In 1921, Edward W. Bok was spending the winter months in the Mountain Lake community near the highest hill of Florida's Lake Wales Ridge. He enjoyed taking evening walks to the top of "Iron Mountain," among the virgin pines and sandhill scrub, to enjoy Florida's dramatic sunsets and bird life. The idea came to him to preserve this hilltop and create a bird sanctuary - a place of beauty, serenity and peace.

Integral to Bok's idea was the availability of a famous landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. Having made arrangements to buy land on the hilltop, Bok commissioned Olmsted to change this arid sandhill into "a spot of beauty second to none in the country."

In all the natural beauty of the gardens, Bok believed something was missing. Remembering the glorious sound of carillons in his native Holland, he decided to build a beautiful tower as the focal point of the Sanctuary which would be crowned by a large carillon.

Bok commissioned fellow Philadelphian, architect Milton B. Medary, to design and build the majestic carillon tower. Medary drew his main inspiration from the Gothic towers and churches of Europe, but adapted his design to the characteristics of the Florida landscape.

Pinewood Estate has been part of the Bok Sanctuary since 1970. It represents one of the finest examples of Mediterranean Revival architecture in the state of Florida. The grounds surrounding it were also designed by Frederick Law Olmstead Jr.

The acres of ferns, palms, oaks and pines create a year-round backdrop of 1,000 shades of green for the seasonal bursts of azaleas, camellias and magnolia blooms that form an ever-changing work of art. Here are some additional pictures you might enjoy.

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