HIGHLAND PARK, Fla. — It’s the second smallest municipality in Florida, about about the size of a neighborhood. The village of Highland Park and those who live in the community share similar mindsets, with the community being at its core.
A walk through Highland Park, located south of the larger city of Lake Wales, is a treat for the eyes and the ears. You can hear birds chirping and insects humming. It’s just a slice of the charm of this Polk County village.
“It’s one road. It’s a big circle. And you see everyone, and you wave and it’s very connected. And we’re all pretty on top of each other which you move here for that. You want to have community,” Blair Updike said.
Updike is a former Highland Park mayor, city commissioner and knows the history of the area. She says when you learn about its history, you better understand how it’s persevered.
“1920 is when the club actually opened,” she said.
Highland Park village was built in the early 1900s as a seasonal community. It drew in Quaker industrialists from the north. As the Highland Park Village Club was built, opening in 1920, homes began to pop up around Lake Amoret and on the shore of Lake Easy.
The community was surrounded by orange groves. At one point, to live in Highland Park, you were required to buy a certain amount of grove land. The history of the homes still standing after hurricanes Charley, Jean and Frances have their own unique stories.
We met Updike in a courtyard of a complex called Ali Baba.
“It was one of the first apartment buildings here. And they all start with As just to keep everyone confused about which building they’re going to,” she said.
These apartment buildings aren’t what you might think of now. They’re small homes that are connected and feature beautiful spaces. Then there’s Highland Park’s castle, “Casa de Josefina.” It was built by developer Irwin Yarnell.
“He’s the one who built the castle which was like a love gift to his wife, Josephine,” Updike said.
It’s a stately property where you can imagine what life might have looked like during the winter season in the roaring 20s before the bust.
“And so, when the bust happened, no one wanted to pay their dues to maintain things here," Updike said. "At that point, Highland Park was incorporated so that it would be paid through taxes.”
Almost 100 years later, that small tax base keeps things going day to day. The fewer than 350 residents are responsible for the smooth roadways, the Village’s manicured landscaping and their own water supply. The village maintains its own water tower, readings, billing and safety.
“The most important thing I think for us as fellow commissioners is fiscal responsibility. It’s very important to want to maintain our independence as a village. That we are self-sufficient,” Mayor Brandon McWhorter said.
McWhorter says meetings can run the gamut from speeding and neighborly disputes to larger issues — the biggest being outside development.
“Especially when it comes to proposed development that's surrounding our village that we may not have direct jurisdiction over. But we certainly want to be a part of the conversation as it goes and sort of directing the future of what happens surrounding our village borders,” he said.
As Updike walked us down a main road in the village, she pointed out the historic homes once owned by those who had a hand in our history.
“This is Alfred Major’s home. He was the manufacturer for the cable for the Brooklyn Bridge,” she said.
Men and women who were architects of the community lived in Highland Park, and as they built the village, they created a lasting connection.
“It’s just continuing to try and take care of ourselves and each other. And, you know, just be responsible for what’s ours to take care of. That’s all,” Updike said.
Highland Park Village is in the process of applying for a historic marker, recognizing its contribution to Polk County and Florida.