DEFUNIAK SPRINGS HOSPITL RESTORATION

The board of directors of the Florida Chautauqua Association says the restoration of the old Lakeside Hospital in Defuniak Springs is under way. Phase 1 of the $140,000 project includes the removal of rotten wood and repair of joists and rafters, the installation of metal roofing material and new gutters to stop water intrusion. Lakeside Hospital was opened as a one-story clinic in 1939. A second story was added in 1949 to become a two-story hospital. The original elevator is believed to be the first operating elevator between Tallahassee and Pensacola, and is still in working order.