Extinct
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Demens Sawmill
The factory was built somewhere around 1880. It was owned by P. A. Demens & Company, the corporation of railroad man Peter Demens. It was located where the SunRail overflow parking lot is today, on the block between Warren Avenue and Bay Avenue at Myrtle Street. It filled the entire block all the way to Olenader Street on the east. The 1884-85 State Gazetteer and Business Directory stated that Longwood’s chief industry was a sash, door and blind factory. This was P.A. Demens & Co., owned and operated by Peter Demens. Demens obtained the contract to build railroad station houses…
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Peter Demens House
The former homestead of railroad icon Peter A. Demens, a native Russian, was located on the northwest corner of East Lake. It is along the road now called Bucksaw Place. It is depicted on the 1885 birds-eye-view drawing of Longwood.
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Martin Andersen Estate
Martin Andersen first came to Orlando in 1931 in order to take over the two Orlando Sentinel newspapers, then known as the Morning Sentinel and the Evening Reporter-Star. At the time the papers were considered a very small time outfit, with circulation of about 10,000. Andersen was so successful at running the paper as editor-in-chief that the owner soon gave him a 10% stake to make sure to keep him around. During the Great Depression, he offered him an option to buy a controlling stake in the paper. Andersen, along with wife Jane, exercised this option in 1941. Martin was…
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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 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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Florida Midland Railroad
Modern Remnants of the Florida Midland Railroad You may notice that West Florida Avenue is slightly odd through the historic district. It is placed at a half-block increment between Jessup Ave and Magnolia Ave. There are a few driveways off of it, and most homes and businesses’ backs face it instead. That’s because it was not originally a road but the right-of-way of the long-defunct Florida Midland Railroad. There is a tiny alley-like companion to this called East Florida Avenue on the east side of the tracks, behind some houses’ backyards. There is a small gap, and then its effective…
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Original Longwood Hotel
The first hotel in Longwood was located at the southeast corner of East Warren and Longwood Avenue. Town founder Edward Henck built the wooden structure to handle the influx of prospective settlers and tourists coming down the Sanford-Orlando road via steamboat landing in Sanford. The structure was built in 1883 and should not be confused with the Longwood Inn. It was sold to Henry Hand. It occupied roughly the same footprint that the gymnasium complex today occupies; however, it was oriented to face north on Warren Avenue, the main road through town. This hotel had fewer rooms than the more…
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Ed Myers Recreation Building
Today it serves as a convenient parking lot located across the street from the current Longwood Community Building. However, on this well-landscaped lot is where its predecessor used to live. For generations, the building served host to many events and meetings. It was built in 1935 and lasted until 2002, when the new Victorian-style community center was constructed. Originally, it only had a roof; the open-sided recreation area had shuffleboard courts and other outdoor type activities. However, in the 1960s it was enclosed and for years hosted events of all sorts from parties and weddings, to church functions and musical…