The Long History of the African American Civil Rights Movement in Florida
Civil rights--Florida
Exhibit
Civil Rights Movement
Civil rights movements--Florida
The Long History of the African American Civil Rights Movement in Florida, an exhibit created by Dr. Robert Cassanello and his students at the University of Central Florida. The exhibit chronicles both national and local events in the civil rights movements dating from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Curators for the exhibit were Joseph Corbett and Anne Ladyem McDiviitt. Assistant curators included Patrick Anderson, Laura Cepero, Jennifer Cook, Tanya Engelhardt, Jacob Flynn, William Franklin, Barbara Houser, Rustin Lloyd, Joshua Petitt, Lindsey Turnbull, and Jon Wolfe. Andrew Callovi was the graphic designer.
Corbett, Joseph
McDivitt, Anne Ladyem
Anderson, Patrick
Cepero, Laura
Cook, Jennifer
Englehardt, Tanya
Flynn, Jacob
Franklin, William
Houser, Barbara
Lloyd, Rustin
Petitt, Joshua
Turnbull
Lindsey
Wolfe, Jon
Cassanello, Robert
Callovi, Andrew
Original exhibit by Robert Cassanello's Spring 2011 Historiography Graduate Class: <a href="http://history.cah.ucf.edu/" target="_blank">University of Central Florida Department of History</a>, Orlando, Florida.
<a href="http://history.cah.ucf.edu/" target="_blank">University of Central Florida Department of History</a>
<a href="http://www.floridamemory.com/photographiccollection/" target="_blank">Florida Photographic Collection</a>
<a href="http://dlis.dos.state.fl.us/index_Researchers.cfm" target="_blank">State Library and Archives of Florida</a>
<a href="http://www.loc.gov/" target="_blank">Library of Congress</a>
<a href="http://www.nypl.org/locations/schomburg%20target=">Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture</a>
Barton, Juanita
Gary, Bill
<a href="http://www.harryharriettemoore.org/" target="_blank">Harry T. &amp</a>
Harriette V. Moore Cultural Complex, Inc.
application/pdf
eng
Physical Object
Brevard County, Florida
Cocoa, Florida
Daytona Beach, Florida
Eatonville, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Groveland, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Live Oak, Florida
Madison County, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami Gardens, Florida
Mims, Florida
Ocoee, Florida
Palatka, Florida
Rosewood, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Tampa, Florida
St. Augustine, Florida
Montogmery, Alabama
Scottsboro, Alabama
Selma, Alabama
Tuskegee, Alabama
Chicago, Illinois
Syracuse, New York
Greensboro, North Carolina
Knoxville, Tennessee
Pulaski, Tennessee
Veterans Memorial Park, 2011
Sanford (Fla.)
Lake Monroe (Seminole County and Volusia County, Fla.)
Parks--Florida
Veterans--Florida
Veterans Memorial Park, located at 110 East Seminole Boulevard in Sanford, Florida, in 2011. The park was built in 1925 and included a bandshell. A flagpole and fountain were dedicated in memory of World War I veterans in 1927. The park was renamed Veterans Memorial Park in 1973 when it was rededicated to the memory of veterans of all American wars.
Cepero, Laura
Original color digital image by Laura Cepero, June 4, 2011.
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka2/" target="_blank">RICHES of Central Florida</a>
image/jpg
eng
Still Image
Veterans Memorial Park, Sanford, Florida
Sanford Riverfront, 2011
Sanford (Fla.)
Waterfront Districts
Lakes & ponds
Lake Monroe (Seminole County and Volusia County, Fla.)
The Riverfront in Sanford, Florida. 2011. The present-day Sanford, Florida, area was originally inhabited by the Mayaca and Joroco tribes by the time Europeans arrived. The tribe was decimated by war and disease by 1760 and was replaced by the Seminole tribe.
