Some of them clearly used to be the belles of the ball, but are now simply aging wallflowers.
Historic Lakeland Inc. and the Lakeland Historic Preservation Board have created a “watch list” with seven homes they would love to see preserved and restored. Some are abandoned, others have owners who are not able to maintain the properties financially or physically, some are tied up in court, while the rest are neglected by owners or landlords who don’t seem to care about appearances or structural soundness.
“I know how hard it is to keep a historic property up, but if you love them, they love you back even harder,” said Natalie Oldenkamp.
She sits on both the Lakeland Historic Preservation Board, a city-run panel that works to protect historically significant properties, and Historic Lakeland, Inc., a nonprofit founded in 1979 and dedicated to “promoting appreciation of Lakeland’s unique architectural heritage through awareness and engagement.”
Both panels tried, but couldn’t stop the planned demotion of a 1925 brick home on Lake Wire’s north shore. It still stands — and the owner is willing to allow the home to be moved as long as there is no cost to him — but the city approved a zoning change in April allowing a developer to tear it down to make way for an apartment complex.
In the aftermath of that defeat, many historic preservationists lamented that they didn’t know about the situation sooner and proposed creating a “watch list” of historically valuable homes in danger of being razed. While properties inside the city’s seven historic districts have some protection against demolition, many old and distinctive homes are outside of those districts.
Emily Foster, senior planner for historic preservation in the city’s Community & Economic Development Department, said in the past there have been home-maintenance grants offered by the Community Redevelopment Agency for homes that fall within CRA district boundaries, but there is not a current funding mechanism or grant program available to assist historic district residents in maintaining their properties.
She added, though, that a $500 grant is available through Historic Lakeland, Inc. for the restoration of historic windows and the restoration or re-opening of enclosed front porches.
Oldenkamp said the group doesn’t do fundraising campaigns to save properties or even buy tax certificates of abandoned properties, but said the city’s Code Enforcement Department helps by encouraging upkeep.
“We don’t have the funds to buy any tax liens and restore properties. We just try to bring awareness,” Oldenkamp said. “It is quite difficult to get the city HPB to approve a demolition in a historic district, but outside (that) is pretty much a hope and a prayer…and also our voices.”
Oldenkamp said she once convinced a homeowner not to demolish a home on Easton by constantly bringing attention to his plans. He relented, renovated it and still owns it today.
2430 New Jersey Road
The stately two-story Greek Revival/Frame Vernacular at 2430 New Jersey Road is in the Lake Bentley neighborhood, which is not a historic district. The Polk County Property Appraiser’s Office has estimated the construction date to be 1935, but Foster said it may be earlier.
Oldenkamp said the three-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom home at one time might have belonged to the Munn family, which pioneered Lakeland.
The Polk County Property Appraiser’s website lists the “just market value” at $388,988, although it is clearly in need of extensive repairs. The home has 2,531 square feet of living space, a carport, a detached garage, two open porches, an enclosed porch and a pool on .48 acres.
Records show Lois Jean Murphy was granted the home in December 2000 from William V. Fenton, Jr., for $120,000.
Court records show Murphy and her husband, Russell Charles Murphy, went through foreclosure issues beginning in 2009. In 2012, the Murphys, along with property trustee Kimberly Vice, were foreclosed upon and the property was sold in 2014.
While Lois Murphy’s name is still listed on the property appraiser’s website, it is not clear who currently owns the property. Foster said the home is unoccupied. A note in the window says Guardian Asset Management in Langhorne, Pa., is managing the property.
632 Easton Drive
At first glance, the home at 632 Easton Drive looks like it’s straight from a storybook. It has an estimated construction date of 1925 and was built in the “Eclectic Revival” style, with a pointed roof and grand curved window facing the street.
However, Foster said the three-bedroom, 1.5-bathroom property in the Lake Hollingsworth neighborhood has two open code enforcement cases for “housing/exterior violations” and a derelict vehicle in the driveway. Several windows are boarded up.
The last time the property changed hands was in 1995, when Constance Currie passed away and her daughter Barbara Currie, as personal representative of the estate, took ownership. She also lived there at the time.
Records show the two-story, 2,150-square-foot home has a “just market value” of $377,123, but it needs extensive work. Although it sits at the intersection of two of the city’s beloved brick roads, it is not in a historic district.
2304 Carolina Avenue
Another home on the watch list is 2304 Carolina Ave. The property appraiser’s website says it was built in 1900, making it one of the oldest homes in the area. But on a street where nearly every home exudes pride of ownership, the forlorn property stands out for all the wrong reasons.
