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Highlands Today

Rummaging Through History

Kathy Waters/Highlands Today

Judy and Don Laycock of Frostproof look at a painting for sale Friday at Hotel Jacaranda in downtown Avon Park. They ended up buying the old painting for a dollar.

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By GARY PINNELL

Highlands Today

Published: August 16, 2008

AVON PARK - There's a whole jungle of brass floor lamps. From the dust collected at the base, these must be antiques.

"You're not allowed to call it junk," Deanne Shanklin commands in an ironic tone, as she walks up to help a customer.

Well, it is, and it isn't. Some people don't buy anything.

But then there's Annie Alexander. She's got a headboard in one hand and a footboard in the other, wheeling them out of the room and into the hall, where she can pay the cashier $25.

A few years ago, she bought a metal dresser and mirror, and now she's got the matching bed.

"We cleaned it and stripped it," said Alexander. "It took a good day."

And then they painted it French vanilla. But she only paid $25 for it. It'll go in a guest bedroom, for a granddaughter.

The good news is, the dresser and the bed are solid steel, so the kids can't tear it up.

"Right," Alexander confirmed with a smile. "And she can pass it down."

For another four generations.

"The hotel was built in 1926," confirmed Don Applequist, head of the South Florida Community College Foundation, which owns the hotel. And these metal beds, which Alexander thinks were also initially that vanilla color, are the original furnishings for the rooms.

There are two more pieces to the bedroom set: a luggage stand, for $10, metal desk, also $10.

Now think about this: these furnishings are 82 years old. And they'll last at least another four score and two years, to misquote Abe Lincoln.

Out in the hall, Applequist picks up light fixtures.

"These were in the rooms," he said. They're frosted glass Depression-era glass, some with light blue rings, some with ruby-colored rings. Five dollars.

What in the name of Mahmud Ahmadinejad is that? Oriental rugs!

"Well, these aren't hand woven," Applequist laughs.

True. A closer examination reveals these are polyester. And they're not from Persia. But still, they're $25.

One of the mall shops is The Artist Group. Ruth Poindexter and Betty McCarthy have bought two faux bamboo dressers, one of those white metal desks which the students have been using - SFCC bought the Jacaranda in 1987, says Jac manager Sharon Schuler - and a mirror, and picture frames, and hopefully a couple of those Oriental rugs, said McCarthy. So far, they've spent only $120.

"The bamboo came out of Harder Hall," said Poindexter. Another piece of history.

Oh. In the corner. Lamp shades. A dollar? Sold.

The Hotel Jacaranda sale will continue Saturday morning.

Gary Pinnell can be reached at gpinnell@highlandstoday.com or 863 386-5828

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