Discover Mount Dora
Mount Dora's earlier name, Royellou, joined the names of postmaster Ross Tremain's children, Roy, Ella and Louis. That name accompanied the post office established in 1880, before Mount Dora became the familiar town name. An early visitor hotel, the Alexander House, opened in 1883; later names included Lake House and Lakeside Inn. The sequence reflects a community developing both residential and visitor services beside the lake.
More about Mount Dora
Rail service arrived in 1887, making it easier to move people and goods. The town received its charter in 1910. The Donnelly House, dating to 1893, belongs to the intervening period of growth rather than to the later municipal founding date. These distinctions help place the visible buildings within a longer development story.
Witherspoon Lodge adds an important African American community history. Founded in 1898, the lodge acquired its building in 1903. City walking-tour material describes its use not only for fraternal activity but also as a school during segregation, a church space, a youth library and a community center. The property entered the National Register in 2009.
The lodge, early inn and railway together show different kinds of institution-building. Mount Dora's history includes accommodations for visitors, transport for commerce and spaces residents used to support learning and mutual aid.
Sources
- City of Mount Dora: Northeast CRA Historical Perspective: https://ci.mount-dora.fl.us/Archive.aspx?ADID=6023
- City of Mount Dora: Historical Walking Tour Material: https://ci.mount-dora.fl.us/Archive.aspx?ADID=4888
