12-13-2001 - Historical Preservation
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RECREA TION/CUL TURAL SERVICES BOARD
HISTORICAL PRESERVATION
DECEMBER 13TH, 2001 6:30 PM
EDGEWATER COMMUNITY CENTER
MINUTES
ROLL CALL/CALL TO ORDER
The Chairman, Tom Tipton called the first meeting to order. Members present were:
Tom Tipton, Michael Visconti, Kat Bearsley, Diane Trout and Jo Hagan. Also present
were Jack Corder, Director of Parks and Recreation, Adelaide Carter, liaison of the
Economic Development Board, Jean Morgan from the press, Jo Anne Sikes, City
Historian and Mrs. Michael Visconti from the public.
NEW BUSINESS
Overview of City History
Mrs. Sikes, the City's Historian, was introduced to the Board to give a short presentation
on the history of Edge water.
She stated she was named City Historian in 1987, and has given hundreds of historical
talks to schools, organizations, etc. and it has been a wonderful experience. She handed
out brochures to the Board of the history of Riverside Drive which includes 24 pictures
that show how the drive has changed over the years.
The City of Edgewater began in 1865 when Dr. John Milton Hawks purchased 500 acres
ofland in Geronimo Alvarez Grant for a price of $1.00 per acre. Dr. Hawks was a New
England physician and surgeon and moved here to live in 1870. He had the land
surveyed and a town mapped out. Determined for his colony to survive, he named it after
himself, "Hawks Park". His wife, Esther Hawks was a doctor and a teacher. There is
much information on the Hawkses because Esther kept a diary.
Riverside Drive was once a walking trail and was called "The Strand". The area the City
Community Center now is on, was once nothing but marsh. At what is now Menard-May
Park, was a long dock, called "Long Dock" or "Steamboat Wharf." People came to this
new village by steamboat down the St. John's River to Enterprise and then took a wagon
the rest of the way, until the railroad came through in the 1890's. Dr. Hawks lived long
enough to see the railroad come and died in 1910 and was buried in the Edgewater
Cemetery which he gave the first acre of the cemetery to the Hawks Park Association.
When the cemetery was rebuilt some years back, some old books were found from the
Village Improvement Association. These books have been copied and are available in
the Edgewater Library. The Village Improvement Association managed the streets, the
library, the cemetery, and the docks and wharf.
Recreation/Cultural Services Bd. 1
Historical Preservation Dec. 13,2001 Minutes
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She stated the City has a very extensive collection of very old photographs, from 1880
and 1890 and up. Hawks Park was lucky to have had three photographers, who
contributed these: A.J. Marshall, Royal Hubbell and F. W. Hill.
Esther Hawks died in 1906 and left $1,000.00 to the Village Improvement Association to
build a Library and Town Hall. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hawks were teachers and believed in
education of the children. This used to be primarily a winter home for people with only
about 500 permanent residents, and it has grown considerably over the years.
Mrs. Sikes stated she spoke with Dot Moore, an amateur archaeologist, and some people
who are submitting a bid for the archaeological grant work for the New Smyrna, Port
Orange and Edgewater project. They are professionals and go with amateurs different
places to map out places where we think historical items will be found. She has observed
their work before and was pleased with what they found. They were searching the
Turnbull Era, long before Hawks came to the area. They believe the Turnbull Colony
came into northern Edgewater and possibly as far south as Boston Avenue.
She stated she is looking forward to Edgewater having its own museum and she is also
hopeful that maybe the City will buy the Hawks Park Club, or it will be properly
maintained This building is the last in the city which bears Dr. Hawks' name on it, and it
is presently in great disrepair, especially the electric. She stated there are not many
historical buildings left, and we need to focus on these. She said she has a wonderful
collection of Hawks Park history and also an extensive collection of New Smyrna history,
which is kept in the Library for reference. She said some of her collection will be copied
for the museum.
Purpose and Intent
Mr. Tipton asked if there were anything right now the Board needed to be looking at.
Mr. Corder replied one of the first tasks would be to get a historical survey done of
possible historic sites in the City. The Board could review it and go from there.
He stated the Hawks Park Clubhouse is also needing to be looked at in the very near
future, due to its historical value to the City.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, Mrs. Hagan moved to adjourn, seconded by Mrs. Trout.
Minutes submitted by
Barb Kowall
Recreation/Cultural Services Bd. 2
Historical Preservation Dec. 13,2001 Minutes