...I'll stand here, not budging! I can and I will, If it makes you and me and the whole world stand still.
Of course the world didn't stand still. The world grew. In a couple of years the new highway came through, And they built it right over those two stubborn Zax. And left them there, standing un-budged in their tracks. - Dr Seuss
Ted Geisel (a.k.a) Dr Seuss, has always been one of my favorite poets. The quote above is from a poem called "The Zax" and is full of lessons about growth and change.
Saturday, for the first time in almost a year I went to downtown Winter Park, something I've been doing for several decades. With me was my friend Christie, who knows downtown Winter Park better than anyone (including me.) She also knows the backstory on downtown development, The following is one of those stories.
Over the decades every single one of the homes in this corridor was torn down - except one. The Kummer-Kilbourne house was built in 1915. The owner's daughter, Christine Kummer, lived in the house her entire life until she died, at age 94 in 2011. She and her husband, David Kilbourne had successfully fended off buyers, mostly developers, for more than 50 years. She was a member of my church during that time and that's why I began to take an interest in the house.
But, much like the Zax in Dr. Seuss's poem, downtown Winter Park did not stand still. I remember when Jacobson's Department Store was the house's neighbor to the North. Now that block is full of fancy, upscale shops on the first flour and offices on the second floor.
As the years went by and the Kilborne's aged, the house began to be in need of a facelift and some people (developers mostly) complained. But to no avail.
So, there it stood in the best location in the most desirable and expensive neighborhood in Central Florida. In 2011 a developer named Allan Keen, negotiated with the family to buy the house. The two biggest issues were price and the home's preservation. Mr. Keen bought the green and white two story bungalow for $1,002,000 and an agreement about the home's preservation.
Here I am on Saturday morning in front of the house. Mr. McKeen's offices are located inside. Beautifully landscaped and maintained, the house still has its green and white exterior. The signage out front is all about the history of the Kummer-Kilbourne house.
I was happy to see it - because I like beautiful old things and people.
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