In 1821, the United States acquired Florida from Spain and Americans began to settled in the state. Camp Monroe was established in the mid-1830s to defend the area against Seminoles during the Seminole Wars. Following an attack on February 8, 1837, the camp was renamed Fort Mellon in honor of the battle's only American casualty, Captain Charles Mellon. The Town of Mellonville was founded nearby in 1842 by Daniel Stewart. When Florida became a state three years later, Mellonville became the county seat for Orange County, which was originally a portion of Mosquito County. Citrus was the first cash crop in the area and the first fruit packing plant was constructed in 1869.
In 1870, Henry Shelton Sanford purchased over 12,000 acres of land west of Mellonville to form the community of Sanford. which he called "The Gateway City to South Florida." Sanford was incorporated in 1877 and absorbed Mellonville in 1883. The Great Fire of 1887 devastated the city, which also suffered from a statewide epidemic of yellow fever the following year. The citrus industry flourished until the Great Freezes of 1894 and 1895, causing planters to begin growing celery in 1896 as an alternative. Celery replaced citrus as the city's cash crop and Sanford was nicknamed "The Celery City." In 1913, Sanford became the county seat of Seminole County, once part of Orange County. Agriculture dominated the region until Walt Disney World opened in October of 1971, effectively shifting the Central Florida economy towards tourism and residential development. In 2003, Sanford began the redevelopment of the waterfront with the RiverWalk Project to revitalize the city's riverfront.
Cepero, Laura
Original color digital image by Laura Cepero, June 4, 2011.
<a href="https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka2/" target="_blank">RICHES of Central Florida</a>
image/jpg
eng
Still Image
Marina Isle, Sanford, Florida
Sanford State Farmers' Market Restaurant
Sanford (Fla.)
Farmers' markets--Florida
Buildings--Florida
Restaurants--Florida
The Sanford State Farmers' Market restaurant in 2011. The Sanford State Farmers' Market, located at 1300 South French Avenue, was founded in 1934 in order to provide a central location in which farmers would sell their produce directly to consumers. The idea for the Sanford State Farmers' Market was devised by Fred Dorner and Gus Schmach, both members of the Seminole Agricultural Club. Sanford Chamber of Commerce president Harry M. Papworth also contributed to the development of the market. The Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) authorized construction plans on June 11, 1934. On June 20, 1934, the City of Sanford donated a portion of the Alex V. French properties to the State Marketing Board, which selected the northwest corner of French Avenue and Thirteenth Street. The board approved the installation of telegraph and telephone equipment, as well as a three-pump filling station. The Sanford State Farmer's Market opened on December 18, 1934. By 1939, the Farmers' Market was bringing a total volume of business of $627,065.81. In 1941, business volume reached over $700,000. On April 4, 1957, a fire destroyed the building and caused damages estimated at $2.5 million. Reconstruction began almost immediately and the Farmers' Market was expected to re-open by the fall of 1957. In 1991, plans were created to restore, preserve, and convert the citrus packing house into a museum.
Cepero, Laura
Original color digital image by Laura Cepero, July 3, 2011.
<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/">RICHES of Central Florida</a>
image/jpg
eng
Still Image
Sanford State Farmers' Market, Sanford, Florida
Sanford State Farmers' Market Retail Facility
Sanford (Fla.)
Farmers' markets--Florida
Buildings--Florida
The Sanford State Farmers' Market retail facility in 2011. The Sanford State Farmers' Market, located at 1300 South French Avenue, was founded in 1934 in order to provide a central location in which farmers would sell their produce directly to consumers. The idea for the Sanford State Farmers' Market was devised by Fred Dorner and Gus Schmach, both members of the Seminole Agricultural Club. Sanford Chamber of Commerce president Harry Papworth also contributed to the development of the market. The Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) authorized construction plans on June 11, 1934. On June 20, 1934, the City of Sanford donated a portion of the Alex V. French properties to the State Marketing Board, which selected the northwest corner of French Avenue and Thirteenth Street. The board approved the installation of telegraph and telephone equipment, as well as a three-pump filling station. The Sanford State Farmer's Market opened on December 18, 1934. By 1939, the Farmers' Market was bringing a total volume of business of $627,065.81. In 1941, business volume reached over $700,000. On April 4, 1957, a fire destroyed the building and caused damages estimated at $2.5 million. Reconstruction began almost immediately and the Farmers' Market was expected to re-open by the fall of 1957. In 1991, plans were created to restore, preserve, and convert the citrus packing house into a museum.
Cepero, Laura
<span><span>Original color digital image by Laura Cepero, June 9, 2011.</span></span>
<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/">RICHES of Central Florida</a>
image/jpg
eng
Still Image
Sanford State Farmers' Market, Sanford, Florida
Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center Ticket Booth
Sanford (Fla.)
Buildings--Florida
Theaters--Florida
Performing Arts--United States
Theater--21st century
The ticket booth at the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in 2011. Originally the Milane Theatre, the building was constructed at 203 South Magnolia Avenue in Sanford, the former location of the Star Theatre, an abandoned movie house. Scroggs and Ewing, architects from Georgia, prepared the plans for the Milane. The name of the new theater was derived from the combination of the presidents of the Milane Amusement Company president and vice president: Frank L. Miller and Edward F. Lane. The Milane opened in July of 1923 and seated 823 patrons. In 1933, the Milane was sold to Frank and Stella Evans, investors from Lake Mary, Florida. The new owners renamed their business the Ritz Theatre and held the property until the 1990s. However, the Ritz struggled financially in the 1960s and closed in 1978 due to failure to compete with the new multiplex theaters. The building remained vacant until 1984, when it reopened as the Showtime Cantina. The Showtime Cantina closed in 1988 and remained vacant and in decay. In the mid-1990s, Ritz Community Theater Projects, Inc. acquired the property and began rehabilitation in 1998. On May 6, 2000, the theater reopened as the Helen Stairs Theatre in honor of the citizen who led the restoration project, Helen Stairs. The following year, the location was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2008, additional renovations were completed at the theater was renamed the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in honor of the Wayne Densch Charitable Trust Fund for contributing to the renovations fund.
Cepero, Laura
Original color digital image by Laura Cepero, June 9, 2011.
<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/">RICHES of Central Florida</a>
image/jpg
eng
Still Image
Sanford, Florida
Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center Stage
Sanford (Fla.)
Buildings--Florida
Theaters--Florida
Performing Arts--United States
Theater--21st century
The theater stage of the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in 2011. Originally the Milane Theatre, the building was constructed at 203 South Magnolia Avenue in Sanford, the former location of the Star Theatre, an abandoned movie house. Scroggs and Ewing, architects from Georgia, prepared the plans for the Milane. The name of the new theater was derived from the combination of the presidents of the Milane Amusement Company president and vice president: Frank L. Miller and Edward F. Lane. The Milane opened in July of 1923 and seated 823 patrons. In 1933, the Milane was sold to Frank and Stella Evans, investors from Lake Mary, Florida. The new owners renamed their business the Ritz Theatre and held the property until the 1990s. However, the Ritz struggled financially in the 1960s and closed in 1978 due to failure to compete with the new multiplex theaters. The building remained vacant until 1984, when it reopened as the Showtime Cantina. The Showtime Cantina closed in 1988 and remained vacant and in decay. In the mid-1990s, Ritz Community Theater Projects, Inc. acquired the property and began rehabilitation in 1998. On May 6, 2000, the theater reopened as the Helen Stairs Theatre in honor of the citizen who led the restoration project, Helen Stairs. The following year, the location was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2008, additional renovations were completed at the theater was renamed the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in honor of the Wayne Densch Charitable Trust Fund for contributing to the renovations fund.
Cepero, Laura
Original color digital image by Laura Cepero, June 9, 2011.
<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/">RICHES of Central Florida</a>
image/jpg
eng
Still Image
Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center, Sanford, Florida
Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center Lobby
Sanford (Fla.)
Buildings--Florida
Theaters--Florida
Performing Arts--United States
Theater--21st century
The lobby of the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in 2011. Originally the Milane Theatre, the building was constructed at 203 South Magnolia Avenue in Sanford, the former location of the Star Theatre, an abandoned movie house. Scroggs and Ewing, architects from Georgia, prepared the plans for the Milane. The name of the new theater was derived from the combination of the presidents of the Milane Amusement Company president and vice president: Frank L. Miller and Edward F. Lane. The Milane opened in July of 1923 and seated 823 patrons. In 1933, the Milane was sold to Frank and Stella Evans, investors from Lake Mary, Florida. The new owners renamed their business the Ritz Theatre and held the property until the 1990s. However, the Ritz struggled financially in the 1960s and closed in 1978 due to failure to compete with the new multiplex theaters. The building remained vacant until 1984, when it reopened as the Showtime Cantina. The Showtime Cantina closed in 1988 and remained vacant and in decay. In the mid-1990s, Ritz Community Theater Projects, Inc. acquired the property and began rehabilitation in 1998. On May 6, 2000, the theater reopened as the Helen Stairs Theatre in honor of the citizen who led the restoration project, Helen Stairs. The following year, the location was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2008, additional renovations were completed at the theater was renamed the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in honor of the Wayne Densch Charitable Trust Fund for contributing to the renovations fund.
Cepero, Laura
Original color digital image by Laura Cepero, June 9, 2011.
<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/">RICHES of Central Florida</a>
image/jpg
eng
Still Image
Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center, Sanford, Florida
Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center, 2011
Sanford (Fla.)
Theaters--Florida
The Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center, located at 203 South Magnolia Avenue in Downtown Sanford, Florida in 2011. Originally the Milane Theatre, the building was constructed at 203 South Magnolia Avenue in Sanford, the former location of the Star Theatre, an abandoned movie house. Scroggs and Ewing, architects from Georgia, prepared the plans for the Milane. The name of the new theater was derived from the combination of the presidents of the Milane Amusement Company president and vice president: Frank L. Miller and Edward F. Lane. The Milane opened in July of 1923 and seated 823 patrons. In 1933, the Milane was sold to Frank and Stella Evans, investors from Lake Mary, Florida. The new owners renamed their business the Ritz Theatre and held the property until the 1990s. However, the Ritz struggled financially in the 1960s and closed in 1978 due to failure to compete with the new multiplex theaters.<br /><br />The building remained vacant until 1984, when it reopened as the Showtime Cantina. The Showtime Cantina closed in 1988 and remained vacant and in decay. In the mid-1990s, Ritz Community Theater Projects, Inc. acquired the property and began rehabilitation in 1998. On May 6, 2000, the theater reopened as the Helen Stairs Theatre in honor of the citizen who led the restoration project, Helen Stairs. The following year, the location was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2008, additional renovations were completed at the theater was renamed the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in honor of the Wayne Densch Charitable Trust Fund for contributing to the renovations fund.
Cepero, Laura
Original color digital image by Laura Cepero, July 9, 2011.
<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/">RICHES of Central Florida</a>
image/jpg
eng
Still Image
Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center, Sanford, Florida
Stage Curtain at the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center
Sanford (Fla.)
Buildings--Florida
Performing Arts--United States
Theaters--Florida
Theater--21st century
The stage curtain at the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in 2011. Originally the Milane Theatre, the building was constructed at 203 South Magnolia Avenue in Sanford, the former location of the Star Theatre, an abandoned movie house. Scroggs and Ewing, architects from Georgia, prepared the plans for the Milane. The name of the new theater was derived from the combination of the presidents of the Milane Amusement Company president and vice president: Frank L. Miller and Edward F. Lane. The Milane opened in July of 1923 and seated 823 patrons. In 1933, the Milane was sold to Frank and Stella Evans, investors from Lake Mary, Florida. The new owners renamed their business the Ritz Theatre and held the property until the 1990s. However, the Ritz struggled financially in the 1960s and closed in 1978 due to failure to compete with the new multiplex theaters. The building remained vacant until 1984, when it reopened as the Showtime Cantina. The Showtime Cantina closed in 1988 and remained vacant and in decay. In the mid-1990s, Ritz Community Theater Projects, Inc. acquired the property and began rehabilitation in 1998. On May 6, 2000, the theater reopened as the Helen Stairs Theatre in honor of the citizen who led the restoration project, Helen Stairs. The following year, the location was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2008, additional renovations were completed at the theater was renamed the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in honor of the Wayne Densch Charitable Trust Fund for contributing to the renovations fund.
