Table of Contents:
LESS ANCIENT
HENRY SANFORD
SANFORD HISTORIC DISTRICTS
NEARBY SANFORD
DAY TRIPS
Sanford is the largest town on Lake Monroe. But it wasn’t the first. How did this area come to be?
ANCIENT FLORIDA
200+ million years ago, the continental plates collided, forming the Lake Wales Ridge, a 100-mile “mini divide” between east and west Central Florida. Although north of the actual ridge, the headwaters of the St. Johns River were pushed up to an elevation of 30 feet above sea level. Water flows down. The St John headwaters found Lake Monroe “below” it at approximately 13 feet above sea level. In turn, the lake runoff formed what is today the St John’s River. The river flows from Lake Monroe 140 nautical miles north to Jacksonville. The St John is the only major, named river in Florida that flows predominantly north.
So what is so important about the St John River and Lake Monroe? They are a constant source of fresh water in a peninsula surrounded by salt water.
The area around where Sanford is today was, like much of central and northern Florida, home to early inhabitants long before Ponce made landfall in 1513 A.D.
The Mayaca or Jororo Indians hunted and fished along the shore of what is now Lake Monroe and throughout Seminole 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 Sanford 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.
By 1760, a few European settlers had arrived in the area, bringing new diseases. More along the coast, the Spanish, then the English, killed off the tribes in their unending grab for land. By the time the United States took possession of Florida from Spain in 1821, the Mayaca and other tribes had been replaced by the Seminoles.
Over the next 37 years, the American army would do its best to reduce the Seminoles numbers.
The Second Seminole War
This war would have the biggest impact on the Sanford area as the U.S. Army built numerous forts across Florida during this time.
In 1835, the Seminoles set fire to the port of Palatka on the St. Johns River, a major artery into Central Florida from Jacksonville, and the US Army moved in.
They built an Army garrison on the southern side of Lake Monroe near a trading post and an inland trail. Camp Monroe was in operation by 1836, with approximately 300 men. The Seminoles attacked the fort in February of 1837. The army rebuilt and strengthened the fort, renaming it Fort Mellon in honor of Captain Charles Mellon, the only American casualty from the attack. The army would build a road wide enough to move troops and supplies from Fort Mellon to Fort Brooke (now Tampa).
They also built a satellite or outpost on the North shore called Fort Kingsbury.
The war ended in 1842. The forts were no longer needed as the soldiers went home. Florida entered a new land boom, and the areas around the forts became prime real estate. If you agreed to keep your land free from Seminoles, you could get a hefty parcel of land.
Melonville began to pop up around the fort of the same name. However, across the lake, some more energetic speculators were building a destination. They would call it Enterprise.
Enterprise Florida
Cornelius Taylor arrived in 1841, claimed a large tract of land, and built himself a plantation and a sawmill. Then he built a dock to ship his lumber and cotton. He then built a hotel to welcome travelers who came to soak in his nearby sulfur springs for their health benefits.
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.
Next came Jacob Brock, who owned his own steamship line. He built an even bigger dock and a larger hotel.
“Orange fever” sweeps over Central Florida. They are planting citrus trees on every vacant spot of land.
Back in Mellonville.
Mellonville was also growing, but not at the frantic pace Enterprise was.
In 1845, Florida became a state. The same year, Orange County was created from a portion of Mosquito County (renamed Volusia by then), and Mellonville was its first county seat.
American Civil War
Between 1861 and 1865, Florida became a major supply route for the South. Supplies from South and Central America entered ports along the Gulf, while European supplies flooded in through the Bahamas to the East Coast. Central Florida was not on the front line, but it supplied funding and young men to the cause.
After the war, another land boom hit Florida.
One of the new investors was a retired U.S. Government diplomat who had been stationed in several European countries. His name was Henry Shelton Sanford.
General Henry Shelton Sanford
In 1868, Sanford began investing his money in Florida real estate. He spent $18,400 to purchase 12,547 acres (the Sanford Grant) along Lake Monroe just west of Mellonville.
