816 S Ingraham Avenue - Built 1923

Uncovering Lakeland's Hidden Histories: The Pioneering Spirit of S. Ingraham Avenue!

Did you know some of Lakeland's most iconic homes hold fascinating stories within their walls? We love digging into the past, and today we're thrilled to share the intertwined histories of several century-old homes on South Ingraham Avenue – specifically 802, 810, 816, and 822 S. Ingraham. While 810 S. Ingraham has already received its 100-year marker, the stories of 802 and 816 are just as rich, and their origins are deeply connected! Sadly, 822 S. Ingraham was later replaced by a mid-century duplex and no longer qualifies for a marker.

What links these addresses is a compelling tale of entrepreneurship, mentorship, and the very rapid development of Lakeland's historic College Park Addition and surrounding areas.

From Apprentices to Entrepreneurs: The Story of Calvin & Overstreet

The narrative behind these homes is centered on two remarkable individuals: Gertrude Overstreet and Paul Calvin. Their partnership in the Calvin & Overstreet company was instrumental in platting and developing the Calvin & Overstreet College Park Addition, which encompasses all the homes on the north side of Lexington Avenue, including 816 and 822 S. Ingraham Avenue. Their plat was officially filed in September 1923, a significant moment that set the stage for these homes to rise. Even homes like 802 S. Ingraham, though part of a different subdivision (Avon Court, platted in January 1924), show connections to Calvin & Overstreet, as a salesman for their company, a Mr. Raines, resided there.

Before forming their influential partnership, both Gertrude and Paul honed their skills under the tutelage of prominent Lakeland businessmen – true pioneers who shaped much of the city's early landscape.

Gertrude Overstreet's Path: Born in October 1890 to H. H. Overstreet and Miriam Lowe, Gertrude hailed from a large family in Georgia. By 1915, at about 24 years old, she had relocated to Lakeland, Florida, and began her career working directly for John A. Melton, a prominent figure in Lakeland's real estate and banking sectors. Her roles evolved within Melton's various enterprises, including Melton-Lawson Co. and J.A. Melton & Co., from 1917 to 1920. By 1922, Gertrude was already operating independently as a "Real Estate" professional, showcasing her growing expertise and ambition. Records show that her widowed mother, Miriam. (a remarkable woman who had raised nine children!), and her youngest sister Mattie were living with Gertrude for multiple years.

Paul Calvin's Diverse Experience: Paul Calvin's journey also reflects early mentorship. He started as a clerk at First State Bank in 1915, gaining foundational financial knowledge. Crucially, by 1917, he transitioned into real estate, working with Clayton & Co. This direct connection to Clanton Clayton, another city pioneer successful in both banking and real estate (and a past business partner of John Melton), provided Paul with invaluable experience. By 1920, like Gertrude, Paul was listed as an independent "Real Estate" professional.

It's clear that both John Melton and Clanton Clayton, successful businessmen who rose from entry-level bank positions to leadership in real estate, served as vital mentors. Gertrude and Paul, working for these "smart folks" and learning their craft for several years, gained the necessary skills and vision to strike out on their own. The formation of Calvin & Overstreet was a natural derivative of their combined experience and readiness to shape Lakeland's future.

Homes on the Rise: S. Ingraham Avenue Comes to Life

With the Calvin & Overstreet College Park Addition plat filed in September 1923 (surveyed, like many others during this booming period, by the active civil engineers G.D. & H.D. Mendenhall), development was swift. The data confirms that 802, 810, 816, and 822 S. Ingraham Avenue all appeared for the very first time in the 1924 city directory. This rapid appearance strongly indicates they were new constructions built in late 1923 or very early 1924 – a testament to the speed of development during Lakeland's boom era.

Interestingly, Gertrude Overstreet herself made 816 S. Ingraham Avenue her home initially, a clear personal investment in the very neighborhood she helped create. Later, she moved next door to 810 S. Ingraham Avenue, further solidifying her personal connection to these historic properties. A snippet from the 1929 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map provides a glimpse into how these homes originally looked.

The story of these Ingraham Avenue homes is more than just about individual houses; it's about the vision and hard work of pioneers like Gertrude Overstreet and Paul Calvin, who, guided by the experience of mentors like John Melton and Clanton Clayton, laid the groundwork for entire neighborhoods that still thrive today. Gertrude's presence in Lakeland appears to diminish after 1928 in local records, leaving a bit of a mystery about her later years after her significant impact on this part of the city.

The Rest of the Story: A Deeper Look at 816 S. Ingraham Avenue!

