Orlando Hospitality Industries: South Orange Ave., 1940-56
Although tourism is one of the largest industries in Central Florida today, the industries that dominated the economy prior to the 1940s were cattle, cotton, and citrus. Much of the development and growth of Orlando centered around these elements. The climate was generally the major draw for tourists and, because it was so difficult to get to Florida during this time, the hospitality services, such as hotels, that did exist generally catered to wealthier tourists. As transportation improved so did Orlando. Between 1900 and the 1930s, the city doubled its size; however it still remained a citrus growing economy. The Great Depression brought the Federal Public Works Administration (PWA), which created new jobs, especially in the hospitality industry. Following World War II, suburban developments began to take shape and Orlando itself began to go through another of metamorphosis.
The block of South Orange in Downtown Orlando, specifically the parameters of South Orange Avenue, Jackson Street, Main Street (present-day Magnolia Avenue), and Church Street, had many businesses that could be considered part of the hospitality category, ranging from restaurants to barber shops to taxi services to hotels. The image of Star Barbershop (located at 205 S. Orange Avenue,) depicts owner Max Yacobian, who had been a barber at this location for over 25 years. He began his business in 1939 and is seen here trimming the hair of a third generation patron of his shop.
The streetscape image according to the Orlando County Regional History Center’s records, is dated sometime between 1930 and 1950. This depicts South Orange Avenue; however, the cross street is unknown. Johnson Electric Company is clearly seen on the right side of the street in this image. This company was very significant to the development of Orlando.
Until the 1970s, when Walt Disney World arrived and Disney dominated the hospitality and tourist industries, Central Florida was a place where tourists passed through on their travels to Miami and other major cities.
217 S. Orange Ave. was the site of the Bass Hotel. The building was originally constructed in 1907. After changing owners multiple times, the business, which remained a hotel under various names (1922 Hotel Astor, 1940 Leon Hotel, 1946-1965), finally closed in 1965. The fact that the hotel changed hands many times throughout its existence could be an indicator of Orlando’s poor tourism industry prior to the establishment of Disney World. In 1945, the hotel was owned by Walter C. Bass and his wife, Esther Bass. In 1965, upon the death of Bass, his wife sold the building to Conway Kittredge for $52,000, who remodeled it as an office space. The other businesses on the block were largely those whose target demographic was not tourists but locals. During this time the S. Orange block and Orlando were generally developing into a corporate center, the rest of this block would later be bought by a bank to build a new office.