Historic Preservation: Florida Trust by STEVE TRAIMAN
PHOTOS from FTHP
This year’s Florida Preservation Conference, held in St. Petersburg May 17-19, was an outstanding success, according to Melissa Wyllie, Executive Director of the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation (FTHP).
She told Paradise News, “Sessions featuring everything from sea level rise to preserving historic cemeteries, one-of a kind tours of beautiful St. Petersburg and unique special events drew nearly 200 active preservationists from around the state and across the U.S. They were able to reconnect with each other and our shared mission of preserving the historic places that make Florida unique. We left the conference recharged and even more motivated to protect our state’s historic resources.”
New Board President Friederike Mittner added: “During my term I will work to cultivate our preservation programs and outreach so they are relevant and meaningful to all of the people of our state. I look forward to the work ahead, preserving and protecting Florida’s extraordinary history and heritage.”
Other new officers include Ryan Malloy, Vice President; Jenny Wolfe, Secretary; Adrienne Burke and Becky Matkov, Trustees At Large; and Clay Henderson, Immediate Past President.
Local ties for Paradise News readership include St. Pete Preservation, marking 40 years working to save iconic neighborhoods and historic buildings (see accompanying story), and Pass-a-Grille Beach, working through the St. Pete Beach Historic Preservation Board, advising the City Commission on all matters related to the historic preservation policy for all property and building conversions, including the use, administration and maintenance of city-owned historic resources.
Secretary of State Ken Detzner welcomed attendees to the conference, saying, “I am delighted to be with you all today as we gather to collaborate and share our passion for preserving the architectural, historical and archaeological heritage of Florida. This is an exciting time for the Florida Trust, with new leadership in Executive Director Melissa Wyllie, and a dynamic board of directors with deep ties to Florida’s cultural, economic and historical networks.
“The Department of State is excited to be part of this new chapter for your organization, and we look forward to continuing our great partnership. The FTHP began with the historic Florida State Capitol building more than 40 years ago when a group of dedicated preservationists joined together to save that iconic Florida landmark from demolition. Today it is a jewel of Florida’s preservation movement and an outstanding museum, visited by thousands of people every year.
“Fast forward 40 years — the Florida Trust’s core mission has remained focused on preservation, and the Trust has helped preserve and restore many historic sites across the state. As preservationists, we also recognize the need to reinvent preservation to adapt to the changing dynamics of the economy and society, which is why the theme of this year’s conference, ‘Preservation Reinvented for Art and Enterprise’, is so appropriate.
“And I think the people here in St. Petersburg recognize that. With three Florida Main Street Communities (Deuces Live, EDGE District and Grand Central), which draw visitors to their art galleries, shopping and heritage trails, to the Vinoy Golf Club listed on the Florida Historic Golf Trail, it’s clear that the City of St. Petersburg strives to create exceptional visitor experiences connected to its unique, historic sites.
“The Florida Trust, and all of you here today, recognize that the preservation of our state’s historic sites helps to drive art and enterprise forward at the local and state level, which is a win for everyone. As we continue on this journey of preserving our state’s unique treasures, I want to thank you for all that you do to help support the mission of the Florida Department of State.”
Bill MacRostie, Senior Partner, MacRostie Historic Advisors LLC, gave an inspiring keynote address, emphasizing, “For decades, federal and state historic tax credits (HTCs) have played an important role in revitalizing downtown urban cores and main street communities around the country. Most important, as proved here in the Tampa Bay area, the business community can be an important ally in preservation thanks to this catalytic incentive.”
His four leading objectives covered: Understanding how HTCs incentivize private investment and promote preservation; Overview of regulatory process for HTCs; Best practices for engaging the business community and lawmakers to use and support HTCs; and the catalytic effect a single project can have in a community.
Underrepresented History Panel
According to Wyllie, one of the outstanding sessions at the event was the Underrepresented History Panel. The speakers touched on the Seminole Indian experience, with a focus on the importance of Egmont Key (listed on the 2017 Florida’s 11 to Save); the often unsung role women have had in Florida’s history; how immigrant communities were vital to shaping Florida and the African-American experience in St. Pete and Florida.
Paul Backhouse, Seminole Tribe of Florida Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, presented the importance of Egmont Key to the Seminole people, and the Seminole history of the island. He shared this quote from noted Chief Coacoochee to highlight the difference in perception of the Seminoles with their history, “My father, King Phillip, told me I was made of the sands of Florida, and that when I was placed in the ground, the Seminoles would dance and sing around my grave.” Backhouse emphasized, “Historic preservation is about people. We don’t need jargon. Humanism and collaboration is what we need.”
Gary Mormino is a noted American historian, author, frequent contributor to the Tampa Bay Times, the Frank E. Duckwall Professor of History Emeritus and past director of the Florida Studies Program at USF. He shared the unique history of Ybor City, and the importance immigrants have had to Florida’s history. He shared insight into what life was like working in the Cigar Factories prior to WWII, and how Ybor’s architecture is a reminder of that time period.
