Preservation Advocates Say Winter Park Must Do More to Save Historic Homes
With three John Gamble Rogers II homes under threat of demolition this year, advocate says dwindling assets should serve as ‘wake up call’
May 14, 2026
By Beth Kassab
With three homes designed by James Gamble Rogers II currently under threat of demolition, historic preservation advocates pleaded with the City Commission on Wednesday to make meaningful changes to the way Winter Park protects its historic assets.
Betsy Owens, executive director of Friends of Casa Feliz and granddaughter of Gamble Rogers, said she hopes the potential loss of three significant houses — all more than 85 years old — in a single year will serve as a “wake up call” for the city to strengthen its historic preservation ordinance. She said the city’s ordinance is among “the weakest in the state.”
“These are not anonymous old buildings,” Owens said. “They are irreplaceable works by the architect who more than any other helped define the visual character of Winter Park.”
None of the three homes are listed on the city’s historic register, meaning there is no protection from demolition. The register is voluntary and many owners deliberately opt to keep homes off the register under the theory that the home will be worth more without demolition restrictions.
Owens, and other advocates who spoke at the meeting, including Jack Rogers, said it’s time for Winter Park to get serious about preservation.
They are recommending the commission consider adding incentives such as property tax breaks or rehabilitation help for people who list their homes on the register. They are also calling for new ideas such as an investment fund to help with purchasing and then reselling historic homes to people who are willing to invest in and preserve them.
Mayor Sheila DeCiccio recommended a discussion about potential changes be added to the next City Commission meeting on May 27 and the other commissioners agreed. The commission would likely send the matter to the Historic Preservation Board for further evaluation before making a final decision on changes.
The homes currently under threat are:
- 1020 Palmer Avenue, also known as Merrywood, which is under active demolition permit and could be demolished by the end of May. The home is one of the largest and most ornate in the dwindling collection of Gamble Rogers homes. Tara Tedrow, the prospective buyer who has the property under contract, facilitated the demolition permit in March and is also asking the city to amend its comprehensive plan to allow the lakefront property to be split into two lots. Under that scenario, she said, she would attempt to find a buyer interested in restoring Merrywood while her family could build a new home on the other portion of the property. A Planning & Zoning Board hearing on the request was delayed at Tedrow’s request until June. “Despite enormous public interest and dozens of interested investors touring the property, no buyer has yet emerged able to reconcile the nearly $10 million (estimated) asking price with the substantial restoration needs of the house, conservatively estimated at more than $3 million,” Owens said in an email to supporters.
- 250 Virginia Drive sits on a large lot overlooking Lake Virginia. The home was sold last year for $2.6 million and a demolition permit was filed by the new owner last month. The home is considered an example of the Colonial Revival style with strong New England influences, including shaker shingles.
- 617 Interlachen Avenue is possibly “the most eclectic and artistically ambitious of Rogers’ Spanish Eclectic residences. There is no demolition permit filed yet, but Rogers said the home is expected to go up for sale soon and in one of the city’s most expensive neighborhoods. “History has shown that when the dirt beneath a home becomes worth many multiples of the structure itself, it is time for that home to get its affairs in order,” she said.
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Historic Preservation takes big $ to make happen. Whether that comes from the public or private sector, it is required. So if it is so important to many of our residents and members of the City Commission, I propose a very simple first step in raising $ for this effort…sell the old library and put those $ in a historic preservation fund to be used to help compensate owners or future buyers of these properties, thus insuring these special homes are preserved. Otherwise, the City is in no position to put up enough $ to make a difference.
The challenge is deciding what is, and what is not, an architectural gem. And who decides? Simply being designed by a particular architect should not be enough.
If a house is enough of a gem, someone will buy the property and take care of it.
I do not support the City using hard earned citizen tax dollars to be in the house buying and selling business.
I agree with Michael Perelman. In particular, the house on Virginia Drive does not appear to have any unique architectural features. The Merrywood house is lovely but almost invisible from Palmer Ave. Although the varied architecture of Winter Park is charming, meaningful criteria for historic preservation should be established to avoid saving old buildings simply because they are old.
After all the effort to finally have an exceptional venue for LIVE JAZZ in the heart of downtown, A first!! And it was just renovated for acoustics with donations and overseeing of the great Chris Cortez(recently passed) and I just caught the famous Rick Braun there for a fabulous show that the full but smaller venue of patrons were all left amazed! What a show and the bands performance certainly impressed all present! This is just the start of more great Bookings of the liked of Rick Braun and to let this great place right next to Alfond Inn would be sad beyond words , especially for the City. Its Free on thursdays, and if you have not been, please stop in, have a glass of wine and listen to musicians jam…its quite the treat!
Kay, I think you meant to post this comment with the article on the Blue Bamboo lease. I hope you will re-post your very valid observation there. Maybe Beth K can fix it.
I think the city should do more to encourage owners of houses that meet the requirements to apply to have them put on the Registry:
– mention it in all of the city communications with residents, with the requirements spelled out, and instructions on how to do apply.
– explain the advantages of putting property on the Registry
– give some kind of tax incentive.
As the past Chairman of the Historical Preservation Board, I have for years said the “City of Culture and Heritage” tagline is disgustingly hypocritical because of its weak ordinance regarding Historic Buildings. The Board has very little authority or ability regarding these buildings. It’s ashame that 3 Gamble Rodgers homes have to be put on the market to cause citizen concern over the city’s lack of dedication to historic buildings. There needs to be substantial tax incentives to motivate owners of these buildings to save and restore them. It’s time for a change in the city’s ordinance and incentives.
Why should my tax dollars be used to subsidize renovations to a private residence? Not serving the public and behind gates and hedges or set way back so they aren’t even visible to the public. Additionally they are usually owned by already-wealthy people.