History of Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis

The History of Mount Dora's Library

5/30/2022

By Susan Meyers
Mount Dora Buzz Historical Columnist

Mount Dora’s acclaimed library wasn’t always the impressive gem it is today. The City’s beautiful library, launched in 1905 with a modest 150-book collection located in a small room of what was then the City's Town Hall.

In March of 1912, a group of local citizens and winter residents dissatisfied with Mount Dora’s educational facilities, organized the Mount Dora Educational Society, a new private school. The group chose Joseph H. Crane, the principal of the public school at the time, as the principal of the new school.

Resident Jim Simpson, together with William Warden of Akron, Ohio, raised the $1,500 needed to construct the school building called Education Hall at 308 E. Fifth Avenue, which today is a law office.

Built in 1912, Education Hall was designed with two large pavilions topped by hip roofs joined by a smaller recessed center bay. The brick building, painted beige, rests on a foundation of molded concrete blocks created by 23-year-old Carl Risley, one of the school's organizers.

The new school accommodated the children of the City’s winter visitors who were tutored using the same books as their northern schools for consistency. The large building also served as a meeting room for local clubs and the First Baptist Church.

In 1917, the city’s library moved into the west room of the building’s basement. The expansion of the library included a full-time librarian with a salary of $1 a month. Unfortunately, the basement and library flooded for several years during bouts of rain.

Education Hall suffered a decline in enrollment following the opening of a new public school in1922 on Clayton Street. After serving as principal for a decade, Crane retired that year and was replaced briefly by Adrienne Sadler before the school's doors shuttered in 1923.

The City’s librarian, Margaret Lewis, who was also Education Hall’s first teacher, invited Charles Edgerton to visit the building after a heavy rainstorm. Shocked by the flooding, he instructed Lewis to move the library upstairs, and he proceeded to assume the outstanding lien of $1,043.89 on the building in order to sell it to the City when it had the funds.

On February 6, 1929, the city fulfilled its promise to purchase the building for use as a library. After 60 years, the library moved to a larger building in 1977, and the city sold the building to attorney Del Potter for $60,000. In 2014, the law firm’s four attorneys, Potter, Clement, Bergholtz, and Alexander, merged with Central Florida law firm Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed. They retain ownership of the 110-year-old building under the name 308 East 5th Avenue LLC.

In 1976, as the library continued to grow, a new building was constructed on Donnelly Street and 9th Avenue, which now serves as one of the City's Parks and Recreation Department buildings. In 1995, the impressive 15,000-square-foot W.T. Bland Library was built at 1995 N. Donnelly Street and expanded in 2012 with another 6,000 square feet to accommodate new technology and other resources. That same year the Nunan Butterfly Garden was planted. The library continues to grow and flourish under the passion and management of Cathy Lunday.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, this month, click here. Discover the area's online entertainment calendar here. Also download the area's free mobile app.

The history of Elizabeth Evans Park and its namesake

4/1/2022

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ABOVE: Historical photo of Elizabeth Evans Park. (Mount Dora archives)

By Susan Meyers
Mount Dora Buzz Historical Columnist

What once was a swampy alligator pond and part of the city dump is now a beautiful park on the shores of Lake Dora.
In 1926-27, when Charles Edgerton was President of the Parks Commission, the area was cleaned up, and fill dirt was brought in to create a park known as Lakeside Park. The park included a recreation center for tennis, shuffleboard, croquet, horseshoe pitching, and lawn bowling. Of these, only the lawn bowling courts remain today.

In recent years, a bandshell was built in Elizabeth Evans Park, making it a venue for Mount Dora concerts which have featured artists such as the Charlie Daniels Band and Artimus Pyle Band. It’s also been the location for the 4th of July Freedom on the Waterfront celebration, the Scottish Highland and Blueberry Festivals, the Medieval Run, and several annual 5K and and half-marathon races. On any given day, it’s the perfect place to sit and enjoy the view of Lake Dora, the lighthouse and Palm Island.

For years, the park also featured a shaded gazebo at the water’s edge where guests could sit inside to enjoy the breezy waterfront. Recently, the gazebo was removed and it’s unclear whether it will be replaced.

