Letter from M. C. Muddleson to James D. Beggs, Jr. (January 16, 1941)
Orlando (Fla.)
Post offices
A letter from M. C. Muddleson to Orlando Postmaster James D. Beggs, Jr., dated January 16, 1941. In the letter, Muddleson discusses plans for the dedication ceremony of the new Downtown Orlando Post Office building, located at 51 East Jefferson Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida. The original post office was housed in the Federal Building, located 44 East Central Boulevard in Downtown Orlando, Florida, from 1917 to 1941. In 1935, when James D. Beggs, Jr. became the postmaster, he began petitioning to move the post office from its Central Boulevard and Court Avenue location to a more spacious building. In 1939, St. James Catholic Church sold a plot of land on Jefferson Street for the new building. The building was designed by Louis A. Simon in the Northern Italian Palazzo Revival-style, and was constructed by J. P. Cullen & Son. The new building opened in 1941 and housed the post office, the courthouse, and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offices. The building was named an Orlando Historic Landmark in 1989. However, it was eventually sold back to the St. James Church. In 2003, the building was renovated and came under joint ownership by both the church and the federal government. Today, the building retains its post office services but also includes offices for the Catholic Diocese.
Muddleson, M. C.
Original letter from M. C. Muddleson to James D. Beggs, Jr., January 16, 1941: Private Collection of Texann Ivy Buck.
Buck, Texann Ivy
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Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Catholic Mass Procession
Orlando (Fla.)
Churches--Florida
Catholic Church--Florida
A Catholic procession in Downtown Orlando, Florida, sometime between 1939 and 1941. Altar servers are followed by the bishop, priests, and congregants. In these processions, a cross bearer and candle holder, who are not pictured, led the procession and were followed by any extra servers, deacons, priests, and in this case, a bishop. If a bishop is present, at least two servers will follow behind to be ready to take his crosier and his mitre. During a Confirmation ceremony or any other special mass, members of the congregation may process in between the cross and candle bearers and the deacons. In the background, a sign for Walter Menges' Clothier To Men can be seen. The store was located on North Orange Avenue in between Jefferson Street and Robinson Street. Other shops near here included a Rexall drug store and Brenner's Ladies Dress Shop.
Original black and white photograph: <a href="http://orlandoremembered.org/" target="_blank">Orlando Remembered</a> Exhibit, <a href="http://tinyurl.com/o4zfrls" target="_blank">Downtown Orlando Post Office</a>, Downtown Orlando, Florida.
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Walter Menges' Men's Clothing Shop, Downtown Orlando, Florida
St. Joseph's Academy Students
Orlando (Fla.)
Schools
Students--Florida
Students outside of St. Joseph’s Academy in Downtown Orlando, Florida. In 1889, St. Joseph’s Academy was constructed on the church grounds of St. James Catholic Church. The Catholic school was administrated by the Sisters of St. Joseph. The school began with 30 students and the student body peaked in 1927 with 200 pupils in attendance. In 1928, Father Michael Fox began construction of a new, larger school nearby and closed the academy in 1929.
Original 5 x 8 inch black and white photograph: <a href="http://orlandoremembered.org/" target="_blank">Orlando Remembered</a> Exhibit, <a href="http://tinyurl.com/o4zfrls" target="_blank">Downtown Orlando Post Office</a>, Downtown Orlando, Florida.
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East Robinson Street and North Magnolia Avenue, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Orlando Remembered Exhibits Map
Orlando (Fla.)
Maitland (Fla.)
A map of exhibits created by Orlando Remembered. The Orlando Remembered Committee of the Historical Society of Central Florida, Inc. was created to "showcase artistic renderings of the time depicted, with artifacts and historical memorabilia from the location in an effort to preserve the memory of Orlando's history while acknowledging the potential of the City's future." Various exhibits around Orlando memorialize the history of the blocks at which they are located.
Original color map by <a href="http://orlandoremembered.org/" target="_blank">Orlando Remembered</a>.
<a href="http://orlandoremembered.org/" target="_blank">Orlando Remembered</a>
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AmSouth, Orlando, Florida
Baldwin Park Navy Base, Orlando, Florida
Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre, Orlando, Florida
Downtown Orlando Post Office, Orlando, Florida
First Presbyterian Church of Orlando, Orlando, Florida
Howard Middle School, Orlando, Florida
Hughes Supply, Orlando, Florida
New York Life, Maitland, Florida
Orange County Courthouse, Orlando, Florida
Orlando City Hall, Orlando, Florida
Orlando Park Systems, Orlando, Florida
Orlando Park Systems, Orlando, Florida
Rosaline Avenue and Central Boulevard, Orlando, Florida
Rutland Building, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Signature Plaza, Orlando, Florida
SunTrust Bank, Orlando, Florida
The Orlando Sentinel, Orlando, Florida
The Vue, Orlando, Florida
Rooftop View of Robinson Street, 2007
Orlando (Fla.)
Buildings--Florida
Robinson Street in Downtown Orlando, Florida in 2007. The Orlando area was originally occupied by the Creek and Seminole tribes. In 1838, Fort Gatlin was erected on the shores of Lake Gatlin, just a few miles south of present-day Downtown Orlando. Centered around Church Street, Orlando became a city in 1884.
Originally a cattle town, Orlando grew into a major citrus growing center by the 1920s. The city continued to grow during the Great Depression with aid from the Work Progress Administration (WPA). During World War II, Orlando became a major military center as well with the development of the McCoy Air Force Base and Pinecastle Air Force Base, and with the addition of the Naval Training Center Orlando (NTC Orlando) in 1968. Downtown Orlando declined in the 1960s and 1970s. Redevelopment began in the 1970s and continued into the 1980s, with projects such as Church Street Station. In 1998, a building boom began and continued through the 2000s.
