Credit for this timeline goes to Roy Walters, EPS Treasurer
A Little Background
Enterprise is a tiny community of about 2,000 people on the north shore of Lake Monroe. Founded in 1841, it was Volusia’s first county seat and may be best known as the home of the Florida Methodist Children's Home. It always led a sleepy and peaceful existence.
About 20 years ago, though, conflicts over land use with Deltona began to surface. The most public of these was the historic Thornby house and 40 acres on Lakeshore Drive, then under threat of intense development.
EPS Formed
2000
The Enterprise Preservation Society was formed in 2000, and initial plans got underway to buy Thornby with grant funding and turn it into a museum. However, those plans never came to fruition, mainly because the price was too high. Over the next six years, various development plans for the property were pushed, but as the community was fighting back, the 80-year-old Thornby house, listed as a Florida Historic Building, was destroyed by arson.
Opportunity!!!
2004
With the Thornby house destroyed, hope for a community museum went up in smoke, too. But then fate stepped in. With skyrocketing enrollment at Enterprise Elementary School, the School Board faced a dilemma. Expansion plans were thwarted by Building 8. Originally built in 1936, it was now squeezed in and surrounded by other campus buildings. Because it was not suited for renovation, it would have to go -- but the Board was reluctant to demolish the historic building. Enter the Enterprise Preservation Society, its dreams of a museum resurrected when the building was offered for FREE.
Move to Where?
2004
• Found a “For Sale” spacious vacant lot 200 feet north of the school. • A couple donated $80,000 to purchase the lot. • This $80,000 donation was used as a match for an $80,000 ECHO grant that paid to move the building and for site work. • OFF WE GO!
After the Move
2004
Build front entrance Build back entrance ramp (handicap accessible) Sidewalks, front plaza Road, parking VC Required retention pond and grading VC Required lift station VC Required sprinkler system as part of landscaping Paint/repair building external Restoration of the interior incl. bathroom, AC, plumbing, power
Restoration
I (Roy Walters) volunteered to do it with lots of help: • Building was a mess inside after so many years of abuse • But it was solid!!! • Many interesting things.
Interesting Things
Are the blackboards Slate under the steel? No! painted with blackboard paint under 4 layers of various colors of blackboard paint. Base was a hard sheetrock type of board called “slateboard.” probably ground up slate.
The Mural, etc. paintes by a teacher circa 1990. Note the floors!
• Floors are heart of pine • I treated the building as an antique boat • All wood was completely stripped • New blackboards and cork boards • New electrical and water/sewer • Built a modern bathroom in the Boys shower room (toilet problem) • Paint colors are original historic colors • Girls room is now part of the museum display
5 Years of Labor
2014
• No power in building • Porta-potty outside • No air conditioning • Filled in big holes in floor due to chemistry lab, rot under old AC, termites • Could not purchase replacement flooring, so, we stole wood from the upstairs storage room. Now a bit of plywood floor upstairs. • Museum Opened October 14, 2014
