Secretary of State Cord Byrd announced today that the John H. Evans House, in the City of Lake Alfred, Polk County, has been listed in the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places.
“I am pleased to announce that the John H. Evans House has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places,” said Secretary of State Cord Byrd. “This house is one of the few, original, intact historic residences in the City of Lake Alfred and is an excellent example of the Craftsman Style.”
John H. Evans House in 2021. Photograph by Gordon McNeer, the home’s current owner.
Lake Alfred is a small city located between Lakeland and Orlando in Central Florida. In 1885, the South Florida Railroad developed a route through the area. Soon after, citrus growers established groves along the shores of the region’s many lakes. Residents incorporated the city in 1913 and first named it Fargo. In 1915, the city’s name changed to Lake Alfred.
Built in 1924, the John H. Evans House is located just outside of Lake Alfred’s business district. It has been owned by three generations of the same family, who have preserved many of its original features. Evans owned the FloridaGold citrus company and served as its company president from 1929 to 1948. The citrus company’s office building is still standing and today serves as headquarters for Lake Alfred’s Chamber of Commerce.
The John H. Evans House sits on Lake Buena Vista Drive and overlooks rows of recently planted citrus trees and the city’s namesake body of water, Lake Alfred. The house is a well-preserved example of a two-story Craftsman Style residence. Distinct Craftsman elements of the house include triangular knee braces, broad roof eaves, exposed rafter tails, large dormer windows, distinctive multi-paned windows, wide porches, and square columns. A porch wraps around the south and east sides of the house. The home’s interior is also well-preserved by the family and retains its original wooden floors, historic furnishings, and appliances. The house remains in private ownership by Evans’ descendants.