From Railroads to Rosie’s: The Evolution of the Church Street Block

Next date: Thursday, July 17, 2025 | 05:30 PM to 09:00 PM

At this Third Thursday presentation, author Rick Kilby will examine the people, places, and events that helped to shape the City Beautiful by focusing on the Church Street block between the historic railroad depot and Garland Avenue. Bumbys, Belks, and Bob Snow all helped to shape this important part of Orlando that has been called the “Heart of the City.” This program is presented in conjunction with our special exhibition Orlando Collected, which observes the 150th anniversary of Orlando incorporation in 1875.

About the Speaker
Orlando-based writer and graphic designer Rick Kilby is the author of Florida’s Healing Waters: Gilded Age Mineral Springs, Seaside Resorts, and Health Spas (University Press of Florida, 2020), which received the silver medal for Florida nonfiction from the Florida Book Awards and the Florida Historical Society’s Stetson Kennedy Award. His first book, Finding the Fountain of Youth: Ponce de León and Florida’s Magical Waters (University Press of Florida, 2013), won a Florida Book Award in the Visual Arts category.

This talk is free as part of Third Thursday