He planned for his new city to be “the Gate City of South Florida.” Here, steamships from Jacksonville would meet up with roads and, eventually, railroads to all points in southern Florida. It would be the state’s central transportation hub.
Sanford poured quite a great deal of his personal money into land speculation and into building the town.
He imported workers from Sweden (which was experiencing a financial crisis at the time) to work for 1 year to pay for their passage to the new world. They would create the community of New Uppsala, named after Sweden’s fourth-largest city. All that remains of the community is the old Upsala Presbyterian Church. However, in December, the Museum of Seminole County History has its St. Lucia Festival, offering Swedish traditions and desserts.
In 1877, less than 10 years after he arrived, Sanford saw his city incorporated. It would annex Mellonville in 1883.
Sanford’s Belair Grove
Belair Grove was Sanford’s baby. It was a pioneering experimental citrus station established in 1874 on 145 acres, three miles southwest of downtown Sanford. Here, he tested global citrus varieties to see how they would fare in Florida’s soil and climate. He would end up testing over 140 citrus varieties, olives, and exotic plants. He would sink most of his finances into this project. We can thank him for the Florida Valencia, a thinner-skinned, seedless, and juicy orange, ideal for juicing. He also created a cold-tolerant, thick-skinned variety called the Jaffa.
In 1880, Henry S. Sanford traveled to London, where he established a land company to encourage investment in his new city.
That same year, several businessmen founded the South Florida Railroad. Starting in Sanford, they begin building a narrow-gauge railroad to the town of Orlando, 23 miles to the south.
The Plant That Grew.
While Henry Flagler was busy building a railroad from Jacksonville to Miami along the East Coast, another Henry was linking Central and Western Florida by rail.
Henry Plant began working with train companies in 1844. In 1861, he founded the Southern Express Co. and made himself president. In 1879, he purchased the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad, which was the first railroad to have rail between Georgia and Florida. He next acquired the Savannah, Florida, and Western Railroad, which also stretched across most of Southern Georgia. With the purchase of the Savannah and Charleston Railroad in 1880, he was a major player in the Southeast.
Like Flagler, his company kept acquiring narrow-gauge railroads that had become obsolete after the war and replacing them with standard-gauge tracks. In 1882, to centralize management, he put them all into one company, the Plant Investment Company (PICO). He even had backing from his competitor, Henry Flagler. This company would manage railroads, steamships, and hotels in a seamless package.
In 1883, he offered to buy the South Florida Railroad, not because it went to Orlando, but because it planned to continue to Tampa. They don’t sell, so he acquires a controlling interest.
At the same time, the Florida Transit and Peninsular Railroad was trying to link Jacksonville with Tampa via Tallahassee. Both companies were buying up any small railroads in their path.
What does this have to do with Sanford?
In 1882, the newly built steel-hulled river steamer “Henry B. Plant“ arrived at the pier in Sanford. At this point, the Plant System was managing nine steamship and steamboat lines across Florida, connecting to the Plant System railroads along the St. Johns River and to the Gulf Coast. In 1882, the Plant System operated 2,100 miles of rail and connected steamships.
Still, what does this have to do with Sanford?
In 1887, Henry Plant built a beautiful red brick building in downtown Sanford. It includes a hotel for his guests, a restaurant, and retail. Oh, and he moves the Plant Investment Company’s central office here as well.
Upon his death in 1902, Henry’s widow sold the railroad system to the Atlantic Coast Line (ACL).
Also in 1887, Sanford Ice and Cold Storage would open at 401 South Sanford Avenue. Ice would play a crucial role in shipping citrus and produce.
And Then This Happened.
In September of 1887, a fire began at Altree’s Bakery on First Street. Within three hours, it destroyed most of the city’s downtown, consuming 147 businesses, 5 hotels, and 44 homes. Only the newly built DeForest Block at 121 E Main Street survived.
The city rebuilt, using strict brick requirements this time instead of wood. (See PICO red brick building.)
