245 The News-Tribune was located on Atlantic Avenue from the 1920s to 1961. “The adjoining subdivision was built at a heavy loss to the owners, and likewise the golf course represents a large direct cash expenditure on the part of the owners without profit,” he wrote city commissioners. The statement represented one of the last he would make about Maravilla, as his interests and those of his family shifted more to the newspaper business. While later News-Tribune accounts reported that Paul and Nick purchased the paper in 1929, it wasn’t until the spring of 1930 that the new ownership structure under the Enns family was revealed. Just one month after the News-Tribune had its annual stockholders meeting in January 1930, brother John made another visit to Fort Pierce from Kansas. By April of that year, the paper’s annual statement of circulation listed John and Nick as the new owners of the newspaper, along with Halbe, who became the paper’s business manager. Also listed as owners were companies called News Investment Company and News Printing Company, which presumably represented Paul’s interests. Perhaps it was peopled with too many Ennses, but by August 1930 Halbe had sold his newspaper interest to Harlow C. Enns, another nephew of Nick and Paul and son of John. Harlow had visited Fort Pierce in 1924 as a young man and later graduated from Kansas State, where he studied business and journalism. “Mr. Halbe has been connected with the News-Tribune since March 1, this year, and will now devote his time to other business interests, effective today, while Paul G. Enns, with whom he has been associated, will take an active interest in the paper,’’ the Aug. 20 announcement stated. ENNS CONTROL Jim Halbe, son of L.W. Halbe, once told me that economic conditions in Fort Pierce had gotten so frightful in that period that his father and Paul had simply agreed that Halbe should continue as developer of Maravilla while Paul would run and own the paper. Jim, a newspaper editor who returned to Fort Pierce and worked briefly at the News-Tribune after his father’s death in 1981, said Paul turned over his Maravilla interests to his father while his father turned over his newspaper interests to Paul. Keystone Realty was no more and the Enns-Halbe agency simply became the Halbe agency. Page 232 of 245 Hence, from late 1930 Paul’s focus was not on Maravilla, the ideal community he envisioned and that prompted his move to Florida, but on his adopted town’s newspaper, where he would serve in various roles as owner, business manager or publisher for the next 30 years. Instead of the reluctant front-and-center impresario that Paul had become for Maravilla, he would return to his more staid banker days working more behind the scenes and running numbers. His reluctance to be the newspaper’s front man is bolstered by the fact that for the next 13 years the paper had nobody on staff with the title publisher, just Paul as business manager. It wasn’t until 1943 that Paul gave himself the title publisher. Paul and Nick were comfortable with newspapers. Their oldest brother, Cornelius, had owned and run the Inman Review from 1902 to 1910. They had become adept at getting their own names in the paper, judging from the hundreds of times their names appeared during the first two decades of the 20th century. At a time when the use of telephones was not widespread, getting publicity required dropping into the newspaper office and giving the editor updates about what you were doing. These self-reported news snippets, often appearing on the front page as only a sentence or two, were virtually the social media of the day. Paul had used this to his advantage in promoting himself and Maravilla, providing updates to the newspaper at every step along the way. As the developer of Maravilla and one of the newspaper’s biggest advertisers, he also had become intimately familiar with how advertising worked and understood that advertising revenue was the lifeblood of the newspaper business. The News-Tribune in 1930 had remarkable market penetration and was really the only local media of the day, with no radio or television station established yet. Fort Pierce’s first radio station, WIRA, wouldn’t go on air until 1946 and its first television station, WTVX, wouldn’t begin broadcasting until 1965. Although the 6-day a week News-Tribune reported a circulation of just 1,422 in 1930, Fort Pierce’s population at the time was only 4,803. With a national average of four people in a