Spring/Summer Newsletter 2013

Casa FelizHistoric Home Museum

Spring/Summer 2013A newsletter from the Friends of Casa Feliz, Winter Park, Florida

Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic andauthor Paul Goldberger will headline thisyear’s James Gamble Rogers Colloquium onHistoric Preservation. The contributing editorto Vanity Fair and former author of the NewYorker’s celebrated Skyline column will speakon the topic of “Why Architecture Matters,”also the title of his acclaimed book (YaleUniversity Press, 2009).

“It’s a real privilege to have arguably theforemost living architecture critic to speak to alocal audience,” said Dan Kirby, president ofthe Florida Association of the AmericanInstitute of Architects (AIA Florida). “Mr.Goldberger has the rare gift of analyzing

architecture with knowledge and precision, yet in a way that’s understandableand engaging to the layman.”

Below are excerpts from Goldberger’s lectures and writings which illustrate hisscholarly yet accessible musings:

On preservation: For if historic preservation is to achieve its greatest potential, itreally needs to be seen not as a vehicle to bring us back to another time, but asone that enriches the experience of our own time. Perhaps the most importantthing to say about preservation when it is really working as it should is that it usesthe past not to make us nostalgic, but to make us feel that we live in a betterpresent, a present that has a broad reach and a great, sweeping arc, and that isnot narrowly defined, but broadly defined by its connections to other eras, andits ability to link arms with them in a larger, cumulative whole. Successfulpreservation makes time a continuum, not a series of disjointed, disconnectederas.

On architecture: Architecture is about the making of place, and the making ofmemory. Architecture gives us joy if we are lucky, and it gives us satisfaction andcomfort, but it also connects us to our neighbors, since the architecture of a

Goldberger Headlines Colloquium

At first glance, a visitor to Winter Park wouldthink that the city must have a strong sense ofits own history. Beautiful homes line theshaded streets, and care is taken to keep theintegrity of the historic districts intact. But ifone looks closely at the overall picture, thereis more work to be done. Many of Winter Park’shistoric structuresremain unrecognizedfor their contributionsto the city. At thispoint, too manybuildings are beingdemolished, withoutregard to the largerimpact on the culturallandscape.

More long term visionis required. If weimagine the city of Winter Park in 2050, whatwould we hope to see? The buildings of the1950s and 60s that are being demolished rightnow would be nearly a century old by thattime. The recently bulldozed Dan T. McCartyState Office Building, designed in 1958 byHugo M. Broleman with Ernest D. Rapp at thecorner of Morse and Denning, was one of themost prominent examples of mid-twentiethcentury architecture in the city. Onceheralded for its “modern” style — a sign ofeconomic prosperity in the 1950s — the cross-shaped structure could have served many newfunctions while contributing to the historiccharacter of Winter Park.

Historic Preservation in the21st Century: The Next FiftyYears in Winter Park

by Christine Madrid Frenchwww.madridfrench.com

cont. on page 5cont. on page 2

town or a city is the physical expression of common ground. It is whatwe share, if only because the architecture of a community is one of thefew forms of experience that everyone partakes in: the sharing ofplace.

On James Gamble Rogers I: You cannot talk about modernism andYale without talking about James Gamble Rogers, the great architectof almost all of the Yale colleges, Sterling Library, the Hall ofGraduate Studies, and the Law School. There is no single architectwho has left a clearer mark on this campus than Rogers, whograduated from Yale in 1889, and began to build actively here in theyears following 1917, when he got the commission to build the MemorialQuadrangle...it is probably no exaggeration to say that theQuadrangle is the most beautiful, elegant, and civilizing set of Gothicbuildings created anywhere in the twentieth century.

2013 COLLOQUIUM AGENDA

Friday, April 57 p.m. - Keynote, Paul Goldberger "Why Architecture Matters"

Rollins College, Tiedtke Concert Hall

Saturday, April 69:30 - 11:30 a.m. - Panel Discussion “Defining ‘Good’ Design:Architecture that Stands the Test of Time” – featuring Paul

Goldberger, James Gamble Rogers III, Jack Rogers,and moderator Dr. Richard John

Rollins College, Tiedtke Concert Hall

11:30 a.m. – Lunch and informal tours of theCasa Feliz Historic Home Museum

(Casa Feliz)

12:30 - 3:30 p.m. – Winter Park House Tour:Good Design Through the Ages

(See page 3 for details)

Sunday, April 710 a.m. Choice of Three Tours:

Insider’s Architectural Tour of Rollins College (led by RollinsPresident Emeritus Thaddeus Seymour and architect Jack Rogers)

VIP Tour of Cornell Fine Arts Musuem (led by Dr. Ena Heller, Director)

Special Scenic Boat Tours of Winter Park

Noon to 3 p.m. - Music at the Casa featuring Saxophonist Matt Festa

Register online today at www.casafeliz.us!The admission fee for the entire weekend is $100 or $25 for Friday

Keynote only. 50% discount for students.

page 2

Goldberger Headlines Colloquium (cont.) Parlor Series CelebratesNative Florida Culture withNext Installments.

