Downtown Winter Haven Historic District

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. 6 historic topographic surveys show this location, the earliest from 1955.

From the record

“The Downtown Winter Haven Historic District is a U.S. historic district located in Winter Haven, Florida. The district is bounded by roughly Avenue A Northwest, Avenue A Southwest, 3rd and 5th Streets.”
Wikipedia article Downtown Winter Haven Historic District, CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of 78 National Register listings published here for Polk County · listed in 2002 · category: District.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

Address. Roughly Avenue A NW, Avenue A SW, 3rd and 5th Sts., Winter Haven, 33880
When was it listed? February 2002
Category. district
Also known as. Winter Haven, Florida MPS
Census division. Winter Haven-Auburndale
National Register reference number. 01001414 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

Then and now

1955 to 1979

The ground this property stands on, surveyed 24 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.

Topographic sheet covering Downtown Winter Haven Historic District, surveyed 1979

Topographic sheet covering Downtown Winter Haven Historic District, surveyed 1955

Fires near this property

155 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 155 fires within 5 miles of Downtown Winter Haven Historic District between 1992 and 2020, burning about 705 acres in total. 8 started naturally. 13 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause	Fires
Railroad operations and maintenance	46
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	25
Debris and open burning	22
Equipment and vehicle use	18
Misuse of fire by a minor	13
Arson/incendiarism	13
Natural	8
Recreation and ceremony	3
Power generation/transmission/distribution	2
Fireworks	2
Other causes	2
Smoking	1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
8 September 1998	Railroad operations and maintenance	under an acre	Florida Forest Service	not named
5 September 2016	Debris and open burning	1.0 acres	Florida Forest Service	GRAY (53)
30 September 1996	Railroad operations and maintenance	under an acre	Florida Forest Service	not named
13 September 2017	Power generation/transmission/distribution	4.0 acres	Florida Forest Service	KVILLE (53)
7 August 1993	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	Florida Forest Service	not named
7 August 1993	Arson/incendiarism	2.0 acres	Florida Forest Service	not named
30 August 1999	Natural	3.0 acres	Florida Forest Service	not named
30 August 1999	Railroad operations and maintenance	under an acre	Florida Forest Service	not named

Every fire recorded in Polk County

Mines and quarries near this property

1 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Downtown Winter Haven Historic District: 1 prospect. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Diatomite. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where	Site	Commodity	Status	Recorded
	Unnamed Diatomite Prosect	Diatomite	Prospect