household in 1930, the circulation figures indicated that every household in Fort Pierce and then some were receiving the News-Tribune. Under Paul’s leadership, the afternoon newspaper’s circulation doubled to 2,905 by 1940. Throughout the 1930s and early 1940s, the newspaper’s ownership structure remained relatively the same, with Paul as business manager and other owners listed as Nick and John. Helen Enns, Paul’s wife, was listed as an owner of the paper as well, apparently replacing the interests of Harlow Enns, who had moved from Fort Pierce. Harlow and H.T. Enns, both of whom arrived in 1924, weren’t the only Ennses to land in Fort Pierce after the original trio of Paul, Nick and Putz. Some Ennses came and went while others arrived and remained firmly rooted. Page 233 of 245 Bernie Enns, a cousin of Paul and Nick, arrived in 1924 from Newton, Kansas, and married Aileen Gilbert Dade in 1928. A wholesale grocery salesman, he and Aileen had three children, including Pete Enns and Frances Wouters, both of whom remained in Fort Pierce. Daughter Virginia Butler lived in Deland. Bernie died in Fort Pierce in 1983. Bernie’s brother, Walter, also came down briefly, coaching football at Vero Beach High in 1928 and 1929, before returning to Newton, where he worked as a teacher and athletic director. Bernie and Walter’s sister, Anna Enns Siemens, also lived briefly in Fort Pierce. Karl Enns, a quarterback for the Aggies in the mid-1920s who also followed the Enns tradition of pledging Beta Theta Pi, arrived in 1929 and lived in Fort Pierce for a year before marrying and moving to Leesburg. He was the son of Paul and Nick’s brother, Dick. In 1935, the Enns family in Fort Pierce would also expand, with the remarriage of Nick, 45, who had been raising his daughter, Kash, as a single parent since the death of his first wife, Martha, in 1925. The bride was Charlotte Norris, 32, daughter of Walter and Ada Rollins Norris, who had come to Fort Pierce from North Carolina in 1915. Charlotte had attended high school with my grandmother and was one of her closest friends. Her father was a bookkeeper for Raulerson Grocery Co. Charlotte and Nick were a study in contrasts: the heavy drinking Nick and the gracious Charlotte. BACK TO THE GROVE Meanwhile, the citrus grove planted in 1924 by the chain-smoking Putz — he preferred Camels — and overseen by Nick began to mature and produce fruit. I am not sure how successful it was, but I know it didn’t bring my grandparents much money. Growing up on the grove during the Depression, my dad had the usual hard-luck stories, which seemed to involve going barefoot a lot and having to make an extraordinarily long walk to the school bus stop. But I never realized how modestly he and The Folks, as he called them, lived until Bruce Center relayed a story about visiting my dad’s younger brother Eddie at the grove. He recalled that because their house didn’t have electricity my grandfather had rigged a car battery to a radio inside the living room to get the news and programming that those with electricity enjoyed. For extra money during the Depression years my grandparents raised turkeys, which Paul purchased from my grandfather to give to News-Tribune employees at Thanksgiving. My grandfather also sold the turkeys to non-family customers, luring them with this classified: “Domesticated wild turkey reasonable. See E.R. Enns at Enns Grove 10 mile section.” I remember my grandmother recalling that she and my grandfather had raised the turkeys one year to buy bicycles for my dad and Eddie as Christmas presents. The plan almost got derailed when the turkeys escaped their barn, but luckily The Folks were able to recapture them. Page 234 of 245 The turkeys must have been bred with special escape skills. Charles Miley, the late News-Tribune editor, recalled in his Miley’s Memos column receiving one of the turkeys from Paul that had been raised out at the grove. After receiving the live turkey, Miley said he put it in the trunk of his Ford coupe and went back inside the office, then located downtown, to finish working. As he got back to his car while leaving work, he popped the trunk to check on the turkey, which promptly took off and landed on the roof of the old courthouse. Luckily, a court employee Miley identified as L.B. Lush, climbed the roof and captured the escapee. “So we had turkey for Thanksgiving after all,” Miley wrote. ANOTHER PIVOT Like their transition out of the developing business, the Enns family would also