A native of Napoleon, Ohio, Elizabeth Lemert Evans arrived in Mount Dora in 1922. She served on the City Council for ten years, during which time she spearheaded a beautification project that included planting trees, adding benches, and widening streets to allow for parking and landscaping. She also served as the hostess of the Community Building and president of the Woman’s Club where she sponsored clean-up campaigns and co-lead the beautification project for Gilbert Park as well as the waterfront park now named in her honor.

On November 23, 1941, the small park was dedicated to Evans “that future generations may also know the high esteem in which she was held by her friends and fellow citizens,” stated Reverend Floyd Montgomery during the dedication service. Today, a Georgia granite monument bears a bronze plaque that recognizes Evans’ service and devotion to her community.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, this month, click here. Discover the area's online entertainment calendar here. Also download the area's free mobile app.

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The history of Mount Dora's prominent Mardi Gras Building

3/1/2022

ABOVE: An old photo of the Mardi Gras building before the wrought iron was added and before the Donnelly Park building was added across the street.

By Susan Myers Mount Dora Buzz Historical Columnist

Referred to as the father of Mount Dora, J.P. Donnelly did his part to improve and promote the city. He even constructed a large building in the front yard of his ornate home on the corner of Donnelly Street and Fifth Avenue. He originally planned it as a small store, but the project turned into a larger structure that would include a fraternal hall for the Masonic Lodge on the second floor.

With the oversight of Tom Potter, a friend of Donnelly, the building's design had a druggist downstairs, rooms for other businesses next to it, and apartments overhead.

In 1922, construction was nearing completion when a fire destroyed three-fourths of the downtown buildings on the east side of Donnelly Street between Fourth and Fifth Avenues. That fire took with it the town's leading grocery store, Baldwin-Shay.

In haste, Donnelly had a local carpenter assemble a temporary store in his unfinished building, with meager shelving and chicken-wired counters, so Baldwin-Shay could be back in business within two days. That was the unexpected opening of the Donnelly Building, referred to today as the Mardi Gras Building, on the northwest corner of Donnelly Street and Fifth Avenue.

Stokley's Pharmacy, which eventually became Lake View Pharmacy, later occupied the corner space as initially intended. The second floor of the building became the fraternal hall for the Masonic Lodge #238 and the Mount Dora Temple, No. 12, Pythian Sisters. In the 1930s, winter visitors such as Mabel Parker from Portland, Maine, returned each winter to live in the upstairs apartments.

The Piggly Wiggly grocery store replaced the druggist in 1937 with a complete line of groceries, meats, and produce. By 1947 W.M. Kennedy's law office and A.C. Quixley's Real Estate office were located on the second floor.

The headquarters of the Golden Triangle Lodge, No. 874, Loyal Order of Moose, was located in the building in the 1950s, as were several medical practices: Dr. Robert Walker, a chiropractor, A.M. Cleary, a dental technician, and Dr. Glenn Mummaw, a chiropractor who replaced Dr. Robert Wells, DDS.

The Lake County Eisenhower Club opened its "Florida for Eisenhower" office in 1952. Meanwhile, a popular women's apparel boutique known as Sally Dress Shop, relocated into the spot vacated by Piggly Wiggly. That shop endured for several decades, was the “'go-to” store for the latest fashions.

The building was also home to two of Mount Dora's most popular restaurants. Charlie Bradford opened Charlie's grill, which included a pool room in the back and a bowling alley on the side of the building. Waitress Nell Corral concocted a hamburger containing chopped hot peppers. It became known as the "Nell burger," and locals still reminisce about that famous burger.

In 1971 The Cubbyhole Corporation purchased the 13,592 square-foot building and renovated the exterior to include the New Orleans-style wrought iron detailing seen today. Will Smathers, the majority shareholder, remodeled Charlie's restaurant space, which reopened as a fine dining establishment known as The Lamp Post in 1970. This restaurant and bar, located on the second floor, was a popular venue that featured entertainment by some famous bands of the 1970s such as Rare Earth, Leon Russell, Pat Travers Band, The Grass Roots, and others.

