𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐤𝐚 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠

George Dreka moved to DeLand in 1878 from Philadelphia, where he worked in his brother-in-law, John Kilkoff’s shop. They bought out DeLand’s first mercantile owner, James Jordan, and added their stock to his. With a huge sales inventory, they invited all of Volusia County to come for a free lunch and browse the merchandise at their grand opening, which was wildly successful. By 1885, Dreka’s Department Store, promising “everything to eat, wear, and use,” had expanded to a four-story wooden structure at 100 E. New York Ave., with Dreka’s Carrollton Hotel on the upper floors.

Although the building survived the 1886 downtown fire, in 1909 Dreka built a modern, fireproof structure on the site at a cost of $75,000. The new three-story, reinforced concrete building featured Mission Revival ornamentation, with an arched parapet surrounding the flat roof and a smooth stucco exterior finish. The ground floor featured counters, clothing racks, and well-stocked shelves where salespeople assisted customers. A mezzanine level served as the business center, with sales receipts delivered by a hydraulic tube system. The upper floors offered professional offices and could be reached by elevator.

Attorney Francis P. Whitehair bought it after Dreka died in 1936. In 1938, national retailer J. C. Penney rented most of it, operating there until 1986. Dreka’s son, Godfrey, rented a small section for Betty Dreka’s Fine Ladies Apparel Shop until it moved in 1977.

In 2004, the Dreka was sold to Southtrust Bank, led by James H. Ford, with the Mainstreet Grill restaurant in its lower level. On Sept. 24, 2004, the building was dedicated to Ford, with a marker placed on site. In 2011, Ormond businessman Joe Daprile bought the 102-year-old building for $725,000 and renovated it. Listed on the DeLand Register of Historic Places as historically significant at the local level, the building is known today as New York Plaza and houses The Table Restaurant and Dorothy’s Florist and Gift Shop on the ground floors, with professional offices upstairs.

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