First Lady Grace Coolidge Dedication Marker at Bok Tower Gardens
Lake Wales (Fla.)
Tourism--Florida
The dedication marker for a palm tree planted by First Lady Grace Coolidge (1879-1957), the wife of President Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933), on February 1, 1929, at Bok Tower Gardens, located at 1151 Tower Boulevard in Lake Wales, Florida. These images were taken by Russell Moore in 2010.<br /><br />Edward Bok (1863-1930) retired to the town of Lake Wales, located south of Orlando. Bok set out a plan to establish a natural garden and bird sanctuary where people to visit to quietly enjoy nature. He engaged Frederick Law Olmstead, Jr. (1870-1957) to design the grounds and asked architect Milton Bennett Medary (1874-1929) to design and build a carillon tower. Lee Lawrie (1877-1963), a noted sculptor from New York, designed the elaborate marble sculpture that adorns the tower. Work was completed in 1928 and on February 1, 1929, President Calvin Coolidge dedicated the Sanctuary. Bok died less than a year later in 1930 and was buried at the foot of the tower.<br /><br />The tower and the carillon housed inside is Bok Tower Gardens' most distinctive feature. The carillon consists of 60 bells, ranging in size from 16 pounds to just under 12 tons. The bells are played like an organ with the keys connected to the clappers of each bell. Bok Tower has had only three regular carillonneurs in its more than 70 years. The Sanctuary's first carillonneur was Anton Brees, serving as the only carillonneur from 1928 until 1967. Milford Myhre has been the resident carillonneur since 1968. William De Turk has been the assistant carillonneur since 1993. De Turk is also the librarian of the Anton Brees Carillon Library, which is reportedly the largest and most comprehensive carillon library in the world.
Moore, Russell
Original color digital image by Russell Moore, March 7, 2010: Private Collection of Russell Moore.
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Still Image
Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, Florida
Invitation from Mayor Bob Carr for City Hall Dedication
Orlando (Fla.)
City halls--United States
An invitation from Mayor Bob Carr (1899-1967) sent for an early preview of the new Orlando City Hall, which was to be dedicated on October 3, 1958. Mayor Carr served from 1957 through January 29, 1967, when he died in office. It was during his tenure that Walt Disney (1901-1966) announced plans to build the Walt Disney World Resort in the Greater Orlando area. The new city hall was designed by Richard Boon Rogers and stood eight stories tall. The building was technologically up-to-date for its time with air conditioning and fallout shelters. Additionally, it was the first city hall Orlando had which was designed for that purpose. It remained in use until its destruction in 1991, which was filmed for use in <em>Lethal Weapon 3</em>. The new city hall was much more spacious than the previous building used. Grace Chewning, who worked in the clerk's office, described the new city hall as "so open there was such a feeling of freedom."
Original invitation, 1958: Orlando Remembered Exhibit, <a href="http://www.cityoforlando.net/city-hall-hours-directions/" target="_blank">Orlando City Hall</a>, Orlando, Florida.
<a href="http://www.cityoforlando.net/" target="_blank">City of Orlando</a>
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Orlando City Hall, Downtown Orlando, Florida
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
President Calvin Coolidge Dedication Marker at Bok Tower Gardens
Lake Wales (Fla.)
Tourism--Florida
Gardens--Florida
Presidents--United States
The dedication marker for a palm tree planted by President Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933) on February 1, 1929, at Bok Tower Gardens, located at 1151 Tower Boulevard in Lake Wales, Florida. These images were taken by Russell Moore in 2010.<br /><br />Edward Bok (1863-1930) retired to the town of Lake Wales, located south of Orlando. Bok set out a plan to establish a natural garden and bird sanctuary where people to visit to quietly enjoy nature. He engaged Frederick Law Olmstead, Jr. (1870-1957) to design the grounds and asked architect Milton Bennett Medary (1874-1929) to design and build a carillon tower. Lee Lawrie (1877-1963), a noted sculptor from New York, designed the elaborate marble sculpture that adorns the tower. Work was completed in 1928 and on February 1, 1929, President Calvin Coolidge dedicated the Sanctuary. Bok died less than a year later in 1930 and was buried at the foot of the tower.<br /><br />The tower and the carillon housed inside is Bok Tower Gardens' most distinctive feature. The carillon consists of 60 bells, ranging in size from 16 pounds to just under 12 tons. The bells are played like an organ with the keys connected to the clappers of each bell. Bok Tower has had only three regular carillonneurs in its more than 70 years. The Sanctuary's first carillonneur was Anton Brees, serving as the only carillonneur from 1928 until 1967. Milford Myhre has been the resident carillonneur since 1968. William De Turk has been the assistant carillonneur since 1993. De Turk is also the librarian of the Anton Brees Carillon Library, which is reportedly the largest and most comprehensive carillon library in the world.
Moore, Russell
Original color digital image by Russell Moore, March 7, 2010: Private Collection of Russell Moore.
image/jpg
eng
Still Image
Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, Florida