In 1888, a severe yellow fever epidemic began in Jacksonville and spread along the river. Enterprise’s population dwindled. Sanford was also hit.
Then the back-to-back freezes in December of 1894 and three months later in February 1895 wiped out most of Central Florida’s citrus industry. The 24-degree temperature was the coldest on record in Florida at that time. Sanford’s population of 5000 dropped to 2000 as workers abandoned the citrus industry. That year, Enterprise voted to de-incorporate. Sanford, with its growing tourism industry, weathered the cold.
So what could they do with this moist soil that was in an area prone to freezing? The answer was celery. In the 1890s, celery was a luxury, not something dieters rolled their eyes at. Although they planted other vegetables, celery was the king. Ira Terwilliger, John Whitner, and Benjamin Whitnerby would lead the agricultural renaissance. By the 1940s, Sanford was producing 25% of the world’s celery. The town would be nicknamed the “Celery City.”
Chase & Company
In 1886, Joshua Chase would move from Germantown, PA, to Sanford, drawn by the “Orange Fever.” His brother Sydney would join him a year later. They set up Chase & Company, selling fire insurance and fertilizer.
Following Henry Sanford’s death in 1891, they would purchase Belair Grove. Although they grew celery, they would double down on citrus. They began to acquire citrus groves from growers looking to get out of the business. In addition, they began purchasing packinghouses across the state. At the peak, they would own 20. In later years, they became highly involved in the sales and shipping of not only fruit, but also vegetables from Florida.
The brothers would become involved with railroads to move their citrus. They would be benefactors to Sanford’s Rollins College and other charities.
Joshua continued to run Chase & Co. until he died in 1948. The company would be sold to Sunniland in 1989 for $5.5 million.
After a series of devastating freezes in the early 1980s, the Isleworth Grove near Orlando was sold to golf legend Arnold Palmer. Today, Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge, and the community occupy the land.
1900s Sanford.
In 1913, due to population growth, Seminole County was formed from part of Orange County. Sanford is the new county’s seat.
Like much of Central Florida, the 1920s were not a proud time for Sanford. The local Democrats operated within a “Solid South” political framework, protecting white supremacy and dominance in local politics. They used the Ku Klux Klan as their private police squad, holding parades through town and cross-burning.
In 1926, Joseph and Wealthy Crooms donated 17 acres in the Goldsboro (Black) section of Sanford. They built the first high school for African Americans in Seminole County. , filling a gap for secondary education in Central Florida. Joseph would serve as the principal until his retirement in 1953. He worked closely with Mary McLeod Bethune of Daytona.
Sanford in the 1940s
In 1942, the town became a crucial military training base for land-based patrol bombers, including PV-1 Venturas, PBO Hudsons, and SNB-2 Kansans. By the end of the war, they were training carrier-based fighter aircraft, including the FM-2 Wildcat and the F6F Hellcat.
Unlike other Florida military bases that closed after the war, Naval Air Station Sanford remained a training station for carrier-based fighter aircraft of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet until 1969. Today, it is the Orlando Sanford International Airport.
In the late 1940s, the New York Giants began holding spring training in Sanford. They would continue this until 1959. During this time, they used the Mayfair Inn as a dormitory. Later, they would purchase the hotel and the Mayfair Country Club. Built in 1922, the course at Mayfair is one of Donald Ross’s first commissions. And the team’s presence brought tourists to the area, enabling the building of the 1951 Sanford Field.
It would be the winter training home for Jackie Robinson, who had to train at night due to segregation. He also would not be allowed to stay with the team at the Mayfair Inn. Early Wynn, Willie Mays (also not allowed at the Mayfair), Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, and, during their nine-month marriage in 1954, his wife Marilyn Monroe. They sold the hotel in 1963, after the team moved to San Francisco. The hotel would become the Sanford Naval Academy.
