Magnolia Heights Historic District

"The suburb of Magnolia Heights was founded in the late 1890s from lands formerly owned by  Patrick Houston . At that time most of the land were held in large parcels; there was not lot or block dimensions."

"Within the first few years of the new century, residents chose the name Magnolia Heights for their area. For the most part, the settlers were newcomers to the Tallahassee area, choosing to move there from other counties or states. For example, the Hays, Cureton and the Hirt Families were attracted by economic opportunities in Florida from Pennsylvania, Alabama and Georgia. Only a minority of residnets were people of local roots. Such was the pattern of for more than three decades of development. In that period neighborhood wage earners could be characterized generally as independent craftsman, owners and employees of small businesses or stores, and public employees. Few were wealthy or had large landholdings."

"The Magnolia Heights Historic District is Locally significant because it illustrates the early stages of suburban development in the Capital City. The Slow development of this middle class neighborhood between 1899 and 1934 was typical of other subdivisions at this time when Tallahassee was still a small Southern town in gradual transition from an agriculturally based economy into an important government and educational center. Magnolia Heights differed from other subdivisions, however, by its rural character and family orientation. In addition, while other neighborhoods exhibit similar architectural styles, their maturation, in general, did not come about until after the post World-War II population boom."

"Representing Tallahassee's firsdt twentieth century suburb, the Magnolia Heights Historic District is comprised of 40 buildings primarily dating from 1899 to 1934. Although recent construction of apartment complexes and townhouses have encroached upon the character of the area, enough early building stock remains intact to form a cohesive district visually reflecting the suburb's slow development during a time when Tallahassee inched toward urbanization."

"More ( than 70% of the buildings in the District were constructed prior to 1934 during three periods of development, 1899-1910 (15 houses) , 1911-1920 (5 houses) , and 1921-1934 (10 houses). Ten additional houses, used mostly as rental units, were built between 1936 and 1946. Two apartment complexes, along Cadiz Street, were constructed in 1973. With the exception of the apartment complexes, the District is generally characterized by modestly scaled, frame houses of less than two stories, with a porch or veranda. The majority were built as single-family dwellings and are setback from the street about twenty-five feet on tree-shaded lots measuring less than one acre."

"Throughout most of the nineteenth century, residential development had been concentrated in this square mile area forming old Tallahassee. An 1885 Aero-view map shows a northward development from Gaines to Georgia Street and between Gadsden and Bronough Streets. The western quarters of this section ( County Quarter  and the  Northwest Addition ) was primarily undeveloped. Most of the stately townhouses were located along Park Avenue and North Carolina Street (National Registry Historic Districts) with the more modest cottages and workers' dwellings situated between Duval and Macomb streets in the southern section and between Gadsden and Bronough streets in the northern part of the city."

"The boundary of the Magnolia Heights Historic District has been defined as the original neighborhood known as Magnolia Heights, bounded on the west by the railroad cut and on the north, south and east by the rear and side boundaries of lots fronting Cadiz and East Park Avenue from 701 to approximately 1005 East Park Avenue. The original public road constructed in 1900 was confined to this area (present -day Cadiz Street and presen-day East Park Avenue). Although some of the surrounding neighborhood structures are similar to those within the District, they are outside of the original neighborhood of Magnolia Heights and are of later construction."

Many prominent Tallahasseans lived in the Magnolia Heights subdivision. Shared below, are a few photographs and back-stories of some residents.

Accompanying note: "William Henry Smith was a turpentine and naval stores businessman who in the early 1900s bought more than 900 acres of eastside Tallahassee around the axis of Park Avenue and Magnolia Drive. Smith served on the board of Capital City Bank from 1918 to his death in 1928; his widow, Fanny, served on the board from 1937 until her death in 1965. Their two sons, Godfrey and Julian, later joined the bank, with  Godfrey Smith  serving as president from 1958 to 1989, when he was succeeded by his son, Bill Smith."

Thomas Leroy Collins (33rd Governor of Florida) was one of the most famous residents of this community. Governor Collins was the first governor to be elected to two consecutive terms. Governor Collins entered politics in 1935 as a member of the Florida House of Representatives, a position he held until 1940. He also served as a member of the Florida State Senate from 1940 to 1953. Collins won the 1954 Democratic gubernatorial nomination and was elected in a special election that was held to fill the unexpired term of Governor Daniel McCarty. He was reelected to a second term in 1956. Mr. Collins married the former  Mary Call Darby , a great granddaughter of  Governor Richard Keith Call  (third and fifth Governor of Florida). Once married the Collins' moved into the former Florida Governor Richard Keith Call's home in Tallahassee which construction was believed to be completed circa 1840.  "The Grove"  remains today a place of architectural and historic distinction.