Numerous contributions from the community and a generous matching grant from the Galloway Foundation helped advocates raise the fund in a little more than three weeks.
Thad Seymour, president emeritus of Rollins College and a co-chair of the effort, declared his enthusiasm and hopes for the project. "We are off to a great start, and it is gratifying to see how quickly and generously the community has responded.”
In a landmark effort the leaders at the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens are working in close partnership with the Friends of Casa Feliz and the Winter Park Historical Association, to ensure the safe harbor of the house on the grounds of the Polasek Museum by the end of 2013.
Donations may be made online at www.PreservationCapen.org or by mailing a check made out to the Albin Polasek Museum earmarked Capen House, 633 Osceola Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32789.The Preservation Capen fundraising drive continues into September, with a number of public events planned in Winter Park to raise awareness for the plight of the century-old residence. Saturdays in September, from 9 a.m. to noon, preservation advocates will be hosting a tent on the lawn of the Winter Park Historical Museum, at 200 West New England Avenue, near downtown Winter Park. Volunteers will be on hand to answer questions about the house and offer games and coloring pages for children while collecting much-needed donations. Local businesses are pitching in to save the house as well. Peterbrooke Chocolatier is completing a limited edition Capen Chocolate, in the shape of the historic home, with proceeds going towards this community-wide project. Kevin Wray, owner and operator of Peterbrooke, spoke of his dedication to the cause: “We are proud to be a part of preserving the history of our community. Winter Park, like our chocolate, is based on rich traditions that we cherish.” Plans are also in the works for a rally to Save the Capen House in Central Park in the coming weeks.
About Preservation Capen: Preservation Capen is a long-term project with an immediate short-term goal: to move Winter Park’s historic Capen-Showalter House from its site on Interlachen Avenue to the grounds of the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens. The home will be moved by barge across Lake Osceola in a one-of-a-kind effort planned for late 2013. The Preservation Capen team is led by Debbie Komanski, Executive Director of the Polasek Museum, and architectural historian Christine Madrid French, Project Director. Old house experts Frank Roark (Construction Manager) and Steve Feller (Consulting Architect) are working closely with the community to ensure smooth sailing during and after the move. The Museum plans to maintain the Victorian house as a public asset and make the site available for educational programs, art exhibitions, and community gatherings. This is Winter Park’s most ambitious historic preservation project since the moving of another historic home, Casa Feliz, in 2001, to its current location on Park Avenue.The Capen House was built in 1885 by one of Winter Park's earliest residents, James Seymour Capen, and later owned by the Showalter family, leaders in Florida’s aviation community. The Polasek Museum property, with a sweeping lawn to the water, can easily accommodate the 6,000 sq. ft. house which will be used for public events, educational programs and a wide variety of activities for the Museum, a critical need of the organization identified in 2001, as well as a community gathering space. This landmark effort is supported by key leaders in the community, including Thaddeus Seymour (president emeritus of Rollins College and co-chair of Preservation Capen), Lawson Lamar (former Sheriff of Orange County and State Attorney for Orange and Osceola counties, also a co-chair), all of Winter Park’s past mayors (Allen Trovillion, Daniel Hunter, David Johnston, Gary Brewer, Joseph Terranova, Roland “Terry” Hotard, Kenneth “Kip” Marchman and David Strong) who have served over the last fifty years, the Friends of Casa Feliz and the Winter Park Historical Association.
Thad Seymour, president emeritus of Rollins College and a co-chair of the effort, declared his enthusiasm and hopes for the project. "We are off to a great start, and it is gratifying to see how quickly and generously the community has responded.”
In a landmark effort the leaders at the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens are working in close partnership with the Friends of Casa Feliz and the Winter Park Historical Association, to ensure the safe harbor of the house on the grounds of the Polasek Museum by the end of 2013.
Donations may be made online at www.PreservationCapen.org or by mailing a check made out to the Albin Polasek Museum earmarked Capen House, 633 Osceola Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32789.The Preservation Capen fundraising drive continues into September, with a number of public events planned in Winter Park to raise awareness for the plight of the century-old residence. Saturdays in September, from 9 a.m. to noon, preservation advocates will be hosting a tent on the lawn of the Winter Park Historical Museum, at 200 West New England Avenue, near downtown Winter Park. Volunteers will be on hand to answer questions about the house and offer games and coloring pages for children while collecting much-needed donations. Local businesses are pitching in to save the house as well. Peterbrooke Chocolatier is completing a limited edition Capen Chocolate, in the shape of the historic home, with proceeds going towards this community-wide project. Kevin Wray, owner and operator of Peterbrooke, spoke of his dedication to the cause: “We are proud to be a part of preserving the history of our community. Winter Park, like our chocolate, is based on rich traditions that we cherish.” Plans are also in the works for a rally to Save the Capen House in Central Park in the coming weeks.
About Preservation Capen: Preservation Capen is a long-term project with an immediate short-term goal: to move Winter Park’s historic Capen-Showalter House from its site on Interlachen Avenue to the grounds of the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens. The home will be moved by barge across Lake Osceola in a one-of-a-kind effort planned for late 2013. The Preservation Capen team is led by Debbie Komanski, Executive Director of the Polasek Museum, and architectural historian Christine Madrid French, Project Director. Old house experts Frank Roark (Construction Manager) and Steve Feller (Consulting Architect) are working closely with the community to ensure smooth sailing during and after the move. The Museum plans to maintain the Victorian house as a public asset and make the site available for educational programs, art exhibitions, and community gatherings. This is Winter Park’s most ambitious historic preservation project since the moving of another historic home, Casa Feliz, in 2001, to its current location on Park Avenue.The Capen House was built in 1885 by one of Winter Park's earliest residents, James Seymour Capen, and later owned by the Showalter family, leaders in Florida’s aviation community. The Polasek Museum property, with a sweeping lawn to the water, can easily accommodate the 6,000 sq. ft. house which will be used for public events, educational programs and a wide variety of activities for the Museum, a critical need of the organization identified in 2001, as well as a community gathering space. This landmark effort is supported by key leaders in the community, including Thaddeus Seymour (president emeritus of Rollins College and co-chair of Preservation Capen), Lawson Lamar (former Sheriff of Orange County and State Attorney for Orange and Osceola counties, also a co-chair), all of Winter Park’s past mayors (Allen Trovillion, Daniel Hunter, David Johnston, Gary Brewer, Joseph Terranova, Roland “Terry” Hotard, Kenneth “Kip” Marchman and David Strong) who have served over the last fifty years, the Friends of Casa Feliz and the Winter Park Historical Association.