33801 Travel Guide

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Frank Lloyd Wright, Big Man on Campus

Where: 111 Lake Hollingsworth Dr. [map], Lakeland, FL, United States, 33801
October 9, 2007 at 11:15 AM | by | Comments (0)

Who says Florida doesn't have any culture? The campus of Florida Southern College is home to the largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings on a single site, with 12 structures from the 1930s to 1950s on the north shore of Lake Hollingsworth. But time hasn't been kind to the buildings, which need a lot of work to keep from crumbling to the ground.

Part of the problem was hiring students to do the work--they didn't do the best job. But a rebuilding project is getting some major attention:

The uniqueness of the Wright collection of buildings at Florida Southern, and their deteriorating state, recently drew the attention of the World Monument Fund. The fund put the college's Wright buildings on its list of the world's 100 most-endangered sites.

While the main purpose of the list is to draw attention to monuments that are in bad shape, it can also lead to money for restoration. (Some small grants have already rolled in.) But if you're a Wright fan, you're probably better of seeing the buildings sooner rather than later.

Find it on our Frank Lloyd Wright Map.

Related Stories:
· Restoring a Campus Full of Frank Lloyd Wright [NPR]
· Architecture coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Florida Southern College, via NPR]