Charles S. Donaldson

Dr. Charles S. Donaldson was an American naturalist, world traveler, citrus grower, and civic leader who served as Mayor of Avon Park from 1929 to 1931.[maxwell-1976] Known as the “Father of the Mall,” Donaldson was the central botanical figure behind the transformation of Main Street into the landscaped Mile Long Mall and played a foundational role in establishing Highlands Hammock State Park.[nrhp-avon-park-district][maxwell-1976]

Arrival and Botanical Leadership

Donaldson first visited Avon Park in 1899 and returned in 1917 to make the town his permanent home.[maxwell-1976] In 1923, he constructed a prominent two-story residence on North Lake Avenue.[maxwell-1976] Although he described himself modestly as an “amateur” rather than a professional botanist, he was nationally recognized among leading naturalists for his expertise in subtropical flora.[maxwell-1976]

During the civic redevelopment of Main Street in the early 1920s, Donaldson supervised the botanical planting of the central promenade alongside architect Linus H. Park and engineer E. Phil Lacey.[maxwell-1976] Drawing upon his worldwide travels, Donaldson selected and imported rare subtropical species to plant along the medians, including jacaranda trees (Jacaranda mimosifolia), royal poincianas (Delonix regia), exotic palms, hibiscus, and azaleas.[maxwell-1976]

In June 1923, the Avon Park City Council formally contracted with the Reasoner Brothers Nursery of Oneco, Florida, for foliage ordered “at the behest of Donaldson,” establishing the jacaranda trees that became Avon Park’s signature botanical identity.[nrhp-avon-park-district] Following his retirement from public office, Donaldson dedicated his remaining years to the daily care and maintenance of the Mall’s flora.[maxwell-1976]

Mayor of Avon Park (1929–1931)

Following the death of longtime civic leader William A. King in early 1929, Dr. Donaldson was elected Mayor of Avon Park in a special municipal election on 2 April 1929.[maxwell-1976] On 3 December 1929, he was re-elected to a full two-year mayoral term without opposition, serving alongside Town Council President E. A. Delaney Sr.[maxwell-1976]

As mayor during the onset of the Great Depression, Donaldson managed municipal stabilization following the collapse of the 1920s real estate boom. In 1929, when St. Louis Cardinals president Sam Breadon announced the baseball club’s departure to Bradenton, Breadon publicly criticized Avon Park’s hotel capacity and field maintenance.[fhb-cardinals-1927-1929] Mayor Donaldson vigorously defended the community, documenting that Avon Park offered five excellent hotels and a modern, fully clayed five-acre athletic complex at Cardinal Field.[fhb-cardinals-1927-1929]

Highlands Hammock Conservation

Donaldson was the originator and chief local promoter of the movement to preserve the virgin subtropical hardwood forest south of Sebring as a public sanctuary.[maxwell-1976] He conducted systematic botanical surveys of the hammock, authored a detailed scientific thesis on its native plant communities, and collaborated with conservationist Margaret Shippen Roebling to secure the property.[maxwell-1976] These efforts culminated in the creation of Highlands Hammock State Park in 1931, one of Florida’s first four state parks.[maxwell-1976]

Civic Legacy and Memorials

Donaldson’s contributions to Avon Park’s physical landscape are commemorated across several municipal landmarks:

• Donaldson Park: On 6 December 1929, Mayor Donaldson submitted plans to the Town Council for a four-acre municipal park on the western shore of Lake Verona.[maxwell-1976] The City named the park Donaldson Park in his honor, developing it into a recreational center featuring a public bathing beach, pier, picnic pavilions, and winter shuffleboard courts.[wpa-florida-guide-1939][maxwell-1976]
• Garden Club Memorial: The Avon Park Garden Club erected a permanent bronze and stone memorial marker on the Mile Long Mall directly opposite the Hotel Jacaranda, honoring Dr. Donaldson as the “Founder of the Mall.”[maxwell-1976]

References

• 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
• nrhp-avon-park-district — United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Avon Park Historic District (reference 90000486). 22 March 1990. nrhp-avon-park-historic-district-1990.md
• fhb-cardinals-1927-1929 — Jason Byrne. Cardinals Played in Avon Park from 1927–1929 — Florida History Blog. 27 April 2023. https://floridahistoryblog.com/cardinals-played-in-avon-park-from-1927-1929/
• wpa-florida-guide-1939 — Federal Writers’ Project. Florida: A Guide to the Southernmost State. 1939. wpa-florida-guide-1939-avon-park.md

Related

• Mile Long Mall
• Head Field
• Hotel Jacaranda
• The WPA built Donaldson Park’s pier, shelters and shuffleboard courts in the winter of 1938-39
• Report: Main Street and the Mile Long Mall

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. 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)
2. United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Avon Park Historic District (reference 90000486) (references/nrhp-avon-park-historic-district-1990.md) (1990)
3. Jason Byrne, Cardinals Played in Avon Park from 1927–1929 — Florida History Blog (2023)
4. Federal Writers' Project, Florida: A Guide to the Southernmost State (references/wpa-florida-guide-1939-avon-park.md) (1939)

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