The business sold in 1991 and The Lamp Post became Lampu, Mount Dora's first Japanese steakhouse. In 1993, that business sold to become Kobe Japanese Steakhouse and in 1994 it sold again to a new owner, John McKinney, who returned it to the name Lampu.

That was hardly the last transition for the iconic building. It changed hands again in 1996 for $1 million while it housed three restaurants: Lampu, Juliana Restaurant, and The Sandcastle upstairs. Reportedly, the restaurants weren't part of the new buyers' vision for the large structure, but that vision ended relatively quickly when the building transitioned again in 1997 to its current owner, Mardi Gras of Mount Dora, Inc. and fetched another $1 million purchase price, according to the Lake County Property Appraiser.  It has been largely vacant since, but has recently undergone renovations and added an elevator on its south side.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, this month, click here. Discover the area's online event calendar here. Also download the area's free mobile app.

A history of struggle and determination in Mount Dora

2/1/2022

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ABOVE: Students of Milner-Rosenwald School in Mount Dora

By Susan Myers Mount Dora Buzz Historical Columnist

Many African-American families arrived with early white pioneer families to the pine forest wilderness surrounding Lake Dora. The area became a safe haven for those escaping slavery from other southern states.

Former slave Nancy Page arrived in Mount Dora around 1880. During that time, Blacks and Whites lived and worked in the downtown area. The men found work in sawmills, dairies, turpentine mills and citrus groves, while the women worked as cooks and housekeepers in private homes or local hotels during the winter months. Page “observed an impressive number of African-Americans walking around in a relaxed manner. They owned land and places to live,.” wrote author Vivian W. Owens in her book “The Mount Dorans” which chronicles the history of Mount Dora’s first African-American residents.

During the 1920s land boom, local business people began a redevelopment project to sell choice real estate in the downtown area to investors and residents from northern states. The Black residents who resided downtown were dislocated from their property and relocated to the east area of town. Page and her husband Moss were among the group, as were the Dunns, Gilberts, Butlers, Codys, Adams, Harts, and others. This group of Black pioneer settlers was determined to rebuild their lives. They purchased land, built homes, and established businesses in the East Town area.

Related: More about the historical redevelopment project

Other Black residents moved into East Town from nearby Wolf Branch and Angier Pond areas, and the community began to grow steadily. St. Mary’s Baptist Church organized an arbor church under a large oak tree on Florida Avenue and Clayton Street. A business district began to emerge around Grandview Street, where white and black residents shopped. Shops such as Josh James’ Fish Market, Calbert’s Grocery Store, and Burke’s Restaurant became popular establishments.

Many Mount Dora citizens worked tirelessly to improve the lives of their neighbors. Mamie Lee Gilbert and Tillman Thomas strove to fill children's basic needs, such as education and clothing. They established the Helping Hands Club to help adults who suffered the loss of their homes to fire. Professor Cauley Lott arrived in 1938 to find the school for Black children in deplorable condition. Along with Mamie Gilbert and Lilla Butler, the three achieved their goal of a new school known as Milner-Rosenwald Academy. They organized many fundraisers and received a donation from Reverend Duncan Milner, a civil rights advocate, to meet the matching contributions from the Rosenwald Foundation.

Related: Learn more about Mount Dora’s historic Milner-Rosenwald School

Life was not easy for Mount Dora’s Black residents. Many were poor, and their community lacked essentials such as decent housing, paved streets, sidewalks, and telephone service. They endured the Jim Crow and Sheriff Willis McCall era, which brought fear to their community for many years. Yet, they persevered, and new community leaders emerged to lead the Black community forward. Eventually, Professor Cauley Lott would become the first Black council person of Mount Dora. Other community leaders such as Lavond Clayton and Dr. Eugene Burley would continue the struggle for civil rights.

The 2021 Mount Dora municipal elections were the first that included a city council seat for the newly formed District 5, which was created with geographical boundaries that finally provided better representation for the priorities of the city’s Northeast Community and its many African-American residents. Nate Walker, a long-time resident, Mount Dora High School alumnus and respected community advocate, won the seat for District 5 unopposed and received a standing ovation at his swearing-in ceremony.

