A Bit of Winter Park Real Estate History

A Bit of Winter Park Real Estate History. . In 1881 Loring A. Chase and Oliver E. Chapman acquired property and began a real estate business in what was to become Winter Park. The business was incorporated as The Winter Park Company in 1885. Among its powers was to lay out roads on its property, buying and building hotels, and it possessed the sole and exclusive right to build, equip, maintain and operate a street railway(s) in Winter Park., The Winter Park Company was subsequently acquired by Francis B. Knowles. After Knowles death, in 1904, his estate sold the Winter Park assets to Charles Hosmer Morse, which included the Winter Park Company. Charles H. Morse appointed H.A. Ward as his agent and carried on the business as The Winter Park Company., In 1917, The Winter Park Land Company was incorporated and opened its doors in this building, and it has been instrumental in making Winter Park the wonderful community that you see today., From 1917-1947, the building also housed the original movie theatre in Winter Park, "The Baby Grand Theatre." We invite you to come in and see a portion of the restored theatre, as well as the real estate brokerage., The Winter Park Land Company operated the brokerage from 1917 until 2019, when Fannie Hillman and Associates took over operations. Real estate brokerage services have been offered to the community from this site for more than 100 years; this location is believed to be the longest continually run real estate office in Florida.