Florida. COVID-19 virus restrictions can’t stop the work of the Florida Historical Society
Florida /
| 25 Jul 2020 | 05:17
The Mapes House as it looked in 2013 before any restoration work began on the outside of the house. Photos provided by Florida Historical Society.
Alice Mazur and her drawing of the Mapes House in 2013 before the current restoration work.
A cistern in the bathroom was discovered during renovations
The Green Homestead’s first floor bathroom is refurbished.
The Florida Historical Society has been able to accomplish quite a few things during the COVID-19 epidemic restrictions, according to a report from trustee Linda Dubin:
The Green Homestead’s first floor bathroom has been refurbished with handicapped accessibility, thanks to two grants, one from Warwick Savings Foundation and another from Orange & Rockland Community Investment Program.
Tom Mance and his team did the restoration and uncovered an early in-ground cut-out shale cistern underneath layers of flooring. A trap door, built into the new flooring, was made to enable viewing this historic find.
The Florida Historical Society’s senior graduation scholarship was given to Alice Mazur for her pencil drawing of the historic Mortimer Mapes House as it appeared from circa 1940 to about 2018.
At the present time, the enclosed porch has been removed and the house is being restored back to the way it was as it was originally built in 1877, a true Victorian Gothic with an open porch.
Additional information about the Florida Historical Society’s progress on many fronts can be found by visiting flhistoricalsociety.com.