This article is just a brief history of Mount Dora’s Black residents. More can be found in Owens' book “The Mount Dorans: African American History Notes of a Florida Town.” Owens will be speaking at a Mount Dora Historical Society and Mount Dora Library Association sponsored event on Sunday, February 20th, 2:00 p.m. at W.T. Bland Public Library, 1995 N. Donnelly Street in Mount Dora. Join us to learn more about the history of Black Mount Dorans during the years of segregation.
By Susan Myers Mount Dora Buzz Historical Columnist

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, this month, click here. Discover the area's online event calendar here. Also download the area's free mobile app.

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The history of Mount Dora's most prominent corner

1/1/2022

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ABOVE: First National Bank & Trust Building built in 1913

By Susan Myers
Mount Dora Buzz Historical Columnist

In 1913, three years after incorporating as a city, the first bank opened in Mount Dora. Originally named the Mount Dora Bank and Trust Company, it was located at 404 N. Donnelly Street where Becker's Shoe Store is in business today.

It wasn’t long before a larger building was needed and the land on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Donnelly Street was purchased. The Whitney family previously had a home at that location which had been relocated to McDonald Street and Twelfth Avenue. Under the supervision of James Simpson, construction began in July 1925 and the two-story building was finished in March 1926.

Today this landmark building, with its stately arched windows and painted brick exterior, is significant in Mount Dora for its history and beauty and because it’s one of the few early buildings in the city designed by an architect.

Historic bank buildings generally display some of the most impressive architecture in downtown areas today. Like in Mount Dora, they were often among the few buildings designed by architects at that time, and they needed to convey a feeling of security and confidence. Depositing your hard-earned money in a bank was a new concept, and with no federal guarantees, it was necessary to gain the public's trust.

By the 1920s, a bank building’s exterior and interior were constructed with expensive materials such as marble and limestone, and Mount Dora’s new bank was no exception. The interior of the building featured a 22-foot high ceiling with marble wainscoting and a marble floor. The counters and partitions for the tellers were of Alabama marble, and the tellers’ cages were bronze with brass grilles.

In 1927, the bank converted from a state bank to a national bank and changed its name to First National Bank of Mount Dora. George White, Sr., an officer at the Federal Reserve Bank in Jacksonville, served as executive vice-president that year and later became president in 1937.

Initially, the bank's front doors faced Donnelly Street, as depicted in the photo. New entry doors were created on Fifth Avenue and removed on Donnelly Street at some unknown time. The workmanship on this modification is so superior that it’s difficult, if not nearly impossible, to see any sign of the old doors.

The First National Bank served the community in this location for 42 years until April 1968, when it moved to a new larger building at 714 N. Donnelly Street, and the old building was sold to
three local men interested in the development of downtown Mount Dora – city councilman Sam Shaw, attorney Tom Champion, and city building inspector and tax assessor John Cain. The trio purchased the building under the name of SA-TO-JO Development Company, Inc., and eventually sold the building in June 1971 to Eustis realtor and developer Everett Huskey, who developed many subdivisions and condominiums in Mount Dora and the central Florida area.
Huskey relocated his offices there from Eustis following extensive renovations which included painting the exterior of the brick building a cream color and adding “Bahama-Jamaica style” wood louvers over the exterior windows. Before the grand opening on October 1, 1971, the finishing touch was placing the name “Huskey Building” at the top of the building. Nell Ann Bruck managed the office of 15 salespeople, who covered all of Lake County and the northwest Orange County area.

In September 1991, Eustis Realtor and Developer Keith Shamrock purchased the building for his residential and commercial Real Estate business. The building became known as the “Shamrock Building,” which remains today. The Shamrocks retain ownership of the building today, and Berkshire Hathaway Florida Realty Associates occupies the space.