On Thursday, May 9 at 5:30 pm, acclaimedauthor and documentary filmmaker BillBelleville will speak on “The Other HistoricPreservation: Salvaging Florida’s NaturalHeritage.” Belleville is particularly well-knownfor his documentary “In Marjorie’s Wake” whichretraced author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’famed 1933 trip exploring the St. John’s River.He is an eloquent advocate for protection ofour endangered wetlands and waterways. Youwon’t want to miss this presentation. Respondto [email protected] with “Belleville” in thesubject line. $10 per person admission will becollected at the door the evening of the event.The morning of Saturday, June 15 from 10

am to noon, Casa Feliz is partnering with theWinter Park Public Library to present “Kids atthe Casa: Dig Into Reading!” In conjunctionwith the Library’s Summer Youth ReadingProgram, we will host a morning of activities inand around Casa Feliz. There will be a readingand book-signing by noted children’s authorLoreen Leedy, whose books, which include“My Teacher is a Dinosaur” and “SeeingSymmetry,” are ingeniously written to beteaching tools. Native American Jim Sawgrasswill demonstrate Muskogee Indian dance,music, costuming and storytelling. The CAREFoundation exotic animal rescue will bring theiranimal friends for learning and entertainment.Crealde School of Art will be sponsoringcrafts. It’s going to be a terrific morning! Moreinformation will be available on our website inearly May.

page 3

Casa Feliz Spring/Summer 2013

2013 James Gamble Rogers II Colloquium House & Garden Tour:Good Design Through the Ages

The theme of this year’s colloquium, Why Architecture Matters, will be completely evidentto the participants in the Saturday, April 6 afternoon house tour (see agenda, p. 2). Theowners of five of Winter Park’s loveliest private homes have generously offered to opentheir doors for our tour. Groups will be led by local design experts. The homes varygreatly by style and when they were constructed (from 1930 to 2012), but they share acommon denominator: outstanding architecture. This is rare opportunity, only forColloquium participants, to see the insides of five of the city’s grandest residences.Register today at www.casafeliz.us.

“Tappan House” – The lakefrontTappan House was designed byJames Gamble Rogers II and builtin 1931 for Walter H. and JaneTappan. Mr. Tappan was with theNational City Bank of New York.The center hall shingle stylehouse was the winter home for theTappans who summered in LakeChamplain, New York.

“Nelson House” – The ItalianRenaissance Revival style estatewas designed by architectDavid Hyer for William B. andEdna Follett and built in 1930.James Gamble Rogers designedadditions to the house in 1960.

Home of Bach FestivalFounder – Attributed toJames Gamble Rogers II,although not confirmed, thisrambling 1935 SpanishEclectic style house wasbuilt for Isabelle SpragueSmith, in the heart of OldWinter Park.

New American Home – Designed andbuilt by Philip Kean of Phil Kean Designsin 2011, this home is a re-interpretationof the Classic International style thatwas made popular by such famousarchitects/artists as Le Corbusier andRichard Meier.

Palma Ceia – This Spanish Eclectic stylehome was designed by Randall J.Slocum of Slocum Platts in 2005. Themagnificent home fronts Lake Osceola,with expert landscaping by AugustSchwartz.

photo by Ruben Madrid

photo by Ruben Madrid

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Casa Feliz Spring/Summer 2013

Up to $99Scott BridgmanHarold and Carol CardEffective Financial ServicesGay JungElizabeth KendallErik LarsenRonda and Gregory HornbeckKimberly Mathis and Richard Reep

Bruce and Anne ThomasTracy WoytasGlen Werneth

Terra Cotta Members (up to $199)AnonymousRick and Mary Alice BaldwinJill and Bob BendickBocelli, Inc. – Robert Livermore

Jean and Alfred BlauveltRichard and Nancy BossermanPam and Steve BrandonMarjorie BridgesMinter ByrdEmilee CarletonPaul and Sharon ConwayAnn and Carl CroftBlair and Diane CulpepperWilbur and Rosie DavisBill and Ann DeuchlerBeth DillahaPatrick DoyleEileen DuvaCharlotte EverbachSteve FellerSally FlynnFor Giving FoundationMarcia and Lou FreyHarl and Beverly GrahamPat McDonald and Barry Greenstein

Jeff and Laura HaleWilliam Hobby

We are grateful to the following members of the Friends of Casa Feliz who have made a financial contributionbetween (March 1, 2012 and March 11, 2013). We apologize for any misspellings and errors of omission.

