A Historic Visit To Orlando

Today Orlando, Florida, is a bustling modern metropolis that ranks 79th in population in all of the US

. One of the world's most visited amusement parks is in Orlando, as well as several popular professional sporting teams. Skyscrapers populate the skyline, while freeways twist and turn on the outskirts of the downtown area. Along the beaches and waterways are trendy hotels and resorts. Yet amidst all that modernity, eight city blocks deep within the downtown core of Orlando, illustrates the history of the city - and indeed the entire region. Let's take a look.

Orlando didn't actually receive its current name until 1857, through a series of events that historians have not yet even agreed upon. Nevertheless, the facts state Orlando became the county seat of Orange County in 1856 and the town was finally incorporated in 1875. For the next twenty years, Orlando experienced a 'Golden Era', largely fueled by the citrus industry. Several beautiful low-rise buildings were constructed at this time, mostly in the ornate colonial style popular among upper class Europeans. Unfortunately, none of those original buildings exist anymore, as they fell victim to a rash of fires in the downtown area towards the end of the 19th century. The fires prompted more stringent building codes; demanding, in particular, the use of masonry instead of wood.

During the 1920's Land Boom in Florida, Mediterranean style buildings began popping up alongside the old Queen Anne buildings. In contrast, hotels and boutiques presented in a Mediterranean facade were the most fashionable of the time. Only the best hotel rooms and European imports were in these buildings. Any boom, unfortunately, comes with a closing bust. The Florida Land Boom came to a crashing halt by the end of the 1920's, and lasted well into the 1940's. It was during this period that Orlando residents witnessed more streamlined and austere buildings rise.

Now we will take a very brief look at a few Orlando buildings within that eight-block historic section of the downtown core, focusing on just a few key structures. The first is a simple place, nothing anyone would expect to land on the pages of Architectural Digest: a Well's built Hotel on West South Street. Built in 1926 by Doctor Monroe Wells, the hotel has a simple brick facade and plain lines. Dr. Segregation was in widespread use at the time, and Wells built the hotel for visiting African Americans the came to the city. A gambling establishment was also built next to the hotel, and many well-known performers frequented the place.

Next, let's look at something from the 1930's. The Kress Building on West Church Street was built by the Kress Department store chain, employing architect Edward F Sibbart. Queen Anne hotels and Mediterranean Revival restaurants are present alongside the streamlined Art Deco facade.

by: Robert Nickel

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