H I S T O R I C P R E S E RVAT I O N B OA R D

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1 Agenda Item Summary H I S T O R I C P R E S E RVAT I O N B OA R D O C T O B E R 3, Case Number HPB A G E N DA ITEM , 4173 PAPPY KENNEDY STREET Applicant Vikki Kennedy Johnson Property Location Pappy Kennedy Street, Orlando Florida (District 6) Requested Action The applicant is requesting the structure be considered for Orlando Historic Landmark designation. Location Map Subject Location N Recommendation Approval of request above, as the property meets the criteria for Orlando Historic Landmark status. Project Planner Richard Forbes S U M M A R Y Project Description The applicant is requesting landmark designation for the property. Background The property consists of lots 21 and 22 and is zoned R-1. The house appears to be circa 1920 s or 1930 s and sits on lot 21 with lot 22 serving as a side yard. Public Comment Updated: September 26, 2018 As of September 26, 2018, staff had received no inquiries from the public.

2 Page 2 Case Number HPB October 3, 2018 Section , Designation of Historic Landmarks Sec Designation of Orlando Historic Landmarks. Criteria for evaluation. Council may designate by ordinance any site, building, structure, or object as an Orlando Historic Landmark only when appropriate documentation demonstrates significance in history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, or culture and it possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association and: (a) That is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; or (b) That is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; or (c) That embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represents the work of a master, or that possesses high artistic values, or that represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; or (d) That has yielded or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. Criteria considerations. Ordinarily cemeteries, birthplaces, graves of historical figures, properties owned by religious institutions or used for religious purposes, structures that have been moved from their original locations, reconstructed historic buildings, buildings primarily commemorative in nature, and properties that have achieved significance within the past 50 years should not be considered eligible for designation as an Orlando Historic Landmark. However, such properties may qualify if they are integral parts of a historic preservation zoning overlay district or if they fall within one of the following categories: A religious property deriving primary significance from architectural or artistic distinction or historical importance; or A building or structure removed from its original location but which is primarily significant for architectural value, or which is the surviving structure most importantly associated with a historic person or event; or A birthplace or grave of a historical figure of outstanding importance if there is no appropriate site or building associated with his or her productive life; or A cemetery that derives its primary importance from graves of persons of transcendent importance, from age, from distinctive design features, of from association with historic events; or A reconstructed building when accurately executed in a suitable environment and presented in a dignified manner as part of a restoration master plan, and when no other building or structure with the same association has survived; or A property primarily commemorative in intent if design, age, tradition, or symbolic value has invested it with its own exceptional significance; or A property achieving significance within the past 50 years if it is of exceptional importance. Nomination. Proposals to nominate a site, building, structure, or object must be made to the Historic Preservation Board and may be made by any person. The Historic Preservation Board shall hold a public hearing on the proposal and then recommend to the Orlando City Council whether the site, building, structure, or object should be nominated. In making this recommendation, the Historic Preservation Board must consider whether, based on then-existing information, the site, building, structure, or object is reasonably likely to meet the criteria for evaluation and criteria considerations of this section. Based on this recommendation, the Orlando City Council may then nominate the site, building, structure, or object for designation as an Orlando Historic Landmark if it finds that, based on then-existing information, the site, building, structure, or object is reasonably likely to meet the criteria for evaluation and criteria considerations of this section. Review Procedure. After nomination, the city historic preservation officer shall evaluate the proposed landmark against the criteria for evaluation in this section and make a report to the Historic Preservation Board. The report should include a recommendation on whether the proposed landmark should be designated pursuant to this section. The Historic Preservation Board shall then conduct a public hearing following written notice by mail posted no later than ten days prior to such hearing to the last-known address of the owners of the affected property of the date, time, and place of said hearing. In addition, a sign containing the same information shall be placed on the affected property no later than ten days prior to such hearing. Designation. Upon recommendation of the Historic Preservation Board, Council shall consider the appropriateness of such recommendation and may then adopt an ordinance designating the site, building, structure, or object as an Orlando Historic Landmark based on the criteria for evaluation and criteria considerations of this section. Unless all owners of the proposed landmark provide express written consent to the designation before the ordinance is heard by Council, the Council may adopt a landmark designation ordinance pursuant to this section only if approved by at least a two-thirds vote and upon a finding that, in addition to satisfying the criteria for evaluation and criteria considerations of this section, the designation is supported by clear and convincing evidence that a substantial public interest is advanced by the designation. Landmark ordinances may designate individual elements or features of a site, building, structure, or object as either contributing or non-contributing historic resources.