Sue HoeksemaEleanor IrvineDon and Sarah JaegerWayne and Pat JonesMichael and Aimee KakosPaul and Christina KemprecosDrew and Jane KrecickiVicki KruegerJulie and Tom LamarEmmy and Tom LawtonAnn and Bill LeggRob and Nancy LordTom and Ann McMackenKip and Donna MarchmanEleanor and Sam MeinerLucy MorseTemple MosleyPaul and Betsy OwensDeede Sharpe and John Parker

Matthew RaffaRichard RaffaAnn SaurmanLouise SchenckSteve and Patty SchoeneRobert and Sarah SharpsteinBeth and Mike SheerinJohn and Ann StevensWalter and Marjorie TuckerMarshall and Ashley VanLandingham

Robbi and Bill WalkerMartha and James WilliamsonMike and Gail WinnCarol Wisler

Andalusia MembersUp to $499Bruce and Jackie BeckerJulie and Bruce BlackwellEmily BondVerna and Andy BuchsDonna and Guy ColadoJohn and Carolyn ColemanCarolyn and Ned Cooper

John and Kay CustisEPLS – Roi LevinAlan and Sunny GeislerBob and Judy GreenGrace HagedornHortus Oasis – Kristin and Stephen Pategas

Jay and Lynn HughesBrad JamesKaren and Dick JamesLawrence and Karen KolinKenneth KraftLinda and Charles KulmannLawson and Joann LamarRobert LaughlinRon and Marilyn LowryThe Hon. John MicaBeth and Bill NeidlingerLou and Lee NimkoffJohn and Anne PerryDavid and Tracie PitelkaFrank and Angela RoarkDon Sondag, Jr.Betty SpanglerGeorge and Lucy StandridgeJohn and MC TrbovichLiz and Trip TuckerEgerton and Nikki van den BergDon and Carolyn Webster

Majolica MembersUp to $999Jess and Betsey BailesJacqueline and Darrell DavisMark and Tiffany FeinbergMatt GayKatherine and Bud GrammerJohn and Rachel GroganJeanne and Charlie HarrisOrman and Kay KimbroughKenneth and Ann MurrahFred and Jeanie RaffaJack and Peggy RogersCharlie and Kay RosenfeltThaddeus and Polly Seymour

Terri and Jim SpoonhourBonnie TrismenSandy and Dick Womble

Architect’s Circle$1,000 and higherArthur’s Catering – Mark & Courtney Leggett

BDV, LLCMary Jane BlandByron and Charlotte CarterCommerce National Bank and Trust

Gary and Barbara DeVaneDick and Mimi FordLeslie Warrington HardyHarper Family FoundationOrange County Arts &Cultural Affairs ProgramsPat and Randy RobertsonJeff SchenckWater Oak InvestorsButch and Patty Wooten

In-Kind DonorsAloma PrintingAmeriprise - Steve MerendaArthur’s CateringArt Faulkner PhotographyBach Festival Society of WinterPark

Bubbalou’s Bodacious Barbecue

Fairbanks FloristFlorida Distributing CompanyFrank RoarkFun Factory EntertainmentGet LitGerry Braun LandscapingHolland and ReillyHortus OasisKaleidoscope LightingMears TransportationRLFBold typeface indicatesColloquium 2013 sponsor

page 5

Casa Feliz

Historic Preservation in the 21st Century: The Next Fifty Years in Winter Park (cont.)The City does use “long-term horizon” dates for planning; the Future Land Use Elementprogram guide strategizes up to the year 2028. Though the goals of this documentinclude protecting the City’s “natural resources and environmental assets,” anddiscouraging “urban sprawl” (both commendable aims), there is no mention of theconservation of historic integrity. Instead, the city focuses on maintaining the“historically accepted character” of Winter Park overall. This is a problem. What exactlyis the “accepted” character of this city’s history and who is defining it? The New England

