A Brief History Of Winter Park, Florida
Winter Park, Florida is located North of Orlando, Florida and resides in Orange County. There is a rich history of Winter Park and few of it’s 30,000 residents know that history. As one of the finest cities in Florida. Winter Park is known for its plethora of foliage, brick paved roadways, vibrant parks, gorgeous homes, upscale shopping and dining, museums, and colleges.
The history of Winter Park is one that you may not expect. Originally planned as a resort for wealthy Northerners in the Winter, it was chartered in 1887. Before Winter Park was chartered, it was named Lakeview in 1858 and then it was re-named Osceola in 1870. Later, the founders finally named our wonderful city, Winter Park. It is said that our founders wanted the name of our city to resemble something of a park in the Wintertime. Hence the name Winter Park.
It worked like a charm. Tourists began to flock to Winter Park to enjoy all the amenities that Florida had to offer. Breath taking lakes, tropical climate & temperatures, and nature, just to name a few. Today, tourists still enjoy the same natural amenities from decades ago but also have the choice of enjoying 21st century amenities. Our restaurants, shops, outdoor activities etc. have been drawing a crowd for decades now and we seem to only get more and more popular.
The History Of Winter Park: Rollins College
The history of Winter Park includes the oldest college in Florida, Rollins College. Rollins is one of the best liberal arts colleges in the county and was founded here in 1858. New Englanders wanted to bring their way of life, beliefs, and education to Central Florida in the form of Rollins College. Rollins College is regularly named as one of “America’s Best Colleges” and is listed by national and global news.
The History Of Winter Park: Central Park
Central Park is the center piece of downtown Winter Park. Boasting large trees, green parks, friendly wildlife and even our own fountain. Surprisingly enough, Winter Park was deeded Central Park from one of its earliest citizens, Charles Morse. Central Park is also home to our annual Winter Park Sidewalk Arts Festival. Each year, over a quarter million visitors can be found enjoying our cities greatest natural resource, housing some of the best art and music in the country.
General History Of Winter Park
Winter Park was almost lost to a sinkhole in 1981 which swallowed up houses and automobiles. This sinkhole was dealt with appropriately and was remodeled into a lake. This goes to show how crafty we really are. You probably know this lake, it is situated West of Denning and North of Fairbanks, right in the middle of Winter Park. Around this time, our population was roughly 22,000 and we have grown exponentially since then. We also reside on ten square miles and at 100 ft above sea level.
In present day, roughly 500 full time employees provide the excellent services necessary to keep Winter Park looking and operating at it’s best. Since 1925, this includes multiple city commissioners and our mayor. We also have our own city manager to oversee and supervise the day-to-day operations. The History of Winter Park is fascinating if you dig deep enough. Hopefully, you now know a little more about our beautiful and humble city.
Learn More And Be Thankful
To learn more about Winter Park, please be sure to visit one of our many museums. Immerse yourself in our rich history. Take a day to stroll downtown Winter Park and view our community through a new lens. You now know the history of how we were gifted Central Park. Appreciate the foliage, parks, and lakes that were once, and remain, highly sought after by so many others in our wonderful country. Be thankful that we weren’t swallowed whole in the early 1980’s and simply enjoy your life in this gorgeous paradise we’ve created among a busy and booming metropolis.
Park Ave Magazine
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