A BIG LOSS

Dear Editor:

I`m sick of heart and I could just cry! We are losing our historical depot.

I went by the depot to check out the progress and there were three guys with crowbars ripping out all the beautiful old tongue and groove cypress that was inside the depot. It`s all gone. I picked up a piece of the cypress and rushed down to City Hall to find out what kind of permit Mr. Taylor had gotten from the Architectural Review Board. Ms. Frances got me a copy and I sat right down and read it. I found Mickey Weiland, the director of the review board, he told me there was nothing I could do as the board had approved it in February. Mr. Taylor, in his application, said he would make only minor interior partition changes.

Mr. Taylor was given a copy of the historical records provided by Peggy Rix, archivist at the Cedar Key Historical Society. This building was what was left of the depot after the 1950 hurricane. I had hoped to get a grant to help in the restoration. He says he is doing a renovation. It will certainly be that. It will look like a new trailer ......there will be not one thing to hint that this was once part of Cedar Key`s Historical Railroad.

To let you know why I am so upset, Mr. Taylor told me two years ago that he was going to restore the depot and make it into a Cedar Key Railroad Museum. I volunteered to help him. I had no idea that he plans to cover the entire outside with artificial boards and to my horror he is covering the freight door which was so special to identify the depot. And the inside, will be all new, an office, bathroom and a conference room for the inhabitants of his elevator condos. Go Look!

I truly wish I had seen these plans as I could have convinced the review board that approving would be a terrible mistake. Cedar Key has such few historic buildings that have not already been altered. I seldom brag about my work history but I have been working to preserve Florida`s history for the state in museums, house museums and small historic sites since 1965. Immediately following my retirement in 1989, I secured the position to restore the Truman Little White House in Key West. After this I moved to Cedar Key in 1993 and have been volunteering (working hard) to preserve and exhibit Cedar Key`s history for the kids of Cedar Key

This is a quote from Mr. Taylor`s letter "Our goals are to preserve what remains of the existing structure and at same time make productive use of the building". I am so sorry about this loss of history for all the citizens and children of Cedar Key who really care. I know there are some who could care less. I am now a member of the Architectural Review Board and I will never allow this to happen again

I think I`ll go cry some more.
Elizabeth Ehrbar

From this...

...to this!