Cepero, Laura
Original color digital image by Laura Cepero, June 9, 2011.
<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/">RICHES of Central Florida</a>
image/jpg
eng
Still Image
Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center, Sanford, Florida
Milane Theatre Marker
Sanford (Fla.)
Buildings--Florida
Performing Arts--United States
Theater--20th Century
Theaters--Florida
An original engraving at the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in 2011. Originally the Milane Theatre, the building was constructed at 203 South Magnolia Avenue in Sanford, the former location of the Star Theatre, an abandoned movie house. Scroggs and Ewing, architects from Georgia, prepared the plans for the Milane. The name of the new theater was derived from the combination of the presidents of the Milane Amusement Company president and vice president: Frank L. Miller and Edward F. Lane. The Milane opened in July of 1923 and seated 823 patrons. In 1933, the Milane was sold to Frank and Stella Evans, investors from Lake Mary, Florida. The new owners renamed their business the Ritz Theatre and held the property until the 1990s. However, the Ritz struggled financially in the 1960s and closed in 1978 due to failure to compete with the new multiplex theaters. The building remained vacant until 1984, when it reopened as the Showtime Cantina. The Showtime Cantina closed in 1988 and remained vacant and in decay. In the mid-1990s, Ritz Community Theater Projects, Inc. acquired the property and began rehabilitation in 1998. On May 6, 2000, the theater reopened as the Helen Stairs Theatre in honor of the citizen who led the restoration project, Helen Stairs. The following year, the location was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2008, additional renovations were completed at the theater was renamed the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in honor of the Wayne Densch Charitable Trust Fund for contributing to the renovations fund.
Cepero, Laura
Original color digital image by Laura Cepero, June 9, 2011.
<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/">RICHES of Central Florida</a>
image/jpg
eng
Still Image
Milane Theatre, Sanford, Florida
Original Ladder at the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center
Sanford (Fla.)
Buildings--Florida
Performing Arts--United States
Theater--21st century
An original ladder backstage at the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in 2011. Originally the Milane Theatre, the building was constructed at 203 South Magnolia Avenue in Sanford, the former location of the Star Theatre, an abandoned movie house. Scroggs and Ewing, architects from Georgia, prepared the plans for the Milane. The name of the new theater was derived from the combination of the presidents of the Milane Amusement Company president and vice president: Frank L. Miller and Edward F. Lane. The Milane opened in July of 1923 and seated 823 patrons. In 1933, the Milane was sold to Frank and Stella Evans, investors from Lake Mary, Florida. The new owners renamed their business the Ritz Theatre and held the property until the 1990s. However, the Ritz struggled financially in the 1960s and closed in 1978 due to failure to compete with the new multiplex theaters. The building remained vacant until 1984, when it reopened as the Showtime Cantina. The Showtime Cantina closed in 1988 and remained vacant and in decay. In the mid-1990s, Ritz Community Theater Projects, Inc. acquired the property and began rehabilitation in 1998. On May 6, 2000, the theater reopened as the Helen Stairs Theatre in honor of the citizen who led the restoration project, Helen Stairs. The following year, the location was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2008, additional renovations were completed at the theater was renamed the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in honor of the Wayne Densch Charitable Trust Fund for contributing to the renovations fund.
Cepero, Laura
Original color digital image by Laura Cepero, June 9, 2011.
<span><a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/"><span>RICHES of Central Florida</span></a></span>
image/jpg
eng
Still Image
Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center, Sanford, Florida
Milane Theatre Cornerstone
Sanford (Fla.)
