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In 2017, Ann Kerr, former Florida Southern College President, moved from the President’s Residence on the FSC campus because it was in need of repairs. Now, a local preservationist is planning to relocate the home and restore its historic charm.
Its new location will be less than a quarter mile away on the opposite side of Lake Hollingworth Drive. Homes at 14 and 16 Lake Hollingsworth Drive were purchased in April by Ludd Spivey LLC, a company with ties to local preservationist Gregory Fancelli. Since then, they were demolished to create space for the relocated President’s Residence.
In August, Lakeland’s Design Review Committee gave “Conceptual Approval” to Ludd Spivey LLC “to relocate an existing single-family house to the subject property.” For final approval, “a full set of dimensioned elevation drawings and a site plan must be submitted for the review and approval of the Design Review Committee.”
This arrangement is mutually beneficial, according to Stacy Walsh, chief marketing and communications officer at FSC. “In the long term, the College would have faced either relocating the home or demolishing it, as maintaining it in its current condition was no longer feasible. Demolition was always the last resort, so finding someone who loves the home and is able to move it is truly a win-win situation.”
The President’s Residence
Orlando architect Frederick Trimble designed the President’s Residence at FSC, a single-family home located east of Branscomb Auditorium on the south side of campus. Built in 1937, its first residents were President Ludd Spivey and his family.
Spivey is particularly significant in FSC’s history. Spivey is credited with revitalizing the college following the Great Depression. He was instrumental in changing the college’s name to Florida Southern College in 1935, persuaded Frank Lloyd Wright to build a series of campus structures and increased enrollment from less than 300 to over 1,400 students during his years as president.
“The property holds deep sentimental and historical significance, with its beautiful setting overlooking Lake Hollingsworth and its long history of residents, College presidents and their families, who made countless memories there. It’s one of those ‘if these walls could talk’ kinds of places, having witnessed decades of gatherings and family life,” Walsh said.
When Kerr moved out of the home, crews found animals living in the backyard and others that had gotten inside, according to The Ledger’s reporting. “The College has spent a long time determining the best and most reasonable approach for the President’s House and for the College as a whole,” Walsh said. “This discussion has been years in the making, and the needed repairs have become increasingly extensive over time.”
The new location
Ludd Spivey LLC purchased 16 Lake Hollingsworth Drive for $800,000 on April 3 and 14 Lake Hollingsworth Drive for $1.5 million on April 4. Combined, the two lots amount to .71 acres.
These two homes were both constructed prior to the 1990 restriction preventing further housing development along shores of eight lakes in the city. “The lakeshore lots with existing houses can be rebuilt upon, as long as all other development regulations are met,” said Emily Foster of Lakeland’s Historic Preservation Board.
According to the Design Review Committee’s August 28 meeting minutes, Foster said both houses were considered “non-contributing” to the South Lake Morton Historic District, and the current condition of the houses made restoration impractical.
Foster said the single-family home at 14 Lake Hollingsworth was built in 1976. The meeting minutes state that when the home was purchased in April, it was “in a partially renovated and unfinished state,” and “According to the Applicant, the prior work is incomplete, may not meet building codes, and presents structural and safety concerns.”
16 Lake Hollingsworth was built in 1968, said Foster. Like the neighboring home, “the house exhibits notable structural concerns including floor slab water seepage and significant cracks in interior and exterior walls.”
Ultimately, the owner came to the same conclusion about both homes: “Given the scope and cost of necessary repairs, restoring the existing structure is not considered to be feasible or reasonable.”
According to the meeting minutes, “the owner of the property has been in discussions with Florida Southern College to relocate the President’s Residence from the college campus to the subject property. A relocation timeframe of approximately 12 to 36 months is anticipated, which accounts for site preparation, relocation logistics, and building rehabilitation work.”
Demolition of both houses was unanimously approved by the Design Review Committee at the August meeting.
According to Walsh, the owner of the Hollingsworth properties said the project is similar to the relocation and preservation of the Tudor Home, another historic residence that was moved from Lake Hollingsworth Drive to S. Florida Avenue in 2014. Today, it’s the home of Cob & Pen, a business that takes pride in the building’s history.
“The best use of the house is as a residence as that is what it was built for,” Walsh said. “We are confident the next resident appreciates its history, significance, and beauty, and desires to restore it to its full charm once again.”
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