Every working recorded in Polk County

Storms near this property

36 since 1993

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Winter Haven, the town this property stands in, in 36 storm reports between 1993 and 2019: 25 thunderstorm wind, 7 hail, 1 tornado, 1 lightning. The reports record 1 injury. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
August 1999	Lightning	Winter Haven	1 hurt, $1,000	A Skywarn Spotter reported that an electrical charge, from lightning that struck a nearby telephone pole, shocked and injured him while using a telephone.
June 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Winter Haven	$100,000	The Polk county sheriffs department, local utility company and broadcast media reported that thunderstorm winds downed numerous large trees and power lines in a triangular area bounded by Winter Haven, Auburndale and Lake Alfred. Over 7,000 Polk county residents were without electrical power for up to an hour due to the wind downed lines.
July 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Winter Haven	$75,000	Thunderstorm winds downed numerous power lines across Winter Haven which left nearly 15,000 residents without electrical power for up to nine hours.
June 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Winter Haven	$50,000	A Tampa Electric Power representative reported that thunderstorm winds downed several large trees, branches and power lines from Winter Haven to Haines City in northern Polk county.
September 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Winter Haven	$50,000	The Polk County Emergency Management reported that thunderstorm winds caused carport, shed, shingle, siding and glass damage to a few homes, downed several large trees and power lines along County Road 655 from near Jan-Phyl Village north to Auburndale. Newspaper accounts stated that a homeowner observed thunderstorm winds apparently lift and sweep away a pet cat on the 200 block of Fourth Street in the Jan-Phyl Village.
April 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Winter Haven	$50,000	Thunderstorm winds damaged the door of a hanger at the Winter Haven Airport and downed numerous trees and power lines in the city of Winter Haven.
January 1996	Thunderstorm Wind	Winter Haven	$50,000	no account filed
March 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Winter Haven	$25,000	Thunderstorm winds caused minor roof damage to a few mobile homes and commercial buildings along U.S. Highway 98 from Winter Haven to Lake Alfred.
July 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Winter Haven	$20,000	Thunderstorm winds, estimated at 50 mph by the public, caused minor damage to carports and screen porches of ten manufactured homes in the Four Lakes Golf Club Manufactured Home Park of Winter Haven.
April 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Winter Haven	$20,000	Thunderstorm winds damaged a commercial building and downed several large trees in Winter Haven.
April 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Winter Haven	$15,000	A line of thunderstorms moved through Winter Haven and tore an aluminum roof off of a home.
May 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Winter Haven	$15,000	Thunderstorm winds caused roof damage to a few homes in Winter Haven.
June 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Winter Haven	$10,000	Broadcast media relayed a picture from a viewer of a wood patio and screened enclosure that was ripped off the back of the house. A large part of the decking came to rest on the roof of the house, and part of the screen enclosure ended up in a tree. Time was estimated from radar.
May 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Winter Haven	$10,000	Thunderstorm winds downed several power lines and traffic signs along U.S. Highway 27 and Thompson Nursey Road.
July 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	North Winter Haven	$5,000	Broadcast media reported that a thunderstorm wind gust partially peeled the metal roof off of a building. Nearby trees and other buildings were not impacted. Time of damage was estimated from radar.
September 1998	Tornado (F0)	Winter Haven	$5,000	The Polk County Emergency Management reported a short lived tornado, associated with an outer band of Hurricane Georges, touched down over rural semi-wooded countryside and removed a few awnings, blew over a couple of sheds and downed power lines and large tree limbs at Cooley and Lakeship Drive before it lifted and dissipated.
January 1993	Thunderstorm Wind	Winter Haven	$5,000	Strong thunderstorm winds blew a large tree into a house.
April 2019	Thunderstorm Wind	West Winter Haven	$2,000	Very large oak limbs were reported down.
June 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	Winter Haven	$2,000	Local TV station reported a large tree snapped at its base in Winter Haven. The tree landed on a Jeep causing minor damage to the vehicle.
July 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Winter Haven	$2,000	The Polk County Sheriffs Department reported that thunderstorm winds downed several large branches and power lines in Winter Haven.
July 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Winter Haven	$2,000	A few large trees were downed by thunderstorm winds on Eagle Lake Road in Winter Haven.
June 1996	Thunderstorm Wind	Winter Haven	$2,000	no account filed
February 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Winter Haven	$1,000	Thunderstorm winds downed two large trees on 14th Street and Lake Link Road in Winter Haven.
May 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Winter Haven	$1,000	Thunderstorm wind gusts of 60 mph were reported by a Skywarn Spotter at the Cypress Landings subdivision.
July 1995	Thunderstorm Wind	Winter Haven	$1,000	Thunderstorm downburst wind blew the roof off a barn along U.S. Highway 17/92 between Lake Alfred and Haines City.
March 1996	Thunderstorm Wind	Winter Haven	$1,000	no account filed
June 2010	Hail	Winter Haven	-	The public sent a photo to a local news station of quarter-sized hail that fell at their location in Winter Haven.
July 2007	Hail	Winter Haven	-	The broadcast media relayed a report of penny to golf ball size hail.
July 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Winter Haven	-	Police and Sheriff departments reported numerous trees and power lines down along the path of this thunderstorm.
May 1999	Hail	Winter Haven	-	Nickel sized hail was reported by the public through the broadcast media near the intersection of U.S. Highway 92 and Thornhill Road.
April 1999	Wildfire	Winter Haven	-	A wildfire burned 50 acres of scrub trees and brush near the intersection of Thornhill Road and Donald Lane in Winter Haven.
March 1998	Hail	Winter Haven	-	Half dollar sized hail was reported near Cypress Gardens.
July 1997	Hail	Winter Haven	-	Dime sized hail was reported near Lake Eloise in Central Polk county.
July 1997	Hail	Winter Haven	-	Golfball to nickel sized hail was reported in Winter Haven.
May 1997	Hail	Winter Haven	-	Quarter sized hail was reported in the Cypress Landings subdivision.
July 2002	Funnel Cloud	Winter Haven	-	no account filed

Every storm recorded in Polk County

Maps showing this location

6 surveys

United States Geological Survey topographic sheets whose coverage includes this point. Matched by taking the middle of the area the National Park Service maps for this listing, then testing that coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet.

1955 USGS Orlando quadrangle1:250000 - 3 printings
1957 USGS Orlando quadrangle1:250000
1958 USGS Orlando quadrangle1:250000
1959 USGS Winter Haven quadrangle1:24000 - 5 printings
1962 USGS Orlando quadrangle1:250000
1979 USGS Kissimmee quadrangle1:100000

Listed places nearby

6 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Property	Distance	Listed
Pope Avenue Historic District	0.3 miles	2001
Woman's Club of Winter Haven	0.4 miles	1998
Winter Haven Heights Historic Residential District	0.5 miles	2000
Craney Spec Houses Historic District	1.8 miles	2019
Cypress Gardens	3.0 miles	2014
Interlaken Historic Residential District	3.0 miles	2002

Sources for this property

National Archives record	The nomination case file for reference 01001414 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia article	Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Polk County	All 78 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.