Avon Park Bandstand
The Avon Park Bandstand is a two-story octagonal frame pavilion and the oldest surviving civic, musical, and public recreational structure from the pioneer era of Avon Park.[nrhp-avon-park-district][maxwell-1976] Erected in 1897 and relocated to the Mile Long Mall in 1922, it is the oldest architectural structure situated within the Mall greenspaces.[nrhp-avon-park-district] While earlier buildings survive in the town—most notably the 1894 Episcopal Church of the Redeemer at 20 East Pleasant Street and the 1894 commercial frame building at 22 East Main Street—the Bandstand remains the sole surviving public pavilion of the founding decade.[maxwell-1976]
Looking west across Lake Verona shows the bandstand when it was built in 1897, in front of the Hotel. The First Hundred Years of Avon Park, Florida (1976), Avon Park Historical Society.[maxwell-1976]
Architectural Form and 1897 Construction
Erected in 1897 along the western shoreline of Lake Verona in front of Oliver M. Crosby’s Verona Hotel, the bandstand originally served as an open-air community gathering pavilion, musical concert venue, and observation lookout overlooking the lake.[maxwell-1976][nrhp-avon-park-district]
In its original configuration, the structure featured enclosed ground-floor drop siding with double-hung sash windows and an entry door, while the upper level remained an open wooden pavilion bounded by decorative balustrades under an octagonal hip roof.[nrhp-avon-park-district] It was completed two years after the devastating Great Freezes of 1894–1895 and in the year the Florida Development Company collapsed into receivership.[maxwell-1976]
Relocations and Municipal Service (1912–1922)
As civic and commercial life shifted toward the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad line and Main Street after 1912, the structure was relocated twice to accommodate municipal expansion:
| Date | Location | Alterations and Community Function |
|---|---|---|
| 1897 | Lake Verona shoreline | Built in front of the Verona Hotel as a musical pavilion and lake lookout.[nrhp-avon-park-district][maxwell-1976] |
| c. 1912 | NW corner of Main Street & Lake Avenue | Relocated to Main Street; lower enclosed siding, doors, and windows removed to create an open ground-level storage arch.[nrhp-avon-park-district] |
| 1920 | Main Street & Lake Avenue | Ground-level sheltered the volunteer fire brigade’s single hand-drawn chemical cart.[sanborn-1920] |
| 1922 | Mile Long Mall (between Forest & Lake) | Relocated into the central landscaped median when the Mall was extended westward.[nrhp-avon-park-district] |
| 1976 | Mile Long Mall | Completely restored to its 1922 appearance as Avon Park’s official United States Bicentennial Project.[maxwell-1976][nrhp-avon-park-district] |
The bandstand after it was relocated to Main Street and Lake Avenue in 1912. The First Hundred Years of Avon Park, Florida (1976), Avon Park Historical Society.[maxwell-1976]
During its placement at Main Street and Lake Avenue, the lower opening served as the town’s initial fire equipment shelter.[sanborn-1920] The November 1920 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map recorded that the volunteer fire department maintained “1 Hand Drawn Chemical Cart kept under Bandstand on Main St.” before the purchase of the town’s first motorized American LaFrance fire truck in 1923.[sanborn-1920]
Mile Long Mall Placement and Bicentennial Restoration (1976)
In 1922, during the creation and extension of the Mile Long Mall landscaped median designed by landscape architect W. A. Cook, the bandstand was moved into the center of the 40-foot median between Forest and Lake Avenues.[nrhp-avon-park-district]
In 1976, to commemorate the United States Bicentennial and the centennial development of Avon Park, the Old Settlers Association organized a community-funded restoration project chaired by Cliff Thomas and treasurer Mrs. P. C. (Grace) Boney.[maxwell-1976] The restoration repaired the structural timbers, replaced decayed balustrades and flooring, restored the 1922 open-air pavilion form, and repainted the structure in traditional white trim.[maxwell-1976][nrhp-avon-park-district] On 22 March 1990, the bandstand was listed as a contributing resource within the Avon Park Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.[nrhp-avon-park-district]
References
- nrhp-avon-park-district — Florida Bureau of Historic Preservation / National Park Service. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, Avon Park Historic District (ref. 90000486). 22 March 1990. nrhp-avon-park-historic-district-1990.md
- maxwell-1976 — Leoma Bradshaw Maxwell. The First Hundred Years of Avon Park, Florida. 1976. the-first-hundred-years-of-avon-park_leoma-bradshaw-maxwell_1976.md
- sanborn-1920 — Sanborn Map Company. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map: Avon Park, DeSoto County, Florida, November 1920. 1 November 1920. sanborn-1920-avon-park.md
Related
- Entity: Mile Long Mall
- Entity: Episcopal Church of the Redeemer
- Entity: The Avon Park Fire Department
- Finding: Founding-era surviving structures of Avon Park and the Bandstand
- Report: Main Street and the Mall
- Report: Fire and storm at Avon Park
- Report: The Original Town Plat, the Land Title, and the Shape of Avon Park
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
- Florida Bureau of Historic Preservation / National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, Avon Park Historic District (ref. 90000486) (1990)
- Leoma Bradshaw Maxwell, The First Hundred Years of Avon Park, Florida (references/the-first-hundred-years-of-avon-park_leoma-bradshaw-maxwell_1976.md) (1976)
- Sanborn Map Company, Sanborn Fire Insurance Map: Avon Park, DeSoto County, Florida, November 1920 (1920)
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