Today we conclude our revisit of the three homes on S. Ingraham Avenue between Cumberland and Lexington Streets. Since 802 and 810 have now been discussed, we will move on to 816 S. Ingraham Avenue.

Four homes were built in 1923 on this one-block of lots (822 no longer standing), but for the first two years of 816 & 822, they were home to Gertrude Overstreet (816) and Paul Calvin (822), with both lots being within their subdivision development, the Calvin & Overstreet College Park Addition. She moved in 1925, likely owning 816 and renting it to Rev. Porter M. & Sarah Bailes for $25 per month. They were transferred from South Carolina to Lakeland to lead First Baptist Church and he often rented both in South Carolina and on his following assignment to Tyler, Texas, in 1929.

After Reverend Bailes left for Texas, Raymond O. & Parmelia Bushnell moved in. Raymond was a meterman for the Florida Power & Light Company. By 1934, the company had moved them to Miami. The home sat vacant for part of 1934 but finally became the new home of the Bly Family. We noted last week that Robert S. Bly was a teacher at Florida Southern College and lived at 810 in 1925-1928. In August 1928 he married Otye Bernice Brown and the couple moved to 915 E. Cumberland Street where they remained until 1934. This ties 816’s history full circle with its next family not just moving in but also purchasing the home. They remained there for the next 46 years.

In fact, the 802 (Keyes), 810 (Venable) and 816 (Bly) families all landed in their homes right around 1935 and remained in those homes until around 1981, nearly 50 years of being the same neighbors. Even in the later years, after the husbands passed, all three widows remained in their homes.

Digging Deeper into the Bly Family

Otye Brown (b1901, Jasper, TN) received her education at Tennessee College and then specialized in library work at the University of Tennessee and University of Illinois. She joined the faculty at Florida Southern briefly before taking a librarian position in Jacksonville, followed by the head librarian position at Lakeland Public Library in 1927.

Robert Bly (b1893, Deland, FL) received education at Stetson University (Deland, FL), followed by Columbia University, securing his Ph.D. at Northwestern University before joining the faculty of Florida Southern as their professor of chemistry. They married in Lakeland in 1928 and made what I have to assume was a very dynamic home full of interesting conversations for the next thirty years.

They had two boys, Robert Bly Jr., b. 1929, and Allan Bly, b. 1935, both graduating from Lakeland High School as well as Florida Southern.

Robert Jr. received his BS degree from Florida Southern, ultimately securing his own Ph.D. in chemistry from Northwestern just like his father. He and Ruta Kramins married in 1956, having crossed paths at the University of Colorado while working on their own graduate degrees in chemistry. Ruta, who was born in Latvia and attended high school in Germany, had emigrated to Minnesota and received her BS in chemistry from St. Olaf College.
Allan received his BS from Florida Southern in 1956 and joined the Army where he worked in Maryland at the Army Chemical Center. While at school he met his future wife, Carolyn Greer of Lakeland, who also graduated the same year from Florida Southern. They wed in the summer of 1958.

I alluded to some inspiration of the Venable children in the previous week’s article. If we take a snapshot in 1945, we have Robert Jr. at 16 years old and Virginia Venable next door at 17. Then there’s Allan at 10 and William Jr. at 11. Virginia went into teaching mathematics and William became a physicist, both coming from a grocery family. And, remember, these kids had known each other their entire lives right up until college.

The Legacy of the Bly Family

Robert Sr. passed in 1958, followed by Otye in 2001. They are resting at Lakeland’s Oak Hill Cemetery, along with their son Allan who recently passed in 2024. He was proceeded by Robert Jr. in 2021, both leaving grandchildren and great-grandchildren to carry on.

It wasn’t until 1982 that the whole section of the block quickly changed with new families moving in. There have been six families since then, with an average residency of about six years:

1981-1993: Charles S. Smith is listed as the occupant.
1993: Carl & Andrea Bauman sold to Robert Bostanche Jr., a single man.
1996: Sold to Michael W. & Mary W. Maguire.
2002: Sold to Matthew & Lindsay Lausell.
2005: Sold to Holly Vreeland, a single woman.
2015: Holly (then Holly & Todd Parish) sold to Breeze Q. Kennedy, a single man.
2019: Sold to Nicholas Krolczyk, the current owner.

It seems the 1980s and '90s were a period of rapid turnover, but these great century-old homes are once again being anchored by long-term residents. The story of 816 S. Ingraham, and its neighbors, is a testament to the enduring spirit of community in our historic district.