Habitat for Humanity of Winter Park-Maitland will dedicate the Jack Rogers House on March 6 at 12:30 p.m. The house, unique because it was sponsored by individuals, is located at 865 English Court in Winter Park.
When prominent local architect and civic leader Jack Rogers, FAIA retired as chairman and CEO of Winter Park-based Rogers, Lovelock & Fritz (RLF), his colleagues, friends and family decided to commemorate the occasion and honor Rogers by uniting and raising the money to sponsor a Habitat House in his name. This marks only the second home built by Habitat for Humanity of Winter Park-Maitland that has been sponsored by individuals rather than the typical church, philanthropic foundation, educational institution or business.
"The thing that impresses me about Habitat is the process not only involves volunteers from the community, it also involves the family that's going to be living there. There's a wonderful sense of ownership that develops from the work across the volunteers, within the community and with the family," Rogers said.
Completion of the house days before Christmas enabled the Mahant family to move in for the holidays to begin the new year and their new lives.
The dedication ceremony-in front of a gathering of Habitat board members, community partners, neighbors and volunteers who worked on the house-includes an invocation and proclamations. The handing over of the house keys coincides with the traditional presentation of a hammer and Bible, symbolizing the physical labor performed on the house and the organization's ecumenical roots.
Construction on the 1,100-square-foot, 3-bed/1-bath Craftsman-style bungalow commenced in December 2008. Volunteers from RLF, supplemented by volunteers from Trinity Preparatory School and Rollins College, hammered nails, cut wood, painted walls, landscaped grounds and more to get the house ready. Not only was RLF's Steve Schoene, Habitat board member and overseer of the project, at the build site every Saturday, Jack Rogers himself often donated "sweat equity" by providing his construction and design expertise.
To reflect the heritage of the west side of the city, Habitat for Humanity of Winter Park-Maitland homes are designed with Craftsman-style bungalow features like columns and a wraparound porch. They are constructed of block, not wood frame, and elevations on the homes also mimic the cottages that dotted the local landscape in the 1920s and 1930s. Distant cousins to Prairie Style homes, which were inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright, Craftsman Bungalows were common during the early twentieth century.
The Jack Rogers Habitat House includes thoughtful details like four tapered wooden columns rising from brick bases on the front porch. The mortar in the bases is etched with grapevining, an indented line in the center of the mortar joint, a technique popular during America's Colonial period. The brickwork was crafted by master mason Jim Doane, who also worked on the extensive restoration of Casa Feliz, the historic Winter Park home museum.
"Jack Rogers is such a tremendous asset with his concern for affordable housing. For his employees, family and friends to honor him in his retirement by sponsoring a Habitat house is remarkable. That speaks volumes to the man he is," Habitat affiliate President Hal George said.