Secretary Detzner Announces the Designation of Two Resources on the National Register of Historic Places

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. –

Secretary of State Ken Detzner announced today that the Carlos and Marjorie Proctor Log House and Cottage in Gainesville and the Downtown Wauchula Historic District in Wauchula have been listed on the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places.

“These listings on the National Register of Historic Places recognize and highlight the variety and types of buildings that have been preserved in the state of Florida,” said Secretary of State Ken Detzner. “Numerous historical properties built across the years reflect Florida’s reputation as a rich canvas of architectural styles.”

The Carlos and Marjorie Proctor Log House and Cottage in Gainesville are locally significant examples of New Deal Era Rustic Style architecture adapted for residential use. Many state and national park buildings were constructed in the rustic style during President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “New Deal” plan to employ millions of workers during the Great Depression. This home and cottage, built between 1938 and 1940, are unique examples of that same traditional log construction applied to a more modern suburban house. Like the earliest 19^th century dwellings in Gainesville, the Carlos Proctor Log House and Cottage are built of locally sourced cypress logs. But as later examples of the rustic style, these structures were intended for family living with all the modern convenieces of their time. Together today, they remain a private residence.

Wauchula City Hall

The Downtown Wauchula Historic District in Hardee County, encompasses the town’s civic and commercial core, and represents Wauchula’s development as the center of Hardee County and its surrounding agricultural landscape. Founded as a railroad town in 1886, Wauchula has served as the commerical and governmental center for Hardee County since the county’s formation in 1921. The majority of the downtown historic district predates World War II, and reflects an important period of the town’s development following it’s incorporation as a municipality in 1902 and the expansion of the citrus industry.

The district encompasses roughly 14 blocks and includes examples of the Masonry Vernacular, Frame Vernacular, Bungalow, Spanish Eclectic, Neoclassical Revival, Gothic Revival and Mid-Century Modern architectural styles. Prominent historic structures within the district include the former Hardee County Courthouse, Hardee County High School, Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Depot and the 1920s Spanish Revival City Hall designed by noted architect M. Leo Elliot of Tampa. A prior survey of the town’s historic structures and the completion of the National Register historic district nomination were both funded by grants from the Florida Division of Historical Resources to the Wauchula Main Street organization.

For more information about these programs, visit FLheritage.com/grants, MainStreetWauchula.com, and FloridaMainStreet.com.

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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 including 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 Florida Department of State’s Division of Historical Resources. Florida has over 1,700 listings on the National Register, including 295 historic districts and 175 archaeological sites. There are more than 50,000 sites contributing to the National Register in Florida. For more information, visit flheritage.com/preservation/national-register. For more information about the National Register of Historic Places program administered by the National Park Service, visit nps.gov/nr.

About The Florida Department of State’s Bureau of Historic Preservation

The Bureau of Historic Preservation (BHP) conducts historic preservation programs aimed at identifying, evaluating, preserving and interpreting the historic and cultural resources of the state. The Bureau manages the Florida Main Street Program, and under federal and state laws, 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. For more information, visit flheritage.com/preservation.