Posts tagged Flagler College
State Grants Recognize Henry Flagler’s Legacy — Will Help Complete Restoration of Ponce De Leon Hall’s Solarium
Apr 24th
These funds will be used as part of the $2 million project, A Crowning Achievement: The Campaign for Restoration of the Solarium.
“Flagler College is grateful for the recognition and is pleased to be the recipient of these funds, which will assist in completing the restoration of the building for the 125th Anniversary celebration of the opening of the former resort hotel in 1888,” said Flagler President Dr. William T. Abare, Jr. “The celebration and dedication of the Solarium are scheduled to take place in 2013.”
The renovation of the Solarium and the fourth floor of Ponce de Leon Hall will complete the building’s full return to active use.
Historically, the Solarium served as an area where guests could gather for conversation, enjoy entertainment, or watch activities taking place in town or along the bay front. Rehabilitation of this room and the fourth floor will permit similar activities, as well as provide for an exceptional event venue. The Solarium remains as the last significant space to be restored in the former Hotel Ponce de Leon, and the room is quite different than any other.
The fundraising campaign began in 2009, and since that time the college has secured more than $1.5 million from private sources for the project. In honor of their lead gift, the Solarium will be renamed to recognize historic preservation supporters and philanthropists Allen and Delores Lastinger. Mrs. Lastinger is a member of the college’s Board of Trustees.
The Solarium project was selected from a recommended list of ranked Special Category projects in the Department of State budget. In addition, Flagler received first place rankings for a $50,000 small matching grant for the Solarium and a $25,000 exhibition grant as part of the 125th Anniversary program. Restoration work is expected to begin this summer with an anticipated completion date in January or February of 2013.
For more information contact: Brian Thompson, 904-819-6249, bthompson@flagler.edu
Flagler College’s Hotel Ponce de Leon Included in ‘Florida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places’ List
Apr 24th
To celebrate its 100th anniversary, the organization asked Floridians to vote on the top 100 buildings in an online competition. The Fontainebleau Miami Beach took first place in the popular vote. The Ponce wasn’t included in the original list of 100 structures, but it garnered enough write-in votes to be recognized.
More than 2 million votes were cast in the competition.
The Ponce joins other Florida architectural structures including the Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Cinderella’s Castle in Orlando, the Historic Capitol Building in Tallahassee, the Florida Aquarium in Tampa and the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed campus of Florida Southern College.
A former luxury hotel, the Ponce was built by Henry Flagler and it opened in 1888. It is widely considered one of the best examples of Spanish-Moorish Renaissance architecture.
When you first see Flagler College you will think it is part of the original old city. But the school was founded in 1968. The original Hotel Ponce de Leon, which now serves as the residence hall and is the center of the college was built in 1888 and is an architectural masterpiece.
Thomas Edison, whose winter home is in Fort Myers Florida, personally assisted in making The Hotel De Ponce de Leon the first building in Florida wired with electricity. In addition, Louis Comfort Tiffany of the famed Tiffany Stained Glass created the stained class inside the hotel.
The rest of the campus matches that historical architecture and as a result is a major attraction for visitors to St Augustine.
Statue of Henry Flagler at Flagler College, St Augustine
Flagler College is an independent, four-year, comprehensive baccalaureate college located in St. Augustine, Fla. The college offers 24 majors, 29 minors and two pre-professional programs, the largest majors being business, education and communication. Small by intent, Flagler College has an enrollment of about 2,500 students, as well as a satellite campus at Tallahassee Community College in Tallahassee, Fla. U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review regularly feature Flagler as a college that offers quality education at a relatively low cost; tuition is $22,500, including room and board. A relatively young institution (founded in 1968), Flagler College is also noted for the historic beauty of its campus. The main building is Ponce de Leon Hall, built in 1887 as a luxury resort by Henry Flagler, who co-founded the Standard Oil Company with John D. Rockefeller.
For more information contact: Brian Thompson, 904-819-6249, bthompson@flagler.edu
Culturally La Florida! VIVA FLORIDA St. Augustine
Apr 17th
Hosted and based at Flagler College, but with programs citywide as well as in Hastings and Palm Coast, Cullturally La Florida will offer a mix of lectures, presentations and performances that will appeal to everyone from academicians to school children. Among the topics to be covered are archeology, Native Americans, runaway slaves, Spanish missions, food, arts, ranching, maritime explorations, folklore and much more.
Culturally La Florida will begin ati 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 3 with Opening Ceremonies followed by a keynote address by Dr. Michael Gannon, Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of History and member of the St. Augustine 450th Commemorative Commission. Dr. Gannon brings a unique perspective to the history of St. Augustine and Florida. Half a century ago, he served on the St. Augustine 400th Commemorative Commission.
Friday and Saturday will be filled with fascinating presentations on historical Spanish influences that began as early as 1513 with the arrival of Ponce de Leon and continue today. Field trips will explore commercial farming operations in Hastings and a visit to the Florida Agricultural Museum in Palm Coast will explain what Florida farm life was like throughout history and provide an interesting look at Spanish heritage livestock.
All of the events included in Culturally La Florida are free and open the public. Seating, however, will be on a first come, first served basis. For a complete program and full details, go to www.culturallylaflorida.org.
Flagler College thanks the following partners and sponsors for their assistance with this program: Florida Humanities Council, St. Johns County Tourist Development Council, St. Augustine Foundation, St. Johns County Visitor and Convention Bureau, City of St. Augustine, Nation’s Oldest Port National Heritage Area, Florida Public Archaeology Network, and Florida Trust for Historic Preservation.
“Funding for this program was provided through a grant from the Florida Humanities Council with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the Florida Humanities Council or the National Endowment for the Humanities.”
Located midway between Daytona Beach and Jacksonville, Florida’s Historic Coast features historic St. Augustine, the outstanding golf and seaside elegance of Ponte Vedra, 42 miles of pristine Atlantic beaches – the same beaches that greeted Ponce de Leon in 1513 when he discovered and named La Florida – an area whose boundaries included what would later become the eastern United States. For more information on events, activities, holiday getaways and vacation opportunities in St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches, go to the Visitors and Convention Bureau website at www.FloridasHistoricCoast.com, become a fan on Facebook or call 1.800.653.2489.