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Ormond War Memorial Art Gallery
provide a suitable building to house same, agree to maintain it there-after
and make it available to the public free of admission charges. Many
business firms and civic minded residents of the Halifax Area realized that
such a Gallery would be a great asset to this community and were willing
to contribute toward it. When Mr. and Mrs. Fraser, whose winter home
was in Orlando, came over to the East Coast they always stopped in
Ormond Beach because, as he frequently remarked: "Ormond Beach has
an atmosphere about it that I like very much."
In June of 1946 the City Commissioners of Ormond, Florida, asked
for and received from Mr. Fraser a six months option on the paintings. At
that time the City owned the north half of the tract of land which now
comprises the Memorial Garden surrounding the Gallery on three sides.
The three room frame building in front of the main Gallery had been
vacant for a number of years and the level area to the west of it had
been made into a small park. The remainder of the tract was a jungle so
dense it was almost impossible to get through. The Ormond City
Commissioners set aside this two acre tract and the three-room frame
building as the nucleus for this War Memorial project; but the Gallery to
house the Fraser paintings was yet to be provided. The Ormond War
Memorial Art Gallery Corporation was duly formed with a State Charter,
Constitution and By-Laws which called for a President, Vice President,
Secretary and
Treasurer and a
Board of Trustees.
This Corporation was
to raise the funds
necessary to build the
Gallery, remodel the
frame building and
clear the jungle tract
to the east of the
building over to
Seaton Trail. The first
officers of the
Corporation were Mrs. Eileen H. Butts, President; Dr. Kerrison Juniper,
Vice President; T. F. Coyne, Secretary; John S. Milligan, Treasurer.
4
provide a suitable building to house same, agree to maintain it there-after
and make it available to the public free of admission charges. Many
business firms and civic minded residents of the Halifax Area realized that
such a Gallery would be a great asset to this community and were willing
to contribute toward it. When Mr. and Mrs. Fraser, whose winter home
was in Orlando, came over to the East Coast they always stopped in
Ormond Beach because, as he frequently remarked: "Ormond Beach has
an atmosphere about it that I like very much."
In June of 1946 the City Commissioners of Ormond, Florida, asked
for and received from Mr. Fraser a six months option on the paintings. At
that time the City owned the north half of the tract of land which now
comprises the Memorial Garden surrounding the Gallery on three sides.
The three room frame building in front of the main Gallery had been
vacant for a number of years and the level area to the west of it had
been made into a small park. The remainder of the tract was a jungle so
dense it was almost impossible to get through. The Ormond City
Commissioners set aside this two acre tract and the three-room frame
building as the nucleus for this War Memorial project; but the Gallery to
house the Fraser paintings was yet to be provided. The Ormond War
Memorial Art Gallery Corporation was duly formed with a State Charter,
Constitution and By-Laws which called for a President, Vice President,
Secretary and
Treasurer and a
Board of Trustees.
This Corporation was
to raise the funds
necessary to build the
Gallery, remodel the
frame building and
clear the jungle tract
to the east of the
building over to
Seaton Trail. The first
officers of the
Corporation were Mrs. Eileen H. Butts, President; Dr. Kerrison Juniper,
Vice President; T. F. Coyne, Secretary; John S. Milligan, Treasurer.
4
