Last week I helped my friends at Florida Victorian Architectural Antiques with the salvage of four early 20th century homes on the banks of Lake Eola here in Orlando, FL. We were busy removing any parts of the home that may be of some value to someone in the future. Old wood windows were removed [...] Read on →
Occasionally, I use terms on this blog some of my readers may not understand. I recently mentioned “first-rung” neighborhoods in a post and got some comments about what on earth they were. So, for everyone else who didn’t know but didn’t ask, here is your answer. How Cities Grow When areas are first settled there’s [...] Read on →
I have a lot of friends and clients whose homes fall into something I like to call the Historical Cusp. They don’t live in a house of any particular historical significance, and it’s not quite old enough to have been built by hand with non-standardized materials. But it still maintains some of the characteristics I [...] Read on →
Lake Eola’s last remaining historic homes are in danger of destruction. Yesterday I learned of the City of Orlando’s plans to remove 5 historic (according the Orlando Sentinel these homes are only “semi-historic” whatever that may mean) homes dating from 1915-1930 that border Lake Eola park in order to add what will presumably be green [...] Read on →
After the end of slavery and the Civil War blacks across the South began looking to take part in the great American experiment in search of their own prosperity with their newly gained freedom. Though relations between whites and blacks were relatively harmonious in 1880s Central Florida there was still a desire by many blacks [...] Read on →
Today The Senator, a 3500 yr. old pond cypress tree in Longwood, FL was killed by a tragic fire. Investigators have found that the fire started 120 ft up the tree and was most likely the result of a lightening strike that smoldered for days inside the tree before finally breaking into a full [...] Read on →
History So far we’ve talked about the Orlando neighborhoods that have been officially designated historical districts, but there are plenty of neighborhoods in the metro area that are historic in nature, but not officially designated as such. This week we’re taking a look at the Lake Formosa Neighborhood on the north side of downtown. The [...] Read on →
The city of Orlando, though well known today as a world-class tourist destination, had a rather small start. And from the beginning the origin of its name has been a mystery. Orlando’s modern history dates back to 1838 and the Second Seminole War. The U.S. Army built Fort Gatlin southeast of present day downtown Orlando [...] Read on →
Neighborhood Facts Established as an historic district in 2000 Developed mainly between 1883 and 1945 In the 1910s and 1920s H. Carl Dann Sr. was a prominent real estate developer in the Orlando area. And it was his hand that developed some sixty early subdivisions in Orlando including, parts of Lake Lawsona, Lake Eola Heights, [...] Read on →
Neighborhood Facts Established 1989 Listed National Register of Historic Places 1992 Approximately 570 buildings in district Period of significance 1875-1949 History In the late 1800s Orlando was enjoying what was remembered as its “Golden Era” when from 1875-1895 it quickly became the hub of the nation’s citrus industry. The downtown area was covered with miles [...] Read on →
Neighborhood Facts Established 1981 Approximately 160 contributing structures in district Period of significance 1870 – 1947 Early History Lake Cherokee has been known by several names over it’s long history. Originally, it was called Lake Eva, after a member of the Lee family, then it became Lake Minnie after Minnie Hall before finally becoming Lake [...] Read on →
Neighborhood Facts Established 1980 Approximately 80 contributing structures in district Period of significance 1880 – 1940 Only historic commercial district in Orlando The Beginning In 1980 the Downtown Historic District was formed as the first of Orlando’s local historic districts. This district is unique from all the others we’ve discussed so far in [...] Read on →
The Neighborhood The Lake Lawsona Historic District holds a special place in my heart since it is where my wife and I reside in our 1929 vernacular bungalow that we have been slowly restoring (when I am not too busy working on other people’s homes.) The Lake Lawsona Historic District consists of the Lawsona/Fern Creek [...] Read on →
Neighborhood Facts Established 1984 Approximately 110 contributing structures in district Period of significance 1880 – 1930 1st of the Orlando “suburbs” developed mostly before 1930. Orlando Spreads Out After being incorporated as a city in 1885 with a burgeoning population of 85 and a size of only 4 square miles, Orlando began to [...] Read on →