Table of Contents:
ENTERPRISE
HENRY DELAND
SHOULD SEE DELAND
DAY TRIPS
For years, people traveled past the area that would one day become Deland without giving it a second glance. It was undeveloped land in a hollow full of wild persimmon trees.
Then, another type of tree and a man with a vision created this wonderful Floridian town.
ANCIENT FLORIDA
Deland, like much of central and northern Florida, has signs of early settlers dating back long before Ponce made landfall in 1513 A.D.
The Mayaca culture hunted and fished in what is now Volusia County. They had numerous small villages. Their diet consisted of roots, nuts, and berries. They also collected snails, freshwater mussels, and shellfish. They hunted turtles, deer, alligators, and other game for meat.
In the Deland area, immense mounds of oyster shells, pottery, weapons, and domestic tools have been found and dated to 3,000 B.C. Unfortunately, before they realized what a time capsule they were, road crews used them as leveling ballast for the new roads reaching across Florida.
Less Ancient.
Enterprise Florida
Where? What does this have to do with Deland? Let me show you.
In the late 1830’s, during the Second Seminole War, Fort Kingsbury was built on the north shore of Lake Monroe. It was a satellite or outpost for Camp Monroe on the south shore. Monroe would later be renamed Fort Mellon and sat where the present-day Sanford is.
Cornelius Taylor
In 1841, a controversial and colorful character in this part of Florida’s frontier history led a group of around 50 men, women, and children from Jacksonville to this new area. The government was granting 160 acres of land to anyone willing to clear, cultivate, and hold land against the Indians for five years. Without bothering with the paperwork, they claimed the recently deserted fort and several hundred acres to the east for themselves and named it Enterprise. They harvested Live Oaks for lumber, which they shipped to the North, and replaced them with citrus trees. He also grew cotton and sugar on his plantation and had a sugar boiler.
Taylor built a hotel for riverboat guests atop the Mayaca Mound. He advertised that the nearby Green Springs, a large mineral spring, had healing properties, so the sick and infirm began flocking to soak in the Jade Green waters.
With the success of the lumber and citrus industries, Enterprise grew. In 1843, Enterprise became the Seat of Mosquito County, an 11,000+ square mile area that encompassed much of Central and the east coast of Florida. Today, 11 Florida counties are part of the former Mosquito County, including Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Seminole, Osceola, Orange, and Volusia.
Two years later, for marketing purposes, they renamed the county Orange County. In 1854, the part of Orange County east of the river became Volusia County with Enterprise as the county seat.
By 1846, Taylor’s questionable land grab caught up with him, and he abandoned Enterprise for the Texas frontier.
Jacob Brock
In the 1850s, Jacob Brock, owner of the Brock Steamship Line on the St. John River, built a 100-room hotel west of Enterprise. He also built a new, large dock where he would deliver travelers from Jacksonville directly to his hotel’s front door. He put in Main Street, extending from his pier inland, and named the area New Enterprise.
In addition to sick people seeking “the cure,” the area became known as a hunting and fishing paradise.
Guests of the Brock House hotel included President Grover Cleveland, Ulysses S. Grant, Gen. William Sherman, Jay Gould, James Rockefeller, and the Vanderbilts.
Another guest was Samuel De Bary.
Samuel Frederick de Bary
Frederick de Bary, already a wealthy businessman as the sole U.S. importer for Mumm champagnes and wines, visited the east coast of Florida in 1870. He was there to see the land he had purchased in 1868, which included a shell mound, some mineral springs, and the remains of Cornelius Taylor’s plantation. Before leaving, he had acquired 5000 acres of land between the St John River and Lake Monroe, west of New Enterprise.
On a hill where he could see Lake Monroe, he built a 20-room, 8,000 sq. ft. Italianate-style hunting lodge. The lodge included a wine cellar, library, and elevator. Outside, there was an insulated icehouse, quarters for servants, a golf course, tennis courts, a spring-fed swimming pool, and a sugar mill.
De Bary catches the “Orange fever” and planted every acre he could with orange or Pecan trees.
By 1876, he had so many oranges he needed an inexpensive way to get them to market. He purchased his first steamboat. By 1881, the De Bary Merchants’ Line had 3 ships. By the time it merged with Colonel H.T. Baya’s line in 1883, it had 7 ships, and the new DeBary-Baya Merchants’ Line had a total of 12 ships, making it the largest on the St John River.
