319 East Pennsylvania Avenue - Deland - Florida - 1929
Superbly sited in "University Terrace" at the intersection of North Cherokee and East Pennsylvania Avenues, this beautiful and well-tended 4000 square foot home is a lovely amalgam of Mediterranean Revival and Classical elements. The bas reliefs in the lunettes over the first floor windows are particularly elegant. It is painted the exact shade of The White House.
Comments and faves
jadalles1533 (24 months ago | reply)
Gouverneur Medwin Peek was an American architect who practiced in Central Florida in the middle years of the twentieth century. Peek was born 26 Jan 1900, in Palatka, Putnam County, Florida to Gouverneur Frank Peek and Rebecca Medwin Hyde. His parents were from Yonkers, NY. His father died the year after his birth. He and his mother lived with his maternal grandmother in DeLand thereafter. He enlisted in the Navy on April 14, 1918; following his time of service he entered Stetson University.
Peek graduated with a bachelor of science degree from Stetson University in 1920. He then studied at Harvard University (Master in Architecture, 1924); his senior thesis, being "A Casino at De Leon Springs." His Harvard education included two years of study in Italy. After serving as artist of record on an archaeological team at Deir el Baḥri, in Egypt (1924-1925), Peek then returned to Florida to begin architectural practice in DeLand.
Peek designed many landmark structures in DeLand, including the old City Hall and the civic band shell. Peek also created notable homes in DeLand's University Terrace neighborhood. The subdivision is contained by Amelia, Garfield, Oakdale and University Avenues. It was platted in late 1925 by Harry W. Prahl, who was a contractor from Erie, Pennsylvania. and who employed Peek as consulting architect between 1926 and 1928. The development comprised the styles popular in Florida at the time, with Tudor and Colonial designs on the south side of Pennsylvania Avenue and those with Mediterranean and Mission revival to the north.
The Quiet Poet added this photo to his favorites. (20 months ago)