The gorgeous “singing” towers of Florida that few have visited

The Bok Tower Gardens

On February 1, 1929, President Calvin Coolidge stood before 75,000 people in Lake Wales, Florida. He came to give away a tower.

The night before, he dined with the Godfrey family, relatives of his wife Grace. In his speech, Coolidge praised Edward Bok, who built the sanctuary from nothing.

He called it a place to “find quiet and repose” away from life’s troubles.

Then, he did something rare – he formally gave Bok’s Singing Tower to all Americans as a national gift. After dinner with Florida’s governor, the president took a train back to Washington.

Today, Bok Tower Gardens still stands as one of the few places a sitting president personally handed to the nation.

A Retired Publisher Built His Dream Sanctuary in Florida

Edward Bok fell in love with Iron Mountain when he moved to Lake Wales in 1921. At 295 feet above sea level, this spot was the highest point in Florida’s peninsula.

Bok started building a 25-acre bird sanctuary in 1922 as a gift to honor his grandmother who always told him to “make the world a bit more beautiful. ”

He worked with Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. to turn the dry sandhill into lush gardens by bringing in thousands of truckloads of dirt and planting thousands of trees and flowers.

The Ugly Water Tank Got a Beautiful Makeover

Bok didn’t like how the Mountain Lake Corporation’s plain water tank ruined the look of his growing sanctuary. He decided to replace it with something special and moved the water supply underground.

He hired architect Milton Bennett Medary to build a 205-foot neo-Gothic bell tower made from pink Georgia marble and St. Augustine coquina stone.

Sculptor Lee Lawrie created detailed marble carvings of Florida’s plants and animals for the tower’s outside walls.

Sixty Bronze Bells Found Their New Home

From 1925 to 1928, workers built the tower while craftsmen carved detailed designs of native birds, plants, and biblical scenes into the stone.

John Taylor and Company in England made 60 bronze bells for the tower, with weights from 17 pounds to nearly 12 tons.

Anton Brees, a bell-playing expert, came to set up this massive bell system, creating one of America’s best carillons. Workers finished all the details, including the famous “Golden Door” showing scenes of Creation.

The President Got a Special Invitation

Bok sent President Coolidge a personal invitation to dedicate the Mountain Lake Sanctuary as a gift to Americans.

Coolidge said yes, seeing this as one of his last big presidential acts before leaving office in March 1929. They planned a big public ceremony to show off both the tower’s music and Bok’s generous gift.

They arranged for a special train to carry the president from Washington to Lake Wales for the big event.

Coolidge Traveled to Florida by Special Train

President and Mrs. Coolidge boarded their special train in Washington and headed to Florida.

They arrived at Mountain Lake Station in Lake Wales on January 31, 1929, where local officials greeted them. That evening, Coolidge went to a dinner party hosted by relatives of First Lady Grace Coolidge.

Meanwhile, workers put the final touches on a wooden platform built on the tower’s south side for tomorrow’s ceremony.

Thousands of People Showed Up for the Big Day

On the morning of February 1, 1929, thousands of visitors came to the sanctuary grounds. Many drove through orange groves to get there.

About 75,000 people gathered, creating huge crowds and parking problems as families walked through mud carrying food and water. A group of 600 singers took their places across from the presidential platform.

Sound technicians did final checks while Anton Brees got ready to play the tower’s bells.

The Tower’s Bells Rang Out for the First Time

President and Mrs. Coolidge sat on the special platform with Edward Bok and other important guests.

Anton Brees started the ceremony by playing “America” on the 60 bells, with the sound spreading across the landscape. The choir performed “The Glory of God in Nature” and the “Hallelujah” chorus from Handel.

Edward Bok then introduced President Coolidge to the massive crowd before his dedication speech.

Coolidge Praised the Immigrant Who Made It Big

In his speech, Coolidge talked about Edward Bok as “an American by choice, not by birth, who felt poor” and “overcame many challenges.”

The president said the sanctuary would give people a place to “take a break from life’s problems.”

Coolidge told the crowd that the sanctuary would “share the message of beauty” and serve as a place for thinking and enjoying nature. His speech covered culture for everyone and immigrant success.

A Sitting President Made It Official

Coolidge reached the high point of his speech when he formally said: “as President of the United States, I dedicate this Mountain Lake Sanctuary and its Singing Tower.”

He officially gave the sanctuary and tower “for visits by the American people,” making it one of the few places personally opened by a sitting president.

Coolidge planted a palm tree to mark the day, with a bronze sign recording the historic moment. Anton Brees played songs on the bells as the crowd listened.

Florida’s Governor Threw a Dinner Party

Florida Governor Doyle E. Carlton hosted a dinner at Edward Bok’s home that evening to honor President and Mrs. Coolidge.

State officials and other special guests celebrated the successful dedication and talked about the sanctuary’s future.

Local community leaders thanked the president for bringing national attention to their area. The Coolidges packed their bags and got ready for their trip back to Washington on their special train.

The Tower Stands Today as a National Treasure

The Coolidges left for Washington that night, wrapping up this rare presidential dedication of a private citizen’s gift to the nation. Sadly, Bok died less than a year later in 1930.

He was buried at the foot of the tower he created, with Coolidge’s dedication words carved in marble below the sundial. The presidential dedication helped establish Bok Tower Gardens as a National Historic Landmark.

Today, hundreds of thousands of visitors come each year to see this national treasure that a sitting president personally dedicated to the American people.

Visiting Bok Tower Gardens, Florida

Bok Tower Gardens at 1151 Tower Blvd in Lake Wales preserves the spot where President Calvin Coolidge dedicated Edward Bok’s sanctuary to the American people in 1929.

You can see the palm tree marker from Coolidge’s dedication ceremony near the Singing Tower. Admission costs $20 for adults and $10 for kids 6-17.

Daily carillon concerts play at 1pm and 3pm. The visitor center opens 9am to 5pm with last admission at 5pm.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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