Brocks Revenge.
Just before he died in 1876, Brock had to sell the hotel to help pay for bankruptcy costs from his steamship line. Former hotel guest-turned-rival De Bary had put him out of business.
He sold it to Luther Caldwell, who expanded and upgraded the hotel. The hotel is one of the first to use manufactured lunch boxes to send meals with departing passengers. Caldwell was part of a team working to build a rail link to Enterprise to ship Indian River citrus to market faster. (Take that, De Bary.)
A year later, a spur from Enterprise to the Jacksonville, Tampa, and Key West Railroad, which was 5 miles to the west. It was the beginning of the end of the steamboat era.
By the early 1880s, Enterprise was home to the county courthouse, county jail, a post office, the Brock House Hotel, as well as smaller hotels, dry goods stores, a chemist, a sawmill, a newspaper, and more.
And Then Things Changed
In 1887, Enterprise lost the title of county seat.
The next year, Enterprise experienced another yellow fever epidemic that began in Jacksonville and spread along the river. Enterprise’s population dwindled.
Then the back-to-back freezes in December of 1894 and three months later in February 1895 wiped out most of the Enterprise citrus industry, including the DeBary groves. That year, Enterprise voted to de-incorporate.
All Saints Episcopal Church
This 1883 Carpenter-Gothic church at 155 Clark Street. It is still in operation with services on Sunday mornings. (Click the orange link for more information.)
Green Springs Park
Circling the Green Spring, once a calling card for Enterprise, this charming park features several nods to the past. Look for markers to the clam hound (midden), Taylor, and De Bary as well. Swimming is no longer allowed.
The Enterprise Museum.
Located in the original 1936 Enterprise Elementary School building, the building, along with its collection, offers a great look into Old Enterprise. It really is the best place to start, as so little of old Enterprise remains. The price is free, but please leave a donation.
Gemini Springs Park
Back to Deland
The first documented European settler in the area was Ruben Marsh. He was part of a 1841 scouting party out of Fort Mellon towards the end of the Second Seminole War. He noted the deer, turkey, and other wild game were plentiful, and the land held potential.
After the war, he got married and bought a settler’s claim near present-day Deland. He built a cabin and began raising stock.
Wild persimmons grew abundantly in the area. Soon, the area was known as Persimmon Hollow. After the Civil War, increasing numbers of pioneers began settling in the area seeking new lives in this unsettled frontier.
Henry Addison DeLand
In the spring of 1876, Henry Addison DeLand was visiting with his wife’s family in South Carolina.
His brother-in-law, Oliver Terry, shared that he had just purchased land in Florida, sight unseen, and was anxious to invest in the budding citrus industry. Suffering from “Orange Fever,” he convinced Henry to join him on a trip to see his land.
They took the train to Jacksonville, the end of the line. From here, they traveled on a Brock’s steamboat down the St John River to the Brock’s House hotel.
DeLand was not impressed by Enterprise. The landscape along the beginning of the four-hour+ buggy ride to Persimmon Hollow did nothing to get his hopes up, and he was beginning to think this is a scam.
Finally, south of the Wisconsin Settlement (later Orange City), the flat terrain began to roll and was covered with pine and persimmon trees.
The Wisconsin Settlement was a land company set up by two brothers from Wisconsin. They were marketing the area to people back home who were getting Orange Fever. DeLand remarked, “This looks like the West.” He catches “orange fever.” It did not hurt that it was springtime and the orange groves were in bloom.
Before the day was over, Deland was the new owner of 159 acres of land.
After speaking with some local settlers, he was sure he had found the nucleus of a town dedicated to advancing education and culture. They overnighted with a friend of Oliver’s, John Rich.
Who is Henry DeLand
In 1872, he takes over the management of his brother’s company D. B. DeLand & Co., which produced baking soda, cream of tartar, and their famous “Cap Sheaf Soda” in Fairport, New York.
From an early age, he told himself that if he became a financial success, he would give any money above a set amount to benevolent causes.
It was time to use his profits for the betterment of humanity.
Henry A. DeLand returned to Persimmon Hollow in the fall and purchased more land. He retired from the baking powder company and focused on his new project, the “Athens of Florida.