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Mount Dora History: The story of a Downtown jewel

12/1/2021

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By Susan Myers
Mount Dora Buzz Historical Columnist

Born in Pennsylvania, Warren Butts arrived in Mount Dora in 1896. He first established a furniture business, which later changed to a bricks, cement, and tile business. To showcase his business, Butts built an impressive brick house at 331 Donnelly Street in 1917. The two-story home featured large open front porches on the ground level and second floor. Along with the fancy brickwork, he added carved decorative columns, gingerbread trim and a lozenge window.

Today, Butts’ historic home is a commercial building and home to an impressive Christmas store, St. Nick’s Holiday Shoppe.
Butts was a pioneer who contributed to Mount Dora in its early days, including placing the piers, at no charge, on the Town Hall built around 1904. He was also one of the first aldermen elected after Mount Dora was incorporated in 1910 and served as the city’s first tax collector in 1911.

Butts also purchased the first automobile in town, a Lenovee. When he purchased the car, he was shown how to start the one-cylinder motor and steer the car. However, when he arrived home, he was unable to stop the vehicle and drove it through the back wall of the barn. Later, Orrin Sadler, a young boy, learned to drive the car and drove Butts all around town.
Over a hundred years after its construction, The Butts House remains, but has been substantially modified. Additional square footage was added by enclosing the porches and building an addition on the south side of the house. However, a stroll inside the current retail store reveals the original exterior is still in excellent shape.

For many years The Butts House remained a private residence and ads in the Mount Dora Topic have it listed as a rental unit in the 1930s. Eventually, it became a commercial property with various small business tenants over the years.

In the 1970s, The Three Elves gift shop on Sixth Avenue relocated to the Butts House. In the 1980s, one of downtown Mount Dora’s popular and fancy luncheon spots, The Gables Tea Room & Gift Shop, operated in the building. The eatery eventually relocated to Alexander Street. A string of other commercial tenants later occupied the historic home, including Caroline’s Antique Shop in 1996, then Laney’s Antique Shop, and later Sweet Romance which featured lingerie and linens.

In the early 2000s, Natalie Lovejoy purchased the building and opened The Painter’s Daughter, an eclectic boutique and gallery. Lovejoy did extensive renovations to the interior and transformed the exterior color palette that remains today. After the Painter’s Daughter closed and the building sold again, it was briefly leased to A. Adams Antiques and Fine Art in 2016. The following year, Naples Soap Company opened in the space. In 2020, St. Nick’s Holiday Shoppe opened and remains today. Naples Soap reopened months later further north on Donnelly Street.

In addition to his brick house, Butts also built a unique house next door called the “Tower” or “Windmill” house. This three-story house had a windmill-powered water tank above the third floor, which provided running water from a well beneath the residence. The house was later demolished and today a private home occupies that lot.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. For local things to do, click here and for the area's free mobile app, click here.

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The Mount Dora man behind the markers

10/15/2021

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It’s a lesser known legacy, but a stroll through the historic district neighborhood of Mount Dora reveals the tell-tale signs of Carl Sylvanus Risley and his impact on the city.

Related to the Tremains, one of the City’s first families, Fred & Nellie Risley settled in Mount Dora in the 1880s and their son, Carl, was born in 1889. He later went on to establish a concrete business in 1907 that flourished until the 1960s.

The young Risley is credited for most of the original concrete sidewalks throughout Mount Dora and many original driveways poured by Risley are still intact today, detectable by his professional stamp ‘C.S.R.’ or ‘C.S. Risley.’ A century later his concrete street markers are still erected on many cross streets, while his fence posts still enclose some local yards.

By the 1920s, a decorative concrete block known as rock face or rusticated had become popular in the building industry. Carl formed a mold to create this block which has been used extensively as foundations for early homes. The decorative block became known locally as the ‘Risley’ block. Carl and his team of workers created thousands of these decorative blocks that are still visible throughout the historic and Highland Street districts.

