The Old Lakeland High School, also formerly known as the Polk Opportunity Center, is an historic 3-story redbrick
school building located at 400 North
Florida Avenue in
Lakeland,
Florida, U.S.. Built in 1926, it was designed by architect
Edward Columbus Hosford
Edward Columbus Hosford, also known as Edward C. Hosford and E. C. Hosford, (April 24, 1883 – January 2, 1939) was an American architect noted for the courthouses and other buildings that he designed in Florida, Georgia and Texas.
Early l ...
in the late
Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...
architectural style.
On September 30, 1993, it was added to the
National Register of Historic Places. Over the years the building has housed several different schools including the Polk Opportunity Center, Lakeland Junior High School, and Lakeland Middle Academy. Lakeland Middle Academy was renamed
Lawton Chiles Middle Academy
Polk County Public Schools is a school district headquartered in Bartow, Florida, United States. The district serves Polk County.
History Civil rights era
Before 1965, Polk County maintained two separate school systems, one for white students, ...
in 1999, to honor the passing of former Florida governor
Lawton Chiles—himself an alumnus of Lakeland High School.
See also
*
Lakeland High School
Gallery
File:Lakeland Old High School plaques01.jpg, Plaques
File:Lakeland Old High School stone01.jpg, Cornerstone
File:Lakeland Old High School door01.jpg, Entrance detail
References
External links
Polk County listingsFlorida's Office of Cultural and Historical ProgramsPolk County listings
Edward Columbus Hosford buildings
Schools in Lakeland, Florida
National Register of Historic Places in Polk County, Florida
Gothic Revival architecture in Florida
School buildings completed in 1926
1926 establishments in Florida
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