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ALACHUA COUNTY >> ARCHITECTURE OF YESTERDAY
HISTORY IN THE BUILDING
A Look Into the Past Historic Buildings that No Longer Stand B Y J O A N N A G R E Y TA L B O T
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rban renewal and redevelopment of A l ac h ua C o u n t y, e s p e c i a l ly i n downtown Gainesville, in the 1950s, ‘60s, and ‘70s caused the loss of many historic buildings. Other cities throughout the country saw the loss of entire neighborhoods to the cause of “renewal.” Government entities and developers regularly chose the razing of buildings over preservation. Thankfully, the tide began to turn in the 1970s. Historic Gainesville, Inc. was founded in 1972 and their first project was to save the former Hotel Thomas. Although many historic buildings had already been lost, they live on in the archives of the Matheson History Museum and the memories of so many.
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OUR TOWN MAGAZINE
SEPT/OCT 2021