Bartow is the county seat of Polk County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1851 as Fort Blount, the city was renamed in honor of Francis S. Bartow, the first brigade commander of the Confederate Army to die in combat during the American Civil War. According to the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 17,298 and an estimated population of 20,147 in 2019. It is part of the Lakeland−Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 584,383 in 2009. As of 2023, the mayor of Bartow is Steve Githens.
Bok Tower Gardens is a 250-acre (100 ha) contemplative garden and bird sanctuary located atop Iron Mountain, north of Lake Wales, Florida, United States, created by Edward Bok in the 1920s. Formerly known as the Bok Mountain Lake Sanctuary and Singing Tower, the gardens' attractions include the Singing Tower and its 60-bell carillon, the Bok Exedra, the Pinewood Estate now known as El Retiro, the Pine Ridge Trail, and the Visitor Center.
{{Infobox NRHP | name = Mountain Lake Estates Historic District | nrhp_type = hd | nocat = yes | image = Mountain Lake Estates Entrance Bok Tower view 2008 December.jpg | caption = entrance to Mountain Lake Estates, with Bok Tower in distance | location = Lake Wales, Florida | coordinates = 27°56′9.6″N81°34′58.8″W | locmapin = Florida#USA | area = 896 acres (3.63 km2) | added = August 26, 1993 | architect = | architecture = Mission/[[Spanish Colonial Revival Style architecture|Spanish Revival]], Colonial Revival | visitation_num = | visitation_year = | refnum = 93000871 }}
The Old Polk County Courthouse is an historic courthouse in Bartow, Florida, located at 100 East Main Street. It was ostensibly designed in the Classical Revival style by architect Edward Columbus Hosford. On August 7, 1989, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Depot is a historic Atlantic Coast Line Railroad depot in Lake Wales, Florida. It is located at 325 South Scenic Highway. On August 31, 1990, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
The B. K. Bullard House is a historic house located at 644 South Lakeshore Boulevard in Lake Wales, Florida.
The C. L. Johnson House is a historic house located at 315 East Sessoms Avenue in Lake Wales, Florida. It is locally significant as the former home of one of the four founders of the city, and also as a fine example of a Colonial Revival style house which has experienced minimal alterations.
The G. V. Tillman House is a historic home in Lake Wales, Florida. It is located at 301 East Sessoms Avenue. On August 31, 1990, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
The Benjamin Franklin Holland House is a historic home in Bartow, Florida. It is located at 590 East Stanford Street. Benjamin Franklin Holland was the father of Spessard Holland, one of Florida's governors as well as a United States senator representing the state. On April 3, 1975, the house was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
The John J. Swearingen House is a historic home in Bartow, Florida, designed by B. Clayton Bonfoey. It is located at 690 East Church Street. On May 13, 1982, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
The Lake of the Hills Community Club is a historic site in Lake Wales, Florida, United States. It is located at 47 East Starr Avenue. On March 24, 2000, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.In 1914 a plot of land was set aside by an early land developer in Polk county by the name of W.J.Howey who through his land company purchased several hundreds of acres around Starr Lake and beyond, which he plotted and platted for home-site development. The Railroad was well established and utilized by many wealth patrons who established a winter community known as Mountain Lake estates Upon Which world famous Bok Tower carillon was built. He visualised that many wealthy Northerners would likewise purchase his platted acreage. He was mindful that this community would need common acreage for recreational community site. Located on the North-Westernmost corner of Starr lake the "Club" was officially designated in 1904 and in 1927 the Club House was constructed by the local residents using their talents and money. Coincidentally, the construction and dedication coincided that of Bok Tower and Gardens which was presided over by then President Calvin Coolidge. Originally the Club was for the use of only owners of a Howey land plot but as a precursor to National Registration participation and member ship was thrown open to the general public. Over 400 persons,including most local dignitaries and public officials, attended the "100th Centennial Celebration" held in 2014 where the name of the "Club" was changed to Lake Of The Hills Community Center.
The Frances Langford Promenade is a historic site in Lakeland, Florida. It is located between Lemon Street and Lake Mirror Drive. On January 27, 1983, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The project was built in two phases and completed in 1928. Charles Wellford Leavitt of New York was the designer.
The former Church of the Holy Spirit is an historic Roman Catholic church building located at 1099 Hesperides Road in Lake Wales, Florida. In 1989 it was sold by the local Catholic diocese to the City of Lake Wales. It is now the Lake Wales Cultural Center.
El Retiro is a historic site in Lake Wales, Florida. It is located at 1151 Tower Blvd, Lake Wales, FL 33853. The 12,900 square foot house was designed by architect Charles R. Wait for the original owner, Charles Austin Buck.
The First Baptist Church is a historic Southern Baptist church in Lake Wales, Florida. It is located at 338 East Central Avenue. On August 31, 1990, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
The Roosevelt School is a historic school in Lake Wales, Florida. It is located at 115 E Street. On March 29, 2001, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Originally this school served the African-American Community or the Northwest community in Lake Wales. Currently it is an ESE vocational school specifically designed to teach and train students in grades 6–12 with learning disabilities to adapt and excel in society
Child of the Sun is a collection of buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright on the campus of the Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. The twelve original buildings were constructed between 1941 and 1958. Another of Wright's designs, a Usonian house originally intended for faculty housing, was completed in 2013, and is now part of the Sharp Family Tourism and Education Center. On March 2, 2012, it was designated a National Historic Landmark. The buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and together form the largest collection of buildings by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Polk County, Florida.
The following is an alphabetical list of articles related to the U.S. state of Florida.
Mountain Lake is a private community north of the City of Lake Wales, Florida, United States. It was founded in 1915 and contains a golf course designed in 1916 by Seth Raynor. Mountain Lake is located in the ridge country of Central Florida, and was developed by Baltimorean Frederick Ruth. With proximity close to trains from the North which would bring residents down for ‘the season’, Ruth assembled 3500 acres and engaged Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. to lay out 600 acres of the property for the residences and Seth Raynor to design the golf course. This same trio also went on to design and develop Fisher Island in the 1920s. There are some notes in the archives at Mountain Lake that Ruth spoke to Donald Ross prior to selecting Raynor, however Raynor was chosen and Mountain Lake became the first development of its kind.
