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

Public Buildings and Civic Infrastructure of Avon Park (1888–Present)

Summary

The public architecture of Avon Park reflects its evolution from a pioneer settlement reliant on rented storefronts and domestic quarters into an incorporated municipality with a planned civic campus.[maxwell-1976] Anchored along East Main Street, the Mile Long Mall, and the western shore of Lake Verona, Avon Park’s public infrastructure encompasses City Hall (1928–1929), the 1928 Municipal Fire and Police Station, the historic post offices, the Avon Park Public Library on Museum Avenue, the 1897/1922 Bandstand, and the Highlands County satellite administrative offices at 116 East Main Street.[maxwell-1976][nrhp-90000486]

1. Evolution of the Civic Campus on Lake Verona

During the town’s first four decades (1886–1926), municipal and community business was conducted in temporary quarters. Early Town Council meetings, Board of Trade “smokers,” and mayor’s court sessions convened in Sargent’s Hall, the pioneer post office, the Wray family residence, the second-floor auditorium of the Brickell Building, and the Hotel Jacaranda arcade.[maxwell-1976]

In June 1926, Avon Park voters approved a $355,000 public improvement bond issue, including $30,000 designated for a permanent City Hall.[maxwell-1976] On 21 March 1928, the City Council formally resolved to construct a unified municipal complex comprising a City Hall, Fire Department, and Jail at the eastern terminus of Main Street overlooking Lake Verona.[maxwell-1976] This consolidated Avon Park’s administrative, judicial, and emergency services within a single public square under the legislative framework of the 1927 municipal charter (Chapter 12514).[lof-1927-12514]

2. Avon Park City Hall (110 East Main Street)

Completed in March 1929 at a final cost of $28,680, Avon Park City Hall is a Neoclassical landmark standing at 110 East Main Street at the head of the Mile Long Mall.[maxwell-1976][nrhp-90000486]

Avon Park City Hall in April 1929

Avon Park City Hall shortly after completion in April 1929. The First Hundred Years of Avon Park, Florida (1976), page 38. Avon Park Historical Society.[maxwell-1976]

  • Architecture and Construction: Designed in the Neoclassical style with a prominent row of monumental columns across the facade, the building was constructed by the C. W. Pabor Construction Company.[maxwell-1976][nrhp-90000486] To reduce costs following the 1926 land bust, cast art stone was substituted for specified terra cotta trim. The cornerstone was ceremonially laid on 1 August 1928 by Poinciana Masonic Lodge No. 227.[maxwell-1976]
  • Opening and Memorial: Before opening for regular municipal business, the building served as a public mortuary on 11–12 February 1929, when the bodies of Mayor William King and City Comptroller Chester Arthur Crews lay in state after both officials were struck and killed by a Seaboard Air Line train.[maxwell-1976]
  • Historic Listing: Listed as a contributing resource in the Avon Park Historic District (National Register of Historic Places, 1990), City Hall continues to house municipal administration, council chambers, and city records.[nrhp-90000486]

3. The 1928 Fire and Police Station

Authorized under the Council’s March 1928 unified building resolution, the dedicated municipal firehouse was completed on 5 December 1928 under Fire Chief W. H. McCarthy.[maxwell-1976]

First Fire Station built in 1928

The 1928 Fire Station on East Main Street, later occupied by the Police Department. The First Hundred Years of Avon Park, Florida (1976), page 201. Avon Park Historical Society.[maxwell-1976]

  • Structure: Built of load-bearing masonry with two apparatus engine bays, equipment storage, holding cells, and a hose-drying siren tower.[maxwell-1976]
  • Fire and Police Dual Use: In 1938, W. H. McCarthy assumed dual duties as Fire Chief and Chief of Police, operating both departments from the facility under the appointment powers created by the 1927 city charter.[maxwell-1976][lof-1927-12514]
  • Repurposing as Police Headquarters: When the fire department moved to a modern station at 98 South Delaney Avenue in the late 1970s, the 1928 station was converted into the permanent headquarters of the Avon Park Police Department.[maxwell-1976]

4. Postal Facilities and Lineage (1888–Present)

The federal postal service at Avon Park evolved through six successive building locations along the Main Street and Lake Verona corridors:[maxwell-1976]