Building, at thecorner of NewEngland Avenueand Knowles, is oneof the bestremaining examplesof mid-centurymodern architecturein the downtownarea, but thisbuilding is notdesignated. Neitheris the downtownpost office building,with its uniquesmashed-can wall

decoration and mosaic façade. The Gateway Medical Plaza, at the corner of Orangeand Orlando Avenues, is also a premium modern design, completed during a periodwhen the new idea of “medical arts” helped inform both the architecture of medicaloffices and the treatment of patients. The building, designed by James Bruce Spencer,was intended to assist in the healing of its visitors, through the inclusion of small shadedcourtyards for each examination room and tranquil water ponds to promote a relaxedatmosphere. Luckily for us, the new owner of the Gateway Plaza is interested inpreserving the building and its notable original features. But its future prospects couldhave just as easily gone in another direction, with eager buyers willing to sacrifice thisaging structure for a new building on the high-visibility site. Winter Park does maintain a comprehensive set of planning documents, including a

section on historic preservation. The Historic Preservation Division administers theHistoric Preservation Ordinance and serves as the liaison to the Historic PreservationBoard, which reviews nominations to the Winter Park Register of Historic Places orNational Register of Historic Places. Any changes proposed to a listed historic structureare also reviewed by the board. Yet we know that Winter Park could make historic preservation a higher priority. The

city can start by listening to its own experts, including the members of the HistoricPreservation Board, particularly when conflicting opinions arise as to a building’shistoric significance and integrity. The board, for its part, needs to be independent andobjective when analyzing properties, without considering the impact of developmentissues or previously-made agreements regarding land use. In looking through theagenda of the Historic Preservation Board over 2012, very few commercial structurescame up for review, or were nominated by their owners as historic properties. Yet, taxcredits exist for renovations to commercial properties that are listed on the NationalRegister of Historic Places, a possible financial incentive for upgrading properties lining

Orange or Fairbanks Avenues, forinstance. Additionally, the city and the people

would benefit by making the historicdesignation process more legible to thelay public. The Winter Park Register ofHistoric Places has a number ofbuildings listed (from two to four peryear since 2001), but the list tells usnothing but the address and the date ofdetermination. Why are these buildingslisted? What is the date of construction?And, who is the architect, or who is theimportant historic figure thatlived/worked there? What style is thebuilding? And, perhaps mostimportantly for interested owners, doesmy building fit into this list? Betterinformation, all online, will help avoidthose inevitable conflicts betweenpreservationists and property owners.Most importantly, Winter Park needs tokeep up with the times. If the city utilizesthe standard fifty-year guideline as thefirst determination of historicsignificance, we need to move forwardwith identification efforts quickly. Thelistings for Winter Park need to bereviewed within the context of the city’sfirst century—from 1882 through 1982—so that we can stay ahead of the movingwindow of historic designation. Thehistoric character of Winter Park remainsintact in many of the grand homes, butdozens of the critical structures thatdefined the area in the 1900s are gone.We can ensure that Winter Parkrepresents its whole history, throughoutthe last one-hundred years and into thenext century, by refocusing our effortsto pro-actively identify and protect thecity’s significant buildings, before thenext wave of development takes its toll.

Ms. French is an architectural historian living inMaitland. She taught architectural history at theUniversity of Central Florida and is an ExpertMember on the 20th-Century Heritage Committeefor the International Council of Monuments andSites (ICOMOS), and the president ofDOCOMOMO-US/Florida.

photo by Chris Madrid French

Friends of Casa FelizBoard of DirectorsMargie BridgesBill DeuchlerLindsey HayesKaren JamesKay KimbroughLawrence KolinJulie Lamar

Stephen PategasFrank RoarkPat RobertsonJohn H. RogersPeggy RogersAnn Stevens

StaffExecutive DirectorBetsy Owens

Assistant DirectorAngela RoarkEvent DesignerMelissa Burtram

Casa FelizP.O. Box 591Winter Park, FL 32790407-628-8200casafeliz.us

April 5-7James Gamble Rogers II Colloquium on Historic Preservation: Details page 2

May 9 “The Other Historic Preservation: Salvaging Florida’s Natural Heritage.”Parlor Series with Documentary Filmaker Bill Belleville, 5:30 pm, Casa Feliz;[email protected].

“Music at the Casa”

04 07 13 Matt Festa Jazz Saxophone 04 14 13 Beautiful Music with Shannon Caine04 21 13 Alborea Dances Flamenco!04 28 13 Matt Festa Jazz Saxophone

05 05 13 Peter Thatcher Jazz Guitar05 12 13 Beautiful Music with Shannon Caine05 19 13 Vocalist Theresa Leigh Smith05 26 13 Luis Alfredo Garcia Flamenco Guitar

06 02 13 Harpist Catherine Way06 09 13 Beautiful Music with Shannon Caine06 16 13 Flamenco Guitarist Omar Miguel06 23 13 Jazz Guitarist George Grosman & Friends06 30 13 Alborea Dances Flamenco!

Mark your calendars!

Tour this house and others at our April 5-7Colloquium. Register online at www.casafeliz.us.