James Gamble Rogers II is most prominently known for designing many homes in the Winter Park area. He designed homes for decades beginning in the late 1920’s.

 

He designed homes in several different styles and many of his creations still stand in the community. His work on residential homes allowed for the Architecture of James Gamble Rogers II to be visible by many, but the stories of some of these homes and their residents far exceeds just the the home’s construction. Some of these stories are discussed below in an attempt to interweave both the design of the home and the stories of those who lived in them.

 

The Barbour House/ Casa Feliz

The Morris / Strong Residence

This home was not built by James Gamble Rogers II but he did provide alterations to the house in the 1930’s, after Morrison purchased it from Caldwell. He added a wing to the left side of the house and bumped out the living room to move the stairwell, opening up the living room.

By the year 2016, this home had been the residence of prominent figures in the Winter Park community connected to the life of Mrs. Peggy Strong and her home.

The house was built in 1916. It was one of the original homes on the lake in Winter Park. After moving in1922, Peggy was born in the home. Her father Caldwell was a banker, and when the stock market crashed in 1929 his business was in trouble. In 1933 he lost his bank and sold the home, eventually coming into the possession of Mr. Woodberry Morris.

 

This home’s story then takes an unexpected turn. Peggy Caldwell had married a man named Hope Strong, an admiral in the US Navy. The couple then moved back to Winter Park and purchased the home from the Morrison’s, moving Peggy Strong back into the home she was born in. Hope Strong would later become mayor of Winter Park. The couple had three children in the home, one of which, David Strong would also become mayor of Winter Park. The story of this home concludes in 2016 where Peggy Strong passed away in the same home she was born in.