Buildings--Florida
Performing Arts
Theater--20th Century
Original cornerstonefor the Milane Theatre, which was constructed at 203 South Magnolia Avenue, the former location of the Star Theatre, an abandoned movie house. Scroggs and Ewing, architects from Georgia, prepared the plans for the Milane. The name of the new theater was derived from the combination of the presidents of the Milane Amusement Company president and vice president: Frank L. Miller and Edward F. Lane. The Milane opened in July of 1923 and seated 823 patrons. In 1933, the Milane was sold to Frank and Stella Evans, investors from Lake Mary, Florida. The new owners renamed their business the Ritz Theater and held the property until the 1990s. However, the Ritz struggled financially in the 1960s and closed in 1978 due to failure to compete with the new multiplex theaters. The building remained vacant until 1984, when it reopened as the Showtime Cantina. The Showtime Cantina closed in 1988 and remained vacant and in decay. In the mid-1990s, Ritz Community Theater Projects, Inc. acquired the property and began rehabilitation in 1998. On May 6, 2000, the theater reopened as the Helen Stairs Theatre in honor of the citizen who led the restoration project, Helen Stairs. The following year, the location was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2008, additional renovations were completed at the theater was renamed the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in honor of the Wayne Densch Charitable Trust Fund for contributing to the renovations fund.
Cepero, Laura
Original color digital image by Laura Cepero, June 9, 2011.
<span><a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/"><span>RICHES of Central Florida</span></a></span>
eng
Still Image
Ritz Theatre, Sanford, Florida
Historic Preservation Award for the Helen Stairs Theatre
Sanford (Fla.)
Buildings--Florida
Performing Arts--United States
Theater--20th Century
Historic sites--Conservation and restoration--Florida
Historic sites--Florida
Historic preservation--Florida
The Sanford Historic Trust's Historic Preservation Award presented to the Helen Stairs Theatre in 2000. Originally the Milane Theatre, the building was constructed at 203 South Magnolia Avenue in Sanford, the former location of the Star Theatre, an abandoned movie house. Scroggs and Ewing, architects from Georgia, prepared the plans for the Milane. The name of the new theater was derived from the combination of the presidents of the Milane Amusement Company president and vice president: Frank L. Miller and Edward F. Lane. The Milane opened in July of 1923 and seated 823 patrons. In 1933, the Milane was sold to Frank and Stella Evans, investors from Lake Mary, Florida. The new owners renamed their business the Ritz Theatre and held the property until the 1990s. However, the Ritz struggled financially in the 1960s and closed in 1978 due to failure to compete with the new multiplex theaters. The building remained vacant until 1984, when it reopened as the Showtime Cantina. The Showtime Cantina closed in 1988 and remained vacant and in decay. In the mid-1990s, Ritz Community Theater Projects, Inc. acquired the property and began rehabilitation in 1998. On May 6, 2000, the theater reopened as the Helen Stairs Theatre in honor of the citizen who led the restoration project, Helen Stairs. The following year, the location was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2008, additional renovations were completed at the theater was renamed the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in honor of the Wayne Densch Charitable Trust Fund for contributing to the renovations fund.
Cepero, Laura
Original color digital image by Laura Cepero, June 9, 2011.
<span><a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/"><span>RICHES of Central Florida</span></a></span>
image/jpg
eng
Still Image
Helen Stairs Theatre, Sanford, Florida
Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center, Sanford, Florida
Balcony at the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center
Sanford (Fla.)
Buildings--Florida
Performing Arts--United States
Theater--21st century
The theater balcony at the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in 2011. Originally the Milane Theatre, the building was constructed at 203 South Magnolia Avenue in Sanford, the former location of the Star Theatre, an abandoned movie house. Scroggs and Ewing, architects from Georgia, prepared the plans for the Milane. The name of the new theater was derived from the combination of the presidents of the Milane Amusement Company president and vice president: Frank L. Miller and Edward F. Lane. The Milane opened in July of 1923 and seated 823 patrons. In 1933, the Milane was sold to Frank and Stella Evans, investors from Lake Mary, Florida. The new owners renamed their business the Ritz Theatre and held the property until the 1990s. However, the Ritz struggled financially in the 1960s and closed in 1978 due to failure to compete with the new multiplex theaters. The building remained vacant until 1984, when it reopened as the Showtime Cantina. The Showtime Cantina closed in 1988 and remained vacant and in decay. In the mid-1990s, Ritz Community Theater Projects, Inc. acquired the property and began rehabilitation in 1998. On May 6, 2000, the theater reopened as the Helen Stairs Theatre in honor of the citizen who led the restoration project, Helen Stairs. The following year, the location was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2008, additional renovations were completed at the theater was renamed the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in honor of the Wayne Densch Charitable Trust Fund for contributing to the renovations fund.