Terri Lipsey Scott, Chair of the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American History Museum, shared the challenges of preserving St. Petersburg’s African American history, with a focus on how changing economic factors in the city are further threatening the historic community. She spoke candidly about factors that challenged preservation, how communities can step up to tell their own story and also how the Woodson Museum was fighting to share aspects of the African American community often hidden, such as their upcoming “The Harlem Renaissance: As Gay as They Were Black” reception and exhibit.
Kathleen Fredrick, Executive Director of the A.E. Backus Museum in Fort Pierce, shared the impact a progressive Florida mother had on her son Albert Ernest Backus, a notable Florida artist, and her ultimate impact on Florida’s distinctive “Highway Men painters.”
‘Florida’s 11 to Save’ & Awards
Each year, the FTHP announces its Florida’s 11 to Save program as part of its Florida Preservation Conference. The program is designed to increase the public’s awareness of the urgent need to save Florida’s historic resources, and to empower local preservationists and preservation groups in their efforts to preserve Florida’s rich history.
Local projects include Egmont Key, reached by daily ferry from Fort DeSoto Park, with its period of significance: Pre-Columbian through 1940s. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places and includes various historic structures, such as a historic lighthouse (still in use), an oil house, the Ranger residence, Guardhouse and the ruins of artillery aiming towers. It has a long and storied history extending back to Pre-Columbian and early Spanish exploration, serving as an internment camp and deportation site during the Third Seminole War; a staging point for the Union navy during the Civil War; a quarantine area during the Spanish American War; a training site during WW I; and an observation area for German U-boats during WW II. Egmont Key is also a wildlife refuge and bird sanctuary, endangered by severe erosion made worse by rising sea levels. Since 1849, the island has lost some 380 acres of land, despite the fact that every seven years, the Army Corps of Engineers dredges the shipping channel and places the sand on Egmont Key.
Jackson House in Tampa is an example of the Thematic Listing of African American History and Cultural Resources Throughout the State. Built in 1899, listed as a local landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places, it is located in the “Scrub” – one of the oldest African American neighborhoods in Tampa, and named for its second owner, Moses Jackson, who purchased the property in 1903. He converted the single-family residence to a boarding house for African American travelers. Well known guests to Jackson House include Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Ray Charles, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Current threat is long-term neglect that has led to its rundown condition.
Two local entities were among the FTHP 2017 Preservation Awards announced during the 39th annual Preservation Conference.
In the Adaptive Use Category, an Outstanding Achievement award went to the former Tampa Federal Courthouse converted to the historic Le Meridian Hotel. After 15 years of vacancy, the 1904 Historic Federal Courthouse has been preserved and transformed by Tampa Hotel Partners, LLC into Le Meridian Tampa. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places and designated as a City of Tampa Historic Landmark, this stunning Greek Revival building had served as a customs house, postal station and Federal Courthouse until the late 1980s. Rehabilitation included the preservation and restoration of original corridors and decorative interior architectural features, thoughtful placement of 130 new guestrooms and careful threading of new HVAC, plumbing and electrical service to accommodate the adaptive use as a boutique hotel. A $30 million project, Le Meridian Tampa is an exemplary rehabilitation, completed in a manner consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. The project was also approved to receive the Federal Historic Tax Credit.
In the Organizational Achievement Category, an Outstanding Achievement award went to the Hillsborough County Economic Development Department for its Historic Preservation Challenge Grant Program, initiated in 2012. It promotes the preservation of historic commercial and special/mixed-use buildings, archeological sites, and heritage tourism in Hillsborough County (both incorporated and unincorporated areas). Many of the building awards are to seal the building envelope (weatherization and energy efficiency) and to achieve an adaptive reuse. Available grant funds are awarded competitively on a minimum 1:1 matching basis with at least 50% of the match being an applicant’s cash or in-kind. The maximum award is $250,000 per applicant, per project in the County budget year. Nonprofits and private individuals and entities are eligible. The Citizens Review Committee has reviewed over 80 applications for over $5.7 million in awards and helped groups like the Tampa Bay History Center, Ybor City Chamber of Commerce, Temple Terrace Preservation Society and more. The current approved annual budget is $1 million.
Next year’s 40th annual State Preservation Conference will be in Jacksonville. For more information on the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation, access www.floridatrust.org.
[Editor’s Note: Special thanks to Melissa Wyllie, FTHP Executive Director, and Ann Rogers Farran, Membership & Marketing Director, for their excellent information photos and captions.]
[Steve Traiman is President of Creative Copy by Steve Traiman in St. Pete Beach, offering freelance business writing services. He can be reached via email at traimancreativecopy@gmail.com ]