The Thomas Center, formerly known as Hotel Thomas and Sunkist Villa, is an historic building in Gainesville,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. It was built starting in 1910 in the

Classical Revival Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...

style by noted

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

-based architect,

William Augustus Edwards William Augustus Edwards, also known as William A. Edwards (December 8, 1866 – March 30, 1939) was an Atlanta-based American architect renowned for the educational buildings, courthouses and other public and private buildings that he design ...

, designer of academic buildings at 12 institutions in

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

and Florida, including the original

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

campus, as well as a dozen or more county courthouses in those states plus other building and houses, The building began as the private home of

William Reuben Thomas William Reuben Thomas (May 24, 1866 - September 10, 1943) was a politician and businessman from Gainesville, Florida. Background Thomas was a native of Gainesville, Florida. After graduating college he became a teacher at the East Florida Se ...

, his wife Kathryn, and their five children, when it was known as Sunkist Villa. In 1928 Thomas more than doubled the size of the home and converted it to a hotel. On July 16, 1973, the building was added to the

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. The Thomas Center celebrated its 100th anniversary on February 12, 2010.

Thomas Center

Today the Thomas Center serves as a local art and cultural center, and is the home for the Gainesville Cultural Affairs Division. The Thomas Center Galleries feature changing exhibits of art. The center also features 1920s period rooms, local history exhibits, a performance space, banquet rooms, and meeting rooms.

References

External links

*
Gainesville Division of Cultural Affairs - Thomas Center
- official site
Alachua County listings at Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs

{{authority control Buildings and structures in Gainesville, Florida National Register of Historic Places in Gainesville, Florida William Augustus Edwards buildings Museums in Gainesville, Florida Historic house museums in Florida Art museums and galleries in Florida 1910 establishments in Florida