Lake Wales dates to 1911, and 19 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 40% of U.S. towns · #107 of 638 in Florida. What drives it
Most of Lake Wales was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1991. 19 places in town are on the National Register, among them the Bok Mountain Lake Sanctuary and Singing Tower, a National Historic Landmark, and five historic districts with 311 buildings between them. Below: 7 old photos and papers, maps from 1920 on, and the census since 1920.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1912.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Lake Wales’ History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Lake Wales is more historic than 40% of U.S. towns, #107 of 638 in Florida. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
C+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Lake Wales’ overall grade.
Few Florida towns list much on the Register (a typical Florida town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Lake Wales’ 199 sits above most of its state (96% of Florida towns have fewer) while its 334 historic buildings outnumber those of 96% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to B+. The pre-1940 share (±1.6 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1911.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Lake Wales’ past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
A survey by W. A. Williams and J. Jackson, deputy surveyors of the State of Florida was made of the region around present-day Lake Wales. The area was considered to be uninhabitable by early settlers. By 1879, the land around the present city was surveyed again by Sidney Irving Wailes, an agent for the Florida Land and Improvement Co., who changed the name of a lake, then known as Watts Lake, to Lake Wailes.
In 1902, G. V. Tillman scouted the region of Lake Wales and saw the potential for turpentine, citrus, and other industries. He developed the idea to settle the area around Lake Wailes.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Lake Wales. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1952Lake Wales sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Lake Wales.
Every building
Lake Wales, building by building, 1920–1924
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
In 1911, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Lake Wales’ post office opened in 1912, and the census of 1920 counted 796 people here.
How does Lake Wales rank for history?
Lake Wales is more historic than 40% of U.S. towns, #107 of 638 in Florida. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Lake Wales?
19 listings: 12 buildings, 5 historic districts with 311 contributing buildings, 1 site, and 1 structure. 334 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Lake Wales?
4% of Lake Wales’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.6 points), against a typical 0.6% for a Florida town; the median home was built in 1991.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (5), the Library of Congress (2), the National Register of Historic Places (19), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
★ Landmark
![Florida [Hamilton County - Sarasota County (part)]](https://images.townratings.com/story/2405/952e3a0a794eb74b9096-s.jpg)
1940![Florida [Hamilton County - Sarasota County (part)]](https://images.townratings.com/story/2405/ec18c5efb013291ee9b1-s.jpg)
1940
