701 Jefferson Avenue - Built 1925

Uncovering Lakeland's Hidden Histories: The First Home on Jefferson Avenue!

When you drive through the Biltmore-Cumberland Historic District and see those iconic neighborhood markers, you’ll note they cite a completion date of 1925. But many of our century-old homes predate that, standing on streets like Ingraham and Palmetto that were platted a few years earlier! Collectively, one could state that the Biltmore-Cumberland Historic District dates to 1925, but it is important to remember that the Biltmore Park subdivision is the youngest of the six subdivisions making up our district.

Today, we're focusing on the home on the southwest corner of Jefferson and Palmetto: 701 S Jefferson Avenue.

This home holds the distinction of likely being the very first residence built on South Jefferson Avenue! How do we know? The 1925 city directory lists the occupant as residing at "Jefferson corner Palmetto." By the time the 1926 Directory was published, their address was formalized as 701 S Jefferson Avenue, and none of the residents noted in 1926 have residence on Jefferson, if in Lakeland at all, in 1925.

We've been able to narrow the construction window down to between May and November 1925! When the city photographed the neighborhood by airplane in May 1925, the streets were laid out, but the lots were still filled with citrus trees. By the time the directory was stamped in November 1925, the home was already occupied! It is also important to note that block of Jefferson is divided between subdivisions, Avalon Court versus Biltmore Park. Avalon Court was approved for development in July 1924 whereas Biltmore Park was approved the following year in January, giving Avalon Court a half-year head start. 701 S Jefferson Avenue is on the Avalon Court side of the street.

I will not be itemizing all the owners/occupants for today’s story, focusing only on one or two long-term residents of the seventeen families who have called this lovely place home.

The First Owners: Two Decades of Resilience

The first family to call this lovely place home was Hervey & Lida Laird. When they arrived in Lakeland around 1924-1925, Hervey brought a wealth of experience, having been a newspaper editor in Montgomery, Alabama, before moving into the insurance industry.

This background made him a perfect fit to manage the insurance department for H. J. Drane & Sons (located in the famous Drane Building, which held the simple telephone number of "1"). Around 1929, he shifted focus, taking on the role of Manager of the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce. In this capacity, he wrote a letter to the Immigrations office in Jacksonville complaining about how they treated Canadian travelers coming to Florida.

The Lairds were true "buckers of the trend" during the Great Depression. They owned their home, which was valued at a robust $12,500 in the 1930 census! However, the devastation of the Land Bust is clearly seen in the 1940 census, where the home's value had dropped to just $6,000. Despite the hard times, Hervey and Lida remained in their home for nearly twenty years, retiring to St. Petersburg by 1945.

The Longest Tenancy: Alexander Roofing & Sheet Metal

Our story then jumps forward, focusing on the second longest-tenured owners, the Earl Marvin & Mary Alexander family, who held the title from 1963 until 1985. Earl and Mary, originally from Indiana (wedding photo attached), moved here from Louisville, Kentucky, where Earl and his family were successful roofing contractors. After his enlistment in the Army for WWII, he returned to Louisville where he trained in the sheet metal industry, perfecting the skills he would later leverage to launch his own successful business in Lakeland.

Upon arriving in Lakeland, Earl started a new venture right from his garage: Alexander Roofing & Sheet Metal. The business thrived, and by 1967, it moved to its own location at 122 S Eastside Drive (now Gerald’s Automotive), with Earl as President and Mary as Secretary/Treasurer.

The Alexanders raised their three Kentucky-born children here: Earleana (18), Shannon (10), and Earl Douglas (4).

• Earleana went straight into college at Florida Southern.

• Shannon decided to attend the University of Tampa and married, later returning to the neighborhood as Mrs. Degamon, the drama teacher at Lakeland High School in the 1990s!

• Douglas attended Bartow’s Ridge School for high school, which makes more sense when you consider his mother served on the board of directors. In 1976, Earl even took out a full-page ad in the school's annual congratulating the senior class (all seven of them!), while Douglas was one of only eight juniors!

The family's 22-year chapter in the home concluded around 1985 when Mary sold the property, following her official divorce from Earl the year prior.

This prominent home has been a central fixture for many interesting families over the years. Like so many of our historic homes, 701 S Jefferson Avenue has witnessed the rise of local businesses, supported education, and fostered deep community involvement across multiple generations.