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Item B2 BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: Mav 18. 2000 Division: Growth Management Bulk Item: Yes X No Department: PlanninlZ AGENDA ITEM WORDING: A resolution designating the Old Tavernier School as a Monroe County Historical and Cultural Landmark. ITEM BACKROUND: The site is also known as the Health Department building, which is located on Block 3, Lot 17, Tavernier Subdivision. The Historic Preservation Commission recommends that the site be designated as a Historical and Cultural Landmark as seen in its resolution HOl-OO. The site meets the criterion specified in the Land Development Regulations. PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOARD ACTION: None STAFF RECOMMENDATION: APPROVAL TOTAL COST: N/ A COST TO COUNTY: N/A AMOUNT PER MONTH: N/A BUDGETED: YesN/A NO PER YEAR N/ A APPROVED BY: County Attorney X Risk Management N/ A DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR APPROVAL: DNISION DIRECTOR APPROVAL: DOCUMENTATION: Included x To follow Not required ~-B;) DISPOSITION: Agenda Item #: PROPOSED BOCC RESOLUTION Planning Department RESOLUTION NO. A RESOLUTION BY THE MONROE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS GRANTING THE DESIGNATION OF IIHISTORICAL AND CULTURAL LANDMARK" TO THE OLD TAVERNIER SCHOOL, ALSO KNOWN AS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, AND THE SURROUNDING PARCEL OF LAND, DESCRIBED AS BLOCK 3, LOT 17, TAVERNIER SUBDIVISION, KEY LARGO, IN PLAT BOOK 1, PAGE 105 -- JI-142 G6 OR881017/18, REAL ESTATE NUMBER 00479000-000000. WHEREAS the Old Tavernier School meets the criteria for Udesignation of historical properties" as specified in Section 9.5-454 (a) (1) and (3) of the Monroe County Code, Amended, in that the Old Tavernier School is significant in the history of Monroe County, is associated with events that are significant in the history of Monroe County, and embodies the distinctive characteristics of a method of construction; and WHEREAS the procedures of historic designation set forth in Section 9.5-455 of the Monroe County Code, Amended, have been followed, in that: 1. The proposed designation was initiated by the Historic Florida Keys Foundation, whose board of directors voted unanimously on November 29, 2000 to direct their staff to proceed with a designation application; and Page 1 of 3 2. The designation application includes a boundary description, address, and a narrative description of the site and its structures; and 3. The application established the basis for the Old Tavernier School designation under Code Section 9.5-454 and included other evidence that supports the designation, which documents the historic, social, and cultural significance of the Old Tavernier School; and 4. The Monroe County Historic Preservation Commission, during a regular session held on February 28, 2000, conducted a public hearing on the proposed designation and reviewed the application for designation; and 5. The Historic Preservation Commission voted unanimously at said public hearing to recommend to the Monroe County Board of Commissioners that the Board grant historical designation to the Old Tavernier School, a.k.a. the Health Department, as stated in the Historic Preservation Commission Resolution No. HOI-OO; and WHEREAS the Monroe County Board of Commissioners has considered the proposed designation and the recommendation of the Historic Preservation Commission; NOW THEREFORE, Page 2 of 3 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA, THAT: The Old Tavernier School, a.k.a. the Health Department, is hereby historically designated as provided by Article VIII of the Monroe County Code, Amended. PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County commissioners of Monroe County, Florida, at a regular meeting of said Board held on the day of , A.D. 2000. Mayor Freeman Mayor Pro Tern Neugent Commissioner Harvey Commissioner Reich commissioner Williams BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA By: MAYOR/CHAIRMAN (Seal) Attest: DANNY L. KOLHAGE, CLERK BY: DEPUTY CLERK : ~;;r":"". ~'.; _,' ~-;:t...: ) j"O;.. Page 3 of 3 STAFF REPORT Monroe County Historic Property Designation NAME OF PROPERTY Historic name: Old Tavernier School Other name(s): Monroe County Health Department LOCATION 148 Georgia Street Tavernier, FL 33070 DESCRIPTION The Old Tavernier School is a massively constructed, rectangular, symmetrical, one- story building covered by a nearly flat gable roof. The thick, formed-concrete walls rise vertically from a slightly flared foundation. A partially open front entrance porch on the front gable end shelters the original, heavy, wooden door. A built-in gutter system channels rainwater from the roof. Metal-muntined, rectangle windows illuminate the interior. Pairs of 18-light windows flank the front entrance on the gable end. Two additional 18-light windows punctuate each side wall nearest the entrance fa~ade. Six larger 21-light windows punctuate the side walls further toward the rear of the building. Sliding metal shutters on either side of the window openings stand ready to protect the glazing. The back fa~ade has a windowless addition of similar construction to the principal volume of the structure. Back doors on either side of this provide additional egress. Inside, wooden partitions now subdivide the interior to create offices and private client meeting spaces. The walls retain some original bas-relief wall decorations. Due to the building's massive construction that makes alteration difficult, the essential form of the structure remains as built. The site consists of a gravel parking lot between the building and Georgia Street. A lawn surrounds the structure on the remaining sides. