The Myth of the 1996 Tonello–King Audio Tape
In local historical research regarding the mid-century operations of the Pinecrest Hotel and Country Club and the Hotel Jacaranda, references occasionally surface regarding a supposed 1996 audio tape or formal interview transcript between architectural historian Francis V. Tonello and former hotel manager Robert King Jr.
A comprehensive historiographical audit of archival repositories—including the National Archives, the Library of Congress, and the State Archives of Florida (Florida Memory)—confirms that no public digital record, physical transcript, or audio tape of this conversation exists.
Origin of the Tape Myth
The belief in a formal recorded interview stems from a misinterpretation of bibliographic citations within the 2000 National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for the Old Pinecrest Hotel.[nrhp-00000266]
The nomination form cites Tonello’s research as follows:
- Footnote 13: “Robert King, Jr., Personal communication with Francis V. Tonello, 29 August 1996.”
- Bibliography: “King, Robert, Jr. Personal Communication with Francis V. Tonello, January 15, 1996.” (Note: This date conflicts with Footnote 13, possibly an editorial duplication of a 15 January 1996 citation for James Heim).[nrhp-00000266]
In historiographical practice, “personal communication” indicates an informal conversation, phone call, or unrecorded correspondence rather than a formal, transcribed oral history. The 1996 Tonello–King exchange was a private communication conducted during the initial research gathering for the Pinecrest Hotel nomination, not a recorded archival asset.[nrhp-00000266]
Consequently, researchers seeking primary source audio regarding King’s management of the Jacaranda (1946–1954) or Pinecrest (1946–1947) will find no formal 1996 Tonello tape or transcript. The specific details preserved from this communication exist solely as the synthesized operational history presented within the text of the National Register nomination itself.[nrhp-00000266]
References
- nrhp-00000266 — United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Pinecrest Hotel, Old, Avon Park, Florida (reference 00000266). 24 March 2000. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/d3eaa10c-7fe9-4298-af1c-11123bb9c20b
Related
- Entity: Robert King Jr.
- Entity: Pinecrest Hotel and Country Club
- Entity: Hotel Jacaranda
- Finding: The Two King Families of Avon Park: William King and Robert King Jr.
Where this comes from
- Evidence
- corroborated — More than one independent source agrees.
- Review
- unverified — Drafted from sources but not yet checked by a volunteer.
- Rights
- society
Sources
- United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Pinecrest Hotel, Old, Avon Park, Florida (reference 00000266) (2000) · official
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