Winter Garden’s original fire station at 127 South Boyd Street

History

Winter Garden’s original fire station, located at 127 South Boyd Street, was built during the Great Depression with funds secured by Mayor George Walker from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) initiated under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In order to apply to the WPA for funding, the mayor and fire chief Hoyle Pounds needed to submit plans and a rendering of the proposed building. Franklin Cappleman, a young college student at the time, had just completed an architectural drafting class at Georgia Tech and was recruited to draw up the plans. The building was constructed in 1938 according to his very amateur drawings.

The fire department’s siren was located on the adjacent water tower and could be activated by a switch from either the fire station or the Pounds Motor Company once located at 162 West Plant Street. The two locations shared a telephone party line so that when a fire was reported, both were notified. Long-time Winter Garden residents remember that the siren went off every day at noon, signaling lunch time.

The Old Fire Station in Winter Garden is a historic structure that was previously used by the city’s Recreation Department, later housed various businesses, and now preserves our heritage by living on with new purpose as the new 127 SOBO Art Gallery, home of the Winter Garden Art Association.

Vision

Our vision is to be integral to the community’s cultural and educational framework and positively impact the City of Winter Garden now and for the future.

Mission

The mission of the Winter Garden Art Association is to encourage individual creativity and artistic expression, promote community involvement and cooperation, and advance the appreciation, education, and availability of visual and cultural arts in the City of Winter Garden and surrounding areas.

Strategic Plan Statement

In creating Winter Garden Art Association (WGAA), we intend to foster an increase in the cultural and educational framework in the West Orange area through community outreach and maintaining a gallery that provides dedicated space to educate, explore, experience, and celebrate the many aspects of visual art and culture. Our funding will be accomplished through donations for events, programs and classes sponsored by individuals and organizations, through grants and/or in combination with fees and commissions on the sale of submitted works of art.

Objective

The Winter Garden Art Association is a 501c3 non-profit association. Our objective is to expand public access to art by maintaining a facility and programs that nurture the individual and foster growth in the arts. The facility provides space to educate, explore, experience, and celebrate the many aspects of visual art and culture.