make a transition out of the citrus business. The family sold the grove about 1941, the same year my grandparents moved into town. After years of living in isolation, moving into town must have been a relief for The Folks, especially since my grandmother would soon give birth to her third and last child, my aunt Susan. My grandparents were social — my grandmother loved to play bridge and my grandfather golf — and moving into town allowed them to play a bigger role in the community. They lived briefly at 1728 Okeechobee Road and then at 1134 Orange Ave. Susan was born in 1942, and in 1943 they bought a house at 424 S. 13th St., which is still standing. During World War II, the U.S. Naval Amphibious Training Base at South Beach in Fort Pierce had a shortage of military housing, and many service men were living off base in civilian housing. My grandparents housed Tom Rosendahl of Kankakee, Illinois, and his new bride, Betty, who would make Fort Pierce their home after the war and raise a family. Tom, a homebuilder and master woodworker, remained family friends until his death in 1986. When my grandparents moved into town, my grandfather worked for the Agricultural Extension Service as an assistant manager at the farm labor camp for offshore workers, mostly Bahamians. In 1949, he became partners with longtime insurance agent Edward M. Houston, and Houston’s agency became the Houston-Enns insurance agency. The agency was located in the Raulerson Building, and my grandfather bought Houston out, changed the company’s name to the Enns Agency and later moved it to Sixth Street and Citrus Avenue. A member of the Democratic Executive Committee [he later switched to the GOP], he was appointed to the St. Lucie County School Board by Gov. Millard Caldwell and served on the board until 1952, when he ran unsuccessfully for tax assessor. MORE CHANGES Page 235 of 245 The decade of the 1940s was one of transition for the family. John, financial backer of Maravilla, the grove and the News-Tribune, died in 1946 at the age of 68. Nick, the youngest of the nine brothers, died in 1949 at the age of 59 after a long illness which was not identified in his obituary. His burial was held in Inman and involved an Enns contingent traveling there for services. Charlotte remained close to the Enns family. Although Charlotte had no office skills, she was hired by my grandfather to work at his insurance agency and she quickly became indispensable. When my uncle, Eddie, bought the agency from my grandfather in 1964, Charlotte continued working there, retiring at the age of 80. Eddie, who was a St. Lucie County Commissioner from 1971 to 1983 and Fort Pierce mayor from 1996 until 2004, sold the agency to Harbor Federal Savings Bank in 2000. Charlotte’s presence was always known at the office. When I was a paper boy for the News-Tribune at the age of 10, I’d deliver the afternoon paper to her at the Enns Agency office on Sixth Street and Citrus Avenue. She would have coffee brewing from one of those big tin canisters, so the office always wafted with the aroma of coffee. She drove an old Studebaker, circa 1950, for decades, and her movements were always identifiable around town. After Nick’s death, she took my aunt, Susan, to Kansas for a family visit to her Inman in-laws. Charlotte also visited my grandmother every Saturday for afternoon coffee with their fellow friends, Aline Haskew Andrews and Dorothy “Dot” Lane Gortner. She got to see my daughter, her great-great-great niece, shortly after Lucie’s birth in 1990. In her later years, Charlotte lived at her late family’s home at 412 Avenue B, caring for her brother, Harold, badly injured in World War II. By coincidence, I worked with Charlotte’s niece, Christina Mayers, during one of my stints as a reporter at the News-Tribune. H.T. ENNS RETURNS In the months before Nick’s death, H.T. “Ted” Enns returned to Fort Pierce in November 1948, buying an interest in the News-Tribune and becoming publisher, with Paul returning to his role as business manager. After leaving Fort Pierce in 1928, Ted had worked in radio for media owner Gardner Cowles in Des Moines and later New York as his national sales manager. Ted’s daughter, Susan Enns Tully of Lake Placid, said recently that her father had longed to return to a smaller media market and run his own company. Ted was far more comfortable in the role of publisher than Paul and fully involved himself in the community. He also had a column called In This Corner. Page 236 of 