1 Preserving the Legacy the Hotel
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PRESERVING THE LEGACY THE HOTEL PONCE DE LEON AND FLAGLER COLLEGE By LESLEE F. KEYS A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2013 1 © 2013 Leslee F. Keys 2 To my maternal grandmother Lola Smith Oldham, independent, forthright and strong, who gave love, guidance and support to her eight grandchildren helping them to pursue their dreams. 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My sincere appreciation is extended to my supervisory committee for their energy, encouragement, and enthusiasm: from the College of Design, Construction and Planning, committee chair Christopher Silver, Ph.D., FAICP, Dean; committee co-chair Roy Eugene Graham, FAIA, Beinecke-Reeves Distinguished Professor; and Herschel Shepard, FAIA, Professor Emeritus, Department of Architecture. Also, thanks are extended to external committee members Kathleen Deagan, Ph.D., Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, Florida Museum of Natural History and John Nemmers, Archivist, Smathers Libraries. Your support and encouragement inspired this effort. I am grateful to Flagler College and especially to William T. Abare, Jr., Ed.D., President, who championed my endeavor and aided me in this pursuit; to Michael Gallen, Library Director, who indulged my unusual schedule and persistent requests; and to Peggy Dyess, his Administrative Assistant, who graciously secured hundreds of resources for me and remained enthusiastic over my progress. Thank you to my family, who increased in number over the years of this project, were surprised, supportive, and sources of much-needed interruptions: Evan and Tiffany Machnic and precocious grandsons Payton and Camden; Ethan Machnic and Erica Seery; Lyndon Keys, Debbie Schmidt, and Ashley Keys. Most importantly, heartfelt gratitude and affection to Thomas McDonald, my cherished friend, partner, and confidante, who listened patiently when I rambled with new information, motivated me through the challenges along the way, and accompanied me on excursions to discover many of the people, places and settings that enriched this effort. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS................................................................................................. 4 LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................ 9 ABSTRACT.................................................................................................................. 13 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 15 Background ........................................................................................................... 17 Structure of the Study ............................................................................................ 26 2 METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................. 29 Use of a Case Study Approach for Historic Preservation Topics............................ 31 Documenting the Hotel Ponce de Leon ................................................................. 39 3 THE HOTEL PONCE DE LEON IN CONTEXT THE PRESERVATION MOVEMENT AT THE NATIONAL, REGIONAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEVELS ... 46 Early Private Historic Preservation Efforts in the United States.............................. 47 United States Historic Preservation Legislation and Policy .................................... 54 Antiquities Act of 1906..................................................................................... 55 Historic Sites Act of 1935 ................................................................................ 56 National Trust for Historic Preservation ........................................................... 58 National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and Related Federal Legislation.... 60 Federal Laws Addressing Archaeological and Maritime Resources ................ 63 Financial Incentives for Historic Preservation .................................................. 64 Preservation and Planning in the South ................................................................. 66 The State of Florida’s Early Historic Preservation Commitment ............................. 68 The State of Florida’s Later Historic Preservation Commitment ............................. 70 Historic Preservation and the City of St. Augustine ................................................ 72 4 EARLY HISTORIC PRESERVATION EFFORTS IN ST. AUGUSTINE .................. 75 St. Augustine Historical Restoration Program ........................................................ 82 Additional Mid-20th Century Initiatives in St. Augustine .................................... 89 St. Augustine Historical Restoration and Preservation Commission ................ 92 The Quadricentennial Anniversary and the Restoration ......................................... 98 St. Augustine Restoration Foundation, Inc. .......................................................... 113 St. Augustine Preservation Efforts after the Quadricentennial Anniversary .......... 118 5 5 CREATING A PALACE IN PARADISE THE MEN WHO MENTORED A MASTERPIECE ................................................................................................... 123 Henry Flagler in Florida ....................................................................................... 131 The Architects, Artisans and Inventors ................................................................ 134 John Merven Carrère and Thomas Hastings, Jr. ........................................... 135 Bernard Maybeck .......................................................................................... 141 Emmanuel Masqueray .................................................................................. 147 James McGuire and Joseph McDonald ......................................................... 149 William Kennish............................................................................................. 151 Louis Comfort Tiffany .................................................................................... 152 Maitland Armstrong ....................................................................................... 156 Thomas Edison ............................................................................................. 158 George Willoughby Maynard ......................................................................... 161 Herman Schladermundt ................................................................................ 163 Virgilio Tojetti ................................................................................................ 164 Auguste Pottier and William Stymus.............................................................. 167 6 “THE MODERN WONDER OF THE ANCIENT CITY” HENRY FLAGLER’S HOTEL PONCE DE LEON .................................................................................. 170 Pioneering Use of Materials ................................................................................. 172 “An American Palace” .......................................................................................... 181 Conclusion........................................................................................................... 195 7 A SPANISH RENAISSANCE PALACE IN A SPANISH COLONIAL PARADISE .. 197 Artists, Authors, and Entertainers ........................................................................ 207 Martin Johnson Heade and the Artists’ Studios ............................................. 208 William Henry Jackson and Thomas Moran .................................................. 210 Helena Modjeska and the Shakespearian Heroines ...................................... 212 Writers .......................................................................................................... 212 Entertainers ................................................................................................... 214 Sports at Flagler’s Hotels ..................................................................................... 216 Ponce Serves as Home Field to the Cuban Giants .............................................. 220 Discerning Clientele ............................................................................................. 222 The Hotel Ponce de Leon on the Eve of the 20th Century ................................... 226 A New Century and a New Role for the Hotel Ponce de Leon ............................. 229 John D. Rockefeller Returns to Florida ................................................................ 231 The Roaring 20s, Roads, and a Reprieve for a Gilded Age Hotel ........................ 232 Decline of Tourism and Travel ............................................................................. 233 Training the Military: The Ponce as Founding Home for the Coast Guard Reserve ............................................................................................................ 236 The Final Chapter for a Grand Hotel .................................................................... 240 Imitation is … Flattery: The Influence of the Hotel Ponce de Leon ...................... 247 Flagler House ................................................................................................ 248 Flagler Hotel .................................................................................................. 249 6 Copper Queen .............................................................................................