HAMLET — The Seaboard City has officially unveiled a new work of art downtown, as the Seaboard Air Line Railway’s Orange Blossom Special mural is now complete on the side wall of the Lackey Building on Main Street, across from the Hamlet Visitors Center.
Earlier this year, The Journal spoke with Mechelle Preslar, Hamlet’s director of community engagement, about her vision for the city — with this mural among the projects she hoped to see come into fruition.
“We have looked at the old Birmingham building right next to the Tornado across the road there,” Preslar said. “The problem is the building is not city-owned, and it’s changed hands to a new owner from when we started talking about the mural. The nonprofit hasn’t had a chance to sit down with the new owner.”
Despite those challenges, Preslar’s optimism never wavered, and her dream has finally come true.
“We are looking forward to being able to secure a location and hopefully making that dream happen,” she said.
Hamlet Depot and Museums celebrated the mural’s completion in a recent Facebook post. “We are extremely pleased to announce that Hamlet’s Seaboard Air Line Railway’s Orange Blossom Special Mural is now complete! We thank Hamlet Historic Depot, Inc., the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization we operate under, for having the vision for this mural for many years and the drive to make it become a reality,” the post read.
The organization also shared appreciation for the artist who brought the vision to life.
“Also, we are very grateful for the muralist, Max Dowdle, for his beautiful rendition of Robert Karsten’s Florida Bound Orange Blossom Special Painting … Max owns NC Public Art and is on a mission to paint murals in all 100 NC counties. We wish him the best in that endeavor!”
The mural honors one of the most iconic passenger trains in American history. On Jan. 8, 1927, the first Seaboard Air Line Railway Orange Blossom Special carried 600 passengers from New York to Miami. The route marked one of the most ambitious construction and improvement projects ever undertaken by an American railroad, with a newly built 70-mile stretch of track from West Palm Beach to Miami.
The name “Orange Blossom” paid tribute to Florida’s state flower and its booming citrus industry. In 1938, fiddler Ervin T. Rouse wrote the bluegrass classic “Orange Blossom Special,” which became known as the “Fiddle Players’ National Anthem.” Although other musicians, including Robert Russell “Chubby” Wise, later claimed authorship, Rouse copyrighted the song before the train ever reached Jacksonville. The tune has since been recorded by dozens of artists, including Johnny Cash, Charlie Daniels and Bill Monroe.