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Applicable Designation Criteria: X A. Property is significant in the history of Monroe County, the State of Florida, or the United States, or is associated with events that are significant in the history of Monroe County, the State of Florida, or the United States. B. Property is associated with the lives of individuals significant in the past. x C. Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction. ____ D. Property has yielded or may be likely to yield information important in prehistory or history. Criteria Considerations: Property is _ _ _ _ A. owned by a religious institution or used for religious purposes. _ _ _ _ B. removed from its original location _ _ _ _ C. a birthplace or grave ____ D. a cemetery _ _ _ _ E. a reconstructed building, object, or structure _ _ _ _ F. a commemorative property ____ G. less than 50 years of age or achieved significance within the past 50 years. Period of Significance: 1935-1953 2 Narrative Statement of Significance The building is one of the most important public buildings in Tavernier, along with the old Methodist church and the old Post Office. In a larger context, it is an example of the impact of President Franklin Roosevelfs "New Deal" -- specifically the Works Progress Administration -- on the built environment of the Florida Keys. Furthermore, the structure is a notable example of massive formed-concrete construction designed to withstand hurricanes. Finally, it is emblematic of the tenacity and indomitable spirit of the Keys community in the face of natural disasters. The community of Tavernier emerged in the first decade of the twentieth century when the Florida East Coast Rail Road arrived in the Upper Keys. A variety of wooden buildings arose within walking distance of the tracks, including commercial buildings, houses, and specialized structures such as a post office and a church. This new settlement was on higher ground and further inland than its nearby predecessor of Planter, but this new location would not spare Tavernier from the 1935 hurricane. The great Labor Day storm of that year arrived with no warning. As one of only two Category 5 hurricanes to strike the mainland U.S., this unnamed tempest delivered winds and flooding never before encountered by settlers in the Keys. Rising waters floated buildings off their foundations, and howling winds blew through windows, walls, and roofs. Boats at sea would never return. When the storm was over, more than four hundred people were dead. The storm surge had swept a train off the tracks that the Florida East Coast Rail Road had sent to evacuate work camps of World War I veterans working on the Overseas Highway. This disaster alone resulted in the death of over 250 men. Meanwhile, another 150 residents died due to inadequate shelter during the storm. On Upper Matecumbe and Tavernier, families faced the losses: The Russell family alone lost dozens of members. The extensive loss of life (including the World War I veterans), the tremendous property damage (notably to the Overseas Rail Road), and the timing of the storm (at the height of the Great Depression) combined make the 1935 hurricane a disaster of national significance. State and Federal authorities mobilized to provide relief to the living and to memorialize the dead. The Works Progress Administration, which "New Deal" advocates founded to provide work to the unemployed in the construction of public works projects, proposed building two schools in the Upper Keys that could also serve as hurricane shelters. One would be Tavernier; the other would be on Upper Matecumbe. Authorities chose two sites owned by the Monroe County School Board. 3 The design of the new buildings was massive, with steel-reinforced formed-concrete walls and a semi-elevated principal floor. This marked a significant departure from general building practice in the region, which traditionally employed wood frame construction, with open foundations below. By contrast, these new structures -- and the similar "Red Cross" houses built at the same time -- rose from the ground like bunkers buttressed against high winds and storm surges. As the lead agency for this project, the WP A administered the job out of its Miami district office. Laborers were on the Federal payroll, under the supervision of a local project supervisor. Construction proceeded slowly. Workers had to bring materials, equipment, and tools into the region that had seen much of its infrastructure damaged or destroyed. By the winter of 1938 -- two and a half years after the 1935 hurricane -- the project was still incomplete, and those in charge blamed the workers for making insufficient progress on the job. With funds running out, administrators ultimately issued an order to stop work by March 16, 1938. Eighteen workers and their timekeeper retorted with a letter to their Congressman on March 11, 1938, assigning blame to the administrative inefficiency of the WPA office in Miami, which did not coordinate effectively with the project supervisor to ensure the timely arrival of materials and equipment. Furthermore, the workers pointed out that the job was 95% to 98% complete and that to abandon