The Blueprint of the Town.
By 1876, he was ready to present his plan. Calling all settlers within a 10 to 12-mile radius of John Rich’s cabin, he unveiled his plan.
He began the meeting by donating $400 and an acre of land for a schoolhouse. Next, he offered the same amount to the first congregation to build a church.
He cleared a wide one-mile-long strip of land, running north to south through the center of the area, to be the main street, Woodland Boulevard. He would plant the avenue with orange, magnolia, and oak trees, showing visitors what an impressive town this was.
Then came the most important selling point: DeLand said he would back the investors and guarantee their investments. For any reason, if they wanted out within the first two years, he would buy back their loans.
That evening, those in attendance voted to name the new community DeLand.
Deland Takes Shape.
Within a year, the town had a newspaper, a store, a post office, and a school.
Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Howry, settlers in the area before Deland, donated some of their land at what is today the corner of Woodland and Howry Street. Here, the first United Methodist Church opened its doors in 1880.
In 1881, E. W. Bond came to DeLand to open a sawmill. He took control of the newly founded Orange Ridge, DeLand, and Atlantic narrow-gauge Railroad. He built a line between DeLand and DeLand Landing on Lake Beresford, a wide section of the St John River 5 miles southwest. The line began moving cargo and passengers in 1884.
By 1882, the population of Deland, including settlers outside the town, was around 800. That year, 39 of the 41 eligible voters moved to incorporate DeLand.
Also in 1884, Henry DeLand funded the building of DeLand Hall to house the DeLand Academy for higher education.
A Man in a Hat.
In 1885, Philadelphia hat maker John B. Stetson visits Deland to see his new town in Florida. Stetson, who suffered from tuberculosis, was looking for a warm climate to spend the winter in.
He fell in love with Deland, bought 300 acres of orange groves, and commissioned a 10,000-square-foot winter cottage.
That same year, he funded the building of Stetson Hall for the academy. It would house the school’s president, a dining hall, and rooms for students and teachers.
In 1886, Deland talks Stetson into using the power company he is a part-owner of to purchase a generator from Stetson’s friend Thomas Edison. He does, and in December of that year, Deland turns on the state of Florida’s first electric streetlights. It also powers an ice plant that Stetson finances.
And There Were Setbacks.
In 1886, a fire broke out in Wilcox’s Saloon and destroyed both sides of the 100 block of Woodland Boulevard before the fire was out. Soon after, the town passed an ordinance that allowed only brick buildings in the commercial district. It also banned saloons from the commercial area, but that law would go away at the end of prohibition.
By 1887, Deland topped 1,000 inhabitants. The DeLand Academy is chartered as DeLand University, and the city became the County seat of Volusia County, taking the title from Enterprise.
The same year, a standard-gauge rail link from the Jacksonville, Tampa, and Key West Railroad linked Deland to the rest of the country.
In 1892, John Stetson donates another building to the Academy. Elizabeth Hall’s central portion was built as the university’s central academic building, providing classrooms, offices, and a chapel. He names it after his wife. They will add the north and south wings in 1897-1898 to accommodate the growing campus.
And Then It Got Cold.
The main industry of Deland was citrus, and we know what happened in the winters of 1894 and 1895.
Many settlers, seeing their hopes dashed, took advantage of Henry DeLand’s offer to buy back their loans.
To his credit, Henry DeLand kept his promise. He felt a moral obligation to honor his guarantees. By 1896, he had sold off all his property in Florida and Fairport.
He returned to New York and went back to work. His family’s baking soda company burned down in 1903, and he had to work for the competition. The same year, he lost his 37-year-old son, Harlan, to tuberculosis.
He worked until he had paid off all debts. He died in 1908, penniless.
John B. Stetson University.
Stetson swoops into the void left by Henry Deland’s departure and becomes the university’s chairman of the board. He keeps Deland’s dream of an important place of learning alive. He strengthens the endowments and building funding to ensure the school’s future. In 1889, the school was renamed John B. Stetson University in his honor.
Stetson and the Town of Deland.
