Places
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Clocktower Park
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…
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McGaughey House
This was the home of John W. McGaughey, a native of Georgia. He owned Eva Lumber Company, which specialized in producing cypress shingles until they fell out of fashion in the 1920s. He then invested in citrus groves. McGaughey contracted Daniel Clouser to build the house for him in 1914. There is also a garage on the property that was built in 1917. John and Eva McGaughey had three children. In the 1920s, it was home to J. E. Walker, founder and president of the Longwood State Bank. Walker was also the mayor of Longwood in the 1920s, but died…
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Henck House
This was the house of Longwood’s founder, Edward Warren Henck. He first arrived in Longwood in November of 1873 and was given a land grant under the Homestead Act that included all of the historic district and northward almost to Longwood Hills Road. His first home was reportedly near the southern shore of East Lake, but Edward and his wife (Mary) soon relocated closer to the core downtown district. Some references claim this house was constructed as early as 1875, but others say it was built by master carpenter Josiah Clouser. That would mean at least an 1881 date (when Clouser arrived). We…
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Entzminger Garage Apartment
Constructed by Charles Entzminger in 1926 at the same time as the next door house at 288 Freeman Street. It was originally build as a garage apartment. The second floor portion is original, as well as possibly the sleeping porch. However, the front and side porch on the first floor were probably aded after the garage was converted into living space.
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Jackson House
There are conflicting records about when this house was actually built. But the most likely story goes that it was constructed in 1924 by Charles Entzminger. Popular legend says he built it for his daughter, who had “recently” gotten married. Entzminger’s only daughter was Maud. She was born in 1899 and married William Satcher of Sanford in 1918. Satcher was a railroad worker. The Entzminger family were among the most prominent citizens during the Boom Period of Longwood. Charles Entzminger was a member of the Florida legislature and a popular businessman. He owned the Longwood Hotel for a time, after…
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Clouser Cottage
Josiah Benjamin Clouser lived in Pennsylvania with his wife and two children. When his wife’s health began to fail, doctors recommended that she move to a warmer-weather state to recuperate (a standard medical suggestion at the time). Being a carpenter by trade and seeing an advertisement by Longwood founder Edward Henck that they needed a master builder, he answered the call. In 1880, the family relocated to Longwood. Upon arriving, Clouser found the house provided to him was infested with fleas. He was disgusted and refused to stay in it after the first night. Hastily, Clouser built this temporary home…
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Longwood Schoolhouse
This building was constructed around 1883 (some reports say as early as 1876) and served as Longwood’s community school until 1924, when Milwee Middle School (then Lyman School) was built south of town. It was a simple wood-framed two room schoolhouse. Originally it was an unpainted wood building in a “dogtrot” style with an open air hallway between the two classrooms, which provided an early form of air conditioning. After 1924 the building was converted to be used as Longwood’s City Hall. The city lowered the floor on the north half of the building and replaced the windows with garage bay…
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Entzminger House
This home was built in 1925 by Robert S. Entzminger on land purchased from Frances Niemeyer. Entzminger was a prominent leader in the community during the 1920s. His father was a Baptist minister and his brothers were involved in real estate and politics. He married Louise Hearst. They lived there before moving to South Carolina. It is in a bungalow style, which was one of the most popular architectures in Florida for homes during the 1920s and 1930s.
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Longwood ACL Train Depot
This old train depot was located near the southeast intersection of Church Street and 427, immediately behind the Henck-Tinker block (former bank building, now a bar). According to sources, it was first constructed around 1900. However, it looks very similar to the depot in the 1885 aerial drawing of Longwood, so one has to wonder if it was built closer to 1880 (when the rail line first connected Sanford and Orlando via Longwood). To be clear, the old Longwood train depot still exists, but it’s now located a few hours away. In 1965, the depot was given to a train…
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Heroes’ Park
In front of the Longwood Police Department and overlooking Reiter Park, we find Heroes Park. It was constructed in 2005. This round resting spot at the northeast corner of Church and Milwee remembers our fallen heroes: first responders and military. It was dedicated after the tragedy at the World Trade Centers on September 11, 2001. A piece of the World Trade Center was given to the City of Longwood and then added to this memorial. You will notice a blank space between the three granite pillars on either side of the thin pillar. Look at it again and focus on…