Cook, Thomas
Original color digital image by Thomas Cook, 2007 : Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/" target="_blank">RICHES of Central Florida</a>
Cook, Thomas
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Robinson Street, Downtown Orlando, Florida
St. James Catholic Cathedral, 2001
Orlando (Fla.)
Buildings--Florida
Churches--Florida
Catholic Church--Florida
Cathedrals--United States
Catholicism--United States
Catholics--Florida
St. James Catholic Cathedral, located at 215 North Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando, Florida, in 2001. In 1881, Bishop John Moore purchased a block of land bound by Orange Avenue, Magnolia Avenue, Jefferson Street, and Robinson Street. On January 23, 1887, the cornerstone of the Holy Nativity Catholic Church was set under the leadership of Father Felix P. Swembergh. The building was designed by Kurz and Allison's Art Studio of Chicago, Illinois, in the American Gothic style. The structure was completed in June of 1891, under the guidance of Father Joseph J. Creed, who replaced Father Swembergh after his death in October 1887. It was renamed as St. James Catholic Church the following year.
In 1889, a storm destroyed the church's roof and the City of Orlando condemned the building. The church was rebuilt in 1889 in the old Carpenter Gothic style and seated 240. It was torn down around 1950 and the new building, designed by Donovan Dean and Arthur White, was completed on January 20, 1952. In 1977, the building was designated as the diocese's cathedral due to the destruction of the St. Charles Borromeo Cathedral by fire. In July of 2009, the cathedral was closed for renovations and was re-dedicated on November 20, 2010.
Cook, Thomas
Original color image by Thomas Cook, 2001: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
<a href="http://riches.cah.ucf.edu/" target="_blank">RICHES of Central Florida</a>
Cook, Thomas
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eng
Still Image
Holy Nativity Catholic Church, Downtown Orlando, Florida
St. James Catholic Church, Downtown Orlando, Florida
St. James Catholic Cathedral, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Post Office Postcard
Orlando (Fla.)
Postcards--Florida
Post office buildings Florida
Postcard showing the United States Post Office and Federal Courthouse at 42-44 East Central Boulevard in Downtown Orlando, Florida. The building was constructed in a Spanish Colonial Revival style from 1939 to 1941 and dedicated on April 14, 1941. It has been occupied by the United States Post Office since 1941, the Federal District Courthouse from 1941 to circa 1974, the office of the Roman Catholic Church since 2003. The building was renovated in the early 2000s and was modified for office and retail use, with the Post Office retaining 13,200 square feet. Plans included an adjacent parking garage on the north side, though that that aspect never came to fruition. St. James Roman Catholic Cathedral, located across Court Street from the Post Office, purchased the parts of the building not utilized by the Post Office and use it for Chancery office space.
Original 5.5 x 3.5 inch inch color postcard: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
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U.S. Post Office and Federal Courthouse, Orlando, Florida
Dickson Azalea Park Postcard
Orlando (Fla.)
Parks
Postcards--Florida
Postcard showing the Dickson-Azalea Park, owned by the City of Orlando. The park is located south of Robinson Street, north of Central Boulevard, and west of Rosearden Drive. Fern Creek runs through the park, which drains into Mayor Carl T. Langford Park located directly south of Dickson-Azalea. The park is intersected by Washington Street. Washington Street goes over the park with a early white concrete bridge, one of the landmarks of downtown Orlando. Much of Dickson-Azalea Park is below the street surface as if follows the banks of Fern Creek. The park is a garden with mostly native plants and Fern Creek is crossed by several paths and foot bridges.
Tichnor Quality Views
Original <span>5.5 x 3.5 inch </span>color postcard by Tichnor Quality Views, 1938: Orange News Company, Orlando, Florida: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Orange News Company
Delaney, J.
application/pdf
eng
Still Image
Dickson-Azalea Park, Orlando, Florida
Cincinnati, Ohio
St. Petersburg, Florida
Tamiami, Florida
U.S. Post Office Building Postcard
Orlando (Fla.)
Postcards--Florida
Post office buildings--Florida
Buildings--Florida
Courthouses--Florida
Postcard showing the United States Post Office and Federal Courthouse at 42-44 East Central Boulevard in Orlando, Florida. The building was constructed in a Spanish Colonial Revival style from 1939 to 1941 and dedicated on April 14, 1941. It has been occupied by the United States Post Office since 1941, the Federal District Courthouse from 1941 to circa 1974, and the office of the Roman Catholic Church since 2003. The building was renovated in the early 2000s and was modified for office and retail use, with the Post Office retaining 13,200 square feet. Plans included an adjacent parking garage on the north side, though that that aspect never came to fruition. St. James Roman Catholic Cathedral, located across Court Street from the Post Office, purchased the parts of the building not utilized by the Post Office and use it for Chancery office space.
Genuine Curteich-Chicago
Original 5.5 x 3.5 inch color postcard by Genuine Curteich-Chicago: Orange News Company, Orlando, Florida: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Orange News Company
Cook, Thomas
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eng
Still Image
Orlando, Florida
East Robinson Ave. Postcard
Orlando (Fla.)
Postcards--Florida
Roads--Florida
Streets--Florida
Avenues
Postcard, posted in March of 1911, showing East Robinson Avenue a few blocks north of Central Boulevard in Orlando, Florida. The avenue was named for Samuel Robinson of Emmett, Michigan, who was a surveyor for Orange County for seventeen years. He was responsible for planting the many trees along Magnolia Avenue where he built his home. Now called Robinson Street, the road passes along the northern shore of Lake Eola.
Original 5.5 x 3.5 inch color postcard: Private Collection of Thomas Cook.
Cook, Thomas
application/pdf
eng
Still Image
Orlando, Florida
Hudson Falls, New York