John Stetson is not only a benefactor to the college, but to his friend’s Athens of Florida. Toward the end of the century, he buys the 1884-built Parceland Hotel from Deland’s brother-in-law, J.Y. Parce. He enlarges it and builds a train spur to the hotel. He also added an 18-hole golf course, one of the finest in Florida at the time. It became the winter address of many wealthy northerners.
John Stetson would die in 1906 in Deland. His final resting place is in Pennsylvania.
Deland in the Roaring 20s.
Another jewel to Deland’s crown opens in 1922. The Athens Theater, an Italian Renaissance-style building, opens for live stage shows and movies. Its name is a tip of the hat to Deland’s “Athens of Florida.” Deland will continue to attract winter visitors from the north with the addition of the Eastwood Terrace Inn in 1925.
Unfortunately, the Florida land boom faltered after the 1926 hurricane. It came to an abrupt halt in 1928 when another hurricane struck. A year later, the Great Depression hit.
1930s Deland.
This decade was a dark mark on the town’s sparkling reputation. Local newspapers suggest that the state and local political machines are doing little to help Deland’s citizens through the depression.
In addition, the entire decade saw Francis Whitehair and Bert Fish control the entrenched “Courthouse Ring,” which used voter suppression, intimidation, and often violent practices in an attempt to uphold Jim Crow laws to maintain white supremacy in local politics. They used the Ku Klux Klan as their private police squad. They would remain in power until federal appointments finally removed them from Volusia County.
Deland in the 1940s
In 1941, the town became a crucial military training hub when the city donated its airport to the U.S. Navy. DeLand Naval Air Station is a training ground for Navy and Marine flight crews, flying PBO Ventura and F6F Hellcat planes.
The influx of military personnel and their families is a much-needed boost to the economy. At the end of the war in 1946, many chose to stay.
The 1950s in Deland
After the war, Deland slipped back into what it was before the war, a slow-paced, segregated, agricultural community.
The Supreme Court’s ruling in the 1954 case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka set the Klan in Volusia County in flames. Many local law departments were members of the Klan, so protection for Blacks was minimal.
A New Decade?
The 1960s saw Deland become involved in the space race unfolding at Cape Kennedy, just over an hour to the southeast.
But as some reached for the stars, others were stuck in the past. White-only signs still littered drugstore lunch counters. In February 1960, Black students from Euclid High School staged sit-ins at Woolworth’s on Deland’s Woodland Boulevard. The students did not receive service, and some would end up in jail. These sit-ins began happening at several Woolworths and McCrory’s across Volusia County, marking one of Florida’s earliest, student-led, peaceful protests. By July, the protests led Woolworth’s to remove the white-only signs from its lunch counters. On the other hand, McCrory’s would close many of its lunch counters rather than give in.
The 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibited segregation in public accommodations, finally put an end to that.
The 1970s in Deland
Much like small towns across America, malls sucked the life out of downtown areas, leaving vacant buildings that didn’t get the care they needed. Deland was no different. Stetson’s College Arms Hotel was demolished soon after the war. The Hotel Putnam was an apartment building by the 1970s and no longer a winter address for wealthy Northerners.
Deland Today.
This charming college town has revitalized its downtown and now has something for all ages. There are several nearby state parks with fresh springs, offering a variety of non-motorized water activities. There’s live entertainment most weekends and stage shows at the restored Athens Theater.
Sure, there are chain restaurants, but seek out the local places for a change of taste. (Look for the locals inside.) Deland makes a great day trip from Daytona or Orlando.
What is in Deland for me?
See & Hear.
You can see historical buildings around every corner in the downtown historical district. While paddling a kayak or canoe in the spring, listen to nature all around.
Taste & Smell.
There are cafes, coffee shops, craft breweries, all the eats and drinks you would expect in a college town, offering aromas and offerings for every palate.
Feel.
There are numerous energies about Deland, from the adrenaline rush of a live concert downtown, to a quiet walk through the same woods where the first people used to hunt and gather.
Get yourself lost in one of the historic districts and admire the different architectural styles from the last 100+ years.
Sample some local cuisine, or pack a picnic and get outside.
There may be better ways to spend a relaxing day, but this one doesn’t suck.
Should See in Deland
Stetson Mansion
Dating to 1886, the Stetson Mansion (winter cottage) is the only remaining Gilded Age mansion in Florida built before 1900. The house, a 10,000-square-foot, three-story Victorian-style jewelbox, features 10 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, and early Edison electricity. Tours are available year-round, but are extra special at Christmas. Click the orange link for more information.
