Hotel Thomas | |
 Western entrance to the Thomas Center | |
   | |
| Location | 302 NE 6th Ave., Gainesville, Florida |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 29°39′26″N82°19′19″W / 29.6573°N 82.3220°W /29.6573; -82.3220 |
| Built | 1910 |
| Architect | William Augustus Edwards |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000563[1] |
| Added to NRHP | July 16, 1973 |
TheThomas Center, formerly known asHotel Thomas andSunkist Villa, is an historic building inGainesville,Florida,United States. It was built starting in 1910 in theClassical Revival style by notedAtlanta-based architect,William Augustus Edwards, designer of academic buildings at 12 institutions inGeorgia,South Carolina and Florida, including the originalUniversity of Florida campus, as well as a dozen or more county courthouses in those states plus other building and houses,[2][3]
The building began as the private home ofWilliam Reuben Thomas, his wife Kathryn, and their five children, when it was known as Sunkist Villa.[4] In 1928 Thomas more than doubled the size of the home and converted it to a hotel.[4] The building was added to theU.S.National Register of Historic Places on July 16, 1973, and in the following years it underwent a restoration and adaption that involved significant repairs to the structure and replacement of the originalLudowici tiles.[5]
The Thomas Center celebrated its 100th anniversary on February 12, 2010.[6]
Today the Thomas Center serves as a local art and cultural center, and is the home for the Gainesville Cultural Affairs Division. The Thomas Center Galleries feature changing exhibits of art. The center also features 1920s period rooms, local history exhibits, a performance space, banquet rooms, and meeting rooms.
