James A. Heim and the surviving Heim office drawings
The architectural practice of William J. Heim was succeeded by his son, James A. Heim (1922–2006). A veteran of World War II listed on the Avon Park World War II Memorial, James Heim graduated from the University of Florida School of Architecture in 1950 and immediately joined his father to form Heim and Heim. James was a member of the American Institute of Architects from 1955, held a Florida Certified General Contractor license (CGC005470), and practiced from Avon Park until his death on 18 March 2006. He is buried in Bougainvillea Cemetery.
In January 1996, James Heim provided a primary oral history interview to Francis V. Tonello for the National Register of Historic Places nomination of the Pinecrest Hotel.[nrhp-00000266]
Because the Pinecrest Hotel was completed in 1936 using William J. Heim’s original 1925 designs, it is evident the Heim architectural practice retained its historical records over decades.[nrhp-00000266] However, comprehensive searches in 2026 across Florida Memory, the Library of Congress, and other major public online catalogs found no centralized architectural archive holding the Heim office records. No original 1925 blueprints for the Pinecrest or later Heim & Heim school designs appear to survive in digitized public collections outside of descriptions within the National Register nomination forms themselves.
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
- exa-heim-obituary — Various Publishers. Obituary of James A. Heim (1922-2006). 18 March 2006. Google Search / Exa API
Related
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
- public-domain
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)
- Various Publishers, Obituary of James A. Heim (1922-2006) (Google Search / Exa API) (2006)
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