The Historical Society of Avon ParkAVON PARK, FL · EST. 1886
Menu
Admin Sign-In

The Demolition Dating of the Relocated William R. Reck House and Mortuary Parking Expansions

When funeral director Jack M. Stephenson constructed the modern concrete-and-masonry mortuary at 111 East Circle Street in 1955, the pioneer two-story wood-frame home of civic booster William R. Reck was spared immediate destruction[maxwell-1976][hcpao-circle-parcel][sanborn-1920]. Instead, the house was moved to the northwest corner of Block 4 facing North Verona Avenue, where it served ancillary storage and residential needs[maxwell-1976]. Tracing the subsequent removal of the house through county property appraiser extra features ledgers, probate filings, deed conveyances, and architectural surveys establishes the physical timeline through which automobile parking and vehicular circulation permanently supplanted the historic residence between 1960 and 1991.

Initial Site Layout and 1955 Vehicular Improvements

The relocation of the Reck house in 1955 cleared the southern arc of Block 4 (Lots 3, 4, and 5) for the construction of a dedicated 6,715-square-foot mortuary facility fronting East Circle Street[hcpao-circle-parcel]. At the time of construction, vehicular access and funeral cortege staging were accommodated by two initial asphalt improvements recorded in Highlands County Property Appraiser assessment ledgers:

These installations provided 3,124 square feet of asphalt surface connecting East Circle Street to North Verona Avenue around the newly positioned two-story residence, leaving the rest of the tract in lawn and landscaping[hcpao-circle-parcel].

The 1960 Concrete Driveway Expansion

By 1960, expanding automobile traffic and larger funeral services prompted the first substantial paving of the mortuary’s interior grounds. Property appraisal records document the construction in 1960 of 2,432 square feet of commercial concrete paving across two segments:

  • A secondary driveway measuring 27 feet by 16 feet (432 square feet)[hcpao-circle-parcel].
  • A substantial rectangular parking and service pad measuring 50 feet by 40 feet (2,000 square feet)[hcpao-circle-parcel].

This 1960 improvement expanded off-street parking directly adjacent to the relocated Reck house along North Verona Avenue, though the frame building itself remained standing on the parcel during this period[maxwell-1976]. When local historian Leoma Bradshaw Maxwell completed her town history in 1976, she documented the move in the past tense, noting that the structure had been moved to the corner lot facing North Verona Avenue[maxwell-1976].

Ownership Transition and Probate (1980–1986)

Jack M. Stephenson operated the mortuary on East Circle Street until his death circa 1980, with formal administration of his estate opened under Highlands County Probate File No. 80-125 and recorded in Official Records Book 733, Page 493[hcclerk-or733-493].

Following the settlement of the estate, heir Graves B. Stephenson conveyed Lots 3, 4, and 5 of Block 4 to Stephenson-Nelson-Smith Funeral Home, Inc. on 16 September 1986 for a stated consideration of $95,000 (Highlands County Official Records Book 907, Page 570)[hcclerk-or907-570]. This corporate transfer established unified corporate title over the entire 0.69-acre parcel and set the stage for comprehensive modernization of the facility and its grounds[hcclerk-or907-570][stephenson-nelson-about].

The 1989–1991 Facility Modernization and Final Removal

The final phase of site transformation occurred between 1989 and 1991, during which the historic Reck residence was completely dismantled and removed to make way for a fully paved commercial parking facility:

  1. 1989 Driveway Expansion: In 1989, the funeral home installed 624 square feet of additional concrete paving (measuring 26 feet by 24 feet) on the property[hcpao-circle-parcel].
  2. 1991 Building Remodel: In 1991, the main 6,715-square-foot funeral home building underwent extensive commercial remodeling, documented on county appraisal records as “REMODELED 1991” and reflected in the corporate history as a comprehensive facility upgrade[hcpao-circle-parcel][stephenson-nelson-about].
  3. 1991–1992 Parking and Walkway Complex: Coinciding with the building renovation, the funeral home executed a major concrete paving program covering 5,778 square feet:

Combined with the 1960 and 1989 drives, these improvements brought the total hard-surface parking and driveway area on parcel A-22-33-28-010-0040-0030 to more than 11,900 square feet, completely covering the ground where the relocated two-story Reck house had stood along North Verona Avenue[hcpao-circle-parcel].

