WINDERMERE

Lakefront Living

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

Centuries before the town of Windermere was incorporated, the Timucua Indians inhabited the land until the 1500s. In 1564, the Spanish began to settle in the area. 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, closed in 1901 and reopened 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.

Most recently, the town celebrated the opening of its new town facilities buildings, which include new buildings for the police, administrative and public works departments.

Along with an abundance of trees, one of the town’s hallmarks is its location along the Butler Chain of Lakes. The Butler Chain has more than 5,000 acres in surface water among 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.

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS

SPRING Windermere’s Easter EggStravaganza. 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.

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) 774-0800 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, LOCAL MOTION (407) 836-5515. 2022

Mayor Jim O’Brien O’Brien is serving his third term for the town 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 and MetroPlan Advisory Board.

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

Town Council Member Tony Davit Davit is serving his second term for the town of Windermere. He is the council liaison for the Butler Chain of Lakes Advisory Board (Orange County) and Windermere Public Works. He also serves as an alternate for the West Orange Chamber of Commerce and MetroPlan Advisory Board.

Town Council Member Bill Martini Martini is serving his third 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 Molly Rose Rose is serving her first term for the town of Windermere. She is council liaison for the Long Range Planning Committee, the Windermere Budget & Finance and Windermere administration.

Town Council Member Loren “Andy” Williams Williams is serving his third term for the town of Windermere. He is the mayor protem and the council liaison for Elder Affairs, the Holiday Social Committee, School Advisory Committee and Historic Preservation Board.

Town Manager Robert Smith Smith has served as Windermere’s town manager since 2011. During his 11-year tenure with Windermere, Smith has been involved with numerous projects, including the construction of the town’s new facilties, which opened in 2022.

WELCOME TO WINDERMERE

Welcome to the town of Windermere, aka “Among the Lakes” — the best of small-town living in the heart of West Orange County. This is a place where white-sand streets are lined by trees and surrounded by the Butler Chain of Lakes, a 5,000-acre chain designated as an Outstanding Florida Waterway. It is a great place to raise your family, with abundant parks and recreational opportunities such as tennis, volleyball, basketball, exercise trails, playgrounds, a kayak launch and a private boat ramp directly on Lake Butler. Although small, our town is a vibrant hub of activity with annual festivals, weekly family food trucks and green market, and the popular Run Among the Lakes. Although 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 craft brewery. The town of Windermere is a community that prides itself on knowing your neighbor and is one of the safest in Florida because of our professional Windermere Police Department. Windermere Elementary School is highly rated and within walking distance. Once you settle in, I know 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

NOTABLE NAMES

n Carl D. Patterson Jr., a former town mayor, is the author of “Windermere Among the Lakes: The Story of a Small Town.” It is the definitive book on the town’s history.

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

n Dr. Stanley Scott was one of the first settlers in Windermere who gave the town its name.