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Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, Florida

Overview

Bok Tower Gardens is situated on Florida's highest peninsular point. It has a wonderful 205 foot tower with 57 bells that play to the public every day.  The tower itself stands in a fabulous landscape of over 200 acres with magnificent woodland gardens which offer a good variety of tropical plants and gives visitors the opportunity to see some central Florida wildlife.

A good site map can be obtained at the gate and this helps you to find quiet relaxing area for those who are looking for quiet and solitude whilst at the same time enjoying the tower bells.  The white garden is a popular backdrop for weddings, there is a grove of live oaks and a reflection pool that mirrors the tower itself.  Just find a bench, sit quietly and admire the stunning views.  

With 20 rooms, the property's Pinewood Estate is considered to be one of the state's finest examples of Mediterranean Revival architecture. 

The tower and gardens have nonprofit status as an educational institution.  They operate a program for fourth graders as well as an adult Garden Campus with 60 programs offered to the public.  Included are day tours, classes, workshops and slide lectures. 

There is also a café and gift shop to buy your souvenirs.

The address of Bok Tower Gardens is 1151 Tower Boulevard, North of Lake Wales, Florida 337853.  It is also a National Historic Landmark that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History

It was in 1869 that a young Edward William Bok (born 1863 – died 1930) arrived in Brooklyn, New York from Den Helder, in the Netherlands.  At the tender age of 13 he left school to work as an office boy and free lance writer to earn money to help his struggling family.  He wrote many reviews and also edited a church newspaper.  By the time he had reached age 22, his own company called Bok Syndicate Press, was selling women's features to newspapers.

In 1889, at age 25 he was hired as the editor of the very popular women's magazine called The Ladies Home Journal.  It was here that he enjoyed a brilliant career lasting 30 years.  By the turn of the century his magazine was the most popular in the country and Mr. Bok had amassed a fortune.

He retired in 1919 and in 1922 he purchased a large tract of scrub and pine land on Iron Mountain, a 298 feet prominence located near Lake Wales.  Advise in his youth by his mother to "Make the world a bit better or more beautiful because you have lived in it", Mr. Bok now had both the time and the money to carry out his mothers wishes.

It was his desire to do nothing less than to create an American Taj Mahal.  His book of that same name carries this dedication to the tower's designer: "To Milton B. Medary, for his architectural conception of a Tower with no ancient, medieval or modern precedent and of surpassing beauty, nativeness and originality..."

Gardens

Frederick Law Olmsted, Junior designed the beautiful gardens at Bok Tower.  It contains acres of ferns, palms, oaks, pines, and wetland plants.  It should also be mentioned that Mr. Olmsted also designed New York Central Park. The plantings also include bunya-bunya trees, camellias, tree ferns, creeping fig, yaupon and dahoon holly, Asiatic jasmine, justica, crinum.and spider lily, wax myrtle, date and sabal plams, papyrus, philodendron, blue plumbage, and horsetail rush.  The site is a haven for more than a hundred bird species, the most prominently featured of which is the group of swans, who tend to stay near the reflection pool.

Although the gardens provide an assortment of native wildlife including birds, reptiles, and butterflies, the gardens also are well known for a large population of squirrels that show no fear of humans and often can be hand fed. 

Singing Tower

The Singing Tower is the centerpiece of the gardens, and was designed by Milton Medary.  It was built at the highest elevation of the site, south of a reflection pool that allows the water to reflect its full image.  A 60 bell carillon is set within the 205 foot tall Late Gothic Revival tower.  Construction on the tower began in 1927 and was completed for the dedication of the gardens in 1929, when it was dedicated by President Calvin Coolidge.  The tower is 51 feet square at its base, changing form at 150 feet high to an octagon with 37 feet sides that include sculptures designed by Lee Lawrie.  The tower is surrounded by a 15 foot moat that serves as a Koi carp fish pond.  It is built of pink Etowah marble and gray Creole marble, mined in Tate, Georgia, and Florida native coquina stone, from Daytona Beach, Florida.

Although the tower's interior is not open to the public, it contains the Anton Brees Carillon Library, said to be the largest carillon library in the world.

Inside the bell chamber is a playing room that houses a clavier, or keyboard, that is used for playing the carillon bells. Recitals are given daily from the 60 bell carillon set.

Pine Ridge Trail

The Pine Ridge Nature Preserve and Trail is a Longleaf Pine turkey Oak habitat.  Pine communities similar to this one used to cover millions of acres in the southeastern United States.  However, over the years, these have gradually disappeared and are now in danger of totally disappearing.  However, a small portion has been preserved in the Pine Ridge Nature preserve.

This habitat is an ecosystem typified by the overstory of Longleaf Pine and a dense groundcover of perennial grasses.  Visitors can experience this natural habitat on a three quarter mile trail that begins at Window by the Pond and ends at the parking lot.  There are many shaded benches along the route which serve as places for relaxation and time to think.  Along the trail, you will see a bog garden, an open glade and a sand hill forest community that is one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world.

Pinewood Estate

Pinewood was built between 1930 and 1932 under the original name of "El Retiro".

Taking a tour through the magnificent Mediterranean style Pinewood Estate lets you experience the luxurious lifestyle of C. Austin Buck, a 20th century industrialist who was vice president of Bethlehem Steel Co. in Pennsylvania.  Pinewood was his winter home.

The estate covers around eight acres of Bok Tower Gardens and is enjoyed by thousands of visitors every year.

The mansion has 30 rooms and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  It is considered to be one of the finest examples of Mediterranean style architecture in Florida.  From time to time, special musical performances are features at Pinewood Estate.

Events

Throughout the year, there are numerous events designed to draw visitors to the Gardens.  These events include various concerts featuring folk music, jazz, orchestras, and the carillon bells of the Tower.  The most popular is the semi annual Concert Under the Stars, given in the evening once in the Fall and once in the Spring.  The event draws hundreds of visitors to the large field in front of the Tower for an outdoor picnic; and features music from both the symphony orchestra and carillon bells.

Bok Sanctuary is open daily and an admission fee is charged.  It comprises the gardens, the Singing Tower with its carillon bells, Pine Ridge Trail, Pinewood Estate, and a visitor center.

About the Author

This article was written by Phil Cornish. Designer and owner of Disney villas and villas in Florida FloridaSunTime , DisneyvillasinFlorida and Simply-Florida where you can get great deals on Florida vacation villas

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