Historic Preservation Awards and Celebration
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May 17th, 2025
2:00 – 8:00PM
About This Event:
Thank you to our sponsors: Osceola County Association of Realtors, Gray Robinson, Kisselback Ford, Florida Humanities, and 10th Street Produce & Deli. St. Cloud is a treasure worth protecting. Join us on Saturday, May 17, 2:00 – 5:30 and immerse yourself in captivating presentations by esteemed historians at various landmark buildings throughout downtown St. Cloud. Followed by a Celebration with light refreshments 6 – 8pm at VFW Hall Post 3227, 915 New York Ave, St. Cloud, FL 34769. The celebration will include a presentation of plaques and awards for historic properties.
About The Speaker Series and Presenters:
2:00-3:00pm – Woman’s Club of St. Cloud, 1014 Massachusetts Ave, St. Cloud, FL 34769
“The State You’re In: Florida Men, Florida Women, and Other Wildlife” – This lecture will be presented by Craig Pittman.
Craig is a native Floridian. Born in Pensacola, he graduated from Troy State University in Alabama, where his muckraking work for the student paper prompted an agitated dean to label him “the most destructive force on campus”. After 31 years at the Tampa Bay Times, he now writes a weekly column on environmental issues for the Florida Phoenix and co-hosts the podcast “Welcome to Florida”. He has written six non-fiction books about Florida and lives in St. Petersburg.
3:15-4:15pm – St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce, 1200 New York Ave, St. Cloud FL 34769
“Telling Florida Food Stories” – This lecture will be presented by Dalia Colon.
In this interactive program, journalist and author Dalia Colon provides an overview of Florida’s history through the lens of food, from indigenous foodways, to the rise and fall of the citrus industry, to modern sustainability efforts. Through audience story sharing and audio and video clips, Ms. Colon keeps the discussion energized and personalized for each community.
4:30-5:30pm – American Legion Post 80, 1019 Pennsylvania Ave, St. Cloud FL 34769
“The Politics of Preservation: A Roadmap for Saving Your Town’s Historic Buildings” – This lecture will be presented by Dr. Wayne Wood.
In this presentation, Dr. Wayne Wood relates his fifty years of leadership in historic preservation, providing information on how to succeed in preserving a community’s landmark buildings and historic neighborhoods. Dr. Wood explores the dynamics of historical preservation from a local perspective and explains the merit of restoring entire neighborhoods as well as single historic buildings, from bungalows to mansions across Florida.
In May of 2023 the St. Cloud Main Street program and the City of St. Cloud announced their collaborative program to recognize historic buildings within the city limits. Through this program, homes that meet eligibility criteria can apply or be nominated for a Historic Preservation award or Historic Plaque. Deadline to apply this year is February 14th and awards will be presented annually in May. Full details of the application process can be found on the City of St. Cloud’s website here.
AWARD APPLICATION
PLAQUE APPLICATION
Plaques
There are two different plaques available through the Awards & Plaque program. The first is for buildings that contribute to the historic significance of the city. The second is for buildings that are designated as local historic landmarks.
Historic plaque applications and a $100 fee to fabricate the plaque must be turned in by February 14th of 2025 to be considered for the May ceremony. Please submit your application in person to St. Cloud City Hall, 1300 9th Street, St. Cloud Florida, 34769.
Awards
The Awards program has four categories; preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and additions/new construction. The preservation category is for work that has been done to sustain the existing form, integrity, and materials of the historic property. Rehabilitation is for properties that has been repaired, altered, or for additions that preserve the features which convey its historical, cultural, archaeological, or architectural significance. The restoration category covers buildings that have had been restored to the original historic state by removal of features from other periods and reconstruction of missing features from the restoration period. Lastly, additions and new construction include new features to a historic property that are compatible and in character with the existing historic building and surrounding contributing historic resources.
To apply or nominate someone for a historic award there is no fee and application must be turned into the St. Cloud City Hall at 1300 9th Street St. Cloud, FL 34769. Deadline to apply is February 14th of 2025 to be considered for the May ceremony.
