Florida Southern College's historic 'President's Residence' to be relocated to preserve and honor its legacy

FSC President's Residence getting major upgrade

FOX 13's Carla Bayron talked with the college's president about preserving its honor and legacy.

LAKELAND, Fla. - A historic treasure and landmark on Florida Southern College's campus will be getting a second chance.

The backstory:

The President's Residence, which was built back in 1938 near the end of the Great Depression, has been in need of major repairs for years.

If the walls of the President's Residence could talk, they'd be sure to share lots of good memories.

"It was built in 1938, immediately before Frank Lloyd Wright began his work in the community, and so there are generations of folks who remember holiday gatherings, parties, students who come through that house and staff come through that house," said the college's current president, Dr. Jeremy Martin.

The campus is Frank Lloyd Wright's largest single-site collection of his architecture in the world.

Martin says Wright actually wasn't very fond of the home's design because it didn't match his aesthetic, and he wanted it torn down. However, President Ludd Spivey shot down that idea.

"In the early campus master plan's that he would draw up, he wouldn't include any access to the house," said Martin. "There were no sidewalks or driveway. It would've been a nightmare to get groceries from the car to the house in his silent protest of not providing access to the residence."

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Generations later, Frank Lloyd Wright is finally getting his way. The house hasn't been occupied for the last eight years and is in need of a lot of repairs.  A local preservationist agreed to relocate the house to a new spot just down the road along the lake where it'll be restored and will continue to be a private residence.

"The excitement that'll be the house gets up and take a walk in truck beds around the lake and replanted in a prominent position that secures its legacy on Lake Hollingsworth and the community will be a wonderful moment," said Martin.

Several years ago, another home on Lake Hollingsworth was given another chance. The 1927 Tudor home was lifted, moved, and renovated into the bistro known as "The Cob and Pen." Now, the President's Residence will also be restored and enjoyed by generations to come.

What's next:

The home is expected to be relocated sometime after Spring of next year.

The lot is set to become a green space, although there is potential for a building to be constructed there in the future to support ongoing academic programs.

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