Saint Leo in Pasco County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Lake Jovita
Photographed By Fr. Len Plazewski, November 8, 2010
1. Lake Jovita Marker
On Feb. 15, 1881, Judge Edmund F. Dunne and captain Hugh Dunne, his cousin, came across this clear lake and named it for Saint Jovita whose feast day it was. Judge Dunne established San Antonio Catholic Colony on land he received for legal services in negotiating the Disston purchase of four million acres from the state at 25 cents an acre. The colony was named to honor St. Anthony of Padua in thanksgiving for an answer to prayer. It was originally planned as a central city surrounded by farm villages. Judge Dunne’s home was built where St. Leo Abbey and St. Leo College now stand.
Erected 1981 by Placed by the Pasco Board of County Commissioners and the Historical Preservation Committee 1981.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1881.
Location. 28° 20.145′ N, 82° 15.768′ W. Marker is in Saint Leo, Florida, in Pasco County. Marker is on Bowman Drive, on the left when traveling east. Marker is on a frontage road that parallels State Road 52 at bottom of the hill overlooking Lake Jovita. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Saint Leo FL 33574, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. St. Anthony School (approx. 0.6 miles away); St. Anthony of Padua Church
this page online
Additional commentary.
1. Corrected info on the Marker regarding the date
When the Pasco County Historical Preservation Committee had his marker made, we made an error regarding the date. Subsequent research proved Judge Dunne did not arrive in Florida until August 1881. Thus the actual date of Dunne's christening the lake as Lake Jovita was February 15, 1882.
You, of course, cannot correct the wording but, perhaps you could add a note.
I am a member of the PC Historical Preservation Committee and have been since its inception.
Editor's Note: Thank you for bringing this to our attention, and for explaining the actual year of the lake's christening. We are happy to include this note to let future visitors know. Note To Editor only visible by Contributor and editor
Photographed By Fr. Len Plazewski, November 8, 2010
2. Lake Jovita Marker
— Submitted March 3, 2011, by Edward Herrmann of Dade City, Florida.
Photographed By Fr. Len Plazewski, November 8, 2010
3. Lake Jovita
Credits. This page was last revised on April 9, 2018. It was originally submitted on November 8, 2010, by Fr. Len Plazewski of Tampa, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,018 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 8, 2010, by Fr. Len Plazewski of Tampa, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
