WINDERMERE

Among the Lakes

Although many people — especially in the Horizon West area — have Windermere addresses, the town of Windermere proper actually spans just 2.2 square miles.

Centuries before the town of Windermere came to be, the Timucua Indians inhabited the land until the 1500s. In 1564, the Spanish began to settle in the area. And after Florida became the 27th state of the Union in 1845, the U.S. government gave 160 acres of land to anyone willing to cultivate five acres and build a cabin. That’s when more people began settling in Windermere.

The town was founded in 1887 when two Englishmen, the Rev. Joseph Hill Scott and his son, Dr. Stanley Scott, started their settlement. Dr. Scott built his home on the shore of Lake Butler, and most believe he named the town after England’s famous Lake Windermere.

Another English native, John Dawe, built the Florida Midland Railroad through the community in 1889. A post office opened in 1888 but closed in 1901 before reopening in 1911. The town was established as a residential development in 1889, but it wasn’t until 1925 that it was incorporated by Cal Palmer, J. Howard Johnson and Howard Lyon. The first mayor was John Jaquith, who served from 1925 to 1927. Cal Palmer served as the second mayor, from 1928 to 1929. Johnson was the fifth, and Lyon was the seventh. In fact, Cal Palmer’s office building — which was completed in 1911 — still stands today, as does the historic 1887 Schoolhouse, which was the first school in town.

Johnson and Palmer founded the Windermere Improvement Company in 1910 and together formed the town’s foundation. In 1922, settlers formed a Chamber of Commerce, and the Windermere Improvement Company gave land to the Womans’ Club and Union Church.

Over the years, the town began to take shape. New buildings — including a clubhouse, more school rooms, a library and a renovated town hall — were constructed.

Today, Windermere is home to 3,022 residents as of the 2020 census, although its ZIP code serves roughly 30,000 homes.

Along with an abundance of trees, one of the town’s hallmarks is its location along the Butler Chain of Lakes. The chain comprises 13 lakes that flow south toward Reedy Creek, the Kissimmee River, Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades. The Butler Chain has more than 5,000 acres in surface water between the 13 lakes: Down (900 acres), Little Lake Down (23 acres), Wauseon Bay (100 acres), Butler (1,600 acres), Louise (140 acres), Isleworth (86 acres), Blanche (21 acres), Chase (135 acres), Tibet-Butler (1,200 acres), Sheen (656 acres), Pocket (126 acres), Fish (23 acres) and a 14-acre unnamed lake. The system also has a total of 32 navigable canals.

— DANIELLE HENDRIX

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS

SPRING Windermere St. Patrick’s Day Celebration. This event features fun for all, including live music, food trucks, games and beer. Proceeds benefit the Windermere Police Department Foundation in memory of fallen Windermere Officer Robbie German.

Windermere’s Easter Egg-Stravaganza. The town hosts a fun egg hunt for children each year outside Town Hall. Children are divided by age group to hunt for eggs, some of which will win them fun prizes.

SUMMER Fourth of July Pancake Breakfast. Windermere families look forward to this event each year. Residents are invited to join town staff and volunteers for a patriotic breakfast.

FALL Windermere Halloween Parade. Although the format changed slightly in 2020, the town of Windermere typically hosts a Halloween hayride and costume parade for children and their families to enjoy.

WINTER Light Up Windermere. To kick off the holidays, the town typically combines its Food Truck Friday event with a tree-lighting event and holiday festivities. Mayor Jim O’Brien Jim O’Brien is serving his second term for the town of Windermere and previously served as a Town Council member. O’Brien was elected mayor in 2019, replacing outgoing longtime Mayor Gary Bruhn. He serves as the town liaison for the West Orange Chamber of Commerce, MetroPlan Advisory Board and SAC. Contact O’Brien at jobrien@town. windermere.fl.us.

Town Council Member Mandy David Mandy David is serving her first term for the town of Windermere. She is the council liaison for the Farmers Market/Food Truck Selection Committee, the Parks & Recreation Committee, the Windermere Active Youth Committee and the Parks Department.

Town Council Member Tony Davit Tony Davit is serving his first term for the town of Windermere. He is the council liaison for the Long Range Planning Committee, Streets and Roads, Building and Grounds and is also the MetroPlan alternate for Windermere.

Town Council Member Bill Martini Bill Martini is serving on his second term for the town of Windermere. He is council liaison for the Development Review Board, the Windermere Tree Board and the Windermere Police Department.

Town Council Member Chris Sapp Chris Sapp is serving his second term for the town of Windermere. He is council liaison for town administration and is also the West Orange Chamber alternate for Windermere.

Loren “Andy” Williams Loren “Andy” Williams is serving his second term for the town of Windermere. He is the council liaison for Budget & Finance, the Elder Affairs Committee, the Holiday Social Committee and the Historic Preservation Board. Welcome to the town of Windermere: “Among the Lakes” — the best of small-town living in the heart of West Orange County. A place where whitesand streets are lined by trees and surrounded by the Butler Chain of Lakes, a 5,000-acre chain designated since 1985 as an outstanding Florida waterway. We are a great place to raise your family with abundant parks and recreational opportunities such as tennis, volleyball, basketball, exercise trail, playgrounds, kayak launch and private boat ramp on the Butler Chain of Lakes. A vibrant hub of activity with annual festivals, weekly family food trucks and green market, and the very popular 5K Run Among the Lakes. While there is plenty of activity, at night, you can still see the stars, as well as the Disney fireworks across Lake Butler.

Downtown you will find Main Street is a two-lane road with roundabouts for safety and walkability lined by retail shops, including a wine store, restaurants, ice cream parlor and a new craft brewery. The town of Windermere is a community that prides itself on knowing your neighbor and is one of the safest in Florida due to our professional Windermere Police Department. Once you settle in, I know that you will be enamored by the special charm and character that make the town of Windermere the place we love to call home!

— MAYOR JIM O’BRIEN

WELCOME TO WINDERMERE

SERVICE WITH A SMILE

n Cable/internet: Spectrum, (407) 291-2500; DIRECTV, (866) 906-2621; DISH, (844) 306-7067; AT&T, (866) 817-0776; CenturyLink, (877) 862-9343; EarthLink, (844) 903-3107 n Power/electric: Duke Energy, (800) 700-8744 n Fire: Ocoee Fire Department, (407) 905-3129 n Police: Windermere Police Department, (407) 876-3757 n Trash: Waste Pro, (407) 7740800 n Utilities (water/sewer): Windermere doesn’t provide water or sewage services. Residents either have personal wells/septic tanks or are hooked up to Orange County Utilities, (407) 836-5515.

LOCAL MOTION 2021

NOTABLE NAMES

n John Dawe is the Englishman who built the Florida Midland Railroad through Windermere.

n J. Howard Johnson was Windermere’s fifth mayor and co-founder of Windermere Improvement Company.

n Cal Palmer served as Windermere’s second mayor. Palmer also incorporated the town in 1925.