What’s in a name? We’re uncovering the mysteries behind the monikers of some of Lakeland’s most famous landmarks. See how many locations’ backstories you know.
Marble Arcade
This downtown high-rise at 129 S. Kentucky Ave. was built in 1926, and unfortunately its name doesn’t mean you’ll find any games there. The name comes from its original “arcade” architectural style (think: A succession of arches like the Coliseum in Rome) lined with black marble.
Joker Marchant Stadium
You won’t find Batman hanging around at any Lakeland Flying Tigers games. The team’s stadium is named after Marcus “Joker” Marchant, Lakeland’s first Parks and Recreation director, who helped bring TigerTown to life.
Peggy Brown Building
This public building on Lake Mirror gets its name from one of Lakeland’s former mayors and longest-serving commissioners. Peggy C. Brown was elected as mayor of Lakeland in 1976 and 1984, and she served on the City Commission from 1974 to 1995.
Lake Crago
This man-made lake was named in 1964 to honor Arthur Crago, a Polk County resident who worked in the phosphate industry, revolutionizing some of its processes. Arthur was also devoted to land conservation and repair, earning the Conservationist of the Year award from the Kiwanis Club in 1965.
Cleveland Heights
In 1923, Lakeland was looking to grow by adding a neighborhood. Enter real estate developer H.A. Stahl. He bought 560 acres of land for just under a million dollars and named the area after his hometown of — surprise, surprise — Cleveland, OH. Who knows how the neighborhood might have transformed if the Great Depression hadn’t caused the development to switch hands?
Is there another name you want to know the history behind? Drop us a line and we’ll see what we can find.