Stetson’s Gator Pit
Just around the corner from the house was an enclosure for Stetson’s “pet” alligator, Beauregard. Today, the enclosure on W Voorhis Ave looks like a hole in the ground.
Kilkoff House
On West New York Avenue, this historic house is one of DeLand’s earliest buildings. A good example of vernacular construction, it has been modified since its 1878 construction but retains much of its original charm. The house is still a private residence, so look, but do not trespass.
1918 Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Station.
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad built the Craftsman-style station on the west side of Deland for its new rail service. The station was fully restored in the mid-2000s and still greets railroad passengers to this day. Amtrak has one northbound to New York and one southbound to Miami that make stops here daily. The commuter train SunRail from Orlando has more than 20 arrivals and departures on weekdays and fewer on weekends. Staff is on hand around the Amtrak schedules.
Old DeLand Memorial Hospital
This modern hospital (100 years ago) is interesting in its own right. Inside is equipment and even an operating room from that time. What really makes it a must-visit site is that today it houses the Veterans Museum, which contains many artifacts from the building’s and Volusia County’s history. Adjacent, and part of the museum complex, is the Burgess Pavilion, the first hospital for Black citizens in West Volusia County. The West Volusia Historical Societ .operates ther museum. Click on their link to see some of the many interesting tours and activities they offer.
St Barnabas Episcopal Church
Offering its first service in 1884, this structure at 319 W Wisconsin Ave is the oldest operating church building in DeLand. 140+ years later, it is still serving the community.
Stetson University
In 1883, in a lecture room of the First Baptist Church, Henry A. DeLand and Dr. John H. Griffith founded the DeLand Academy. In less than 20 years, it would grow into Stetson University.
Deland Hall
Dating to 1884, the structure was the academy’s first building and is today the oldest building in Florida in continuous use for higher education. Now on the National Register of Historic Places, it once housed classrooms, administration, and a women’s dorm.
Stetson Hall
Built two years later, the second building, constructed at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida, was completed in 1886. Built in the Second Empire style, it served as a multifunctional facility containing the first president’s residence, a dining hall, and student/teacher rooms. It was considered one of Florida’s first co-ed residence halls. The university removes it in 2011 and makes the area into a green area.
Elizabeth Hall
With funding from John Stetson in 1882, they name it after his wife, Elizabeth. The Colonial Revival structure is a nod to Independence Hall in Stetson’s other home, Philadelphia.
Flagler Hall
Originally called Science Hall, railroad magnate Henry Flagler funded this 1902 historic three-story Mediterranean-style building. It began as the engineering department building and Florida’s first law school.
The President’s House
This Neoclassical beauty dating from 1910 was the home of local businessman W.A. Steed. The university purchased it in 1948 for the President’s House.
Homer and Dolly Hand Art Center at Stetson University
On the university campus is this small museum holding works donated by alums, as well as over 1,000 pieces of art by Modernist painter Oscar Bluemner, donated by his daughter, Vera, a Deland citizen.
DeLand House Museum
Located a short drive from campus at 137 W. Michigan Ave, The DeLand House Museum is a 1.5-story Frame Vernacular house built in 1886. Despite the name, Deland did not live here; he sold the land on which it sits to George W. Hamlin (his attorney), who built this house. The West Volusia Historical Society will purchase it in 1988.
Gillespie Museum
On the campus at 234 E Michigan Ave, this center for earth and environmental science education has been part of the campus since 1958. Exhibits include a historic mineral collection, natural history, Florida ecosystems, minerals, volcanism, and more
DOWNTOWN DELAND
Dreka Department Building
George Dreka was the brother-in-law of John Kilkoff, who owned a store in Deland. They joined forces and bought out the competition, James Jordan Mercantile. They invited Volusia County to come for a free lunch and see their new store’s grand opening. Needless to say, it was wildly successful. By 1885, they had expanded and added a hotel upstairs.
Although their wooden structure survived the 1886 downtown fire, by 1909 Dreka had built a modern, fireproof structure on the site. In 1938, J. C. Penney moved in and remained until 1977. Renovated again in 2011, it is now home to several retail outlets.
