The Brief
- A local historical society is scrambling to stop the Eagle Lake schoolhouse demolition on East Eagle Avenue before a looming city deadline.
- Preservationists say the century-old building can qualify for massive grants, but city officials claim modernizing the structure could cost $6 million.
- The Eagle Lake City Council will cast a final vote on whether to tear down the historic landmark next month on Aug. 3.
EAGLE LAKE, Fla. – A newly formed historical society is fighting to save the last historic building in Eagle Lake from a city plan to tear it down and build a new city hall complex.
Eagle Lake schoolhouse preservation efforts
What we know:
The Eagle Lake Historical Society launched in June to protect a 100-year-old schoolhouse on East Eagle Avenue. Board director David Floyd discovered city records proving the building was designated as historic by the state of Florida back in 2006.
The group is also working to register the schoolhouse as a national historic site. Floyd explained that these designations open the door for federal and state funding.
“What those two designations do is make the building eligible for million-dollar grants every other year,” Floyd said. “By being listed nationally, it will also be eligible for million-dollar grants through the federal government.”…