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January 14 Ceremony Celebrates Renovations of Historic Houses
Jan 10, 2006 See Attached Photo Contact: Barbara Manzo, Parks & Recreation, 461-7412 JANUARY 14 CEREMONY CELEBRATES RENOVATION OF HISTORIC BOCA GRANDE HOUSES FORT MYERS, Fla. (January 10, 2006) The Board of Lee County Commissioners will hold a ribbon cutting Saturday (Jan. 14) for the renovation of two historic houses on Boca Grande that will become part of the Boca Grande Community Center Complex. The ceremony for the Dishong-Bowen and Teacherage Historic Houses will be at 11:30 a.m., 170 Park Avenue. Lee County Commissioner Bob Janes will serve as master of ceremonies. He will be joined by representatives of the Boca Grande Art Alliance, Boca Grande Historical Society, Boca Grande Woman's Club, Friends of Boca Grande Community Center, Boca Grande Fire Control District, the Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association, and the Lee County Historic Preservation Board. The renovation of the two facilities cost $1.3 million. BACKGROUND: Dishong - Bowen and Teacherage Historic Houses Dishong Bowen HouseThrough substantial collaborative efforts between the Boca Grande Fire District, the Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association (GICIA), the Lee County Board of County Commissioners, Lee County Departments of Parks and Recreation, Public Works and Community Development, the Lee County Historic Preservation Board and BSSW architects, the historic Dishong-Bowen house was preserved and rehabilitated as a community facility that today enhances the Boca Grande Community Center. Originally built circa 1930 at 340 E. Railroad Avenue by early Boca Grande residents, it is a contributing structure to the Boca Grande Historic District that was designated in 1990. Contributing structures in the historic district are deemed worthy of preservation and no contributing structures have been demolished in the district since its inception. The story of how the Dishong - Bowen house came to be relocated to the Boca Grande Community Center and preserved for community uses, starts in 2002 when two very different agencies with very different problems joined together to implement a creative solution for their mutual benefit. In the 1990s the Boca Grande Fire District purchased the lot on which the Dishong - Bowen house was located to accommodate the fire station's future expansion. By 2002 the Fire District had spent a considerable amount of time, money and effort in completing and permitting its expansion plans. Because the District never intended to use the Dishong - Bowen house, it tried various relocation plans. Great credit goes to the Fire District for its willingness to keep working on relocation plans for the house even in the face of numerous obstacles. Meanwhile, increased usage of the Boca Grande Community Center highlighted the need for additional community space. The GICIA formed a Community Planning Committee, which included the Lee County Department of Parks and Recreation and concluded that additional space for use by community organizations was badly needed. One of the impediments to developing new space was that modern codes would not permit the expansion of the Community Center. However, incentives under the historic preservation ordinance would allow for the creation of additional space through the rehabilitation of a historic building. Since the Fire District had a historic house to give away and Department of Parks and Recreation needed additional space: the two organizations collaborated on the relocation of the historic Dishong - Bowen house to the Boca Grande Community Center campus. The Fire District, the GICIA and the Historic Preservation Board all made financial contributions to this project. The Dishong/Bowen house was moved to the Community Center and located next to and at the same height as the Teacherage Building thus eliminating the need for the construction of new bathrooms as the two buildings can share one set of bathrooms. The future uses of the Dishong - Bowen house will include an art studio, a multipurpose room and a meeting room. The adaptive rehabilitation of Dishong - Bowen house from a residence to a community/recreational area developed by BSSW architects with assistance from Lee County Department of Public Works preserves its simple architectural style. It features a front facing metal gable roof, horizontal wood siding and an incised front porch with a knee wall. The front elevation continues to feature a central front door. The exterior footprint of the house remains unaltered except for the rear wing addition. The interior has been altered to accommodate the community uses. The Dishong Bowen house, like many other of Lee County's historic structures, is important as part of the fabric of the Boca Grande historic district..a district that contributes to the quality of life enjoyed by our residents and visitors. In an era of high growth, historic resources are being lost at an alarming rate. Through the collaborative effort of individuals and organizations, the Dishong - Bowen house has been preserved with it the identity and special sense of place that Boca Grande gives to our county has been maintained for future generations. The Teacherage House. was constructed circa 1930 as a duplex to provide living quarters for the Boca Grande School principal and its teachers. As part of the Boca Grande Community Center, the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRIS 1995-03-30). The Teacherage House is a single-story, simple frame vernacular building with Craftsman style elements and T-shaped plan. The structure utilizes primarily heart pinewood, assembled with indigenous building techniques typical of the period. The roof material prior to renovation was asphalt shingles although the original material was likely galvanized steel panels (tin). Tongue and groove pine wood drop siding is found throughout the exterior. Most of the original wood double-hung windows have been retained and are in good condition. Over the years there have been various exterior alterations to the building, although the architecture still retains much of its original appearance. In 1971, the building was converted to office and residence for the Lee County Department of Transportation (DOT). In the early 1990's, the house continued to be used as the office for DOT but the house was no longer used as a residence. In the mid 1990's, the south half of the Teacherage house became the new home of Boca Bargains (a thrift store operated by the Boca Grande Woman's Club). The north half remained the DOT office with the excess space becoming storage for the recreational supplies for the Community Center. In 2001, the DOT office was moved to the Community Center leaving the majority of the house for the expanding operations of Boca Bargains. Today, the Teacherage House is home to the Boca Grande Historical Society and Boca Bargains. |