245 H.T. ‘Ted’ Enns returned to the News-Tribune in 1948 and remained publisher until 1960. Yet another Enns arrived at the newspaper in 1951. It was my dad, Bob, who had just graduated from Florida State University with an English degree. His college journey was circuitous, with stops at Tulane University, the University of Florida and more than a year in Korea with the Army. He started at the News-Tribune as a proofreader and then became a sports reporter and sports editor and had a column called Sports Whirl. Working on a general assignment story in 1952, he interviewed the county’s first speech therapist, Katie Duster, who had just arrived from Iowa. By the end of the interview, my dad asked her out for a date. They married in 1954 and later had eight children, of which I was the fourth. Also in 1954, Paul and Ted sold their interests in the News-Tribune to the owners of the Clearwater Sun newspaper on Florida’s west coast. Under the sale, Ted and Paul remained on with the newspaper as publisher and business manager, an arrangement that would continue through the decade. Nevertheless, the sale meant the News-Tribune would no longer be a locally owned or family-owned newspaper. The sale became a sign of the times, as more independent family-owned newspapers were being sold to groups or chains. Bob Enns spent 38 years at the News-Tribune in roles such as sports editor, managing editor and executive editor ANOTHER NEW EMPLOYEE Page 237 of 245 In 1956, Ted got a call from his old boss, Gardner Cowles. Cowles’ daughter, Lois, had married John R. “Jack” Harrison, a 1955 graduate of Harvard University who was interested in the newspaper business but had no experience. Cowles asked Ted to give his son-in-law a job. Ted complied. Cowles was president of Cowles Magazines and Broadcasting Inc., based in New York. The company owned Look magazine, which at the time had nearly 4 million subscribers. Cowles was also president of the Des Moines Register and Tribune, Iowa’s largest paper. Cowles had a vacation home on Miami Beach and had recently visited his old pal Ted Enns. He was familiar with the area, having purchased some 6,000 acres to create the River Park subdivision in what would become Port St. Lucie. He later sold it to General Development Corp., where he became chairman of the board. The job Harrison got at the Fort Pierce newspaper was as an entry-level position in the composing room called a printer’s devil. The pay was $40 a week. “Harvard told me you’re ruining the [salary] curve,” said Harrison, who would later become a member of the school’s Board of Overseers. Gardner Cowles had big plans for his son-in-law. Harrison said his father-in-law had persuaded Ted Enns to allow him to work in various departments in the News-Tribune to learn the newspaper business inside and out. He presumed the union at the Cowles-owned Des Moines Register wouldn’t have allowed such a practice. Harrison stayed at the News-Tribune for more than a year, working in the pressroom, composing room, newsroom and circulation and advertising departments. He left in late 1957 to work as a business analyst for Look magazine in New York. Before he left, he tipped off Look about two sisters, the step-granddaughters of Amelia Earhart, who were having a double wedding in Fort Pierce. The magazine devoted four pages to the wedding of Sally Putnam to Jack Chapman, the Harrisons’ best friends in Fort Pierce, and Binney Putnam to Joseph Dudley in its Sept. 17, 1957 edition. NEW OWNERS As 1960 approached, Ted Enns, 60, suffering health problems, and Paul Enns, 75, were looking at retiring. At the same time, the Clearwater Sun was considering selling the News-Tribune. Cowles got word the paper was for sale and purchased it in the spring of 1959 for $1 million, about $10.5 million in today’s dollars. To run the paper, Cowles had his son-in-law Harrison return to Fort Pierce to take on the role of publisher as Ted Enns retired. When the sale was closed in May 1959, Harrison was named associate publisher, becoming publisher when Ted Enns retired Jan. 1, 1960. Westley Stout of the Fort Lauderdale News wrote in a November 1959 column that Cowles purchased the News-Tribune “presumably for his son-in-law John R. Harrison. Cowles himself scarcely could have any interest in owning a small town daily.” Harrison, 26, indeed had no experience as a publisher, and Cowles asked Paul Enns to remain part- time as business manager to help Harrison learn the ropes. Page 238 of 245 Look magazine owner Gardner Cowles, right, purchased the Fort Pierce News-Tribune in 1959 and tapped his son-in-law, Jack Harrison, to run it as publisher. Harrison would later create a division of 36 newspapers for the New York Times Co. “I said, ‘I’m not prepared to be publisher,’” Harrison remembered telling his father-in- law. “Mr. Cowles said, ‘That’s okay. I know you’ll make mistakes.’ But when he bought the paper, he asked Paul, ‘Will you stay on half days and mentor the kid and keep him in line?’ It worked out wonderfully for me because Paul really knew the newspaper business.” Paul stayed on as a coach to Harrison until finally retiring in 1962. “Paul was a terrific guy,” said Harrison, now 90 and living in Osprey, south of Sarasota. “He was a wonderful mentor to me.” Harrison said his greatest mentor was Cowles, known by his friends as Mike. Harrison said he could never come to address his father-in-law casually. Instead, he addressed him as Sir or Mr. Cowles and referred to him as The Boss. “In 90 years I have never known of a mentor like Gardner Cowles was to me,” Harrison said. “I was his Pygmalion. He was the single most influential individual in my life.” As Jack and Lois Harrison returned to Fort Pierce in 1959, my parents asked them a question. Would they be godparents to their new baby? The Harrisons agreed, and stood as godparents at my baptism at the old St. Anastasia Catholic Church on Orange Avenue late that spring. The year I was born, my dad was named managing editor of the News-Tribune. He was named executive editor in 1963, replacing longtime editor Charles Miley, and held that position until 1988. He was editor emeritus until his death in 1990 at the age of 63. During Freedom Newspapers’ ownership of the paper he had become an avowed libertarian and a quote from one of his columns appeared daily on the paper’s masthead for several years after his death: “We believe in free enterprise, the free market, freedom of expression, freedom of choice, free thought, voluntarism and the freedom to succeed or fail.” Before his final retirement, Paul gave Harrison one bit of advice. The Okeechobee News building had recently burned down and the owner, LaMonte Moore, wanted to sell it. Paul suggested that Cowles buy it, predicting that Okeechobee would one day be “the Chicago of the South.” Page 239 of 245 Based on Paul’s recommendation, Harrison persuaded his reluctant father-in-law to buy the paper for the agreed-upon price of $50,000. After six months of operating the paper, it posted no profit, and Harrison and Cowles had resigned themselves to having made a bad business decision. When Harrison got a visit one day in his Fort Pierce office from a man from Okeechobee who wanted to buy the Okeechobee News for $75,000, he called Cowles in his New York office and let him know he had a man in the lobby who had just made him an offer for the paper. Cowles’ response? “Jack, get off the g— d— phone now and don’t let that guy out of the building.” The sale netted Cowles a short-term profit of $250,000 in today’s dollars. Cowles had Harrison share his success story at the next American Newspaper Publishers Association meeting in a session attended by New York Times Publisher Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Sr., Washington Post Publisher Katharine Graham and others. During his time in Fort Pierce, Harrison explored the purchase of other Florida newspapers and persuaded Cowles to buy the Gainesville Sun in 1962. Harrison subsequently moved to Gainesville, where he won a Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing in 1965. From Gainesville, he oversaw the Fort Pierce paper for Cowles and persuaded Cowles to purchase the Lakeland Ledger in 1966 and the Ocala Star- Banner in 1969. Harrison moved to Lakeland in 1966. Cowles Communications Inc., as the company became known, in 1970 sold the three Florida newspapers, Family Circle magazine and Memphis television station WREC-TV and other publishing assets to the New York Times Company in a deal that gave Cowles Communications $50 million in New York Times stock. With the transfer of the papers, Harrison became an employee of the New York Times Co., continuing to oversee the three Florida papers. He was named a New York Times vice president in 1971. Using the three Florida newspapers as a foundation, Harrison created the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group and began an acquisition campaign for the company. As group president, Harrison