The Risley concrete factory was located behind the family’s unique flat panel block home at 742 North Tremain Street. Carl and his team of workers fashioned both rusticated and flat panel building blocks, cemetery copings, gate posts, street markers, birdbaths, planters, roof tile, fireplace blocks, survey markers, patio stepping stones, septic tank covers, and ornamental lawn benches. These heavy concrete items were transported by wagon and pulled by their hardworking mule, Maggie, in the early years.
In the 1970s, Girl Scout troops cleaned and repainted the street markers as a community service project. Some street markers have been lost to time and damage, the remaining ones in the city need protection as historical elements.
Risley’s concrete works are visible as you stroll or drive through town and are a long-lasting testament to his craft and profession. Along with other early settlers who’ve left their mark, Carl S. Risley also contributed significantly to the development of Mount Dora.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. For local things to do, click here and for the area's free mobile app, click here.

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Mount Dora History: The Parkview Building

8/13/2021

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By Susan Myers
Mount Dora Buzz Historical Columnist

Across the street from Donnelly Park on Fifth Avenue in downtown Mount Dora sits a nearly century-old brick building. The unassuming commercial building, originally known as the Ingram Building, doesn’t appear in most of the City’s historic photos. Today many people are likely to drive by without casting it a glance, but it’s one of the most minimally altered buildings in the historic district and provides a unique glimpse back at Mount Dora’s architecture in the early 20th Century.

William Ingram, an attorney and investor from Chester, West Virginia, commissioned the building in 1923. He and his wife Besse spent the winters in Mount Dora at their home located at 140 E. Seventh Avenue. The building consisted of three stores on the ground floor and seven apartments on the second floor. Many individuals and businesses have rented space in this building over the last 98 years.

During the 1920s Land Boom, the Sylvan Shores Development Company was one of the first tenants in this building and L.R. Heim was promoting his new development west of Lake Gertrude at the time. In 1928, the Chamber of Commerce opened an office in the Ingram Building for a few years. They later relocated it down the street to the Simpson Building because people complained about walking up the hill to the office. Mrs. M.A. Duval and her son rented a space to open The Blue Heron Delicatessen and Sandwich Shop. A “cold plate lunch” was served for the price of $.25 during the Roaring ’20s.

RELATED: Mount Dora's history timeline

The City of Mount Dora did not escape the tragic effects of the 1930s Great Depression. Many businesses failed, yet some individuals took a risk and forged ahead with a new business venture. Some were successful, while others were short-lived. In 1931, William Davenport and his son Hugh were two of the risk-takers. They operated a successful shop in Clermont and felt that Mount Dora was an excellent place to establish another Davenport’s Furniture Exchange. During the depression, the local Girl Scout troop used one of the empty stores to hold a country fair. They used the proceeds to help pay the registration fees for new scouts during this tough economic time.

As the economy slowly progressed, two new businesses opened in 1938. Snowbird resident Professor Edgar Ashley established Ashley Art Galleries to display his art during the peak tourist months during the winter. In addition, The Blue Heron Tea Room, owned by Captain and Mrs. B.C. Jones replaced the Blue Heron Delicatessen, but diners could still enjoy the view of Donnelly Park. At some point, the building was appropriately renamed the Parkview Building. An article in the Mount Dora Topic dated August 4, 1938, mentioned, “It is places like this that advertise our community in far off cities when our winter visitors return to their homes and recount to their friends their pleasant experiences in the southland.”

Following the recession of the 1930s, Ingram sold the building in 1940 to Mary Learned of Braintree, Massachusetts, and W.M. Kennedy of Sylvan Shores. New Mount Dora resident and plumber, A.D. Johnson, joined the two other tenants in establishing his place of business there in 1945.

In the 1950s, the Blue Heron Tea Room relocated and the Peppermint Stick Restaurant assumed its spot. It was owned and operated by Bob and Eleanor Alderman. One of the most popular businesses in the Parkview Building was Romer’s Bakery. Two generations of the Eugene Romer family catered to the sweet tooth of Mount Dora residents from 1957 – 1985. Many residents still talk about their favorite item from Romer’s Bakery which ranged from breads, cakes, cookies, pastries, holiday treats, and glazed donuts.

Soon the tumultuous 1960s were upon us. With an upcoming election looming, the Democratic Party rented a storefront and set up campaign headquarters in 1964, headed by Frances Bland and local attorney Roy Christopher. Their effort to elect Lyndon B. Johnson as our 36th President seemed to have paid off.