Is there something in the water? Baseball Hall of Famer Tim Raines and World Series MVP David Eckstein were born in Sanford. And the town didn’t only produce accomplished baseball players. Sanford native Jim Courier won four Grand Slam singles titles in professional tennis. He also won two Australian and two French Opens.
The 1950s in Sanford
After the war, Sanford 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 were much like the previous decade. Although Seminole County Public Schools began integration in 1964, the rest of the county remained segregated in housing, and white-only signs still littered public spaces. The 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibited segregation in public accommodations, finally put an end to that.
The 1970s in Sanford
Much like small towns across America, malls sucked the life out of downtowns, leaving vacant buildings that didn’t receive the care they needed. Sanford was no different. With the opening of the Sanford Plaza mall downtown was no longer the place to go. However, the downtown skyline did change in the 1970s with the construction of the new Courthouse (1972) and City Hall (1977).
Another major influence on Sanford during the 1970s was the opening of a small amusement park in nearby Orlando. When Walt Disney World opened in 1971, many people living in southwest Orlando began looking for a new home. Celery farms were sold to developers, and Sanford’s agricultural past became new subdivisions.
Sanford Today.
In 2003, the city redeveloped the lakefront with the RiverWalk Project. This walk made Lake Monroe its front yard.
Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB) began commercial services in 1996. Due to its previous life as a naval station, its runways were long enough to accommodate 747s, a staple of charter companies in the 90s. They demolished the navy tower and hangar, replacing them with a modern tower and terminal capable of accommodating jets. Many charter companies, especially from England, began using Sanford as the gateway to Disney World.
In 2008, Allegiant Air arrived, making it one of its Focus Cities.
As real estate prices continue to rise in Orlando, Sanford has seen a population boom of around 9% a year since 2020. The downtown revitalization and its becoming a culinary and craft-beverage hub has also attracted day trippers from nearby.
What is in Sanford for me?
See & Hear.
You can see historical structures in one of Sanford’s three historic districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the Downtown Commercial Historic District, Sanford Residential Historic District, and the Georgetown Historic District. Or take a bike ride or walk along the nearly 5-mile-long River Walk listening to birds, waves, and life happening all around you.
Taste & Smell.
There are cafes, coffee shops, craft breweries, and even a German restaurant with live entertainment.
Feel.
There are numerous energies about Sanford, from the high energy of a German oompha band to a quiet walk along the shore.
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 of German sausages and cheese and get outside.
There may be better ways to spend a relaxing afternoon, but this one doesn’t suck.
Should See in Sanford
The lake is pretty inviting. You can sit and look at it, walk along its shore, or bike it. There are dinner cruises and boats you have to paddle yourself. But leave the swimming to the large alligator population.
Lake Front
St. John’s Rivership Company
Although dating from 1986, and designed for dinner cruises, an authentic sternwheeler paddle boat departs daily from the Sanford Marina at the foot of N. Palmento Avenue. A nod to Sanford’s riverboat history.
Sanford Riverwalk
Stretching almost five miles, this paved walkway stretches from Fort Mellon Park on the east side of town to Highway 17 in the west. From there, it connects to Ft Monroe Park on the Northwest shore of the lake. Great for walking, jogging, biking, or sitting and looking at the lake. However, there is no shade, no water fountains, and no facilities.
Sanford Commercial Historic District
This three-block downtown area, anchored by First Street, is listed on the National Register. It runs east to Sanford Avenue, west to Myrtle Avenue, and includes the block between First and Second (to the south) and First and Commercial (to the north and lake).
These 14 small blocks are home to more than 25 well-preserved buildings dating from 1883 to 1925. Stroll the brick-lined streets and gaze at the diverse architecture. Let’s start at the intersection of First Street and Park Avenue. This is where north avenues meet south avenues, and east streets become west.
Lyman Bank Building (1883)
At the S.E. corner of 1st and Park is this 6-story structure, the oldest brick building in the commercial district. Four years after completion, the First National Bank purchased the building.
