This house was built by Henry Case for Emma and James Hunt in 1924. Mr

Hunt was an engineer for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad.

This is a brick bungalow one of the few in Dean Park

It was built in 1925 for Kate and James Coffey from Kentucky. They jointly ran Seminole Realty Company.

      Nathaniel Stecher built this bungalow in 1923.  He leased it for a while.  He sold the house  to Ruth and Franklin Larrabee from Virginia.

First owner was Kent Smith who was an agent for Kinzie Bros. Steamship Line. This was the second home built in Dean Park (1917)

Gene Leedy was born on February 6, 1928 in Isaban, West Virginia. He received an Associate of Arts in 1947 University of Florida Gainesville. He received a Bachelor of Architecture in 1950. University of Florida Gainesville. In 1950, he was employed by Robert Murphey Architect Orlando.  From 1950–1951, he was employed by Ralph and William Zimmerman, Sarasota.  In 1951, employed by Paul Rudolph, Sarasota, Florida.  He served in the United States Air Force 1952–1954.  In 1954, Leedy established his own practice in Sarasota.  He relocated to Winter Haven in 1955. His projects from 1955 to 1960 included 

1 Prototype house for Craney Houses, Winter Haven

2 Brentwood Elementary School School with William Rupp

3 Lake region yacht and Country Club, Winter Haven with Paul Rudolph

4 Florida Tile Industries Building Lakeland, Florida 

5 Winter Haven City Hall

Projects from 1961 to 1965

Leedy Architectural Office, Winter Haven

Dorman Residence

Gainesville First National Bank,Cape Canaveral, Florida

Prototype houses for Hewitt and Sons, Rockledge, Florida

    He was in private practice on.Winter Haven, Florida since 1955

Gene Leedy

     Gene Leedy passes away on 11/24/2018 in Winter Haven, Florida

Paul Rudolph was born on October 23 1918 in Elton, Kentucky. His farther was a minister. His early years were spent moving from church to church in the country. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture at Auburn University in 1940. He studied at Harvard University Graduate School of Design to study with Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius. Bauhaus was a proponent of German Art School (1913-1933). It sought to combine crafts and fine arts.
3 years later, he left Harvard to serve in the U.S. Navy for 3 years. He returned to Harvard to receive his Master’s degree in 1947. He was considered to be one of the pioneers of the Sarasota School of Architecture.

After completion of his studies at Harvard, he moved to Sarasota. He worked as an associate and then partner with Ralph Twitchel until 1952. He then formed his own practice.

During this time, he worked on the following projects: the Healey Guest House 1950, Riverview High School 1957, Addition to Sarasota High School 1960.

In 1958, Rudolph accepted the chairmanship of Yale University Department of Architecture. He held this position for 6 years. During this time period, he worked on the following projects: Temple Street Parking Garage in New Haven 1961, Yale Art and Architecture Building 1961, Jewett Art Center at Wellesley College 1958, and the Milam Residence outside Jacksonville

Cocoon House aka Healey Guest House. Sissy Key, Sarasota. Built 1948 Architects Paul Rudolph and Ralph Twitchell

Sarasota High School Addition architect Paul Rudolph Built 1960

Jewett Art Center at Wellesley. Built 1958. Architect Paul Rudolph Drawing

Chapel Tuskegee Institute. 1969. Architect Paul Rudolph. Original design finished concrete. Changed to steel framed brick clad building. Architectural Rendings

Bond Center Hong Kong 1984–1988 Architects Paul Rudolph and Nora Leung

Colonnade Condominium 1980–1987 Singapore Paul Rudolph, Architect

In 1958, Rudolph received a commission to develop a master plan for the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. He also collaborated with graduates of architecture school to design a new chapel building. The chapel was built 1960-69. It was originally to be constructed and finished in concrete. However due to high cost estimate, it was redesigned to be a steel framed, brick clad building.

Other projects included Government Service Center Boston, , First Church Boston, Endo Pharmaceuticals Building, Dana Art Center at Colgate University, Burroughs Wellcome Headquarters in North Carolina, Shoreline Apartments in Buffalo.

Rudolph died in 1997 of peritoneal mesothelioma.

   This pair of  bald eagles recently birthed a pair of eglets.  Unfortunately, the pair had issues with their eyes.  An intervention took place and they were removed from the nest.  They were treated and just recently they were returned to the nest.

     The O’Leary mansion is located at 726 West Garfield Boulevard in Chicago.  It was built by James O’Leary for his mother.  It was built in 1890.  The architect was Zachary Taylor Davis.  It is a brownstone.  Style is Renaissance Revival. 