In the mid-1970s, the Peppermint Stick Restaurant, now owned by Dave & Peggy Curtis, Village Green Antiques, and Romer’s Bakery steadily occupied the three storefronts. After 1985, Sally Dress Shop briefly rented a space.

In 1996, the Mount Dora Center for the Arts (MDCA) purchased the Parkview Building where they operated their gallery in the eastern storefront, and provided art classes upstairs. MDCA also leased two downstairs spaces -- one to Scoops on 5th, an old-fashioned ice cream and sweets shop, and the other space to Artisans on 5th, an artists’ co-op. In 2021 the building was purchased by G3 Development.

Downtown Mount Dora’s historic Parkview Building, located at 138 E 5th Avenue, will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2023.

By Susan Myers, Mount Dora Buzz Historical Columnist and Mount Dora Historical Society Board member

Sources: Mount Dora Topic newspaper issues: January 14, 1926; June 20, 1929; July 4, 1929; November 14, 1929; May 7, 1931; December 2, 1937; August 4, 1938; September 7, 1939; July 18, 1940; August 22, 1940; September 12, 1940; December 2, 1940; April 5, 1945; February 6, 1947; April 4, 1957; April 25, 1957; August 1, 1957; October 18, 1964; November 19, 1964; May 23, 1974; December 26, 1974. Photos: Mount Dora Archives

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MOUNT DORA HISTORY: Castle on the Hill

7/19/2021

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ABOVE: Mount Dora's "Castle on the Hill". (Photo courtesy of Mount Dora Archives)

By Susan Myers
Mount Dora Buzz Historical Columnist

Once upon a time, Mount Dora boasted a fairy-tale style castle on the hill.

The story began in 1929, when Arthur Frothingham, a retired builder and engineer from Sleepy Hollow, New York, set out to build his dream home in the small city of Mount Dora.

His vision resulted in a sprawling 13-room, Mediterranean Revival-style mansion with the front overlooking beautiful Lake Dora and old Highway 441. The rear entrance faced Helen Street.

The impressive 13-acre estate was dotted with towering pine trees, which were common to the area at the time. To construct heavy joists and hand-hewn timbers to support the interior structure, many of the property’s pines were cut and processed using a small sawmill on the property established for that purpose. For the castle’s exterior, the entire inventory of bricks was purchased from a struggling brickyard in Whitney, four miles west of Leesburg.
On October 23, 1929, before the mansion was completed, Frothingham died suddenly from a heart attack in his home at 1039 McDonald Avenue. His secretary continued the castle’s construction until completion for the cost of $94,000. The property eventually reverted to the J.P. Donnelly Estate, which held the mortgage note until it eventually sold.

The castle stood empty for several years, and rumors spread that it was haunted. Realtor George Malone once said he felt a hand touch him, and a voice say, “Well done, my man – well done,’” as he closed the door after showing it to a prospective buyer.
Malone eventually sold the castle to Napoleon Hill, an internationally known author and philosopher who wrote the classic book “Think and Grow Rich.”

RELATED:  A timeline of Mount Dora's history

Hill and his wife brought new life to the castle as described in an article published in the Mount Dora Topic dated October 2, 1947. “The Castle, at long last, has become a beautiful residence. It stands proudly up there on the hillside. The weeds are all gone, and instead, there are neat orange trees planted in promising rows to the west.” The article continued, “Beautiful private drives enter it, marked ‘Private Road,’ flowers are everywhere; the windows sparkle clean in the setting sun.”

While living in the castle, the Hill family continued to write and publish their self-help genre books. They were active in town, and Mrs. Hill published articles entitled “Castle-on-the-Hill" in the Mount Dora Topic with advice for raising children.

RELATED: Hidden Historic Mansion sits on Mount Dora's edge

The castle eventually passed into the hands of several more families in the ensuing years. Eventually, the west portion of the property was sold and the Hill House Condominiums were built in the early 1970s.
Shortly thereafter, the Hill House Bath & Tennis Club was built in front of the castle, and the castle was converted into a clubhouse. Eventually, it was demolished and replaced with the Summit Place Condominiums.