moved the division’s headquarters to Atlanta and grew the division to a collection of 36 newspapers in seven southeastern states and California. He retired in 1993. Later called the New York Times Regional Media Group, the division was sold in 2012 for $143 million, having shrunk to 16 newspapers as the New York Times Co. refocused its efforts on the growth of its core business, The New York Times newspaper and newyorktimes.com (http://newyorktimes.com). Harrison said the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group might never have been created if it weren’t for his tours at the News-Tribune, which exposed him and Cowles to the profitability of Florida’s small newspaper market and later resulted in Cowles buying three additional papers. The News-Tribune never became part of the New York Times group. Harrison said Cowles wanted television station WESH in the Orlando-Daytona market owned by Perry Communications and Perry, which owned the Palm Beach Post, wanted the nearby News-Tribune. The two media properties Page 240 of 245 Indian River Publisher Gregory Enns got his start in journalism at the Fort Pierce News-Tribune and later worked for the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group, including five years as managing editor of The Tuscaloosa News. He appears here with a a special edition of The News printed the morning of the attack on the twin towers, Sept. 11, 2001. changed hands in 1966. California-based Freedom Newspapers then purchased the News-Tribune from Perry in 1969. The newspaper’s name was simply changed to The Tribune in 1988 and eventually became the St. Lucie News Tribune, its name today. Freedom owned the paper until 2000, when it was sold to the E.W. Scripps Company, which had owned the Stuart News since 1965 and purchased the Vero Beach Press Journal in 1997. While retaining their names, the three newspapers were combined into one regional operation, which has been owned by Gannett Co. since 2016. The three editions of the paper are now printed in Deerfield Beach. The News-Tribune moved from Atlantic Avenue to 1102 S. U.S. 1 in 1960 in a building that had been expanded to accommodate the press and then to a new building at Edwards Road in 1984. With the consolidation of the Vero, Stuart and Fort Pierce newspapers, the Edwards Road building was sold and for several years no newspaper office was in the county. Gannett in 2022 opened a new office in Fort Pierce, in the old St. Lucie County Bank Building on Second Street and Avenue A, returning the newspaper to downtown after 62 years. The original News-Tribune deco building at 117 Atlantic Avenue still stands, now the home of Healthy Kids of St. Lucie County. I worked as a reporter at the News-Tribune during summer breaks from college in 1978 and other stints over the years before working there full-time in 1983 and 1984. My sister, Catherine, had also worked there as a reporter and brother, Michael, as a photographer. Together we represented the fourth generation of Ennses who worked at the paper. Lucky for us, then-owner Freedom Newspapers didn’t have an anti-nepotism policy. Regardless, I’d like to think our contributions were worthwhile, and at least in my own case I suspect I was paid less than my non-family colleagues. I left the News-Tribune in 1984 to work at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, which had recently been acquired by the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group. I got the job on my own merits and without the help of Jack Harrison. Except for a five-year stint at the St. Petersburg Times, now Tampa Bay Times, I was with the company until 2006, when I left as managing editor of The Tuscaloosa News and returned to the Treasure Coast to start Indian River magazine. Page 241 of 245 At Tuscaloosa, the New York Times Co. had begun an initiative to place lifestyle magazines in some of its markets, and I learned about the magazine business by launching Tuscaloosa magazine there. I then conceived of the idea to have my own magazine and started Indian River here with my childhood friend, Allen Osteen, president of East Coast Lumber. It was because of the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group experience that I started Indian River. Thus, without that newspaper group, which Harrison founded based on his experiences learning the small newspaper business in Fort Pierce, I probably would never have been exposed to the magazine business or gotten the motivation to launch Indian River and continue the Enns family publishing tradition on the Treasure Coast, which began 94 years ago. The Jules Frere house on Sunrise Boulevard recalls the early days of Maravilla. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. ANTHONY INSWASTY HINTS OF MARAVILLA If you drive along Sunrise Boulevard today you can see remnants of the old Maravilla in the small Spanish Colonial-style bungalows sandwiched between ranch-style homes. Still, hints remain of what was envisioned for Maravilla. One of the best examples of the original Maravilla homes still standing is the Jules Frere house at 2404 Sunrise Blvd. Begun in 1926 and completed in 1931, it was designed and built by Frere, owner of Acme Lumber Co. The house features a complex roof line and tile roof, stucco walls and a parapet, niches and a balconette. The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. Page 242 of 245 Paul Enns, founder of Maravilla and longtime owner of the News-Tribune, died in 1981 at the age of 95, the last of nine Enns brothers from Kansas. The Maravilla golf course is long gone, but a road paralleling Sunrise Boulevard to the east, Fairway Drive, harkens to the development’s past life and gives an indication of the golf course’s approximate location. Other names related to the Maravilla days include Maravilla Boulevard, Club Drive and Keystone Terrace. Sunrise Boulevard was the main thoroughfare for the Maravilla development. The bust of the Florida land boom prevented it from being built out with Spanish-style houses, and the development today consists mostly of ranch houses. ANTHONY INSWASTY Maravilla founder Paul Enns lived a long life and enjoyed an active retirement playing golf. On his 90th birthday, the family held a big party for him with my dad and staff creating a mock newspaper for the occasion with the banner headline, “Enns patriarch Paul a nifty 90.” As a teen, I sometimes drove my grandparents around town and remember visiting Paul and Helen at their home in Maravilla south of Edwards Road. Paul’s eyesight was failing and he gave up golf on his 90th birthday and soon had to give up driving and move from Maravilla to a mobile home community on U.S. 1 across from their son, Harkie, and his wife, Randy. When Helen went into a nursing home, I would occasionally pick up Paul to drive him to visit her. When I’d enter his house, Paul was often standing over a large contraption that he had purchased to magnify the newspaper so that he could continue reading it, despite his failing eyesight. The longest living and last of the original Enns brothers, he died in 1981 at the age of 95. Helen died in 1985 at 90. Page 243 of 245 Their son Harkie, who worked at the News-Tribune and other papers before becoming a CPA, died in 1995 at the age of 78. He was the father of three daughters, including Mari-Lynn Enns Herringshaw of Fort Pierce. Paul’s old partner in the newspaper business, his nephew H.T. “Ted” Enns, suffering long-term heart problems, was one of Dr. Michael DeBakey’s first heart transplant patients. He died in 1973 at the age of 74. The nephew who first arrived in Florida in 1923 with Paul Enns and Nick Enns, my grandfather, Putz, died in 1983 at the age of 82. My grandmother died in 1984 at 81. Charlotte Enns died in 1991 at the age of 89. My uncle, Eddie, died in 2006 at the age of 72. The oldest relative remaining from my father’s generation is my aunt, Susan Enns Stans, 80, who lives at Lynmoore at Lawnwood assisted living in Fort Pierce. She has helped me fill in details for this story, which is based mostly on what else? Newspaper accounts. Gregory Enns is president and owner of Indian River Media Group, publisher of Indian River Magazine. Reach him here (https://indianrivermagazine.com/contact/). See the original article in print publication (https://www.indianrivermagazine.com/emags/Holiday23/Holiday23OnlineEdition.html) Nov. 2023 Read more (https://indianrivermagazine.com/my-familys- journey-to-america/) about the Enns family’s journey to America from Russia and their early days in Kansas. Please follow and like us: (https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://indianrivermagazine.com/enns-of-an-era/) (https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Enns+of+an+era+https://indianrivermagazine.com/enns-of-an- era/) © Copyright Indian River Media Group Inc. No reproduction allowed unless with the express written permission of Indian RiverMedia Group Inc. Page 244 of 245 Page 245 of 245