Another Piece of Hannibal Square’s Black History Is Gone. Residents Want to Preserve What Remains

The City Commission is scheduled to vote Wednesday on a proposal to replace the Gardens at DePugh nursing home

Oct. 27, 2026

Beth Kassab

The historically Black neighborhood west of downtown Winter Park has undergone so much redevelopment in recent years that some longtime residents may find it nearly unrecognizable.

The latest proposed change is a complex of 10 single-story office buildings on a block in Hannibal Square that until recently was home to the historic Gardens at DePugh. The 40-bed nursing home, once one of the few local facilities of its kind available to Black families, was demolished after closing last year.

But a group of residents is determined to send a message to the City Commission, which is scheduled to hold its first vote on the project Wednesday: The neighborhood’s history is worth honoring, and what remains of it should be preserved.

“The continued redevelopment of property within and adjacent to this historic community must be approached carefully so that economic development does not gradually erase the cultural identity and history that make Hannibal Square significant,” Maria Bryant, a well-known local singer who grew up in the area, wrote to city officials in late August. “The land is still sacred to the African American community. I am requesting that the city require a meaningful historic and cultural preservation component as part of any redevelopment approval for this property. This should be more substantial than simply installing a plaque or marker after redevelopment.”

 

Near the 2.7-acre property at the corner of Morse Boulevard and Pennsylvania Avenue are several other landmarks, including Welbourne Nursery and Preschool, which was established for Black children during segregation nearly 100 years ago and continues to serve the community; Ward Chapel AME and Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, two of the city’s oldest churches; and the Ideal Woman’s Club, which was also founded by Mary Lee DePugh.

Zane Williams of Z Properties is seeking an amendment to the city’s comprehensive plan, along with new zoning, to change the property’s designation from low-density residential and allow the development of 27,500 square feet of office space at 550 Morse Blvd. He plans to sell the office buildings rather than lease them.

Williams said he is sensitive to the needs of the community.

“We’re certainly aware that the neighborhood is changing, and we’re sensitive to what comes with that,” Williams told the Voice in an email. “We’ve gotten to know many of our neighbors over the years, and those relationships are important to us. We understand that redevelopment brings questions, so I think the best thing we can do as developers is to be present, listen, and support the people and institutions that make up this community. We’ve already begun that process, and it’s something we intend to continue.”

The Planning & Zoning Board voted 6-0 to recommend approval of the project, subject to eight conditions. Among them: The existing DePugh historic marker must remain on the property; two oak trees must be preserved and relocated as part of the new plan, and a third oak tree measuring at least 8 inches in diameter must be added; and $100,000 must be donated to affordable housing in the city.

The $100,000 donation was prompted by the comprehensive plan amendment, which would eliminate the potential for future housing on the site. That loss triggers a fee payable to the city’s Affordable Housing and Workforce Trust Fund. Although there is no formula for calculating the fee, Williams proposed a $100,000 contribution. The money will help the city purchase a home on West Comstock Avenue for use by Habitat for Humanity.

At least a dozen people, including real estate professionals and others who occupy properties in developments completed by Williams, wrote to the commission urging support for the proposed changes at Morse and Pennsylvania.

“Smaller office buildings available to purchase are rare in Winter Park, and they give established firms a way to own their space in the core rather than relocate to Maitland or Lake Mary,” wrote Don Wordell, chief investment officer at Ceredex Value Advisors, which moved into a property on Palmetto Avenue redeveloped by Williams. “That keeps payroll, clients, and community involvement in the city.”

Others argued that Williams’ proposal would be preferable to a much larger building that could be allowed under the city’s development code.

“The easier path on a site of this size is a single larger building,” wrote Miguel DeArcos, president of Central Parc Group. “Breaking the program into eight to ten smaller buildings is more demanding to design and build, and it is the right decision for this corner. It respects the scale of the surrounding blocks and the character residents expect from Winter Park.”

Mary Daniels, a longtime resident who received the city’s Founder’s Award from Mayor Phil Anderson in 2024 in recognition of her years of service and advocacy, wrote to the Planning & Zoning Board earlier this month that Williams needed to communicate more with the neighborhood. She also described an earlier meeting with residents as “inadequate.”

According to a city staff report, a traffic study concluded that nearby roads and intersections would continue to operate at “satisfactory levels of service.”

People affiliated with Welbourne Nursery and Preschool have raised concerns about traffic and the safety of young children walking in the area during pickup and drop-off times. They have called for additional traffic analysis.

The proposed office space would require 72 parking spaces under city regulations, and Williams’ plan provides exactly that number, according to the report.

The DePugh nursing home closed last year after its operations became financially unsustainable. Williams purchased the property for $5.4 million.

DePugh opened in 1956 as the first state-approved nursing home where aging Black residents could receive care during segregation. The center was named for Mary Lee DePugh, who moved to Winter Park in 1937 to work for a white family she knew from the Chicago area. Through her work with the Ideal Woman’s Club, she began advocating for health care for people in need.

Although the building has been demolished, a city plaque still stands at the corner of the property. It recounts the nursing home’s founding, including a community fundraising effort that apparently involved Fred Rogers, the Rollins College graduate who became known to television audiences as Mr. Rogers.

“The women in the Hannibal Square community volunteered to wash laundry, cook for the patients and provided the essential daily support to keep the facility running. Today, the Gardens at DePugh Nursing Center, now a charitable 501c(3) organization, continues to offer compassionate, high quality care,” the plaque reads.

Now, however, the city may need to revise the wording to reflect the past tense.

WinterParkVoiceEditor@gmail.com