Landis-Fish Law Building
On W Indiana Ave, this structure began as a one-story Romanesque-style brick building in 1902. It wasn’t until 1925 that they added another floor and the Federal-style architecture. It was a law firm until 1985. Today, it is home to executive suites.
Volusia County Historic Courthouse
The building you see today is the third structure on the site and dates from the 1920s. Deland became the county seat of Volusia County in 1888 when Henry DeLand offered to donate land for a courthouse, and he, John Stetson, and Mayor Fred Goodrich agreed to pay for the building. Voters are offered a courthouse that would cost them nothing. Guess how they voted?
The Courthouse moved to newer facilities in 2001. Today, the building is home to county offices and public cultural uses. Visitors can access the main lobby, rotunda, and public art displays.
The Miller-Fish Building
Charles Miller operated a thriving feed and grain business beginning in 1876. There was a stable behind the building, and a buggy & carriage shop. He expanded into freight handling and was the local agent for Clyde’s St. Johns River Line. His wooden structure held up well until the fire in 1886.
His masonry structure opened the following year on the same spot. In 1925, local attorney Bert Fish bought the building. He rented it to various retail companies, including its longest tenant, Woolworths. They would remain at this location until 1997. The building was the location of the 1960 sit-in. Today, it is the Deland Museum of Art. Click the orange link above for more information on the museum.
Athens Theatre
Opening in 1922, it originally showed movies between live acts. By the 1940s, it was only showing movies, and by the 1990s, it closed due to the Cineplex at the malls.
In 1994, the Mainstreet Deland Association secured financing for a restoration. It would not be until 2009 that performances once again took place on the stage of the Athens theater. Today, it hosts many tribute bands and local theater.
Artisan Alley
Today, more of a neighborhood than just an alley, it has become part of the downtown’s vibrant social life. Between 1920s-era masonry buildings, the alley and adjoining W. George are now home to boutiques, galleries, breweries, and more. On Friday nights (6:00 to 9:00 p.m.), it hosts a weekly market featuring local produce and arts and crafts vendors.
Downtown DeLand Historic District.
One of three historic districts in Deland, it contains more than 60 structures in an area only a few blocks wide. If you are a fan of Queen Anne Victorians, Neoclassical, Colonial Revival, or Mediterranean Revival, you’re going to find something you like.
North of Town
DeLand Naval Air Station Museum
On the grounds of what was once a United States Naval Air Station from 1942 to 1946, this small museum is adjacent to the Deland municipal airport. Did you ever go through a grandfather’s desk and find things you didn’t even know you had an interest in? That’s what this is like. Wow, what I didn’t know about Florida and World War II. Tours are available. Click on the orange link for more information.
De León Springs State Park
20 minutes north of DeLand is this great State Park. Thousands of years of history, nature paths for exploring, a fresh spring you can swim in, and even the chance to make your own pancakes (if you get there early enough). The visitor center has things little hands can touch. There is a 500-year-old Cypress Tree and airboat rides. The “Old Mill” you see today was reconstructed in the early 1900s. However, at one time, part of the park’s area was home to a cotton plantation that also grew sugar cane.
Barberville Pioneer Settlement.
A 10-minute drive north of De Leon Springs State Park is this historical site. Beginning as little more than a school building dating back to 1919, a group of volunteers see a great way to preserve some of Florida’s past. They restore the school, and over the years, they move other historic buildings from the area to the “settlement.” These include a post office from 1885, a church from 1890, and a cabin from 1880. In addition to the 12 historical structures, workshops offer opportunities to learn about various trades from the early 1900s, including printing, wheel-making, woodworking, blacksmithing, and more.
East of Deland
Lake Helen Florida
Any conversation about Deland probably needs to include Lake Helen, which Henry Deland created. With the success of his hotel in Deland, there was a demand for more places to winter.
He began buying land and developing it as a quiet, scenic destination featuring his upscale hotel, the Harlan House, named after his son. It opened in 1884 on the shores of Lake Helen, named after his only surviving daughter.
A spur line off the Atlantic & Western Railway brought passenger train service to Lake Helen in 1887. Within a year, Deland incorporated Lake Helen. The same year, he opened the Granville Hotel.
