Originally, it housed a bakery operated by Albert E. Jones and a real estate company operated by Dillard. Lewis L. Kenneday opened the first Winter Garden theater in the second floor of the building about 1913. It operated until 1917, when it was replaced by the Lyric Theatre. In the 1920s, A. D. Mims, later a county commissioner, operated a barbershop along the Main Street storefront. A barber by the name of Allen Bland occupied the space later. Eighteen boarding rooms were available on the second floor after the theater closed. Various businesses, such as the Leader Department Store, the Winter Garden Pharmacy, Tibbals-Rexall Drugs, J. S. Reddick's meat market and a beer parlor, occupied the building at other times. At the time that this photograph was taken in 2014, the building was being occupied by Savoree.]]>
Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.]]> Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.]]> Winter Garden Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Winter Garden Heritage Foundation and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Robert E. Black. It initially contained apartments on the second story and a series of stores on the first. Several physicians maintained offices on the second floor. As a result, it was often referred to as the Clinic Building. During the 1930s, the building accommodated the office of the Florida Public Service Company and the post office. Arnold's and later McCord's Feed Store occupied space on the first floor. Raymond Dickson operated a plumbing and electric business in this building for more than 25 years. The neon sign advertising his business is still present. Today, the building houses several local businesses.]]> Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.]]> Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.]]> Winter Garden Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Winter Garden Heritage Foundation and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Episode 18 explores the demographic changes of Winter Garden, Florida, during the 20th century. Originally a small agricultural hub, Winter Garden grew into a bustling suburbia in a short period of time. This episode focuses on Winter Garden's period of boom, bust and rebirth. Present-day Winter Garden was originally inhabited by Native Americans thousands of years before European colonization. Early European settlers began arriving in the area around Lake Apopka around 1845 with the encouragement of the Armed Occupation Act for settlement in the new State of Florida. The community began to grow rapidly when the Orange Belt Railway arrived in 1886 and citrus became the area's cash crop. A train depot was constructed in 1893 and the town was named Winter Garden. The area also became a popular tourist in the 1920s, nicknamed the "large-mouth bass capital." Winter Garden continued to thrive on citrus, proclaiming itself the largest citrus shipping point in the world during the 1940s. The citrus industry continued to boom throughout World War II, but quality dropped as Lake Apopka became polluted.]]>
RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Orlando, Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> RICHES Podcast Documentaries, Orlando, Florida.]]> RICHES Podcast Documentaries Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]>
Winter Garden Heritage Foundation.]]> Winter Garden Heritage Foundation.]]> Winter Garden Heritage Foundation Collection, Winter Garden Collection, Orange County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Winter Garden Heritage Foundation and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
The Edgewater Hotel closed in 1968 and remained dormant for approximately 25 years. When city officials began discussing demolition of the building in order to construct a parking lot, concerned citizens formed the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation (WGHF), a non-profit organization, to purchase and restore the building. Intervention by the WGHF became unnecessary when Max Blanchard and Mike Lanza bought the building for restoration in 1995. Eight years later, the hotel reopened as a bed-and-breakfast with shops and restaurants such as Scoops and The Chef's Table.]]>
Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.]]> Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.]]> Winter Garden Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Winter Garden Heritage Foundation and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>

In 1920, Bray went back into the hardware business at another location, and in 1934, he moved the business back to this building after his original store and contents were destroyed by fire. His wife, Dora Bray, and his children, George Bray, Jr. and Evelyn Lease Bray, ran the business after his death in 1949. In 1983, the family sold the business to Walter Toole and Patti Toole. A year later, they joined the Ace Hardware franchise, and in 1987, they moved the business into a larger space on South Dillard Street. Since then, the space has been home to a number of restaurants. This building is known as the longest store in Winter Garden at only 20 feet wide and 177 feet long. At the time that this photograph was taken, the building was home to the Sweet Traditions French Bakery & Cafe.]]>
Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.]]> Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.]]> Winter Garden Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Winter Garden Heritage Foundation and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Up From the Ashes Exhibit, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.]]> Up From the Ashes Exhibit, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.]]> Up From the Ashes Collection, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation Collection, Winter Garden Collection, RICHES of Central Florida., Winter Garden Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Winter Garden Heritage Foundation and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Up From the Ashes Exhibit, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.]]> Up From the Ashes Exhibit, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.]]> Up From the Ashes Collection, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation Collection, Winter Garden Collection, RICHES of Central Florida., Winter Garden Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Winter Garden Heritage Foundation and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Up From the Ashes Exhibit, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.]]> Up From the Ashes Exhibit, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.]]> Up From the Ashes Collection, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation Collection, Winter Garden Collection, RICHES of Central Florida., Winter Garden Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Winter Garden Heritage Foundation and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
In 1921, members initiated a building campaign and commissioned architect J. J. Baldwin to design a new building. The cornerstone of the present church was laid in 1922, and the church was completed in 1923 at a cost of $150,000, a substantial amount for a small community. The construction of the church was supervised by R. W. Wimbish, who also oversaw the construction of the Edgewater Hotel and the Black Building (now known as the Cappleman Building).]]>
Up From the Ashes Exhibit, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.]]> Up From the Ashes Exhibit, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.]]> Up From the Ashes CollectionWinter Garden Heritage Foundation Collection, Winter Garden Collection, RICHES of Central Florida., Winter Garden Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Winter Garden Heritage Foundation and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Up From the Ashes Exhibit, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.]]> Up From the Ashes Exhibit, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.]]> Up From the Ashes Collection, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation Collection, Winter Garden Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Winter Garden Heritage Foundation and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Up From the Ashes Exhibit, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.]]> Up From the Ashes Exhibit, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.]]> Up From the Ashes Collection, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation Collection, Winter Garden Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Winter Garden Heritage Foundation and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> Up From the Ashes Exhibit, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.]]> Up From the Ashes Exhibit, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.]]> Up From the Ashes Collection, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation Collection, Winter Garden Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Winter Garden Heritage Foundation and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Often called "Mr. First," Newton moved to Winter Garden, Florida, in 1892 where he was continually busy with varied pursuits in business, politics, and services. In his long line of being first, he established the first post office for the city, the first newspaper, was the first depot agent, and was Winter Garden's first mayor. He also ran a general merchandise store and worked as a cashier for the First National Bank of Winter Garden. Newton has been given the nickname of "Godfather of Winter Garden" for all of his achievements and milestones. In honor of his achievements, Newton Park at 31 West Garden Avenue is named in his honor.]]>
Up From the Ashes Exhibit, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.]]> Up From the Ashes Exhibit, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.]]> Up From the Ashes Collection, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation Collection, Winter Garden Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Winter Garden Heritage Foundation and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>

Dillard migrated to Central Florida from Virginia with his wife, Mattie Showalter, in 1887. He established himself primarily as a citrus and vegetable grower, but he also operated the M. V. Dillard and Company Garage, which was managed by his son, Marvin Dillard. In addition, he founded the Bank of Winter Garden, served as Wnter garden City Commissioner and a Florida State Legislator, and helped rebuild Downtown Winter Garden after two destructive fires in 1909 and 1912. Some of the buildings that Dillard helped construct include the Dillard and Boyd General Merchandise Store, the Shelby Hotel, and the Mann and Mills Dry Goods Store. He also donated land to the First Baptist Church of Winter Garden.]]>
Up From the Ashes Exhibit, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.]]> Up From the Ashes Exhibit, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.]]> Up From the Ashes Collection, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation Collection, Winter Garden Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Winter Garden Heritage Foundation and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>
Up From the Ashes Exhibit, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.]]> Up From the Ashes Exhibit, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.]]> Up From the Ashes Collection, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation Collection, Winter Garden Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Winter Garden Heritage Foundation and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>