The Architecture of James Gamble Rogers II in Winter Park, Florida

"For those who think that all the significant architecture produced in Florida in the 1920s and 1930s can be found in Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, or Palm Beach, the McClanes' book adds a new city--Winter Park--and another architect--James Gamble Rogers II--to the mix. Rogers left an architectural legacy of style, sophistication, and real substance."--Donald W. Curl, author of Mizner's Florida: American Resort Architecture



"The 'magical pencil' of Gamble Rogers makes a fine art of architecture; his story builds a community and gives soul to Florida's architecture. Anyone who reads this book will want to move to Winter Park and live in a Gamble Rogers-designed house."--Elsbeth K. Gordon, author of Florida's Colonial Architecture



This well-illustrated book illuminates the life and career of one of, whose elegant homes and design aesthetic shaped the architectural character of Winter Park and influenced urban development throughout central Florida.



James Gamble Rogers II (1901-1990) created homes known for their human scale and proportion and for their suitability to the environment. This work highlights twelve of these residences designed for Winter Park, the beautiful small city adjacent to Orlando and the headquarters of the Rogers family architecture firm, Rogers, Lovelock, and Fritz, which exists today under the leadership of Rogers' son. Ingeniously meeting the special needs of Florida's climate--heat, humidity, termite control, and air circulation--the residences incorporate details from a variety of historical styles, including ecletic and authentic features that emulate vernacular Spanish farmhouses and villas.



The book includes critiques of each design and its evolution, particulars about the site, and stories about the lives and tastes of the clients--men and women of wealth and status who influenced the heady era of the Florida land boom in the 1920s and 1930s. Numerous floor plans, modern and historical photographs, and Rogers' own drawings augment the discussion.



The book also presents an entertaining biography of Rogers, with information on his schooling, a history of the firm he founded, and his familial connections with the architectural profession (his uncle and namesake designed more than 20 buildings for Yale University). It describes his success in the areas of governmental, military, and university architecture, including his designs for buildings at Rollins College in Winter Park, and evaluates his impact on 20th-century architecture in Florida and throughout the nation.



Coauthors Patrick and Debra McClane have studied Rogers' original drawings, toured his homes, and interviewed clients and family members; Patrick McClane worked at the Rogers firm during the architect's last years there and brings a personal connection to this work. Their book documents an exceptional contribution to Florida's architectural heritage, the life and work of a man who created stylish and desirable homes and distinctive public buildings.



With a detailed appendix that lists dates and addresses for nearly 275 houses, most of them still extant, the work will serve as the definitive guide to Rogers' work in Winter Park.