At the time, Mount Dora was well-known for its antique stores and its unique Castle-on-the-Hill, but in the 1980’s the historic Castle-on-the-Hill was demolished, taking with it part of the city’s important history. If it still sat high on top of the hill overlooking the sparkling waters of Lake Dora, the impressive castle would likely be a draw for tourists today. Historic preservation keeps communities beautiful and vibrant while connecting current-day people with their cities' history.

By Susan Myers, Mount Dora Buzz Historical Columnist and Mount Dora Historical Society Board member

Sources:
The Mount Dora Topic, 24 October 1929, p.1
The Mount Dora Topic, 8 December 1938, p.1
The Mount Dora Topic, 2 October 1947, p.1
The Orlando Sentinel, 4 May 1972
The Mount Dora Topic, 26 June 1972 (photo of the castle)
The Mount Dora Topic, 14 June 197b
Edgerton, David Memories of Mount Dora and Lake County: 1845 to 1981. Mount Dora Historical Society, 1960.
Photos courtesy of Mount Dora Archives

ABOVE: A later photo of Mount Dora's "Castle on the Hill". (Photo courtesy of Mount Dora Archives)

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ONE FAMILY'S UNYIELDING EFFORTS TO PRESERVE MOUNT DORA'S HISTORY

9/1/2018

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ABOVE: Jim Homich and his wife, Kerry Mullen, in front of the L. L. Farnsworth House, built in 1887.

Under the cover of darkness, the pair was gone. Protected from certain destruction, the precious and cumbersome cargo was carted away on huge trailers. And that was just the beginning of their journey.

The process began in 2001 when a Mount Dora resident learned of two historic homes set to be demolished to add parking. James Homich, a lawyer and former Mount Dora City Council member, was no stranger to the city’s history. In 1996, Homich, who caught the historic preservation bug after being schooled in New England, moved into Mount Dora’s Alvaretta Zepplin House, built in 1923. After he married, it became his family’s home with his wife Kerry and their two daughters, Molly and Ainsley.

ABOVE: The now “Purple” house is the L. L. Farnsworth House was built in 1887, pictured here in 1902.

Although the deteriorated homes slated for destruction were mere shells of their past glory, Homich made a last ditch effort to rescue a part of the quaint town’s history.

The First Presbyterian Church agreed to sell both the blue Hubbell House, built in 1915, and the yellow Birkbeck Rental House, built in 1918, for one dollar each, provided Homich agree to pay the $25,000 each to relocate them to the rear of his property.

Moving the houses was no easy feat. The porch of Birkbeck House had to be removed and the Hubbell House was divided into two sections. Finally, in the fall of 2001 the homes were put onto large trailers to make the evening trek across town to their new site on Fifth Avenue. The second phase was constructing their foundations which was done in 2002. The next major stage was developing a site plan and putting in the necessary infrastructure on the newly subdivided lots.

ABOVE: The relocated blue Hubbell House, built in 1915, and the yellow Birkbeck Rental House, built in 1918.

The family had just completed that process when the 2008 recession hit and money was temporarily unavailable to renovate the homes. In 2010, the preservation efforts continued, but it wasn’t without challenges.

According to Homich, the greatest challenges were the efforts by the City’s planner and code enforcement department to derail the project. Rather than encourage the family in their sizable historic preservation project, city officials made every step a complete and needlessly costly nightmare, according to Homich.

After much persistence, legal wrangling and financial sacrifice, the family completely restored the “Blue” and “Yellow” homes and sold them as private residences.

ABOVE: The renovated blue Hubbell House and yellow Birkbeck Rental House,

Restoration was recently completed on their “Purple” house, the L. L. Farnsworth House that sits next to their family’s personal residence. The Farnsworth House was built in 1887, the same year the railroad opened in Mount Dora and changed the city’s future.

Today visitors entering Mount Dora by Fifth Avenue get a glimpse of the colorful historic homes as they approach downtown. And as if in silent tribute, there is only an empty, grassy lot where the houses previously stood.

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