3 Page 3 Case Number HPB October 3, 2018 L A N D M A R K A N A LY S I S The former residence of Arthur Rene Pappy Kennedy has been nominated for Orlando Historic Landmark Status by his granddaughter, Vikki Kennedy Johnson. The building is zoned R-1 and is located in the Roosevelt Park plat in the Richmond Heights area. The property is being landmarked under category (b) That is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past. Research shows that Arthur Pappy Kennedy was a significant leader in the community and significant to the history of Orlando. About Arthur Pappy Kennedy: On January 15, 1973, Arthur Pappy Kennedy took the oath of office as Orlando s first African-American City Council member. He served two terms until An advocate of higher education, Kennedy was the organizer of the Orlando Negro Chamber of Commerce, President of the Jones High School Parent-Teacher Association and instrumental in the organization of the Orange County Parent-Teacher Council. He also worked with many organizations, including Meals on Wheels, the United Negro College Fund and the NAACP. Kennedy died in 2000 at age 86. His grandmother gave him the nickname in his childhood because he walked like an old man. Whatever the origin, it was an endearment often bestowed on gentlemen of an older generation who commanded affection and respect, and Pappy Kennedy drew plenty of both. The youngest of three children whose parents were killed in an auto accident when he was 3 years old, Kennedy spent his early years in the Panhandle community of River Junction, where he lived with his grandmother. After her death, he moved to Orlando when he was about 12 to live with an aunt and uncle. Kennedy graduated from Jones High School in the early 1930s and, as a teenager, worked as a bellman at the now-gone Orange Court Hotel. As years passed, Kennedy moved to the restaurant business and to Winter Park's popular Barbizon eatery on Park Avenue. It became the Beef and Bottle, where he was assistant manager at the time of his 1972 Orlando City Council victory. Kennedy had first tried for a council seat in 1967, after a long record of public service. In 1946, when he was executive secretary of the Negro Chamber of Commerce, Kennedy fostered a communitywide food drive to aid starving war victims in Volos, Greece. He recruited help that packed the cans and boxes and loaded on a freight car. The first car was packed with approximately 1,000 cases followed by a shipment in September 1947 with 45,726 pounds of collected food. Before Pappy Kennedy gained his seat on Orlando's governing board, City Council elections were at-large, which meant a candidate had to draw votes from the whole electorate instead of his or her district. But in 1972, Kennedy did win, after a four-month court battle over contested absentee ballots. Four years later, in 1976, he won a second term resoundingly. His victories in the at-large elections were "a monumental accomplishment," an Orlando Sentinel editorial noted in Against tremendous obstacles, Pappy Kennedy had persevered. As, former NAACP President Kweisi Mfume said in 2009, he was "a stalwart in the storm." Today, an annual scholarship the Arthur Pappy Kennedy Scholarship which assists with post-secondary educational pursuits and cost of books to a minority high school student is named in his honor. Other namesakes includes an annual Arthur Pappy Kennedy Prayer Breakfast hosted by the Central Florida YMCA and the Southwest Orlando Jaycees and the street his former residence is located. The annual breakfast celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr. and local civil-rights history. The South Orange Blossom Station Post Office was also dedicated to him. Orlando Sentinel, January 16, 1986 (abridged): Arthur "Pappy" Kennedy was elected to the Orlando City Council in 1972, serving until he lost to Ernest Page while seeking a third term in He defeated Bill Ankeny in 1972 to become the city's first black council member in a close vote that brought court suits that were decided in Kennedy's favor. Kennedy also served on the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, where he supported the Williams family's restaurant leases. A restaurant employee, Kennedy organized and was president of the former Orlando Negro Chamber of Commerce in After he left public life Kennedy did volunteer work two days a week for the Meals on Wheels program for the elderly and later was employed by Bruton's Funeral Home in Orlando. Orlando Sentential, December 22, 1985 (abridged): Former official honored Orlando Mayor Bill Frederick and Arthur 'Pappy' Kennedy grasp the street sign named for Kennedy Monday. Kennedy was the city's first black council member. The two-block street where Kennedy lives used to be called McCovey Street. It is in the Washington Shores area. From the Orange County Regional History Center: Archive Object , Provenance description: Arthur "Pappy" Kennedy was Orlando's first African-American city commissioner. He was elected to the Orlando City Council in 1972 at age 58, serving until Born in River Junction, Fla., Kennedy's family moved to Orlando where he attended Johnson Academy and Jones High School. He then went on to Bethune-Cookman University. There was no stronger advocate of higher education than Pappy