The three-bedroom, two-bathroom home changed hands in December 1942. In 1989, longtime owner Paul Colton died and the next year, his children sold it to Leonard and Grace Tribby for $40,000. The Tribbys placed the home in a trust in 2002. Jeffrey Tribby became the beneficiary after his widowed mother passed away in 2016.
Oldenkamp said a recent painting project halted midway through and nothing has been done since on the 2,032-square-foot home, which is not in a historic district.
The property appraiser lists the just market value at $216,000, although it needs a substantial amount of work. It is currently occupied.
302 E. Belvedere Street
The Greek Revival-style home at 302 E. Belvedere Street was built in 1910. Records show in April 1981, Bobette DeReus transferred it to Everett and Olive Rieck for $115,000. In 1999, the Riecks sold it to Eric and Britney Fullgraf for $279,000.
The three-story, 4,834-square-foot structure is a multifamily home with three apartments in the main building. Court records show that in October, the city placed a lien on the “non-homesteaded property” and stated that the Fullgrafs’ “whereabouts are unknown.”
At a Sept. 28 meeting of the Historic Preservation Board, Foster said the structure — which has “significant roof damage” and active code enforcement violations — was unoccupied. However, a holiday wreath on the door in December suggested there might be at least one tenant at the property.
The home, west of Lake Hollingsworth, is not in a historic district so the board does not have any authority over it. Foster said there is a process by which the city could try to add the home to the National Register of Historic Places, but it is difficult if the owner does not want the designation.
137 and 140 Lake Morton Drive
Unlike some of the other properties on the list, a pair of neighboring houses on Lake Morton Drive are part of the South Lake Morton historic district.
The home at 137 Lake Morton Drive is a two-story “Eclectic Revival” home built in 1921. It has four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a guest house. The appraised market value is $634,841.
The second property, 140 Lake Morton Drive, was built in 1952 and is a three-bedroom, two-bathroom cinder-block home. It has an appraised market value of $322,916.
Both homes have been in disrepair for many years. They are owned by David and Nancy Pipkin, who inherited them from his parents. Foster said there are open code enforcement cases on both homes.
Records show David Pipkin owns nearly a dozen rental properties in historic neighborhoods, including two on Kentucky Avenue downtown and four on College Avenue.
Some in the historic preservation community point to Pipkin and those like him as landlords who own multiple properties, but don’t maintain them, making them neighborhood eyesores.
60 Lake Hunter Drive
The bungalow at 60 Lake Hunter Drive was built around 1925 and is listed as a contributing structure within the Dixieland historic district.
Ownership of the three-bedroom, one-bathroom home was transferred from William Clark Haskell Sr. to his wife and son through a warranty deed in 1974 and placed by Lina Parrish Haskell, his widow, into a life estate for William Clark Haskell, Jr. in 1977. That is the only sale on record for the property, which has an appraised market value of $229,598.
The 1,568-square-foot home that faces Lake Hunter has some cosmetic issues, but Foster said it is otherwise in good shape.
A grassroots effort
Oldenkamp and Foster said they need the public’s help in alerting them to properties that need renovation and/or might have a wrecking ball in their future. Some of their successes over the years have been downtown buildings and the Mass Market set of three buildings.
“We appreciate any help, especially by joining Historic Lakeland, Inc.,” Oldenkamp said. “It is easier to preserve commercial structures than single-family, as citizens tend to take ownership in those as a group, since they are able to be enjoyed by all, like downtown and Mass Avenue.”
She also asked that people attend Historic Preservation Board meetings and maybe even join the board. The HPB’s next meeting is Feb. 22 at 8:30 a.m. in the City Commission chambers on the third floor of City Hall at 228 S. Massachusetts Ave.
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There is a house on Clarendon Dr that should be added to this list.
We’ve seen what insurance companies do when it comes to insuring refurbished older homes. Better to raze and build affordable housing. Lakeland is gonna need it.
The wreath on the door at 302 E Belvedere has been there for years- there is no one living in the house and hasn’t for a long time
Would be nice only if there was affordable housing in Lakeland. I was born and raised here and always loved our historical homes we have . But like 2 years ago every place for rent in Lakeland doubled over night pushing so many of us out in the streets what people of poverty once could barely afford now can’t afford at all not even the apartment or trailers that barely passes codes especially us living on fixed incomes. So instead of building new let the ones forced out on the street restore it and live in it maybe .
Thanks for bringing properties to the attention of interested, potential individuals for restoration.
Are any of these homes available for purchase? If so, who do we contact?