Instructions:
1....Print this file.
2....At its end, click on "rules" to see a copy of the trail rules, print it, and then click where indicated at the end of the 3-page rules and patch order form to get back to the list of Florida trails.
3....If you want a hand-drawn map showing the locations of all of the sites, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Steve Rajtar, 1614 Bimini Dr., Orlando, FL 32806.
4....Hike the trail and order whatever patches you like (optional).
WARNING - This trail may pass through one or more neighborhoods which, although full of history, may now be unsafe for individuals on foot, or which may make you feel unsafe there. Hikers have been approached by individuals who have asked for handouts or who have inquired (not always in a friendly manner) why the hikers are in their neighborhood. Drugs and other inappropriate items have been found by hikers in some neighborhoods. It is suggested that you drive the hike routes first to see if you will feel comfortable walking them and, if you don't think it's a good place for you walk, you might want to consider (1) traveling with a large group, (2) doing the route on bicycles, or (3) choosing another hike route. The degree of comfort will vary with the individual and with the time and season of the hike, so you need to make the determination using your best judgment. If you hike the trail, you accept all risks involved.
Ground was broken for a church here by the Dixieland Methodist congregation on June 27, 1912, with the first nail driven at 6:05 a.m. They finished the building by nightfall, despite a constant rain, and the first service was held in it that night. The minister at the time was Rev. F.E. Steinmyer.
In 1922, the sanctuary was moved eastward on the block under the pine trees, and the present sanctuary was built in its place.
This was Lakeland's first important subdivision. It was surveyed by Patterson, Finney & Cox and the first lots in it went on sale in January of 1906. Two years later, an auction sale of lots brought in from $130 to $150 each.
It was served by the town's first mass transportation, the Lakeland Jitney lines, which ran a bus from Main St. and Kentucky Ave. to S. Florida Ave., over to Lake Hollingsworth, down Success Ave., around Lake Morton, and back to Main St. for a nickel.
This congregation organized in November of 1922 and held its first service in a new $100,000 brick sanctuary here on March 9, 1924. Rev. P.C. Barkley served as the first pastor. The present church was built in 1966 and the educational building was added in 1981.
This Bungalow was built in 1925, and for a time was operated as the Tourist Rest Apartments. It was converted to a bed and breakfast establishment by Bryce and Mary Ann Zender.
Approximately 50 blocks surrounding this site, containing about 760 buildings, were designated as the South Lake Morton Historic District in 1985. The most common style of construction is the Bungalow, followed by Frame Vernacular. Most were built between 1900 and 1942.
Lake Morton was named after John P. Morton of Louisville, Kentucky, a brother-in-law of Abraham Munn.
The area between McDonald St. and Lake Hollingsworth was a grove, first planted in the 1870s by Archie McLeod of Alabama. It was cleared in 1922 to make room for the construction of college buildings.
Then known as Southern College, in 1933 it was on the verge of closing permanently. Despite a critical financial situation, president Dr. Ludd Myrl Spivey persuaded the board of trustees to continue, and in 1935 to change the name to Florida Southern College.
Frank Lloyd Wright came to this state in 1938 at the request of Dr. Spivey and worked for over 20 years to develop the Child of the Sun Collection of buildings on this campus. The twelve buildings are the largest one-site concentration of his work. The site plan developed by Wright for the campus reflects the only tangible expression of his own planning concepts shown in his "Broadacre City" plan.
Following Wright's death in 1959, his work was continued by Nils Schweizer, his student and protege.
The portion of the college west of Joseph-Reynolds Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places as an Architectural District on June 11, 1975. The seven unconventional Wright buildings within the district called for steel for strength, sand for Florida, and glass to bring the outdoors in.
The Roux Library was designed by Nils Schweizer. His use of a ring of heavily tinted windows around the top continued Wright's preference for use of natural light.
The Emile E. Watson-Benjamin Fine Administration building was the fourth Wright building completed on the campus, and despite being built by a professional construction company (unlike most Wright buildings, which utilized student labor), the construction was monitored by supervisors who answered to Wright. It features a variety of plants and open roof spaces, relating the architecture to nature. It was completed in 1948.
When designed by Wright, the four pools now present were one large one, but were redesigned in the 1960s when it became difficult to maintain. The present configuration allows more use as a forum area and plaza.
This second Wright building was built by students in 1940-41 who sawed wooden forms, sealed them with rubber forms, and poured blocks and esplanades. The tiny particles of glass and rock embedded in the concrete produce small openings which allow light to softly filter into the interior.
Named after Carter, Wallbridge and Hawkins, this initially was a series of three separate seminar buildings with open courtyards in between. As the college grew, it became business offices.
This was designed by Wright as a library, and when it was completed in 1945 it housed the E.T. Roux Library. The reading room was located in the semicircular, multi-terraced portion. Wright lined the circular room with windows, but had only limited artificial light for night study. Desk lamps were brought in, but removed when Wright came for visits.
After the library outgrew this building, it was redesigned as an administration office and conference room. Inside is the William E. Hollis Room, named after a college benefactor, used for business and college symposiums. Also in this building are the Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center and the Esplanade Gift Shop.
This chapel is named after William H. Danforth, and is a popular place for student weddings. It was Wright's only leaded glass project on the campus. The only two religious symbols present are a wrought iron cross at the entrance and a cross on the altar.