it now would be a waste of all that had yet gone into the project. Construction resumed by April, and the buildings were complete by the end of the year. Children of all ages soon enrolled at the newly opened school, where "Prof" Charles Cecil Albury served as the first principal and teacher. By the late 1940's, "Prof' taught primarily math and history to grades 7 through 11 in an accessory building in the back yard, while Violet Albury taught the younger grades in the original building. These limited facilities prevented authorities from accrediting the school; nevertheless, a generation of Upper Keys pupils attended, receiving an intimate educational experience in a small-scale institution, from the late 1930's to the early 1950's. During this t'rne, community members also used the building -- as planned -- as a hurricane shelter. A number of citizens recall gathering in the building for storms, including those in 1948 and 1950. In fairer weather, the building served to house other community activities. By 1953, Coral Shores High School opened on Plantation Key, providing larger and more commodious educational facilities for the Upper Keys. "Prof" transferred to the new school, while the old structure in Tavernier became a medical office for the recently arrived Dr. Harvey Cohn, who had come to the Upper Keys with his nurse- - later his wife -- Mabel O'Neil. Today, the structure continues as a health care facility, serving as a branch office of the Monroe County Health Department. 4 SOURCES Letter from C. Marvin Thompson to J. Mark Wilcox, March 11, 1938. Letter from J. Mark Wilcox to Aubrey Williams, March 28, 1938. Letter from Aubrey Williams to J. Mark Wilcox, April 26, 1938. Progress report from A. J. Little, Jr. to E. S. Loftberg, May 7, 1938. Progress report from A. J. Little, Jr. to E. S. Loftberg, May 28, 1938. Letter from Robert J. Dill to Major B. M. Harloe, January 28, 1939. National Register Nomination, Hurricane Monument, 1994-1995. Letter from Alice Allen to Jack London,undated. Telephone call, Jerry Wilkinson and George Born, December 3, 1999. Telephone call, Alice Allen and George Born, February 11,2000. Previous inclusion in historic resources surveys: Jerry Wilkinson, President, Historical Preservation Society of the Upper Keys, is nominating the Old Tavernier School-- and the Upper Matecumbe School-- to the National Register of Historic Places. GEOGRAPlDCDATA Acreage of Property: 0.11 acre (5,200 square feet) Boundary description: RE#: 00479000-000000 Legal Description: Block 3, Lot 17, Tavernier subdivision, Key Largo, Plat Book 1, page 105 -- Jl-l42 G6-92 OR881-17/ 18 Verbal Boundary justification: The nominated property includes the parcel historically associated with the Old Tavernier School. NOMINATION PREPARED BY: George W. Born, Historic Preservationist Historic Florida Keys Foundation 510 Greene Sf. Key West, FL 33040 Date: February 15, 2000 Owner: Monroe County James Roberts, Administrator 5100 College Rd. KeyWest,FL3304~ C ~ Signature: ___~~______________ Date: _ij~~ 5 HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION RESOLUTION RESOLUTION NO. H01-00 A RESOLUTION BY THE MONROE COUNTY HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION RECOMMENDING THAT THE MONROE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS GRANT THE DESIGNATION OF uHISTORIC AND CULTURAL LANDMARK" TO THE OLD TAVERNIER SCHOOL, AKA THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, ON PROPERTY DESCRIBED AS BLOCK 3, LOT 17, TAVERNIER SUBDIVISION, KEY LARGO, IN PLAT BOOK 1, PAGE 105 -- Jl-142 G6-92 OR881-17/18, REAL ESTATE NUMBER 00479000-000000. WHEREAS the Monroe County Historic Preservation Commission during a regular meeting held on February 29, 2000, conducted a public hearing to designate the Old Tavernier School as a uHistoric and Cultural Landmark" as provided by Article VIII of the Monroe County Code, Amended; and WHEREAS the Historic Preservation commission was presented with a staff report prepared by George Born, Historic preservationist, Historic Florida Keys Foundation, dated February 15, 2000, which by reference is hereby incorporated as a part of the record; and WHEREAS the Historic Preservation commission has made the following Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law: 1. Based on the evidence produced at the hearing, including the testimony and the written data, the Commission finds that the Old Tavernier School is associated with events of historical significance to the cultural and social history of Monroe County, and meets tha standards for designation as specified in Sec. 9.5- 454 (a) of the Monroe County Land Development Regulations"; NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that the preceding Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law support their decision to RECOMMEND that the Monroe County Board of commissioners designate the Old Tavernier School a uHistoric and Cultural Landmark" as provided for by Article VIII of the Monroe County Code, Amended. Page 1 of 2 Initials (vp)? / .. -t_/ PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Historic Preservation Commission of Monroe County, Florida, at a regular meeting held on the 28th day of February, 2000. Chair Allen YES. vice-Chair Adams YES. Commissioner Harum YES. commissioner Ritz ABSENT. commissioner Silvia YES. By , 2000. . . OrafJ f S.l.gned th.l.S -- day 0 APPROVED AS TO FORM Byrr~/p - Attorney'8 Office ~ Page 2 of 2 . . I ('j3C? / In.l.t.l.a s ,Y-V /