Waterfront Park at the Sanford House Hotel

FSM00051.jpg

Dublin Core

Title

Waterfront Park at the Sanford House Hotel

Alternative Title

Waterfront Park at Sanford House Hotel

Subject

Sanford (Fla.)
Docks--United States
Parks--Florida
Hotels--Florida

Description

This photograph is of the waterfront on Commercial Street in Sanford, Florida. The Palm Avenue Dock is in the distance and the foreground is the park at the Sanford House Hotel. There is a century plant in the center of walkway in the park.

The Sanford House Hotel Park, adjoining the Sanford House Hotel, overlooked the waterfront of Lake Monroe at Commercial Street and Palmetto Avenue in 1934. The hotel was built by Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) with the intent of attracting tourists and providing housing for would-be wealthy settlers to the city of Sanford. The Sanford House Hotel was joined by the Lake Monroe House, a lower-cost alternative geared towards laborers, both of which were completed in 1876. Facing the waterfront, the hotel was located at the intersection of Commercial Street and Palmetto Avenue. The Sanford House Hotel featured three stories—two of which included porches—and enough rooms to serve 150 guests. The hotel’s landscaping included flower beds and citrus trees. A boardwalk led visitors straight from the hotel to the shores of Lake Monroe. Rates for a room in 1884 ranged from $15 to $20 per week.

The 1887 fire came very close to the Sanford House, and it was feared that sparks would add it to the destruction. What saved it were wet blankets which were draped from the roof and windows. The Sanford House Hotel was torn down in May of 1920. At the turn of the century, the Sanford House Hotel was the center of all major city events and celebrations. While guide books from the period often included positive reference to the hotel, it failed to attract many visitors. The hotel did not make any profit during its first years of operation. By its third year, the 1879-1880 season, the hotel netted only $800 in profits. The hotel continued to make meager profits for the remainder of the nineteenth century. Nonetheless, it served as a central point of focus during city celebrations during the period.

Creator

Upton

Source

Original 11 inch x 8.5 inch photograph by Upton, 1882: Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.

Date Created

1882

Has Format

Digital reproduction of original black and white photograph, 1882. https:\\richesmi.cah.ucf.edu\omeka2\items\show\559.

Is Format Of

Digital reproduction of original 11 inch x 8.5 inch photograph by Upton, 1882.

Is Part Of

Sanford Museum, Sanford, Florida.
Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.

Format

image/jpg

Extent

142 KB

Medium

11 inch x 8.5 inch photograph

Language

eng

Type

Still Image

Coverage

Sanford, Florida

Accrual Method

Donation

Mediator

History Teacher
Economics Teacher
Geography Teacher

Provenance

Originally created by Upton.

Rights Holder

Copyright to this resource is held by the Sanford Museum and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.

Curator

Hazen, Kendra
Cepero, Laura

Digital Collection

Source Repository

External Reference

Sanford Historical Society (Fla.). Sanford. Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2003.

Transcript

Pho. by UPTON. CITY OF SANFORD, Lake Monroe, Fla. 1982. No..........

Still Image Item Type Metadata

Original Format

1 photograph

Physical Dimensions

11 inch x 8.5 inches

Collection

Citation

Upton, “Waterfront Park at the Sanford House Hotel,” RICHES, accessed October 31, 2024, https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/4300.

Locations

Categories