1046 E Lexington Street - Built 1924

Uncovering Lakeland's Hidden Histories: The Story of 1046 E Lexington Street

 

Today's story focuses on a home that bucks the pattern of multiple early turnovers, boasting only fourteen owners in its century-long history. We're zooming in on 1046 E Lexington Street, where just two families held the title for over five decades, from 1929 all the way through 1983!

 

The structural history of this home is a fascinating tale documented in city records:

 

• May 1925: A city aerial photograph shows a simple, single-story, rectangular building tucked away at the rear of the lot.

 

• January 1929: The Sanborn Fire Insurance map shows a major change: a single-story addition, set at a 90-degree angle, was added to the front of the original building. This is the genesis of the home's current footprint!

 

From New York to Lakeland: The Lewis's Handicraft Shop

 

Around 1929, the home welcomed its first long-term owners: Elbridge and Alma Lewis, who would live here for the next 35 years!

 

Elbridge (a woodworker) and Alma (a weaver) shared a passion for hand weaving, which turned into a thriving downtown venture called The Handicraft Shop. Alma and her friend Margaret Slater launched the shop at 205 S Kentucky Avenue in the early 1930s, selling supplies and gifts.

 

Alma eventually took over full ownership, moving the shop to 213 E Lemon Street before going big in 1947, moving to 114 S Tennessee Avenue (the former home of Cafe Zuppina) and renting room #10. By the time Elbridge passed in 1949, the shop had expanded to rooms 10, 12, and 14! Alma continued to run the shop for several years, still putting in 40-50-hours/week and in her early 70’s before finally closing the business.

 

Alma and Elbridge bucked the trend by staying put through the Depression, but they still saw its effect on their home's value: the 1930 census noted the home was valued at $3,500, but by the 1940 census, it was only valued at $2,000. We assume it was also the Lewis family who made the final major change: adding the second floor to the home. Alma eventually relocated around 1965, passing away in 1976 at the impressive age of 95.

 

The Driskills: From the Pacific to Lexington Street

 

After the Lewis family, the house remained vacant for a couple of years before the second-longest owners, Gerald and Mildred Driskill, took possession by 1969.

 

Gerald had recently returned from serving in the Army Air Corps in the West Pacific. They married in Kansas and settled in Austin, Texas, where Gerald started a career selling life insurance (before the war, he had also been a salesman (books, sewing machines, etc). The family later moved to Billings, Montana, where he worked as a salesman for the Quaker Oats Company before finally arriving in Lakeland.

 

Their son, Jerry Driskill, graduated from Lakeland High School in 1969. Their daughter, Jennifer Driskill, married Greg Spencer and, after a few years on the west coast, also returned to Lakeland.

 

Though the Driskills moved in the early 1980s, they remained in town, and Gerald, Mildred, and Jerry are all buried locally at Oak Hill Burial Park.

 

And, I have been holding out on one particular piece of this home’s history! The last six lots in the block had several address shifts through the early years before settling on today’s numbering. By matching directories, insurance maps, and aerial photographs, we believe we have found one more original owner, bringing the home’s history to a full circle: John & Kathleen Smiley, Architect.

 

Today, historical architect Jason Newton is the home's current owner and has added his own complementary touch, including a lovely carport, continuing the home's century-long story of evolution and care. We look forward to seeing what other touches he adds!