East Stuart Avenue, City of Lake Wales, Polk County, Florida, USA

Lake Wales is a city in Polk County, Florida. The population was 14,225 at the 2010 census. As of 2019, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 16,759. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area. Lake Wales is located in central Florida, west of Lake Kissimmee and east of Tampa.

The land around the present city was surveyed in 1879 by Sidney Irving Wailes, who changed the name of a lake, then known as Watts Lake, to Lake Wailes.

The city of Lake Wales was established near the lake in 1911–12, planned by the Lake Wales Land Company. The spelling Wales was used for the city, although the lake is still generally spelled Lake Wailes. Allen Carleton Nydegger, a Civil Engineer, was contracted by the Lake Wales Land Company to plot out the community of Lake Wales. He and his crew camped on the shores of Crystal Lake and spent months plotting out the new community. In 1925 the Atlantic Coastline Railroad built a new line from Haines City joining lines to Everglades City. A depot was opened on this line at Lake Wales. The City of Lake Wales was officially incorporated in April 1917.

In 2004, Lake Wales endured the effects of three hurricanes which came through the area: Hurricane Charley, Hurricane Frances and Hurricane Jeanne. The three hurricanes brought hurricane-force winds to the Lake Wales area within a space of 44 days. In 2017, Hurricane Irma brought more hurricane-force winds to Lake Wales.

The town lies near the geographical center of the Florida peninsula. Lake Wales is located on the Lake Wales Ridge, a sandy upland area running roughly parallel to both coasts in the center of the peninsula. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.0 square miles (36 km2), of which 13.4 square miles (35 km2) is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2) (4.71%) is water.

Lake Wales is located in the humid subtropical zone of the (Köppen climate classification: Cfa). In 2004, the eyes of Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne all passed near the town. Virtually all physical damage has been restored.

Local attractions in the area include:

*Bok Tower Gardens

*Camp Mack's River Resort

*Spook Hill, an optical illusion which makes a car in neutral appear as if it is traveling uphill (gravity hill)

*The commercial historic district in the heart of the old town contains important examples of architecture from the period of the Florida land boom of the 1920s. The district's tallest building, the Hotel Grand, has been boarded up for many years but has been purchased and is in the process of being restored.

*The Lake Wales Museum and Cultural Center is a history museum funded by a public-private partnership. It offers exhibits and artifacts from the pre-Columbian era to modern.

*Grove House, the visitor's center for the agricultural cooperative Florida's Natural (located across from the company's processing plant).

*Chalet Suzanne This attraction has closed.

The Shrine of Ste Anne des Lacs

Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Wales,_Florida

Credit for the data above is given to the following website:

Taken in: United States / Florida / Lake Wales (show map)

Taken on: January 19, 2024

Tags:

Lake Wales

Polk County

USA

urban zone

Sunshine State

downtown

historic landmark

historic downtown

architecture

building

real estate

commercial property

urban

small city

central business district

street photography

central Florida

cityscape

city

Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area

Sidney Irving Wailes

Watts Lake

Lake Wailes

Allen Carleton Nydegger

rolling hills

Lake Wales Ridge

town lies near the geographical center of the Florida peninsula

humid subtropical zone

old Florida

historic Florida

murals

street art

National Register of Historic Places

East Stuart Avenue

Rhodesbilt Arcade

The historic Rhodesbilt Arcade « less

Sets appears in: • Urban Florida V • Florida's Hill Country more » • City of Lake Wales, Polk County, Florida, USA « less

Groups appears in: • Florida • Southern Exposure more » • Downtown • Central Florida • Historical places • Your Favorite Photos - Unlimited! • Photography Corner • Historical/Mysterious Places • Southern Living • ! * Urban LIFE in Metropolis //// • Your photo goes here! no 30/60 • Southern Culture • Florida, USA • National Register of Historic Places • Central Florida Flickrs • Arquitectura Urbana • Old Florida • .Southern Photographers - Southern Images • City Pulse • Southern Views • Central Florida Photographers • Historic Towns • MY FLORIDA • Florida Vaction • Historical Buildings and Landmarks (No Limits) • Southern Life • I bring my camera everywhere (no 30/60 limit) • North America, North to South, East to West • Historic Districts USA • Florida Locals • Historic Florida • The Florida Photographer • Structures of the South • Historic Buildings of the United States • "Unlimited Photos: No Rules" • Photography in Florida • I am flickr! - No 30/60 Limit • City Urban Style • Cityscape and urban scenery • Historical and architectural gems • Skylines of Florida • Downtown Living • The Southeast • Florida - HDR • Lake Wales, FL • Florida Explorers • Strictly GeoTagged (no 30/60 limit) • Turismo por todo el mundo • Southern Photographers • Historic Buildings • The Real Florida • archiCentral - Architecture & Urban Design • Around Central Florida • Architecture & Urban • Geotagged: Florida • Geo-Tagging the Planet one Photo at a Time • Florida Travels • Hipstamatic - Florida • *****WORLDARCHITECTURE!***** • Urban Color • Urban Views • Real Estate In Florida • Florida Photo Adventures • Historic Buildings of the World (and other distinct architecture • Florida - The Sunshine State • FLORIDA • My Florida Page • Pictures of Monuments and Historic places • Florida Landscapes • Our cities, our photos Urban • My time behind the lens No 30/60 limits • TOURISM magazine • Photo's passion of the world • Florida Architecture • City architecture, historic monuments, bridges, metropolis, famo • Florida Days & Nights • Architecture of Beautiful Towns and Cities • Group for all users of FLICKR - No 30/60 Groups Limit • Florida's Cityscapes & Rural Areas • Downtown in Towns of all Sizes • The Sunshine State • City, Urban & Engineering Images • !*All Around The World*! • All great photos - No 30/60 • Free our Flickr - No 30/60 • !* THE NEW SOUTH ✧ Please, ONLY QUALITY IMAGES!✧ • USA - United States (No 30/60 limit) • FLICKR INTERNATIONAL - No 30/60 Groups Limit • USA - Pictures (No 30/60 limit) • Beautiful Day or Night No 30/60 - No SL • ~Attention Worthy - No 30/60 Limit • No limit - No 30/60 • Buildings are beautiful - no 30/60 limit • TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY (no 30/60 rule) • Architecture and Morality • Flickr (No 30/60 Group Limit) • No 30/60 Flickr - no SL • A PAST RECORD • Todos los momentos no 30/60 • NO 30/60 Family safe only • Urban travellers • Nice Places to Visit - No 30/60 Limit - Photos & Videos Welcome. • Post Anything You Like. No 30/60 • Pon color a tu vida (no blanco y negro) • Noche en la ciudad • All Your Photos and Mine (No 30/60 limit - Photos from anywhere) • Fotografías nocturnas (no ocasos) « less

Stats: 1,888 views / 7 comments

Link to this photo view:
Link to this photo large view: