1017 E Lexington Street - Built 1924

Uncovering Lakeland's Hidden Histories: The Pioneer of College Park Addition – 1017 E Lexington Street

Today, we're spotlighting 1017 E Lexington Street, a century-old home that stands as one of the first residences built within our earliest subdivision. In a neighborhood where many homes have been razed—leaving only nine residential homes with a Lexington address in this part of the district—this home's survival is a testament to its history.

The College Park Pioneer (Built 1924)

The history of this home is tied to the genesis of our neighborhood's development:

1922: The south side of East Lexington (where 1017 sits) was the first area platted as the College Park Addition.

1923: The north side was platted by Calvin & Overstreet as an extension.

1924 Directory: Published in the summer of 1924, this directory was the first to list new homes in this area, including 1017 E Lexington. Because the home was listed as vacant, we can pinpoint its construction to very early that year, if not late 1923.

This home is a beautiful example of the Mediterranean Revival style popular during the 1920s boom. While we've noted older "fringe homes" existed on streets like McDonald and Ingraham prior to the subdivisions, 1017 E Lexington holds the distinction of being one of the earliest homes built new within one of our official platted subdivisions.

Despite its 100-year history, the home has only seen about ten families, with five of those being brief, short-term occupants.

The Parker Family: Law, Paint, and the Founding Occupants

The original occupants of the home were Locke & Naomi Parker, who moved in shortly after the house was built (1924–1928+).

Locke was an attorney whose office was in the Sullivan Building at 112 S Tennessee Avenue. His connection to the contracting business runs deep: his relative, Charles Parker, who worked as a carpenter, was living with Locke before the move to Lexington, providing a strong lead for anyone curious about the home's original contractor!

Locke soon went into a family business with Roy Parker, co-owning Parker's Paint Store, an official licensee of Sherwin-Williams, located on West Lemon Street. However, the business was short-lived. By 1931, Locke and Naomi moved on to Lake Morton Drive, and the law business was deemed more profitable after Roy moved away from Lakeland.

The Era of Transience (1931–1942)

Following the Parkers, the home saw several families—most of whom appear to be transient workers—moving through during the challenging years of the Depression:

Fred & Edna Bichet (1931–1934)

Edgar O. & Ardath V. Kittleson (1936), a salesman likely in town temporarily for the Standard Oil Company.

Leroy & Ada Hall (1938), a dispatcher for the ACL Railroad. Their household included clerks for the Florida National Bank and the Central Labor Union.

Jack & Ruth Ross (1940), with Jack as a salesman for Miller Hardware & Paint (a store we've noted previously at 207 E Main Street).

Guy & Gertrude Arendell (1942), who we recently noted as having lived at 1049 E Cumberland, with Guy being the Fire Department Chief.

Neighborhood Interconnectivity: A Story of Three Homes

The succession of residents at this address perfectly illustrates the deep interconnectivity of the neighborhood. The Arendell family's brief residency here in 1942 acts as a connector, having just sold their home on 1049 E Cumberland Street and moving here before leaving the district entirely. This is also how we connect to the next great chapter of this home's story, as the long-term family here—the Aumans—first lived right next door at 1015 E Lexington Street before moving in! These families didn't just share streets; they often shared blocks.

The Aumans: 45 Years of Stabilization and Tree Surgery

Finally, in 1945, the home found its longest-running family: Carl & Marge Auman, who held the occupancy title for an incredible 45 years (1945–1990).

Carl and Marge were not new to the neighborhood, having lived at 1015 E Lexington just down the street since 1939. Carl had been a mechanic since their move to Lakeland in 1925, but after a stint driving for the City Parks & Lakes Department, he found his true calling: tree surgery, a profession he followed for the next 25 years!

They raised two daughters here: Elizabeth (who worked as a clerk for Montgomery Ward and a law office secretary) and Lois (an assistant). Both married servicemen and started families that eventually rooted in Clearwater and Texas. Carl passed away in the early 1970s, and Marjorie remained in the home, a fixture of the neighborhood, for nearly two more decades.

The combined tenure of the Parkers and the Aumans encapsulates the entire century of this foundational home's history!