From its earliest days, Downtown Orlando was situated on the west side of the lake. As the town grew into a city, Lake Eola continued to be a focal point for the inhabitants, who used the lake for bathing, swimming and fishing, and its shores picnicking, listening to concerts, and participating in religious services. Much of the land around Lake Eola was donated to Orlando by Jacob Summerlin who designated that it be a public park. It has remained one ever since. The rest of the park land was donated by the Musselwhite Family and Mayor Frank Sperry.]]>
RICHES of Central Florida]]> Thomas Cook Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Originally created by Thomas Cook and published by RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Copyright to this resource is held by Thomas Cook and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>

The site was originally occupied by Memorial High School, the second high school constructed in Orlando. In 1961, the school building was sold to hotel owners from Jacksonville. In 1963, the school building was razed and replaced by the Robert Meyer Hotel, which contained 250 rooms. The hotel became the Kahler Plaza Inn in 1972 and then the Harley Hotel in the late 1970s, when it was purchased by Harry Helmlsey. In the 1990s, the hotel was purchased and renamed Four Points by Sheraton Orlando, which closed in 2003. In 2004, developer David Eichenblatt began converting the hotel into the Metropolitan at Lake Eola condominiums, which contains 128 units as of 2013.]]>
RICHES of Central Florida]]> Thomas Cook Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Originally created by Thomas Cook and published by RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Copyright to this resource is held by Thomas Cook and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>

From its earliest days, Downtown Orlando was situated on the west side of the lake. As the town grew into a city, Lake Eola continued to be a focal point for the inhabitants, who used the lake for bathing, swimming and fishing, and its shores picnicking, listening to concerts, and participating in religious services. Much of the land around Lake Eola was donated to Orlando by Jacob Summerlin who designated that it be a public park. It has remained one ever since. The rest of the park land was donated by the Musselwhite Family and Mayor Frank Sperry.]]>
RICHES of Central Florida]]> Thomas Cook Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>

From its earliest days, Downtown Orlando was situated on the west side of the lake. As the town grew into a city, Lake Eola continued to be a focal point for the inhabitants, who used the lake for bathing, swimming and fishing, and its shores picnicking, listening to concerts, and participating in religious services. Much of the land around Lake Eola was donated to Orlando by Jacob Summerlin who designated that it be a public park. It has remained one ever since. The rest of the park land was donated by the Musselwhite Family and Mayor Frank Sperry.]]>
RICHES of Central Florida]]> Thomas Cook Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>