History of Windemere (Orlando, Winter Garden, Bay Hill: real estate, houses, lease)

[Britam]

Was Windermere, particularly where Summerpot Development sits simply an Orange Grove before it was built. We need to try and trace what was here before the houses were..does anyone have an old map..or know any of the history..or where to look please help.......

[Prichard]

Windermere was a tiny little town that was surrounded by Orange Groves. There were a few dirt roads running through that town with a tiny old town center and mostly some residential houses. I used to go water-skiing as a kid on the Buttler chain of lakes and parked just up the road in an orange grove across the street from the boat ramp. Other than the lakes, a few old houses on the lakes, and some forest along the lake areas, it was all orange grove for as far as you could see, and maybe some cattle and farm land around there also. Of course, this was before Isleworth or the other McMansion Developments, way before the Morman Temple - I think Bay Hill was just in the planning phase around this time. Believe me, there wasn't anything all that special about Windermere. It wasn't even a big deal to live on the lakes out there back then.

[jdaryl2002]

Windermere is still a tiny town of about 1200. It is a town of wealth and very quant. Some will be surprised to learn that Windermere has no paved city streets, sewer, sanitation department, fire department and has minimum city services.

Isleworth, Summerport and subdivisions surrounding Windermere are not in incorporated Windermere. Taxes are low, relative speaking, to other Orange County cities.

[sunrico90]

Originally Posted by Britam

Was Windermere, particularly where Summerpot Development sits simply an Orange Grove before it was built. We need to try and trace what was here before the houses were..does anyone have an old map..or know any of the history..or where to look please help.......

Britam,

Visit the site and e-mail the contact link and they should be able to provide info. I'll keep up looking...
http://www.town.windermere.fl.us/

[sunrico90]

See below for additional links:

http://www.rootsweb.com/~flsgs/?o_xi...&o_xt=39743482
http://www.rootsweb.com/~florange/records.html
http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html

[AONE]

A laid back up scale community full of sand bottom lakes known collectively as the Butler Chain of Lakes. It has some of the areas most prized real estate and has been home to celebrities like Arnold Palmer, Shaq, Tiger Woods and several boy band members. Located South and West of Orlando it is convenient to many of the area attractions. With fewer than 2000 residents it is a small community that many feel is the finest Orlando has to offer, particularly for families with children. The neighboring communities include Gotha, Isleworth (sometimes misspelled Islesworth), Dr. Phillips and Winter Garden.
Homes have a wide range from smaller $200,000 places to palatial estates up to $12,000,000. Visitors may be surprised by the lack of paved roads in the downtown area but it is left that way to protect the lakes that surround it.

Landmarks include Bird Island on Lake Butler and the Mormon Temple.



Most of central Fl was orange trees, Dr. Phillips, Bay, Hill and Isleworth are several that were. Summerport. also had citrus. There are still a few remaining groves in Windermere but as the multimillion dollar homes spring up it becomes too valuable to leave as Orange trees. my have things changed. Summerport is a very new community. Nice, with both homes and townhomes. There are a few new communitites in the same area. It has had some decent deals recently.