HomeMy WebLinkAboutNotice 06-23-2009
Stephanie Bush
From:Stephanie Bush
Sent:Wednesday, June 17, 2009 1:23 PM
To:Stephanie Bush
Subject:FW: The correct date is Tuesday, June 23, 2009 Historical Commission Meeting is
Cancelled
From: Dawn Milone
Sent: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 1:11 PM
To: Brad Culverhouse; Jack Connolly; Minch, Tom; Lee, Arena; Dillon, Christopher; McSween, H. Ruth; McAfoos, Richard;
Pennetti, Frank; Missy Stiadle; Ja'net Pentz; Stephanie Bush; Robin Meyer; Clemmie Ellis; Shane DeWitt; Erick Gill; Lucille
Rieley Rights; Heather Lueke
Subject: Tuesday, June 28, 2009 Historical Commission Meeting is Cancelled
Dear Historical Commission Members,
The Tuesday, June 23, 2009 Historical Commission Meeting has been cancelled. There are no agenda items.
We will most likely have two items for the Tuesday, July 28, 2009 meeting. One of the items is the home at 511 Midway
Road ( they want to demolish). I was told it went before the Commission on August 20, 2007. If anyone has any
information regarding this site, please email me.
Below is the information I received from Lucille.
The Christensen House was built in 1896 and stayed in the same family all these years. They were some
of the first Danish settlers who came here after the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. Many of
the buildings were made of white marble so when electricity was turned on for the first time at the fair,
the area was called White City. The settlers named their town after that White City and Midway Road was
for that section of the fair grounds. The house is an excellent example of Danish Vernacular style of
architecture where the windows on the second floor gable are of full size. The one story back section
contained the kitchen and when I was there many years ago, the owners used the back porch for most
activities. More than likely the wood is either Dade County Pine or old first cut timber. This house
should be saved as an example of Danish Settlers before 1900 who settled White City area. There is a
whole section on White City in my book, A Portrait of St. Lucie County. That house has sat along the main
road, Midway Road for over 100 years and the family were active in that village. The White City
Improvement Club more than likely will have some info on them. If White City is to retain an identity
separately from Port St. Lucie, buildings of their history must be saved, maybe as a house museum for
local school children as well as adults, to learn the history of our area, and the hardships the early settlers
faced, while retaining their ethnic diversity and comingling with the Americans, like the Bell family that
raised cattle in the area. One of the first things the Danes did was to lay out White City Park for the
community, even though it flooded every summer until Koblegard diverted the flow of St. Lucie River
waters from Ft. Pierce Farms to Taylor Creek. We should not allow a demolition permit for the historical
landmark. It should be on the National Register of Historical Places like Capt. Hammond's home on Citrus
Ave. When did this house come before the commission? And why aren't we meeting to discuss this
building since they have tried for a demolition permit?
Lucille
Thank you,
Dawn Milone
St. Lucie County Growth Management
2300 Virginia Avenue
Fort Pierce, Florida 34982
772-462-1687
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