With the citrus, tourism, and local sawmill and brick company booming, Lake Helen flourished.
Some northerners began building winter homes, and others year-round homes along Euclid Ave. A surprising number of these pine wood homes survive.
Then the 1894-1895 freeze destroyed most of the citrus trees, and many residents left. The sawmill and the hotels continued, but Lake Helen stalled in growth and popularity. She carried on until the 1920s, until she received a one-two punch.
The wooden Harlan Hotel caught fire in 1922. There was not enough interest in the area to rebuild. Then the Florida building boom went bust. Lumber and bricks were no longer in demand. By the end of the 1920s, the mills and factories were close. And then the entire nation began the depression.
Today, there is nothing left of Henry Deland’s stamp on the area. However, less than a 20-minute drive from downtown Deland, Lake Helen is still worth a look.
Lake Helen Historic District
Stretching nine blocks between West New York, at the north, Park Avenue on the South, Euclid on the west, and Lakeview on the east, it has more than 70 historical structures.
Hopkins Hall
Sitting on N Euclid Avenue, just south of W New York Ave, is this structure, which makes it a great place to start. Dating from 1897, Willard and Betsy Hopkins would build it for use as a community center and library. This is one of the oldest non-residential structures remaining from Lake Helen’s golden era. The library would later move to a new structure across the street. Today, it serves as an event space.
Euclid Avenue
Both North and South Euclid act as a pearl necklace along the west side of the historic district. At least 10 structures are dating from before 1900. Please remember these are all private residences.
Lake Helen City Hall
located at 327 S. Lakeview Dr., is a historic building constructed in 1913 that originally served as the Minerva Bond Long-Lake Helen Elementary School until 1996. It later became the center of city administration and currently houses the Lake Helen Museum.
1895 Ann Stevens House B&B
If you need to see the inside of a house from the 1800s, you can book a night at this B&B just south of town.
Lake Helen Christmas Home Tour and Architectural Tour
Another fun way to see the inside of a few historical homes is during this annual December weekend event. Click the orange link for more details.
DAYTONA BEACH
NEW SMYRNA BEACH
South of Deland
Orange City
The Wisconsin Project, which John Deland would visit during his first trip to Persimmon Hollow, began in 1875. Settlers from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, would plant thousands of acres of citrus groves, giving the city its name. The project was a success, and the town was incorporated in 1882.
Like the rest of Central Florida, it will be hit hard by the big freeze in 1895. However, the town manages to survive.
Like much of central Florida, it was unable to preserve many of its early wooden structures. However, some survive.
Orange City Historic District
A one-square-mile district that happens to be the same area incorporated in 1882. You can find a walking tour map on the orange link.
Orange City Town Hall
A great place to start a tour of the historic district is the Town Hall. This Neo-Classical Revival structure dates from 1928. Today, it is still used as the city’s administrative office.
1876 Heritage Inn
The DeYarman family built the hotel in 1876. They start with a cottage to house workers of a local sawmill; in turn, these men would help build the hotel. The cottage eventually became the hotel’s kitchen. The family expanded to its current size in the early 1900s.
It closed during the Depression and would be used for everything from a Methodist camp to a nursing home until new building codes banned wooden-frame structures for nursing homes. In 2026, it was operating as an extended stay hotel. Inside the lobby is the Florida Postal Museum, a great little museum started by a retired Postmaster from Deland.
Blue Spring State Park
Just west of Orange City, on the St John River, is this state park for swimming, kayaking, hiking, and other outdoor activities. However, its biggest claim to fame is the up-close viewing of manatees from the numerous overlooks. When the St. John River water temperature drops below 72°F, the manatees come into the springs to warm up. The spring’s water is a constant 72°F. In the winter months, it can be bumper-to-bumper with manatees.
Thursby House
Inside the Blue Spring State Park is where Louis Thursby built his home in 1857. The house standing today dates from 1872, making it the oldest residence in Orange City. The house sits on a shell mound (Midden) and today serves as a museum and interpretive center.
ORLANDO
Deland Summary.
Did you have any idea how much history there is in this area? Less than an hour’s drive from downtown Orlando, Deland, and Volusia County have so much to offer.
Central Florida is so much more than just amusement parks.
Set aside at least a day to see the sights in and around the Athens of Florida.