Secretary Detzner Announces Recent Designation of Florida Properties on National Register of Historic Places

TALLAHASSEE –

Secretary of State Ken Detzner announced today that several Florida properties have been recently listed in the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places.

 “I am pleased to announce the listing of these historic Florida resources on the National Register of Historic Places,” said Secretary of State Ken Detzner. “These properties represent the broad spectrum of Florida life and history, having served as homes and places of business, worship, recreation, tourism, or as municipal centers.”

Recent Florida properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places include:

The Old Belle Glade Town Hall, located in Palm Beach County, has long served as the historic municipal government center for Belle Glade. Constructed under the Works Projects Administration, the building was designed to house the town hall, jail, and fire department. Now saved from a continual state of decline, recent efforts include restoring the minimalist Art Deco features to re-purpose this historic building into a new business center.

 The Pine-Aire Lodge, in the Lee County town of Bokeelia, historically served as the residence for the Wilson Estate (1926), before its transition to a fishing lodge in 1946. The current owners purchased the property in 2000, and have restored the facility to its former use as vacation lodge for visitors interested in eco-tourism. Renamed Tarpon Lodge, the property caters to overnight and extended stay guests attending events such as conferences and weddings.

The Pine Level Town Site, located in Desoto County, is the site of the former county seat of Manatee during Reconstruction-era Florida. Now marked only by orange groves and pasture, the town site has remained mostly undisturbed for over a hundred years. Although an unpopular location from its founding in 1866, the town served as the centralized point to conduct business within the county, and became the gateway to the South Florida frontier Preservation of this site ensures that researchers can better understand Florida’s history during Reconstruction.

 The Dyches House, located in the Town of Lady Lake in Lake County, was constructed in 1884 by lumberman John Wilson Dyches. As an early settler to the area and Civil War veteran, Dyches supported the local schools and served as the commissioner of public education. This Italianate Style house faces a picturesque tree-lined boulevard, and is one of the few remaining properties from this era.

The Moultrie Church and Cemetery, located just five miles southwest of St. Augustine, in St. Johns county, is a frame vernacular one room church built in 1877 for a Methodist congregation. It served as the starting point for Methodist settlers new to the area, many of whom went on to build other churches in the surrounding communities. One-room churches are increasingly rare as they are lost to development or deterioration.

The Gulfport Casino, located across from Boca Ceiga Bay, in Pinellas County, has served for over a century as a community dance hall and meeting place for Gulfport residents and visitors.  Except for the 1950 addition of a dance band pavilion on the north facade, the Gulfport Pavilion retains most of its original characteristics from the 1930s. The casino is integral to the development and history of the Gulfport community having served as an entertainment venue for visiting tourists, and more recently, as a community meeting space.

 For more information about the National Register of Historic Places program administered by the National Parks Service, visit nps.gov/nr.

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 About the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is a list maintained by the National Park Service which includes historical or archaeological properties (buildings, structures, sites, objects, and districts) that are considered worthy of preservation because of their local, statewide and/or national significance.  Nominations for properties in Florida are submitted to the National Park Service through the Division of Historical Resources, Florida Department of State.  Florida has over 1,600 listings on the National Register, including 275 historical districts and 170 archaeological sites. To learn more, visit flheritage.com/preservation/nr.

 About the Bureau of Historic Preservation

The Bureau of Historic Preservation conducts historic preservation and folklife programs aimed at identifying, evaluating, preserving and interpreting the historic and cultural resources of the state. The Bureau manages a grants-in-aid program to help preserve and maintain Florida’s historic buildings and archaeological sites, and coordinates the State Historic Markers program and the Florida Main Street Program.  Under federal and state laws, the Bureau oversees the National Register of Historic Places program for Florida, maintains an inventory of the state's historical resources in the Florida Master Site File, assists applicants in federal tax benefit and local government ad valorem tax relief programs for historic buildings, and reviews the impact that development projects may have on significant historic resources. The Florida Folklife program identifies and promotes the state's traditional cultures, and coordinates folklife apprenticeship and award programs. For more information, visit flheritage.com/preservation.