orlando Florida history

Albertson Public Library

101 East Central Boulevard

Constructed: 1922-1923

Opened in May 1923

Demolished: 1965, to make way for the new Orlando Public Library, built in 1966

Original Owner: The City of Orlando, which had the library built after Colonel Charles Lewis Albertson donated his personal 12,000 to 15,000 volume book collection to the city. His condition being that the city build a home for his books. His collection was estimated at the time to be worth $100,000.

Architect: Murray S. King

Style: Neo-Classical Revival

Businesses: Orlando's first regular public library. When the library opened it had 21,000 volumes, by year's end it had increased to over 30,000.

Current use of site and owner: Orlando Public Library

Read a 1915 biography of Murray S. King

ABOVE: Albertson Public Library, circa 1930, from a contemporary postcard.

BELOW: Albertson Public Library, circa 1925, from contemporary postcards.

Orlando Municipal Water and Light Building

1111 North Orange Avenue

Constructed: 1921 - 1923

Original Owner: Orlando Water and Light Company

Style: Italian Revival Style

Businesses: (1921-1922) Orlando Water and Light Company, (1922-1966) Orlando Utilities Commission (c.1995-present) Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts

Notes: In 1922, Orlando purchased the Orlando Water and Light Company, which was a privately-held company that had been providing water and electricity to Orlando since 1901. It cost the city $975,000. A year later, Orlando established the Orlando Utilities Commission to operate the system.

Current owner: The City of Orlando

TOP RIGHT: The north and west faces of the Orlando Water and Light Building, 2003.

MIDDLE RIGHT: The north face of the Orlando Water and Light Building, 2003.

BOTTOM RIGHT: A Close-up of the entrance of the Orlando Water and Light Building, 2003.

BELOW: one of the windows and the original sign, 2003