Survey Corroboration

The demolition of the relocated Reck house by 1989–1990 is corroborated by independent architectural survey records:

  • Avon Park Historic District Survey (1989–1990): When field investigators surveyed Avon Park in 1989 for the National Register of Historic Places nomination (listed 22 March 1990, NRHP #90000486), the district boundary included North Verona Avenue and East Main Street[nrhp-90000486]. While surviving historic houses along Verona Avenue were systematically cataloged, the inventory listed zero residential or outbuilding structures on Block 4, confirming that the two-story Reck house was no longer extant when the nomination was finalized[nrhp-90000486].
  • Modern Appraisal Parcel Inventory: Current property appraisal cards list only a single structure on the tract—the 1955 commercial funeral home building—with the remaining parcel area classified entirely as improved commercial parking and grounds[hcpao-circle-parcel].

References

  • sanborn-1920 — Sanborn Map Company, via Library of Congress. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, Avon Park, DeSoto County, Florida, November 1920 (Sheet 3). 1 November 1920. https://www.loc.gov/item/sanborn01234_001/
  • maxwell-1976 — Leoma Bradshaw Maxwell. The First Hundred Years of Avon Park, Florida. 1976. Held at the Avon Park Historical Society Depot Museum, Avon Park, Florida
  • hcpao-circle-parcel — Highlands County Property Appraiser. Highlands County Property Appraiser Parcel A-22-33-28-010-0040-0030, 111 E Circle St, Avon Park. 5 September 2026. https://www.hcpao.org/Search/Parcel/28332201000400030A
  • nrhp-90000486 — National Park Service / Florida Bureau of Historic Preservation. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Avon Park Historic District. 22 March 1990. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/90000486_text
  • stephenson-nelson-about — Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home. History and Staff, Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home & Crematory. 5 September 2026. https://www.stephensonnelsonfh.com/who-we-are/history-and-staff
  • hcclerk-or907-570 — Highlands County Clerk of Courts. Warranty Deed: Graves B. Stephenson to Stephenson-Nelson-Smith Funeral Home, Inc., 16 September 1986. 16 September 1986. Highlands County Official Records, Book 907, Page 570
  • hcclerk-or733-493 — Highlands County Clerk of Courts. Notice of Administration: Estate of James M. Stephenson, File No. 80-125, recorded 1982. 1 October 1982. Highlands County Official Records, Book 733, Page 493

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

  1. Sanborn Map Company, via Library of Congress, Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, Avon Park, DeSoto County, Florida, November 1920 (Sheet 3) (1920) · archival
  2. Leoma Bradshaw Maxwell, The First Hundred Years of Avon Park, Florida (Held at the Avon Park Historical Society Depot Museum, Avon Park, Florida) (1976) · book
  3. Highlands County Property Appraiser, Highlands County Property Appraiser Parcel A-22-33-28-010-0040-0030, 111 E Circle St, Avon Park (2026) · official
  4. National Park Service / Florida Bureau of Historic Preservation, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Avon Park Historic District (1990) · official
  5. Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home, History and Staff, Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home & Crematory (2026) · secondary
  6. Highlands County Clerk of Courts, Warranty Deed: Graves B. Stephenson to Stephenson-Nelson-Smith Funeral Home, Inc., 16 September 1986 (Highlands County Official Records, Book 907, Page 570) (1986) · official
  7. Highlands County Clerk of Courts, Notice of Administration: Estate of James M. Stephenson, File No. 80-125, recorded 1982 (Highlands County Official Records, Book 733, Page 493) (1982) · official

Something here wrong, or incomplete? The Society would rather know. Tell a volunteer.

Have a question about this record?

← Back to collection

Ask A.P.

Ask the archive

    Try asking:

    0 / 500

    A.P. answers only from the Society's own archive and cites what it used. Questions are not linked to you; search history is stored on your device only (how it works).Ask a volunteer for anything it cannot answer.