Fire Escape Plans Denied for Historic Home Preschool Project
A request to add fire escapes and alley-side parking to the historic Columbus W. Deen house was denied by the Historic Preservation Board’s Design Review Committee Thursday. More
History
Name Change Sought to Honor Buffalo Soldiers
Buffalo Soldiers historical marker
Freedom Park
The cavalry troops known as buffalo soldiers who camped on the shore of Lake Wire in 1898 are remembered by a historic marker on the Peachtree Street side of the lake. But buffalo soldier re-enactor Richard Wilder wants a more significant commemoration. On Monday, he will ask city commissioners to change the name of nearby Freedom Park — a grass field along Florida Avenue near Lawton Chiles Middle School — to Buffalo Soldiers Park. The buffalo soldiers were a U.S. Army horseback regiment made up of African-American soldiers who had served in western states.
ALSO: Bay News 9 coverage | Video: buffalo soldier re-enactment
Lake Morton Century Homes Project Celebrates History
In neighborhoods near Lake Morton, houses with broad front porches, striking columns, latticed crawl spaces and jutting windows have settled into the Earth for more than 100 years, standing despite hurricanes, gnawing termites, technical advances and human desire for change.
Michael Maguire, a South Lake Morton neighborhood resident, wanted to recognize these old homes. He created the Lake Morton Century Homes project to identify these structures and is hosting a picnic celebration for the homeowners and neighborhood residents Thursday on the lawn of the Lakeland Public Library. More
Tony Golf Community Was Once a Mining Town
Diners gazing out the large picture windows at the rear of the the Grasslands Clubhouse would be forgiven if they can’t imagine the manicured golf course in front of them and lakeside houses off to the right were once the site of a phosphate plant and a small mining community called San Gully.
The community was built just over a century ago by the Lakeland Phosphate Co., and its residents mined the land until 1945 under a succession of owners. More
Checking Out Lakeland’s Historic Churches
LALtoday takes a look at six congregations in greater Lakeland that have been around for more than a century and the evolution of the buildings where they’ve worshipped. A seventh is a new congregation that raises song in a historic building.
Lakelandist Explores/Concocts Christmas Parade History
The Lakelandist goes audio, looking into the origins of the Lakeland Christmas Parade in its first podcast.
Publix Tile Mural Re-created at a Former Publix Store
A tile mural created for a Publix store in Fort Lauderdale has been re-created by artist Tim Pitzen, right, and unveiled today at a former Publix store that now houses the Lakeland office of the Polk County Tax Collector. Standing alongside the artist is Gregory Fancelli, who spearheaded the project.
The original creamic-tile mural, titled “The Goddess,” was created during the 1960s by John Garth and was destroyed when the store was demolished during the 1980s. More
Author: Without Disney, Orlando Would Be Like Lakeland
Lakeland got a shoutout of sorts when a Florida history author explained why Walt Disney was chosen the second-most-influential person in the state’s history. “Without his influence, we believe that Orlando would look a lot more like Lakeland does — which is a perfectly nice place; we like Lakeland,” freelance journalist Laura Mize said. “But it doesn’t have, you know, world influences; it’s not a place that people come to from all over the world.” More
A Look Inside ‘The Compound’ on Frank L. Wright Way
Photographer David Dickey Jr. had an opportunity today to tour “The Compound,” a sprawling and decaying residence at Frank Lloyd Wright Way and Jefferson Avenue that’s been bought by Florida Southern College, which plans to demolish it. Scroll down to check his photos. More
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