LAKELAND, FL – Congratulations to Florida Southern College for achieving National Historic Landmark status designated by the U.S. Department of Interior.  The college was selected from a long list of applicants because of its historical significance as the largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright Architecture, known as Wright’s “Child of the Sun” Campus.  Click here for the article in the Lakeland Ledger.

Florida Southern College was one of 13 sites in the nation to receive the designation this year. There are 42 other sites in Florida already designated National Historic Landmarks, including Polk County’s own Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales.

Walking tour maps of the architecture are available at the college’s visitor center.

The college is constructing a new Wright Visitor’s Center and Usonian Home on the campus to showcase the unique design of Frank Lloyd Wright Architecture.  Click here to learn more about the Usonian Home.

LAKELAND, FL – The Ninth Annual Lake Morton Historic Home & Garden Tour presented by the Lake Morton Neighborhood Association (LMNA) will be held on Saturday, March 17, 2012 from 11:00 am until 4:00 pm.  The self-guided walking or trolley tour is open to the public and will feature homes and gardens in the South and East Lake Morton historic districts of Lakeland, Florida.

The Lakeland Historic Home Tour will begin at 11 am and is accessible by foot or trolley.  It will showcase examples of several different architectural styles such as the Federal Colonial Revival style, the English Arts and Crafts Tudor style, the Mediterranean Revival Style, and several Craftsman bungalows. Homeowners and greeters will be on hand at the tour homes to welcome participants and answer questions.

Visitors will begin at the Polk Museum of Art where they can purchase tour tickets. Ticket holders will also enjoy the opportunity to view the museum exhibits free of charge the day of the tour.

The Lake Morton Neighborhood of Lakeland, Florida features one of the largest collections of bungalow architecture in the Southeast.

Got to http://www.lmna.org for full details.

Lakeland, Florida - Historic Lakeland and The City of Lakeland’s Historic Preservation Board held their annual Preservation Awards meeting on Monday, May 9, 2011. This year’s event took place at the historic Garden Club building at the corner of Lake Avenue and Orange Street. The Awards meeting is held in conjunction with National Preservation Week, which is celebrated in May each year. Individuals and businesses are recognized for remodels of historic structures or new construction that clearly has an historic nature.

Click here for the full article.

Take Action: Tell Congress to Restore Preservation Funding

Save Preservation Funding – Action Request from the National Trust for Historic Preservation

In early February, President Obama released his FY 2011 budget request that would eliminate funding for Save America’s Treasures and Preserve America, and cut funding for National Heritage Areas by 50%. These critical historic preservation programs matter now more than ever – not only because they protect our national heritage, but because they serve as economic development engines and job creators in the thousands of communities they serve. For example, Save America’s Treasures alone has been responsible for more than 16,000 jobs since it was created just ten years ago.

We’re asking you to act now and use our easy online form to send a message to your members of Congress asking them to support restoration of funding for Save America’s Treasures and other preservation programs as the House and Senate work on their respective budget bills. Simply enter your zip code. It’s easy and takes a few minutes. We have provided a sample letter, but we encourage you to personalize it.

Click to Act Now