Historic District
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Saving the 1885 Lewis House: A Community-Driven Path Forward
The 1885 J.D. & N.J. Lewis House stands as one of the oldest surviving structures in Longwood. Now, a fresh public-private partnership model offers a clear, cost-effective path to restore this piece of local history and return it to active community life. The project recently achieved two major milestones: Living Up to Our Founding Mission This project gets to the heart of why the Longwood Historic Society exists. In 1969, our organization was founded with a single urgent goal: to save historic treasures from the wrecking ball. In 1973, our founders took on an ambitious rescue mission—saving the Bradlee-McIntyre House…
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John “Pappy” and Elsie Dunbar, Longwood Pioneers
In the late 19th century, Central Florida was a frontier of pine forests, citrus groves, and quiet railway towns that drew northern settlers seeking warmth, health, and fresh beginnings. Among the most beloved settlers in Longwood’s early decades were a father and daughter from Connecticut: John Holt Dunbar and Elsie A. Dunbar. For four decades, the Dunbars’ lives were woven into the town’s everyday fabric and development. They were each dear friends and town leaders. From hand-crafting orange crates in a Warren Avenue shop to founding Longwood’s first public library, the Dunbars left a physical and civic legacy that continues…
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Lewis Janitorial Supply
245 N Ronald Reagan Blvd, Longwood, FL 32750 The building was constructed in 1972. It serves as the home of Lewis Janitorial Supply.
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Dixie Food Mart
This small mini grocery was built in 1950. It sat in front of the Longwood Inn until 2002, partially blocking its view from 427. It was torn down when 427 was expanded.
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Longwood Inn
Longwood founder Edward Warren Henck commissioned Josiah B. Clouser to construct the hotel in 1883. This was Henck’s second hotel in Longwood, having just completed the first (“Original Longwood Hotel”) on East Warren Avenue earlier that year. This large frame Vernacular-style building was mainly completed in 1885. Orlando realtor John Sinclair listed it for sale that year at a price that was a “large sacrifice.” Sinclair represented that it could be completed within 30 days. It was purchased by Carlos Cushing, who finished the construction in 1886. Cushing named it “The Waltham,” after a district in Boston. Cushing lived on…
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Christ Church
Prior to the existence of Christ Church, the first Episcopal congregation started in Longwood in 1877. The first baby baptized with that group is known to be Annie Rand on Easter in 1877. The still existent Christ Church Episcopal was incorporated in 1879. The first building was a small log schoolhouse, located about a quarter mile on the property of Edward Henck, close to Magnolia Avenue and Freeman Street. It was used from 1879 through 1881. The present building was erected in 1881. As such, it is the oldest continuously operating church in Seminole County. It is an oblong, gray-frame building with…
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Longwood Community Building
Although this building looks old, it was actually built in 2002. It serves today as an events venue and host for many community gatherings. It can be rented out for wedding receptions and such. Its design is obviously inspired by others in the historic district, and it is especially influenced by the Bradlee-McIntyre House with its Queen Anne style architecture. This is especially evident in the tower, shiplap-esque siding, wrap-around porch, and the decorative touches along the roofline. The front section is the original location of the JD & NJ Lewis House and the back section was where Clouser’s Cabinet…
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Niemeyer House
Fred J. Niemeyer moved to Longwood in 1885. He met and married the daughter of master carpenter Josiah Clouser, Frances Catherine Clouser Niemeyer. The home was constructed for the couple in 1889, and built as a collaboration by Fred and Josiah. They called it “Keystone” because it was such a prominent structure in town. The Niemeyer family resided there for many years. The Hopkins family moved into the home in 1952 and resided there for many decades. It became known as the “Hopkins House” and had a sign over the front porch with that name up until the early 2010s. The original…
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Dunbar’s Garage and Clouser’s Cabinet Shop
The core of the front section was constructed in 1892 as Dunbar’s Garage. For 38 years, it was the shop of John H Dunbar. He did various repairs and built things out of wood, including fruit crates. John and his daughter Elsie owned this shop and lived next door in the JD & NJ Lewis House, where the Longwood Community Building now sits. The original part of the house is the section under the second-floor loft windows. The other wings were later additions, added at various stages after the small shop was converted into a residence. John was born in…
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Clouser House
Construction of this beautiful home started in 1882 and it was completed over the next seven years. It was the second residence in Longwood for master carpenter Josiah B. Clouser and family. Their first home was the hastily built Clouser Cottage, which still exists immediately behind it. This house was a much better exhibition of his skills as a craftsman. The family moved into this still incomplete home in 1885, eager to get out of the smaller cottage. Phyllis and Tom Kidder purchased the home in 1975 for $25,000 from Betty McLeod and Dorothy Pearson. They shopped weekends to find fitting…