Donnelly Street Through The Years

Donnelly Street Through The Years. . , J.P. Donnelly , John Phillip was born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania on February 5, 1850. J.P moved to Mount Dora in 1879 where he invested heavily in the community and established several citrus groves., Shortly thereafter, J.P. Donnelly married neighbor and investor Annie McDonald Stone in 1880. The Donnellys combined the estate holdings which encompassed not only most of what is now downtown Mount Dora but almost all of the waterfront along Lake Dora. The Donnellys donated land for churches, fire department, cemetery and many other community improvements., When Mount Dora was incorporated in 1910, J.P. Donnelly was elected as the first mayor, served on the South Florida Chautauqua and organized the Mount Dora Educational Society. J.P. was also known as "Father of the Tangerine" because of his work developing the local citrus industry., In 1893, J.P. Donnelly built a Queen Anne style Victorian home at 535 Donnelly Street as a gift for his wife Annie. The Donnelly House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 for its architectural and historical significance., Although J.P. and Annie Donnelly did not have any children together, Annie had a daughter from a previous marriage named Nellie M. Stone. Nellie had three children, including a son Charles D. Griffen, Jr. (Pictured right with his grandfather J.P. Donnelly)