Old Town Commercial District

**Lake Worth (Palm Beach County) Designated 2001

In September 2001, the Historic Old Town Commercial District was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The Historic Old Town Commercial District encompasses approximately 16 acres and comprises a total of 59 mainly commercial buildings. Of these 46 contribute to the historic character of the area, while 13 are considered noncontributing. The historic buildings date mainly from the 1920s, and the majority of them can be architecturally classified as Masonry Vernacular. Other styles represented in the district are Mediterranean Revival, Moorish Revival, and Art Deco. Most of the buildings in the district are simple in design, displaying few defining characteristics. The contributing buildings in the district were all constructed between c. 1912 to c. 1949, with the majority erected between 1920 and 1949.

The District’s uniqueness to South Florida is the intimate interface between traditional historic residential structures and commercial buildings as well as the workforce housing it provides for shopkeepers and those who work at restaurants and bars. Today, several contributing structures within the historic district, including sites associated with Agnes Ballard, one of Florida’s first female registered architects and the sixth woman admitted to the American Institute of Architects nationwide, are in danger of being demolished to create cleared lots for future infill development opportunities.

Opa-locka City Hall

**Opa-locka (Miami-Dade County) Built 1926

Establishing a winter encampment at San Diego in 1910 to teach flying to Army and Naval personnel, Curtiss became known to many as the “Father of Naval Aviation.” By the 1920s, he became involved in real estate development in Florida, co-developing the city of Hialeah and developing the cities of Miami Springs and Opa-locka.

Envisioning a town designed in the themes of an “Arabian Fantasy” or “Arabian Nights,” Curtiss hired architect Bernhardt Emil Muller to design 86 buildings in a Moorish Revival style.

At the heart of the new community, the Opa-locka Administration Building was designed to serves as the headquarters for the development and sales company created by Curtiss.

Described as “the anchor of new city and completed in 1926, it also was the flagship in the center of the town that would arrow out to other structures within its limits. It later became the Opa-locka City Hall and was eventually placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. A decade ago, the building was shuttered due to a mold infestation. Since that time, a renovation project had started but due to a lack of funds, that project was put on indefinite hold. As time has gone on, the stately structure has continued to deteriorate.

Ormond Beach Riverside Church

**Ormond Beach (Volusia County) Built 1976

The congregation associated with the Ormond Beach Riverside Church dates back to 1876. A previous house of worship on the riverfront property was attended by such local luminaries as John D. Rockefeller and James Ormond, the namesake of the City. In 1976, the current sanctuary was completed as an excellent example of mid-century modern architecture that includes stained glass and original architectural details that are nearly impossible to replicate.

In 2018, the City of Ormond Beach acquired the property with the hope of converting it into a recreational facility for public use. However, plans changed after an inspection found mold in the classroom portion of the building. Despite the property being the site of the oldest church in Ormond Beach and being connected with persons and events of great historical significance, its future is threatened by a city plan to raze the structure in order to create a new surface parking lot to provide additional parking for nearby businesses. The nominator hopes that increased awareness will encourage the City Commission to reconsider the parking plan and offers for the adaptive reuse of the property.

Reddick Presbyterian Church

**Reddick (Marion County) Built 1887

During the 1850s, Ulric and Sarah Mills Reddick relocated to Marion County from South Carolina with their sons Samuel, John and George. After the civil war, John became involved in the timber industry, acquiring land and eventually deeding right-of-way and timber needed for crossties to the Florida Southern Railway Company with the provision that the railroad would construct and operate the line. With his land as a railroad stop, on June 8, 1882 the Plat of the Town of Reddick was filed. The Town of Reddick quickly became a center for citrus and farming.

On land conveyed to them, brother George and Callie Reddick built a general merchandise store and residence in the new town. This residence became a meeting place for the beginning of the Presbyterian Church of Reddick when it was organized in 1884. In 1887, the current Victorian frame structure, featuring a Romanesque was completed. Over the next century, the Reddick Presbyterian Church served as a vital part of the town’s religious and social life.

It continues to serve as an excellent example of the late 19th century scale and character of the rural railroad town of Reddick. However, recently the historic congregation was dissolved, leaving the property’s future in question.

South Shore Community Center

**Miami Beach (Miami-Dade County) Built 1969

Designed in 1969 and completed in two phases by the architect Morris Lapidus, the South Shore Community Center is an example of a neglected aspect of Lapidus’ work. Designed in response to changing demographics and acute social issues, the South Shore Community Center is both part of and the witness to local and national history. Moreover, its association with prominent historical figures (Rep. Claude Pepper and Sen. Edward Kennedy) and an emerging social movement gives the Community Center local and national importance. This historical significance is matched by its architectural merit. It is an extraordinary example of the evolution of the work of Morris Lapidus, who did not want to be “always referred to as the architect of the Fontainebleau.”

Currently, the community center property is being considered as a potential site for a new City of Miami Beach fire station. The nominator seeks inclusion to the 11 to Save list as a tool to help bring increased awareness to local officials that there is a public contingency who would like to see the building preserved and another location selected for a new fire station.

About the Florida Trust

The Florida Trust for Historic Preservation is the state’s non-profit dedicated to protecting Florida’s extraordinary heritage and history. Founded in 1978, the Florida Trust has collaborated to save irreplaceable Florida treasures like the Historic Florida Capitol and is a statewide partner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Learn more at www.FloridaTrust.org and follow on Twitter: @FloridaTrustHP.