I guess I'm a creature of habit and when I drive my favorite routes to get to my favorite places, I have certain landmarks I always count on seeing. On the back way to Winter Park, I always enjoy seeing the mid-century Winter Park Day Nursery and its large mosaic of Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf. So I was shocked yesterday to find it gone! A quick email to the nursery generated this response:
"Our mosaic was removed last week. And while we are sad that it is gone, it is only a temporary situation. The mosaic was first designed and constructed in 1959 when the building was built. Due to “old age” and weather conditions, in recent years some tiles began to fall off (note bottom left area of photo). We preserved as many of the fallen tiles as possible. With this in mind, we knew that a more permanent solution was needed. Last year, we wrote and were awarded a grant to restore the mosaic. We have a professional who is cataloging the tiles and the mosaic will be finished by the end of the year. We are very excited to see it’s finished product. Thank you for your concern and feel free to stop by at any time to take a tour of the nursery to see the children that inspired our legacy. "
There are very few examples of architecture left from the fifties and sixties in Central Florida; I'm glad that this one is being well-cared for! Like a good fairy tale, this saga appears to have a happy ending.
I like a good story with a happy ending! Good attention to detail!
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