Golden Gate Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Golden Gate Building |
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Golden Gate Building in 2010 after being renovated
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Mediterranean Revival |
| Town or city | Stuart, Florida |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 27°09′56″N 80°13′08″W / 27.16548°N 80.21899°W |
| Completed | 1925 |
| Client | Golden Gate Development Company |
| Owner | Local Government: Martin County, Florida |
The Golden Gate Building is a historic building in Martin County, Florida. It was built in 1925 in the Mediterranean Revival style. This style often features stucco walls, red tile roofs, and arches.
The building is located in the community of Golden Gate, just south of Stuart, Florida. It was originally meant to be a sales office. A company called the Golden Gate Development Company built it. They planned to sell land in a new neighborhood called "Golden Gate."
However, a big economic event called the Florida Land Boom ended suddenly. This meant the building was never used for its original purpose. Over the years, it became a post office, a church, and even an art studio. Eventually, it was left empty and started to fall apart.
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Saving a Historic Building
The Golden Gate Building is important to the history of Martin County. In 1989, it was featured in a book about Florida's historic buildings. This showed its value as a piece of history.
Preventing Demolition
In 2002, the local government, known as the Board of County Commissioners, bought the building. They wanted to save it from being torn down. The building was in very bad shape. Its walls were in danger of collapsing.
Restoring the Building
Renovations began in 2005. The first step was to make the walls safe again. The outside of the building was finished by 2008. This part of the project received a grant of $48,000 from the state. A group called "Friends of the Historic Golden Gate Community" helped lead these efforts.
The plan was to make the 2,200 square foot building larger. They wanted to expand it to 4,000 square feet. This extra space would allow for things like bathrooms. These are needed for the building to be used as a public community center.
A New Purpose for the Community
In 2017, the Golden Gate Building was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a list of places in the United States that are important to history.
Golden Gate Center for Enrichment
Also in 2017, many non-profit groups and partners worked together. They finished the building's renovation. It was then opened to the public as the Golden Gate Center for Enrichment.
This two-story building now serves the community in many ways.
- The first floor has a small library and a computer lab.
- There are also classrooms for different types of learning.
A local organization called House of Hope manages the building. Other groups offer free programs there. These programs help people learn new skills, improve their health, and find jobs.
Community Garden
Outside the building, there is now a nutrition garden. Volunteers and staff from House of Hope take care of it. The garden is used for a weekly class called "Gardening for Healthy Families."