Cepero, Laura
Original color digital image by Laura Cepero, June 9, 2011.
<span><a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/"><span>RICHES of Central Florida</span></a></span>
image/jpg
eng
Still Image
Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center, Sanford, Florida
Stage Entrance at the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center
Sanford (Fla.)
Buildings--Florida
Performing Arts--United States
Theaters--Florida
Theater--21st century
Segregation--Florida
The current stage entrance of the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center, which was formerly the segregated colored entrance at the Milane Theatre and later the Ritz Theater.
Originally the Milane Theatre, the building was constructed at 203 South Magnolia Avenue in Sanford, the former location of the Star Theatre, an abandoned movie house. Scroggs and Ewing, architects from Georgia, prepared the plans for the Milane. The name of the new theater was derived from the combination of the presidents of the Milane Amusement Company president and vice president: Frank L. Miller and Edward F. Lane. The Milane opened in July of 1923 and seated 823 patrons. In 1933, the Milane was sold to Frank and Stella Evans, investors from Lake Mary, Florida. The new owners renamed their business the Ritz Theatre and held the property until the 1990s. However, the Ritz struggled financially in the 1960s and closed in 1978 due to failure to compete with the new multiplex theaters. The building remained vacant until 1984, when it reopened as the Showtime Cantina. The Showtime Cantina closed in 1988 and remained vacant and in decay. In the mid-1990s, Ritz Community Theater Projects, Inc. acquired the property and began rehabilitation in 1998. On May 6, 2000, the theater reopened as the Helen Stairs Theatre in honor of the citizen who led the restoration project, Helen Stairs. The following year, the location was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2008, additional renovations were completed at the theater was renamed the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in honor of the Wayne Densch Charitable Trust Fund for contributing to the renovations fund.
Cepero, Laura
Original color digital image by Laura Cepero, June 9, 2011.
<span><a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/"><span>RICHES of Central Florida</span></a></span>
image/jpg
eng
Still Image
Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center, Sanford, Florida
Audience Seating Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center
Sanford (Fla.)
Buildings--Florida
Theaters--Florida
Performing arts--United States
Theater--United States
Theater--21st century
The theater at the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in 2011. Originally the Milane Theatre, the building was constructed at 203 South Magnolia Avenue, the former location of the Star Theatre, an abandoned movie house. Scroggs and Ewing, architects from Georgia, prepared the plans for the Milane. The name of the new theater was derived from the combination of the presidents of the Milane Amusement Company president and vice president: Frank L. Miller and Edward F. Lane. The Milane opened in July of 1923 and seated 823 patrons. In 1933, the Milane was sold to Frank and Stella Evans, investors from Lake Mary, Florida. The new owners renamed their business the Ritz Theater and held the property until the 1990s. However, the Ritz struggled financially in the 1960s and closed in 1978 due to failure to compete with the new multiplex theaters. The building remained vacant until 1984, when it reopened as the Showtime Cantina. The Showtime Cantina closed in 1988 and remained vacant and in decay. In the mid-1990s, Ritz Community Theater Projects, Inc. acquired the property and began rehabilitation in 1998. On May 6, 2000, the theater reopened as the Helen Stairs Theatre in honor of the citizen who led the restoration project, Helen Stairs. The following year, the location was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2008, additional renovations were completed at the theater was renamed the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in honor of the Wayne Densch Charitable Trust Fund for contributing to the renovations fund.
Cepero, Laura
Original color digital images by Laura Cepero, June 9, 2011.
<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/"><span>RICHES of Central Florida</span></a>
image/jpg
eng
Still Image
Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center, Sanford, Florida