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Packing house to be exhibit
By CHASE SQUIRES © St. Petersburg Times, published February 20, 2001 DADE CITY -- With the rhythmic thumping of hammers, the first phase of what one supporter called "the world's biggest Lincoln Log project" got under way Monday. Workers started taking apart the historic Blanton Packing House in preparation for a move to the Pioneer Florida Museum. Museum officials have been planning the effort for more than a year. When it's complete, the old packing house, with a functioning interior, will be the museum's largest exhibit, preserving the area's citrus farming history. It is also expected to be the only exhibit of its kind in the state. So far, the museum has obtained $50,000 in matching grants and is applying for another $20,000 this year. But more will be needed. In the end, the project may cost another $300,000 to $400,000. The packing house, erected in 1910, was a working business until the freeze of 1989. As the industry consolidates, much of Pasco's citrus acreage has been cleared for homes, and the industry has slowly shifted south, out of the freeze belt. Saving a vestige of the era was important to museum directors. In a state grant proposal, museum Curator Donna Swart and grant coordinator Lela Futch called the building a piece of history. "This building is a museum within its walls," the grant application states. "This project will help to educate the public about the great part which the citrus industry had in our state's history." Swart said Monday that the scope of the project is daunting, but the effort is equally exciting. "It's a challenge," she said. "It's a big challenge." The building is about 150 feet long and 100 feet wide. Grants from the state and Pasco County helped prepare for the move. With the preliminary inventory work done, workers began pulling apart the old building to get at the ancient machinery inside. As they proceed, the crew from Cross Construction is stacking the boards and timbers inside a chain-link fence. From there, the building will be moved piece by piece to the museum grounds in Dade City, where they will be preserved for reconstruction. Larry Hopkins, working on the Cross Construction crew, said that although much of the outside of the building looks run-down, the inside supports are made of ancient heart pine and are extremely sturdy and resistant to insects. Museum board member Eileen Herman likened the effort to a Lincoln Log project, referring to an old children's construction toy. Herman said the cost of reconstructing the packing house on museum grounds could reach $400,000, but she is optimistic that the money will be available and the project can be finished by the end of next year. "The really exciting part of the process is, there is no other packing house exhibit like this in the state of Florida," Herman said. "This building has been condemned by the county and, if not saved, it will be demolished soon," the museum's grant proposal warned. "This would be a great disaster for the history of our Florida citrus industry.... The Blanton Packing House is an important part of the area's history."
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