Era Location / Facility Postmasters / Notes
1888–1891 Waycross Street (behind Verona Hotel) William A. King, Arthur W. Dickson; mail carried on horseback from Fort Meade; shared with The Florida Home Seeker print shop.[maxwell-1976]
1891–1896 East Main Street (Kinney Store) Dorr D. Kinney; operated from general store counter.[maxwell-1976]
1896–1904 East Main Street (West Store) Benjamin F. West, Stephen E. Roberts; operated alongside West’s safe banking operation.[maxwell-1976]
c. 1908–1922 East Main Street (Spinks Building) Marion W. Sargent, May J. Dilley, Fannie P. Reeves (Spinks); 2-story frame building; acquired 1939 by City for Chamber of Commerce.[maxwell-1976]
1922–mid-century East Main Street (Masonry Post Office) Built during 1922 Mall expansion; later housed Fairyland Children’s Specialty Shop.[maxwell-1976]
Mid-20th C. Corner North Verona Ave. & East Main St. Douglass G. (“Doc”) Perry (served 1936–1960); later housed One Hour Cleaners.[maxwell-1976]
Modern Era West Main Street (U.S. 27 corridor) Dedicated federal facility with loading docks and customer service lobby.[usps-loc]

Historic Spinks Post Office Building

The historic Spinks Post Office building on East Main Street, later used as the Chamber of Commerce. The First Hundred Years of Avon Park, Florida (1976), page 85. Avon Park Historical Society.[maxwell-1976]

5. The Avon Park Public Library (100 North Museum Avenue)

Founded through the initiatives of Mrs. William M. Reck and the Avon Park Woman’s Club after 1913, the public library developed into a major cultural institution:[maxwell-1976]

  • Pioneer Organization: Early collections were assembled by the Woman’s Club and PTA, transitioning from volunteer shelves to a formal municipal institution with the hiring of Lois Wood as the first paid librarian.[maxwell-1976]
  • Postwar Building Campaign: Mrs. Edward G. Todd (Winifred Reck Todd) spearheaded a community-wide campaign to construct a dedicated modern library on city parkland overlooking Lake Verona at 100 North Museum Avenue.[maxwell-1976]
  • Regional System: Today operating as a key branch of the Heartland Library Cooperative, the library provides public computing, local history archives, and literacy programming.[hlc-web]

6. The Historic Bandstand (1897, 1912, 1922)

Erected in 1897 on the banks of Lake Verona, the octagonal wooden bandstand served as the visual and civic focal point of early Avon Park.[maxwell-1976][nrhp-90000486]

  • Relocations: Moved around 1912 to the northwest corner of Main Street and Lake Avenue, and moved again in 1922 into the newly widened Mile Long Mall between Forest and Lake Avenues.[nrhp-90000486]
  • Civic Uses: Served as the storage site for the town’s volunteer chemical fire cart in 1920, the staging area for political rallies and PTA Halloween parades, and temporary headquarters for the municipal police force.[maxwell-1976][sanborn-1920]
  • Restoration: Restored to its 1922 historic appearance as Avon Park’s official United States Bicentennial project in 1976.[nrhp-90000486]

7. Highlands County Administrative Satellite Facilities (116 East Main Street)

Following the 21 November 1922 election in which Sebring won the permanent Highlands County seat by 67 votes (844 to 777), all central county courts and commission offices were established in Sebring.[lof-1921-8513]

To ensure northern Highlands County residents had local access to essential public services, the county established satellite annex operations in Avon Park:[hctax-web]

  • Highlands County Tax Collector Satellite Office (116 East Main Street): Located directly adjacent to Avon Park City Hall, this facility handles driver licensing, motor vehicle registrations, and county property tax payments.[hctax-web]
  • Misdemeanor Probation Office (47 Wilhite Street): Houses county probation supervision and judicial program coordination in north county.[hctax-web]

Together with the municipal facilities, these buildings form a contiguous civic district preserving Avon Park’s historical governance, public services, and architectural heritage.

References

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. National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Avon Park Historic District (1990)
  3. Sanborn Map Company, Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, Avon Park, Florida, November 1920 (references/sanborn-1920-avon-park.md) (1920)
  4. Legislature of the State of Florida, Chapter 8513, Laws of Florida 1921: An Act Creating Highlands County (references/laws-of-florida-chapter-8513-1921.md) (1921)
  5. Legislature of the State of Florida, Chapter 12514, Laws of Florida 1927: Charter of the City of Avon Park (references/laws-of-florida-chapter-12514-1927.md) (1927)
  6. Heartland Library Cooperative, Heartland Library Cooperative: Avon Park Public Library (2026)
  7. Highlands County Tax Collector, Highlands County Tax Collector: Locations and Services (2026)
  8. United States Postal Service, USPS Post Office Location: Avon Park, FL (2026)

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.