Turpentine is not only a historic industry to Lake Placid, it is a work of art.

Since the early 1990s, Lake Placid has billed itself with the distinction of being the "City of Murals." Nearly every building in the south central Florida town is a work of art, depicting a message of its heritage. 32 portraits in all decorate an Andy Griffithesque downtown area, working out to roughly one mural for every 44 residents.

It was inevitable that sooner or later Lake Placid would run out of walls to paint on. With its local artists still needing a way to channel their energies, the town began to embark on more trashy forms of creative expression.

Waste containers in the town were revamped into masterpiece reciprocals. Some took on architectural forms like the "Trash Barn," "Lake Placid Jail," and "Fishing Shack." Others like "The Panther" and "Caladium" were done up much like murals, retaining the bin's original shape. Some of the pieces were objective like "Books" and "Turpentine." Other containers would prove to be true living works of art.

Bin there, done that

When making a deposit through the window of the "1927 Comic Chrysler," headlights on the dump car come on; a revving engine is heard followed by the sounds of an accident. At times it would appear that the car has a mind of its own. It starts up at will, but this is often caused by winds blowing the hinged window and tripping the start mechanism inside.

One dumpster that encourages children to play around it is the "Clown in a box." A large crank on its side turns, making a metal Bozo figurine pop out the top.

Lake Placid is so proud of their cans that they hesitate to even use the word garbage in their titles. Instead, the bins are affectionately referred to as "Environmental Streetscape Containers." Proving once again that one man's trash is another man's treasure.

Environmental Streetscape Containers
Downtown area, US 27 South
Lake Placid, FL
In the neighborhood - Happiness Tower