The Brumley-Puleston Building (1923)
Across from Lyman Bank at 100 East First Street is this historic three-story commercial structure, which began as the Roumillat and Anderson Drug Store and remained so for 55 years. It was built by famed contractor George Fuller, builder of Washington’s Lincoln Memorial and New York’s Flatiron Building.
Magnolia Square / Historic Downtown Clock
Walking east on 1st Street, you come to this square, which often hosts markets on weekends. The clock originally hung in front of the Lyman Bank Building. It makes a great meeting point as there are benches and planter boxes you can sit on.
Historic Sanford Welcome Center
Beginning as a post office in 1917, it would dispense letters until 1962. It then became a library until a new library was built behind it. Today, it welcomes guests to Sanford.
A free Trolley runs between the train stations and the downtown area. Please check at the Visitor Center for the current Sanford Trolley schedule.
Hotchkiss Building (1888)
Frederick Hotchkiss rebuilt the block at 215 S 1st Street after the great 1887 fire destroyed much of the downtown area. He first rented it to Manuel Jacobson, who ran a department store inside. It was followed by another department store and has been a retail space most of its life. Today, it is home to an art studio that rents space out to local artists.
Bishop Block (1888)
Also rebuilt after the fire, the 300 block of 1st street was open for retail business less than a year after the fire.
Old Sanford Fire Station
Around the corner from the 300 block is a yellow brick building at 109 S Palmetto that also rose from the ashes of the fire. It served as the town’s fire station from 1890 to 1974, sharing the space with first the city hall, then the jail, and the police station. In the 1990s, it became a private residence.
Old Jailhouse
Next door to the fire station is this 1914 building. It served as a jail until 1959, when a new firehouse was built. Today, it is home to a restaurant.
Henry’s Depot
Beginning as a freight depot in 1887, it was part of the Plant System and provided Florida orange growers with better shipping options. connections and cheaper access. In 1940, the Atlantic Coast Railroad replaced it with the current structure. In 2019, it became the current food hall.
Museum of Seminole County History
The museum is actually in Lake Mary, a 15 minute drive south on US 17. Located in a historic 1926 Seminole County Home, this museum covers Native American history, the area’s early forts and settlements, the railroad and agricultural development, and other aspects of Sanford’s history.
PICO building
Dating from 1887, Henry Plant built it as a hotel for his guests connecting from his steamships from Jacksonville to his trains onward to Tampa. In 1906, the building was sold to the Takach family, who had operated the restaurant inside the hotel. The restaurant featured gas lights, white tablecloths, and a menu reflecting Mrs. Takach’s Hungarian heritage. Today, it is home to law offices.
Historic Downtown Sanford
Milane -Ritz Theater
Opened in 1923 for movies and Vaudeville acts by the Florida-based Milane Amusement Company, they would sell it ten years later. The new owners would rename it the Ritz Theater, and although a few live acts would perform, it became more and more a movie theater. It would close in the late 1970s due to the competition from new suburban malls. Although a short-lived revival occurred in the 1980s, it wasn’t until 1999 that a true preservation/renovation began. Restored to host live entertainment, it was renamed the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center due to the large donations from his charitable trust.
Fort Mellon Park
Just east of downtown is this city park overlooking Lake Monroe. It includes shelters with picnic tables, a splash area for kids, and access to the River Walk.
Sanford Civic Center
This 1958 structure adjacent to Fort Mellon Park is one of the few mid-century modern architecture buildings left in Florida. In 1960, it played a pivotal role in the local racial desegregation when Black teenagers from Crooms Academy attempted to attend a dance at the center.
The Sanford Museum
Located in Fort Mellon Park, this museum began in 1957 as a museum and library dedicated to Henry Shelton Sanford. Over the years, it has grown to include all of the city’s history along with Sanford’s letters, art, and furniture.
Fort Mellon Historical Marker.
At the east end of Seminole Avenue is a marker in the area where Fort Mellon once stood. As it was built of wood (flammable) and had no foundation, there are no physical traces of the fort today.
Hotel Forrest Lake.
