LUBBE HOUSE IN THE FOREGROUND, BUILDING TO BE RAZED TO THE LEFT/BACKGROUND
The Lubbe House at Lake Eola has been placed on the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation’s 2026 “Florida’s 11 to Save” list, a designation the organization uses to highlight threatened historic properties across the state.
The announcement came at the Preserve Florida conference in St. Petersburg last week, weeks after the Orlando City Commission voted 6-1 against designating the nearly 100-year-old home as a historic landmark, with Commissioner Patty Sheehan casting the only vote in favor of landmark status.
“Florida’s 11 to Save is designed to increase the public’s awareness of the urgent need to save Florida’s historic resources,” the Florida Trust said in a news release.
Built in 1927 by German immigrant John Peter “Hans” Lubbe, (apparently pronounced “loo-buh” and not “loob”), the approximately 3,500 SF Mediterranean Revival home sits at the corner of Rosalind Avenue and Central Boulevard at the southwest edge of Lake Eola Park. Architect Peter Samwell, who also designed the Park Plaza Hotel in Winter Park, designed the home.
The Community Redevelopment Agency purchased the property in March 2025 for approximately $2.5 million, along with the adjacent City Centre property, for a proposed gateway and park expansion project, that would require both properties to be razed to the ground.
Mayor Buddy Dyer said after the City Commission vote that the city would seek local input on the building’s future use, saying “Probably not a restaurant, probably not a wine bar, but we will figure out a good use and help us to upgrade the building itself.” he said. But Dyer also said he does not support the landmark designation effort because it would mean more costs for the city.
Betsy Owens, executive director of the Friends of Casa Feliz in Winter Park and granddaughter of that home’s original architect, said the designation could help other preservation efforts in the region.
“Any historic preservation successes in Central Florida, an area which is not known for valuing its architectural heritage, can only help,” Owens said. “Rising tide lifts all ships.”
There’s been no official comment from the mayor’s office about the ranking, but we’re sure they’re super pleased about it.
Other properties on the 2026 Florida’s 11 to Save list include the Ace Theater in Miami, built in 1930, the Villa Serena home in Miami, built in 1913, the Captain Francis A. Hendry House in Hendry County, built in 1914, and Interlachen’s Lincoln Lane Schoolhouse.
