Winter Garden Downtown Historic District
Posted by: 
Markerman62
N 28° 33.958 W 081° 35.092
17R E 442797 N 3160039
Located on Plant St (FL 438) at Woodland St. in front of the Winter Garden History Research and Education Center.
Waymark Code: WM13EW4
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 11/25/2020
Views: 7
On this corner, farmers built a small wooden train station soon after the Orange Belt Railroad reached the area in 1886. By 1899, the Taveres & Gulf Railroad constructed a second rail line and depot nearby. Wooden stores rose alongside the parallel tracks and Winter Garden was incorporated in 1908. Prosperity fueled Winter Garden's growth from 1910 to 1960. The town became a major citrus shipping point and downtown served as the region's shopping center. Nearby, Lake Apopka gained recognition as "the large-mouth bass capital of the world." During the second half of the 20th century, the city center declined. Automobiles replaced train travel, strip malls outpaced downtown Plant Street stores, and Lake Apopka became polluted. After multiple freezes during the 1980s decimated the citrus industry, the buildings in the run-down business area stood mostly abandoned. Following the 1994 opening of the West Orange Trail, a district featuring 24 commercial structures was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A few years later, the city removed the Plant Street railroad tracks and beautified the streetscape, igniting a dramatic recovery.
Marker Number: F-906
Date: 2015
County: Orange
Marker Type: City
Sponsored or placed by: The Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, and the Florida Department of State
Website: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
In your log, please say if you learned something new, and if you took any extra time to explore the area once you stopped at the historic marker waymark.
Please post a photo at the marker location.