    The building has 4 stories.  Ceilings are 12 feet high.  There are 63,000 square feet of space.  There are 12 bedrooms, 5 and one half baths.  Room total is 33.  There are 2 large walk in vaults.  There are 3 fireplaces.  There is a 2 story coach house.   The mansion is currently for sale

     James O’Leary was the son of Catherine O’Leary.  He was known as the Gambling King of the Stock yards.  He opened what was called a resort at 4185 S. Halsted.  This was across the Main Gate of the Stock yards.  This resort included a salon, A bowling alley, billiards parlor, Turkish Baths, and a gambling establishment.  In addition to this, he had a gambling operation in DuPage County, a gambling ship city of Traverse, the Luna Park Amusement Park and Ballroom.

     A recent article N.Y Times (3/12/2021) casts doubt on the story that this house was built for Mrs. O Leary or that she ever lived there.

     Ralph Twitchell was an architect who was considered the founding father of the Sarasota School of Architecture. He bridged his traditional architecture of the 1920’s with his modernist designs of the 1940’s.

He was born.in Mansfield, Ohio on July 27, 1890. His family relocated to Florida.  He first enrolled in Rollins College. In 1910, he transferred to McGill University in Montreal. In 1912, he transferred to Columbia University in New York. He served in the army in World War I from 1917-1919. He resumed his studies at Columbia. He received a BA in architecture in 1920. He received a MA in architecture in 1921

     Twitchell returned to Sarasota in 1925.  He was a representative of New York Architect Dwight James Baum.  He managed the final of stages of construction of Ca  d’Zan–John Ringling’s Venetian Style Mansion on Sarasota Bay.  After this project, he purchased 13 lots in the Ravellan Gardens neighborhood of Sarasota.   He designed Mediterranean style homes for these lots.  In 1926, the project tanked.   He relocated to the Northeast.
     Twitchell relocated to Sarasota in 1936.    He opened his architectural and building firm Associate Builders.  His earliest commissions were a Sierra Key Residence and the Lido Beach Casino.  At this time, we experimented with reinforced concrete and glass.

     In 1938, the American Institute of  Architects revoked Twitchell’s license.  Reason: his owner of a construction company.

     In the summer of 1941, Twitchell hired Paul Rudolph as an associate.  Rudolph worked here between the end of his studies at Alabama Polytechnic Institute and the beginning of his graduate studies at Harvard University Graduate school of Design.   During this time, the two architects collaborated on multiple projects.

     Rudolph returned to the Twitchell practice in 1947 and stayed until 1951.  Rudolph’s focus was on structure; Twitchell on construction details.  During this period, the two architects collaborated on many ground breaking private residences including: Miller House and Guest Cottage (1947), Revere Quality House (1948), the Lamolithic Houses (1948), Healey Guest House, Cocoon House (1950) and the Leavengood Residence (1951).

     Twitchwell and Rudolph separated in 1951.  Between 1951-53, Twitchell partnered with Jack West.  Between 1959 and 1965, he partnered with his son Tollyn JulianTwitchell.  He died in Sarasota in 1978.

     The glass house is a historic house/museum in New Canaan, Connecticut.  The architect was Philip Johnson.  He spent 3 years developing the design.  His inspiration was the Farnsworth home in Plano, Illinois.  This was designed by Mies Van Der Rohe.  The Glass House was built in 1948-9.

     The Glass House was a modern style building.  It is 56 feet long; 32 feet in width; 10 1/2 feet high. The kitchen, dining and sleeping areas are in one glass enclosed room.  The interior open space is subdivided by low walnut cabinets.   A brick cylinder encloses the bathroom.

     The exterior walls are charcoal painted steel and glass.  The entire estate was 47 acres;later expanded to 200 acres.  In addition to the Glass House are multiple modernistic structures added over many years.

    In addition to the Glass House, the estate included multiple modernist buildings.  1. Brick House.  Built 1949–52.  Served as a guest house.  2 Pavilion.  Built in 1962.  3. Painting Gallery.  Built 1965.  4 Sculpture Gallery.  Built in 1970.  5.  Study.  Built in 1980.  6. Ghost House.  Built in 1982. 7. Kirsten Tower. Built in 1985. 8. Gate House a.k.a dam an star.  Built in 1995.

     Building listed in the National Register of Historic Places on 2/18/1997.

     Upon Philip Johnson’s death, the estate passed to the ownership of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.  The estate opened for visitors on April, 2007.