State will give historical marker to Valencia Road on Friday

BY LYNN PICKETT
FOR FLORIDA TODAY
 Historic road. Valencia Road in Rockledge, known for its large trees and architecture, will receive a state historic marker Friday. Lynn Pickett, for FLORIDA TODAY
 
 
What it will say
The historic marker will read: Valencia Historic District
The Valencia Historic District is the result of the Florida Land Boom of the 1920s.
The Valencia Homes Company was formed in 1924 by local businessmen C. Sweet Smith, Charles D. Smith, L.S. Andres and Horace R. Bruen as a public stock company.
The company acquired a 22-acre tract of land that was formerly the site of the Plaza Hotel and occupied in part by an orange grove.
In March of 1924 the company platted the subdivision and named it after the type of oranges that grew there, and for a region in Spain. The company built impressive entry gates, paved the roads, built a waterworks, and installed light posts and tropical landscaping.
Each lot was 25-feet wide and most buyers purchased at least two lots to build on.
Each sale agreement required that the homes constructed must cost $4,000 or more and they be of Spanish, Moorish or Italian architectural design.
The official architect for Valencia was Richard W. Rummell Jr., who designed many of the county's most impressive buildings.
All of the contributing homes were built between 1924 and 1926 and are excellent examples of the Mediterranean Revival style.
The Valencia Subdivision is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
 

Refined, graceful and charming, Valencia Road in Rockledge is a magnet for residents and visitors who appreciate history.

Named a National Historic District in 1992, the site will be recognized with a state historical marker at a ceremony starting at 5:30 p.m. Friday. A dedication will be held first, after which participants will adjourn to an open house at the Old Rockledge Municipal Building, 11 Orange Ave.

"Rockledge offered the municipal building, as it is very close to being restored and there are many things that have been done recently that they would like the public to see," said Michael Boonstra of the Brevard Heritage Council.

The leading expert on the works of architect Richard Rummell, who designed many of the houses on Valencia Road as well as the Rockledge Municipal Building, Boonstra wrote the text for the historical marker after months of research.

"Valencia is one of the best known areas in the city," he said. "It is important on a state-wide level, as it represents the Florida Land Boom of the 1920s, the move from haphazard developments of the past to planned, deed-restricted communities, and for its architecture, which represents prime examples of the Mediterranean Revival Style.

"It is also important locally for the citizens, as many of its early residents were important community members: judges, lawyers, builders, architects, etc."

Boonstra, who lives in the Valencia area, thought the neighborhood was worthy of a historical marker and wondered why no one had applied for one.

"We have a lot of tourists and locals alike who travel down Rockledge Drive, bikers on weekends, joggers, etc., who wonder what the gates are at the entrance. So I talked to Steve Benn (director of the County Historical Commission), and he said the commission would sponsor it if I would like to do it."

Boonstra got an application from the state and started collecting photographs of the neighborhood, original documents that proved the statements he wanted to place on the marker, maps of the area, articles about Valencia from the Cocoa Tribune newspaper, old deeds and more.

"I had about 50 pages of documentation that I sent to Tallahassee, and the State Historical Marker Council unanimously approved the application on May 2."

Official sponsors of the marker were the Brevard Heritage Council, Brevard Historical Commission, the Tourist Development Council which funds the cost of markers for the county and the Florida Department of State.

"I would like to say that everyone has been wonderful in cooperating with me on it from the historical commission to the City of Rockledge, which is allowing us to put the marker in a city right-of-way and also is handling the physical installation itself through its public works department."