The woodwork is done in Florida tidewater red cypress. Wright designed the pews and cushions, which were built by industrial arts and home economics students. It was completed in 1955.
The steeple of this building, constructed in 1938-41, was designed as a chime resonator and casts shifting shadows into the interior. During the day, square of tinted glass filter the light. The cast blocks with glass were produced by students.
This was the first Wright building completed on the campus. The tower is sometimes referred to as the "bicycle rack in the sky" and "the bow-tie" because of the wrought iron structure on top.
This bronze urn was placed here as a memorial to Allan Ludd Spivey, the son of the former president of the college. The three figures on the urn depict an adult male and adult female reaching toward each other with a male child standing between them. The inscriptions read "Allan 1925-1932" and "A vessel of God that is not broken and cannot be broken."
This was originally designed to be a cafeteria and dining hall, but instead when opened in 1952 was used as an art center, student lounge, and theater in the round. Later, it was remodeled and used for faculty offices and classrooms. This is the fifth Wright building completed, and utilizes interior gardens, fountains and natural lighting.
This is one of the first two buildings erected on campus, completed in 1922. It was first named the Dormitory for Women and was renamed the Joseph-Reynolds Dorm in 1937. The Eleanor Searle Drawing Room was named in 1945.
This authentic Hindu temple brought here from Benares, India, was given to the college in 1938. Dr. Frederick B. Fisher, the Methodist bishop of India during the 1920s, had it taken to Calcutta by oxcart and stern-paddle boat, and then disassembled and shipped to Boston. It remained packed at Fisher's house for ten years until he offered it to the college. A month later, Dr. Fisher died, but his widow, Welthy H. Fisher, completed the gift.
Built in 1922 with plans drawn by F.H. Trimble of Orlando, this was originally called the Social Hall. It was renamed Edge Hall in 1935.
This was built in 1936-37, and was named after the president's seven-year-old son who died in 1932 from the bite of a rabid dog. It began as a men's dormitory, and later became the freshmen women's dorm.
This is the largest of the Wright buildings, being over 400 feet long. At the southern end is a planetarium, the only one in this part of the state, and the only one designed by Wright.
The building is constructed on three levels, and appears to be growing from the ground, following Wright's concept of natural form. It was completed in 1958 at a cost of over one million dollars.
Schweizer prepared the final design of this building, using an early drawing made by Wright. The interior plaza is a daily student meeting place, and the 1,800 seat hall has been called one of the two acoustically best in the country. Also in this building is a large exhibit of American glass donated to the college by Dr. Charles M. Laymon, which was formerly housed in the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel.
Named after former president Ludd M. Spivey, the theater in this building seats 348 in Roman amphitheater style. This center was built around the existing Marjorie M. McKinley Music Building.
This lake is named after John Henry Hollingsworth, an Indian fighter who settled with his wife, Ann Elizabeth Hooker, and family on the south shore in 1852.
John's brother, Stephen Thomas Hollingsworth, and his wife, Sarahann Pearce Hollingsworth, also settled in Polk County in 1852. One of their sons, Joshua, served as the president in 1887 to 1889 of the Florida (Methodist) High School and College in Leesburg. That institution eventually became Florida Southern College, located on the shore of this lake.
In 1924, acres of homes and the Cleveland Heights Country Club were opened here by Ohioans T.J. Appleyard, F.H. Callahan, J.E. Melton and H.A. Stahl. The streets in this area are named after streets in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
To attract people to their new development, the four Ohioans established the golf and country club here in 1923.
In about 1900, this was the site of a tourist tent camp. Later, in 1912, the more popular and attractive Frances Beach resort was developed by J.S. Frances. Weekly dances were held in the hall on the second floor of the pavilion, which had dressing rooms and refreshment areas downstairs.
This was the location of the Colonial style home of Spence Minor Stephens, built by him shortly after he arrived here in 1884. It became known as "Greylocks", and had Corinthian columns, a solarium, porches, balconies, and a carriage entrance. Stephens was an authority on citrus and was one of the largest fruit shippers in the state.
It was the home of Park Trammell, who was Florida's governor from 1913 to 1917. It was the social center of Lakeland, sometimes hosting college receptions and dances. The home was seriously damaged by a fire on March 27, 1965, and was torn down in 1967.
A Guide to National Register Sites in Florida, by Florida Department of State (1984)
Century in the Sun: A History of Polk County, Florida, by Ed McNeely and Al R. McFadyen (Polk County Centennial Committee 1961)
Florida Southern College: The First 100 Years, by Theodore M. Haggard (Florida Southern College 1985)
Florida Southern College Walking Tour, by Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce (1972)
Florida's Fabled Inns, by Louise K. Frisbie (Imperial Publishing Company 1980)
Florida's Historical Markers & Sites, by Floyd E. Boone (Gulf Publishing Company 1988)
Florida's History Through Its Places: Properties In the National Register of Historic Places, by Morton D. Winsberg (Florida State University 1988)
Frank Lloyd Wright's Child of the Sun: A "Walking Tour" of Florida Southern College, (Florida Southern College)
Guide to Florida's Historic Architecture, (University of Florida Press 1989)
History of Polk County, Florida, by M.F. Hetherington (The Mickler House 1971)
Yesterday's Lakeland, by Hampton Dunn (Bay Center Corporation 1976)
Yesterday's Polk County, by Louise K. Frisbie (E.A. Seeman Publishing, Inc. 1976)
Click here for a copy of the trail rules.