Recently added to the postcard collection in the Library's Winter Park History and Archives Department was a postcard that advertises custom homes built in Winter Park by the H & M Construction Company.
The H & M Construction Co., Inc did business in Winter Park from the late 1950's to the early 1960's. It is listed in the 1963 Polk's Orlando Winter Park City Directory. The business was located at 2020 West Fairbanks Avenue and Henry M. Huffman was the company's president, James S. Huffman the vice-president and Chester C. Tomlin was secretary-treasurer.
There is no biographical information in the archives about James S. and Henry M. Huffman. Chester C. Tomlin, according to an article photocopied from The Sun Herald dated April 27, 1972, was the Florida Home Builders Association president. Mr. Tomlin was born in Athens, Georgia and graduated from Georgia Tech. He came to Orlando and married the former Glenda Ling. They had four children: Todd, Perry, Chuck and Donna. At the time the article was written, Mr. Tomlin was the head of Tomlin's Realty, president of Quail Hollow Investments, Inc.; Quail Hollow Construction, Inc. and the Grasshopper Development Co. He was also an active member of Orlando-Winter Park Board of Realtors, the Home Builders Association of Mid Florida and the Georgia Tech National Advisory Board.
Examples of these homes still exist off of Aloma Avenue between Balfour Drive and Ellendale Road. The homes in the photographs below have their original diamond-paned windows, backward "Z" shutters and two of the homes still have an original door with the cross trim on the lower half.
Click on the thumbnail photograph to view larger image.
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| The front of the H & M Construction Co., Inc. postcard. | The back of the H & M Construction Co., Inc. postcard. |
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| 2630 Amsden Road Photograph by Diana L. Zimmerman Winter Park Public Library |
2746 Amsden Road Photograph by Diana L. Zimmerman Winter Park Public Library |
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| 2805 Bongart Road Photograph by Diana L. Zimmerman Winter Park Public Library |
420 Carvell Drive Photograph by Diana L. Zimmerman Winter Park Public Library |