Door to the Carillon - Bok Tower - Lake Wales, Florida
by Mitch Spence
Title
Door to the Carillon - Bok Tower - Lake Wales, Florida
Artist
Mitch Spence
Medium
Photograph
Description
The Bok Tower Gardens, of which the carillon tower is the centerpiece, is a national historic landmark in Lake Wales, Florida. In this view, the base of the tower and the splendid brass door to the carillon is seen across green lawn and a reflecting pool with lily pads and a single blooming white flower. The door was designed by Sammuel Yellin of Philadelphia and depicts the Biblical story of creation. The 50-acre gardens and bird sanctuary designed by noted landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted were established by Edward W. Bok in 1929 as a gift to the American people. The beautiful "singing tower," holding the carillon and built from 1927 to 1929, was designed by architect Milton B. Medary of Philadelphia. It is 205 feet tall and built of Georgia marble and Florida coquina (limestone made up of shell and coral fragments). The 60 bells were made by John Taylor Bellfounders of Loughborough, England. They range from 16 pounds to more than 11 tons. The grounds of the gardens also include Pinewood Estate and Gardens, one of the finest examples of Mediterranean style architecture in the US southeast, which was acquired by the Gardens in 1970. It is on the National Register of Historic Places
Uploaded
November 15th, 2016
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