LIVING HISTORY
27
Vocelle
& Berg, L.L.P.
Business and Construction
Litigation, Serious Personal
Injury, Wrongful Death
Paul R. Berg
Board Certifi ed Civil Trial Lawyer
and Board Certifi ed Business
Litigation Lawyer
17 YEARS
OF EXPERIENCE
Louis ‘Buck’ Vocelle
Board Certifi ed Civil Trial Lawyer
and Board Certifi ed Business
Litigation Lawyer
26 YEARS
OF EXPERIENCE
3333 20th Street
Vero Beach, FL 32960
772.562.8111
102 North 2nd Street
Fort Pierce, FL 34950
772.489.0774
provide attic space. The windows are normally doublehung
sash with multiple panes, and doors usually have
recessed wood panels.
More than 100 years after Hill came to Fort Pierce, his
buildings are still standing, but they’re in extremely poor
condition. In an attempt to have them repaired, the city
Building Department cited the owners, who lived offsite,
with numerous code violations, but the repairs weren’t
made, so in 2008 the city asked permission from the Historic
Preservation Board to demolish all three buildings.
NARROW MISS
With the wrecking ball poised for demolition, Sunny
Gates, who chairs the Historic Preservation Board, toured
the buildings. She believed they could be saved.
“I felt that, although the buildings were not in great
shape, they were structurally intact, and that they could
be reclaimed,” she says. “I visited some of the neighbors,
and even though they were upset about the condition
of the property, they were positive about salvaging the
buildings for adaptive reuse.”
When the meeting was held to discuss the Hill building
demolition, the Historic Preservation Board agreed
that the buildings, which were a part of the Edgartown
Historic District formed in 2001, needed to be saved.
Its members voted unanimously to deny the demolition
request. Its reasoning? The buildings have significant
connections to people of great importance to the
history of Fort Pierce, and the Hill photography studio
was purported to be the first in St. Lucie County. At one
time it was the oldest functioning such studio between
Jacksonville and Key West.
A NEW FUTURE?
The board seems to have made a good decision. In August
2009, the Hill site changed hands. The new owners
are architect and artist Philip Steele and builder Charles
Hayek. “We plan on restoring all three buildings,” says
Steele. “Both Charlie and I have done this type of restoration
work on similar properties.” Plans call for Steele
to open an art gallery on the first floor of the two-story
building and to put his office upstairs. The one-story
building will serve as an office for Hayek. Also, the current
plans are to turn the concrete stucco building into a
small museum that may house some of Hill’s glass plate
negatives and photographs.
In the center of the property, Steele and Hayek intend
to create walkways with a sculpture garden. “This will be
a great way to honor Harry Hill and his contribution to
Fort Pierce,” Hayek said.
ST. LUCIE COUNTY REGIONAL HISTORY CENTER
Hill’s studio was in the building at the left and the family lived in the
building at the right.