Was taking care of business at the DeLand, Florida Courthouse and stopped to enjoy the art, architecture and park.
After walking up the stairs and past the tall columns inside we were greeted with natural light that shines through this stained glass dome pictured here. (pardon for the quality of the pictures – took them with an old phone)
The directory indicated that the Law Library was on the second floor… heading up the stairs directly on the first landing before continuing to the second floor – to the complete expanse of the wall was this painting depicting Native American Indians and what appears to be a Spanish conquistador. (by the way, the Law Library had been moved to another building)
In the painting titled “Transportation by river and by rail” -Riverboats bring mail to Beresford. A steamboat captain watches while E.W.Bond goes over plans for his Orange Ridge, Deland and Atlantic rail system whith C.H.Wright, first Mayor of Deland.
Irish workers carry rails for Black laborers who are driving spikes.
Stepping onto the second floor it felt like we walked into an art gallery – oil paintings captivating a culture and history of early Florida; these large-scale works are by Orlando artist Jackson Walker.
This other painting was titled “The Guns of Anastasia” – British Colonial artillery shell Spanish St. Augustine, 1740
I really liked the one titled “Timber and Citrus Industries”. Portrait figures shown are Arthur Hamlin, who developed an ealy ripening strain and Loe Gim Gong, a Chinese citrus-man who developed a late juice orange.
Symbolized in the background is a productive sawmill which stood in Lake Helen, Florida about 1874.
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Heading back out to find my car, this mural captured the corner of my eyes…
so we decided to detour through the alley between the courthouse and another building- to discover “Chess Park”… as the dry ‘hot’ Florida Summer wind blew through the parks breezeway – it whispered “take a seat and sit a while” – and so we did. The world stopped and all was perfect in that moment.
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Daisy Says: When you stay present you can enjoy beauty in unexpected places.