4 Page 4 Case Number HPB October 3, 2018 L A N D M A R K A N A LY S I S Kennedy. A man always involved in the community, he was the organizer of the African-American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida, president of the Jones High School Parent-Teacher Association and instrumental in the organization of the Orange County Parent- Teacher Council. Yet, for all of his accomplishments, Kennedy is best known for being Orlando's first African-American City Commissioner. But he barely made it there. He lost the first time he ran and narrowly won in 1972, after a four-month court battle over contested absentee ballots. Kennedy died in March 2000 at age 86, but his name and legacy lives on today. From A History of the Black Community of Orlando, Florida pgs : On May 27, 1945, Arthur Kennedy organized a group of local African Americans to meet at his house to discuss ways and means of assisting the city with its many worthwhile civic projects. The group agreed that representatives from the Greater Orlando Chamber of Commerce should be invited to a meeting the following a week. Robert S. Carr, then president, with M.A.C. Slaughter and Claude Wolfe met with the group which led to the organization of the Orlando Negro Chamber of Commerce, on November 4, 1945 with Kennedy as President. For 22 years, the Negro Chamber of Commerce was a viable part of Orlando s black community. It was integrated with the City s Chamber in the late 60s. From Black America Series: Orlando Florida by Geraldine Thompson (pg. 121): Arthur Rene Kennedy, commonly called Pappy was born in Florida on December 8, He came to Orlando in 1928 and lived with his uncle on W. Jackson Street. Because of the relatively few scholarships available to African Americans to support study beyond high school, Arthur worked numerous jobs to support himself and save money for college. He cut yards, washed windows, picked up bottles to sell, worked in a supermarket and served in a hotel at the Orange Court Motor Lodge. Managers at the Orange Court Motor Lodge sent Pappy to Tuskegee Institute to study hotel management. He organized a system for checking in guests, managing the kitchen, and performing clerical duties. Pappy became head bellman at the Orange Court Motor Lodge. Using funds from his various jobs, he sent himself to Bethune Cookman College. About the house: According the Orange County Property Appraiser, the residence was built in 1935 (no proof provided). Based on research in the Orlando City Directories and The Orange County Comptroller records, it is likely that the structure was in place before 1940 as the deed for the sale that year to the Witruks describes farm buildings including a house. Upon inspection, the house clearly is older than the others in the neighborhood. The foundation is cast rock face concrete block with wood drop siding as the exterior wall fabric. Other details include exposed rafter tails and a historic window typical of the 1920 s or early 1930 s. It is unclear if the house was moved on the property to be centered on lot 21. John and Zanita Witruk platted Roosevelt Park in According to the plat McCovey Street was changed from Eleanor Street in a Plat Revision in 6/20/1962. Hershell and Dorothy Shipp were granted a Warranty Deed on June 18, 1952 from Zanita Witruk, a widow (John Witruk). This deed lays out conditions and restrictions for the construction of a building, easements, and conduct. According to the Orange County Comptroller s office Arthur and his wife Marion first received a Warranty Deed on Jul 14, 1954 for Lot 21, Block K, Roosevelt Park, acquired from Hershell Shipp and Dorothy Shipp. There is a Warranty Deed for lot 22 dated May 21, The City Directory first lists Eleanor Street in No street numbers were listed. Arthur Kennedy is listed living at Rd 7 Box 372 Eleanor. Eleanor Street (nor McCovey Street) is not listed in 1958 or earlier City Directories. The City Directory lists Arthur Kennedy living at 4221 McCovey Street in He is listed as a restaurant worker. There is a notation under Eleanor Street that it has changed to McCovey. According to the family, the screened front porch was enclosed around The foundation shows that certain additions were made at some point. The foundation changes from historic rock face block to more modern concrete block at the north west corner, a small closet on the rear and a small area on the east. The late mid-century addition of the stone and brick veneer would have been an attempt to modernize the house which made it look more similar to the 1960s and 1970s houses nearby. The original address was 4221 McCovey, Orlando. It was renamed Pappy Kennedy Street on December 21, Staff Evaluation: Arthur Rene Pappy Kennedy was an influential member of the community as shown by the research. Kennedy is important in Orlando history for his accomplishments as a community leader and first African American to be elected to the Orlando City Council and meets the criteria for landmark status under category (b) That is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past.

5 Page 5 Case Number HPB October 3, 2018 S T A F F RECOMMENDAT I O N The house is significant as a City of Orlando Landmark for the history, culture, integrity of location, design, materials and association with Arthur Rene Pappy Kennedy, a significant person in Orlando s past. The property meets the criteria b in Section and is eligible to be an Orlando Historic Landmark and the Historic Preservation Board should recommend to City Council that the property be designated as such.

6 Page 6 C a s e N um be r H P B SITE PHOTOS Front View East View West View Rear View Oc t obe r 3,

7 Page 7 C a s e N um be r H P B SITE PHOTOS Front Entry East Side Porch Door Foundation Detail Rear of House Oc t obe r 3,

8 Page 8 ORIG IN AL PLAT C a s e N um be r H P B Oc t obe r 3,

9 Page 9 Case Number HPB October 3, 2018 H I S T O R I C PHOTOS Mayor Hood and Mr. Kennedy

10 Page 10 Case Number HPB October 3, 2018 H I S T O R I C PHOTOS 1969, Vikki Kennedy with Neighbor 1966, Joyce Kennedy with Vikki Kennedy 1961, Joyce Kennedy holding Bruce Kennedy 1985, Renaming of McCovey Street to Pappy Kennedy Street