W. A. Cook
W. A. Cook was a Florida landscape architect, horticulturist, and writer based in Oneco (Manatee County), Florida, who drafted the original 1923 landscape design for Avon Park’s Mile Long Mall.[nrhp-avon-park-district][cook-fshs-1920]
Horticultural Philosophy and Work
Cook was an active figure in early twentieth-century Florida horticulture, associated with the prominent nursery center at Oneco—home of the historic Reasoner Brothers Nursery (Royal Palm Nurseries), founded by Pliny and Egbert Reasoner in 1881.[cook-fshs-1920]
In 1920, Cook published his landmark paper, “The Home and the Grounds,” in the Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society (Volume 33).[cook-fshs-1920] In his treatise, Cook advocated treating landscape architecture as a fine art rather than superficial ornament, arguing that subtropical estate and civic grounds should harmonize with local topography, architecture, and native and exotic plant collections.[cook-fshs-1920]
The 1923 Avon Park Mall Commission
In 1923, following the Avon Park Town Council’s approval of municipal improvement bonds and the clearance of wooden storefronts along the north side of Main Street, the city engaged Cook to prepare the comprehensive master landscape design for the new central median boulevard.[nrhp-avon-park-district][maxwell-1976] Municipal records note a design fee of $165 paid to Reasoner Brothers’ landscape artists for laying out the plans.[maxwell-1976]
Cook’s original plan called for the artistic placement of exotic subtropical shrubs, ornamental trees, a series of decorative fountains, and a large central reflecting pool along the median strip.[nrhp-avon-park-district]
To implement Cook’s planting design, the Town Council contracted with the Reasoner Brothers Nursery of Oneco in June 1923 to supply the live nursery stock.[nrhp-avon-park-district] Local naturalist and future mayor Dr. Charles S. Donaldson worked directly with Cook’s scheme, selecting and ordering jacaranda trees (Jacaranda mimosifolia), royal poincianas (Delonix regia), exotic palms, and live oaks, creating the iconic purple-blooming avenue that defined Avon Park’s civic landscape.[nrhp-avon-park-district][maxwell-1976]
References
- 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
- 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
- cook-fshs-1920 — W. A. Cook. The Home and the Grounds. 1 May 1920. https://journals.flvc.org/fshs/article/view/86364
Related
- Mile Long Mall
- Charles S. Donaldson
- Finding: The Mile Long Mall’s 1923 Landscape Plan
- 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
- 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)
- 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)
- W. A. Cook, The Home and the Grounds (1920)
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