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 recently been listed on 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 Detzner. “These two historic districts and two churches exemplify the significance and power of community that underlies our state’s history.”

Florida properties recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places include:

The Royal Poinciana Way Historic District in Palm Beach County, represents the historic commercial center of the Town of Palm Beach.  Ultimately, the area evolved into a “gateway” leading into Palm Beach County. The district includes a collection of commercial and residential buildings built between 1915 and 1954. The contributing buildings in the district include Mediterranean Revival, Mission Revival, Neoclassical Revival, Art Moderne, Mid-Century Modem, Frame Vernacular, and Masonry Vernacular architecture. The Palm Beach Post Office, located within the district, was individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. 

The Curry Houses Historic District in Bradenton, Manatee County, features three homes built by or for the extended family of Captain John Curry, whose ships operated for both the Confederacy and the Union during the Civil War Gulf Coast Blockade. In 1859, he purchased 30 acres of land, including a fresh water spring, from Dr. Franklin Branch. Upon his death in 1884, Captain Curry’s property was subdivided among his heirs, a social tradition that influenced the development of town layouts and the switch from early agricultural beginnings to the eventual urbanization of Bradenton. The lots were officially platted in 1898 by the Town of Manatee, and those property divisions still exist today. The spring no longer flows freely, having been capped and piped into an outflow, and the surrounding land was modified for use as a city park.  However, the three contributing buildings remain and represent the transition of a small settlement (1860) into the platted Town of Manatee (1898), finally becoming part of the City of Bradenton by the 1940s.

The First Methodist Episcopal Church, South in Perry, Taylor County was constructed in 1917 from the plans of New York City architect, George Kramer. He is credited with the design for 2,219 churches and Sunday schools in the United States. This church is characterized by the Spanish Mission Revival Style, and has arched windows, sculpted parapets, stained glass windows, and a stucco-faced exterior. It is also an exceptional example of what Kramer called a “combination” church design - it brought together the Akron Plan for Sunday school gatherings adjacent to auditorium seating with a slanted floor for the sanctuary. The figural stained glass windows are excellent examples of the work of the Empire Glass and Decoration Company in Atlanta.

The First Methodist Episcopal Church, South, in Okeechobee is an excellent example of a transition period in Methodist and Protestant church design, and takes the form of a Late Gothic Revival design. Constructed in 1925, the south and east elevations of the church feature numerous decorative window openings, positioned at the corner is a three-story engaged brick belfry and entry tower. The tower is castellated at the top, and all windows and doors are outlined with cast-stone lintels and drip-molds. 

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 dos.myflorida.com/historical/preservation/national-register/.

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 dos.myflorida.com/historical/preservation/.