Built in 1925 as an elite winter destination for northerners, it opened its doors just in time for the Florida land bust. It would close in 1927. W.E. Kirchhoff, a local businessman, purchased the hotel in 1935 and renamed it The Mayfair Hotel. It was very successful and became the winter retreat it was imagined as. Popular with the visiting New York Giants, who did spring training in Sanford, Kirchhoff sold it to them in 1948. They would own it until the team moved to San Francisco in 1963.
The Bernarr MacFadden Foundation would buy it and rename it the Sanford Naval Academy, a private boarding school for boys. It would close in 1967.
From the 1970s until 2017, it was the international headquarters and training center for a theologically evangelical Christian mission. As of 2026, the current owner, World Olivet Assembly (WOA), was planning to make it a southern administrative center for world mission.
Georgetown Historic District
Dating back to 1870, this largely African American community east of Sanford Avenue was settled by pioneer black families on lots sold by city founder Henry Sanford. It was added to the National Register in 2020.
Sanford Ice and Cold Storage.
The brick structure at 401 South Sanford Avenue dates from 1922. It replaced the original 1890s wooden structure. It was the home of Sanford Ice and Cold Storage, an important industry making ice for households and refrigeration for insulated train cars shipping local produce. The introduction of electric refrigerators in the 1920s made ice houses obsolete. The building would later be a bakery and a variety store.
John H. Hurston House
At 621 E. 6th Street is the former home of Reverend John Hurston, who was pastor of nearby Zion Hope Missionary Baptist Church. He was also the father of author Zora Neale Hurston (Their Eyes Were Watching God). In the 1940s, Carrie Jones and her daughter Marie Jones-Francis opened the Jones-Francis Maternity Hall. For the next 32 years, they would deliver more than 40,000 Sanford residents, both Black and white. Although it is on the Florida Black Heritage Trail, it is a private residence.
Sanford Zion Hope Baptist Church
The congregation, founded in 1888, first gathered in an old horse stable on Mellonville Avenue. In 1926, they moved to this historic location at 710 Orange Avenue. In the early 1900s, Reverend Hurston was the pastor. Unfortunately, a fire in March of 2026 destroyed much of the interior.
St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church
The congregation dates from 1878, making it the city’s oldest African-American Baptist church. The current church building at 813 Pine Avenue dates from 1961.
St. James AME Church
Founded by freedmen in 1867, it is the city’s oldest African American congregation. The current Gothic Revival structure at 819 Cypress Avenue dates from 1913.
Hopper Academy
Opening its doors in 1910, it was one of the few schools in Florida for African-American students at the time. Originally, it had ten grades. When Crooms Academy opened in 1926, Hopper Academy was reduced to an elementary level (grades 1-6).
With the building of new elementary schools in 1962, Hopper closed its doors. In 2026, it will complete a 25-year restoration to turn it into a community center.
Sanford Residential Historic District
This historic district, west of Palmetto Avenue, contains over 432 historic buildings.
Bettye D Smith Cultural Arts
This structure at 119 W. 5th St was built in 1924 as the Sanford Public Library. It would serve that role for 43 years. Today, it serves as a community service center.
First United Methodist Church
The congregation dates from 1874, before Sanford was incorporated. In 1892, they moved to the corner of Park Avenue and Fifth Street. The current building you see dates back to 1906, with further enhancements from 1961.
Sanford Grammar School
Dating from 1902, this Romanesque Revival-style structure at 301 West Seventh Street began duty as the Sanford High School. Later, it served as a grammar school before closing in 2015, earning the title of the oldest school building in continuous use in Seminole County. It is the 4th oldest in Florida. Today, it serves as a catering venue.
Holy Cross Episcopal Church
Dating from 1873, this congregation is the “Mother Church” of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida. It is considered Sanford’s most historic church as it was founded by Gertrude Sanford, wife of city founder Henry Sanford. Only 7 years after construction, a hurricane destroyed the church in 1880. Rebuilt with wood, the second structure was destroyed by fire in 1923. The current, non-wooden Spanish Mediterranean-style structure at 401 South Park Avenue dates from 1924.
