This was the site of the J. H. Allen grocery store, which was built in 1908. The large two-story structure had retail space on the first floor, while Mr. and Mrs. Allen lived on the second floor. The store caught on fire on September 5, 1930, and was destroyed. It was demolished in the 1950s.
In 1969 a new post office was opened in this spot. It didn’t have to move far, having previously been across SR 427 (then called East Lake Avenue) in the Payne Building. The postmaster at the time was William Bryant.
This office served the city of Longwood until 1995, when a new location three times larger was built in Florida Central Commerce Park. That office still serves the community today. The building sat vacant until it was torn down in 2001 to build the clock tower park, as a welcoming entryway into the historic district.
References;
- Orlando Sentinel – September 30, 1930 – “Allen Store Destroyed by Fire”
- Orlando Sentinel – January 21, 1969 – “New Post Office Dedicated“
- Orlando Sentinel – November 27, 1994 – “Post office to feature pick and pay service“
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