Places
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The Senator II
Clone of the famous Senator cypress tree of Big Tree Park, located at Reiter Park. A farmer from North Florida, Marvin Bucanan of Central Florida Natural Lands, started an orchard with several Senator clones. He had no idea how important those clones would one day be, but when the father tree was destroyed it became a rescue mission. “We didn’t grow it for that purpose,” Bucanan said. “We grew it for the seeds to replant.” What started as a branch had grown to over 50 feet tall. One was transported by semi to Big Tree Park and the other to…
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Longwood Water Tower
The original water tower in Longwood was located in the “triangle” between the railroad tracks, 427 and 434. By the 1980s, the original 75-foot water tower was considered run-down, rusty, and dangerous. It was emptied of water after 1982. Despite attempts from some town members to save the landmark, it was torn down in 1988. The modern tower was constructed along West Church Street. It was repainted with “Historic Longwood Florida” in 2023.
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General Hutchison Parkway
President Franklin Roosevelt approved funding for the construction of a paved 5,590-foot, two-lane highway connecting the old Sanford-Orlando Highway (427) with the new Sanford-Orlando Highway (then State Road 3, now 17-92) in 1939. The new “parkway” provided a two-way entrance to Big Tree Park, replacing the dirt path that existed before. The estimated construction cost was $14,226, completed in 1940, and an additional $13,000 in park improvement funds were also granted. When the roadway opened, it was called the Pennsylvania Parkway. In 1963, the Seminole County Board of County Commissioners voted to rename General Joseph C. Hutchison Parkway highway. It…
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Inside-Outside House
The house gets its name because its structural framing is exposed on the exterior of the house, with panels bolted together in a shiplap style. Conversely, the inside of the house is finished with stucco over tongue and groove siding! This building, dating back to 1873, was originally located in Altamonte Springs on Boston Avenue, near the old Altamonte Hotel and Lake Orienta. It was one of the earliest examples of a prefabricated house in the United States. It first arrived by steamship in Sanford and was transported by mule cart to Altamonte Springs before being reassembled there. It was…
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Bradlee-McIntyre House
Affectionately known as the “Bradlee-Mac,” this home was once in Altamonte Springs. Although published references have dated it as early as 1883 or even 1880, more recent research points to its construction beginning in 1885 and the finishing touches being applied in 1888. The original owner of this luxurious cottage was wealthy Boston architect Nathaniel J. Bradlee. It was Bradlee who designed the home and many others in the area. Its distinctive Queen Anne style inspired the modern (yet historic-looking) Longwood Community Building just down the road. It has a castle-like tower with a steep-angled gabled roof and many decorative…
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Historic Civic Center
This is likely the oldest building that is original to Longwood–records indicate it was erected at least 1880 and possibly as early as 1875. Through that hisitory, it has been at several locations. The original section of the structure is in the center, behind the two side additions. It was first used as a schoolhouse and a community center for civic events; a traveling teacher named Professor Lynch taught there. At that time it was located about a block west, about where the Christ Church is today. It is likely the building where the first services of the Episcopal Church…