Higgins House
This 1894 Queen Anne Victorian home, located at 420 S. Oak Ave., was the home of railroad superintendent James Higgins. It remained in the Higgins family until 2025, and still serves as a Bed and Breakfast.
Florida Hotel / Old Fernald-Laughton Memorial Hospital
Built in 1910 as the private residence of hardware merchant George Fernald, this Colonial Revival home was donated to the city by his widow after he died in 1919. The city would open a prominent medical facility in the house, operating until 1955. Across the street from the Higgins House, this home at 500 South Oak Avenue, while once a B&B, appears (as of 2026) to be a private residence again.
Little Red School House R.I.P.
All Souls Catholic Historic Chapel
One of Central Florida’s oldest parishes, Father McFaul started a mission here in 1882. The first chapel was built out of wood circa 1887. Fire would claim it in 1932. The stucco structure you see today at 800 S Oak Ave dates from 1932 and stands on the same site.
Other Sites in Sanford
Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium
1201 S Mellonville was formerly known as the Sanford Municipal Athletic Field, dating back to the 1910s. In 1942, it became a Grapefruit League training location for the Boston Braves.
During spring training with the Montreal Royals in 1946, Jackie Robinson was forced off the field at the first practice. He would end up training at night or in nearby Daytona.
Later in 1951, it became the New York Giants’ winter home until they were sold in the early 1960s. Manager Leo Durocher trained greats such as Willie Mays, Bobby Thomson, Monte Irvin, and others. After retiring in 1951, Joe DiMaggio would spend time in Sanford and at Tinker Field in nearby Orlando, where the New York Yankees practiced.
The current concrete stadium dates to 1951, built in part to lure the Giants. It underwent major renovations in 2001 and today is home to Sanford’s Babe Ruth Baseball. In the early summer, it hosts the Sanford River Rats, a team of the Florida Collegiate Summer League. Past River Rats include outfielder Dylan Crews and pitcher Jacob deGrom.
Fun Fact: Babe Ruth hit a home run in the original stadium during a 1919 exhibition game.
1845 House
This private residence on Mellonville Avenue is thought to be one of the earliest homes in the area. Legend says the lumber used to build it was floated down the St. Johns River. Please respect the current owners. Look, don’t trespass.
Fort Reid Marker
Speer Grove Park, in the 1800 block of Mellonville Avenue, sits where Fort Reid once stood. Built in 1840 as a commissary and military auxiliary to Fort Mellon, it could house more than 400 troops. It was only in service until 1842. With the end of the Second Seminole War, it was decommissioned. The small settlement known as Mellonville would spring up in the area. The marker is closer to Catalina Drive on the park’s south side.
Naval Air Station – Sanford Marker
On the Southwest corner of the Orlando Sanford International Airport is this marker to the airport’s past.
The airport served as a training base from 1942 until 1946, and then again from 1950 until 1068. Besides the marker and memorial park, a North American RA-5C Vigilante jet is on display.
West of Downtown
Auto Train.
The southern depot of Amtrak’s Auto Train is just west of downtown. At three-quarters of a mile long, it is the world’s longest passenger train. At capacity, it can carry 650 passengers and 330 vehicles. For train spotters, it arrives from Lorton, Virginia, at 9:00 am and departs at 4:00 pm.
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens
Sanford has had a zoo for more than 100 years. Over 300 mammals, invertebrates, birds, and reptiles make their home here. There is also a petting area, a splash zone, and a train for kids.
Black Bear Wilderness Trailhead
West of I-4 is the trailhead (with parking) to access trails & boardwalks through 1,650 acres of hardwood, marsh, and floodplain swamps. Facilities are very limited and basic. Some trails have shade.
Rock Springs Run State Reserve
Via Wekiva River Road, south of Rock Springs Reserve Road, is 14 miles of hiking and biking trails through oak hammocks, bayheads, sand pine scrub, and pine flatwoods. There are also 17 miles of equestrian trails, and guided horseback tours can be arranged. The reserve even has overnight accommodations. There are basic facilities, but no potable water. Bring water and a G.P.S.
Historic Ethel Trail
Within the reserve is a 1.4-mile loop trail that passes through what was once the farm community of Ethel, Florida. Starting in the 1860s, farmers obtained their land through the Homestead Act. An agricultural community sprang up, complete with a general store. In 1886, the Sanford-Lake Eustis Railway built a station in Ethel for passenger and freight service. The major freeze of 1895 hit Ethel hard. A majority of the population left for greener pastures with whatever they could carry. Today, the only thing remaining is the cemetery and some informative markers.
Lower Wekiwa River Preserve
This preserve is a system of wetlands connected by blackwater streams. It is home to black bears, river otters, alligators, and numerous birds, including wood storks and sandhill cranes.
Katie’s Landing at Wekiwa River is located on Wekiwa River Road, north of Rock Springs Reserve Road. (Access road for FL-429) This entrance is the closest access from Sanford and offers launching of canoes or kayaks (you furnish) as well as two walking trails (2 and 4.4 miles). Like the rest of the parks in the area, facilities are basic (think outhouse), and there is no drinking water. Fishing is allowed, but swimming is not.
Wekiwa Springs State Park
Located 16 miles south, closer to Orlando, this state park is home to Wekiwa Springs, one of Florida’s swimming springs that maintains a year-round water temperature of 72 degrees. Here, Wekiwa Springs creates the Wekiwa River, which flows approximately 16 miles north (yes, north) to the St John River. Along the way, it passes through Rock Springs Run and Lower Wekiwa Preserve. The park also offers kayak rentals, but you share the area with the swimmers. There are also campsites you can paddle to. Whatever your plans, you will need a reservation. Click on the orange link for more information. Much of the Wekiwa River area is on the Great Florida Birding & Wildlife Trail.
South of Sanford
Belaire Grove – Upsala Swedish Community
The only remains of Sanford’s Belair plantation and experimental gardens are Belaire Lake, now surrounded by private homes, and a marker just inside the entrance of a private neighborhood park at 880 Casa Verde Blvd.
Henry Sanford hired Swedish immigrants from Upsala, Sweden, as the primary labor force to develop his “Belair”. The workers settled in the N.W. corner of the plantation, forming the first and largest Swedish community in Florida. To remind them of home, they named it New Upsala. They would maintain their traditions by teaching children in Swedish and celebrating the St. Lucia Festival of Light.
Several of the 50 laborers to arrive in 1871 were promised five acres of land after one year of service.
Upsala Presbyterian Church
Located at 101 Upsala Road. In the front yard, you can see the original church from 1892. It was used until 1985. Instead of tearing it down, they moved it and built the new church next to it.
Upsala Swedish Cemetery
Dating back to 1878, the cemetery at 550 Upsala Road has little to see today. In 1887, it was the site of the Scandinavian Hall, built by Henry Sanford, which served as a meeting place for his workers. It was also the site of the Scandinavian Society Lutheran Church, founded in 1872. This was the first community church. Younger members of the congregation would break away and establish the Upsala Presbyterian Church. A historic marker for Upsala Swedish Community marks the site today.
Further Afield
North of Sanford
No discussion of Sanford would be complete without mentioning Enterprise, its once rival across the lake.
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 on Lake Monroe. 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 caught 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, opened. 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.
All Saints Episcopal Church
This 1883 Carpenter-Gothic church is 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.
East of Sanford
DAYTONA BEACH
NEW SMYRNA BEACH
South of Sanford
Sanford Summary.
Did you have any idea how much history there is in this area? A 30-mile drive from downtown Orlando brings you to Sanford and the jumping-off place for much of Central Florida.
Central Florida is so much more than just amusement parks.
Set aside at least a day to see the sights in and around Seminole County.