Howey-in-the-Hills in Lake County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

William J Howey
⎯⎯⎯
The Howey Mansion

William J Howey side of marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, October 4, 2026

1. William J Howey side of marker

Inscription.
William J Howey
William J. Howey, born January 19, 1876, was among the foremost citrus land developers in early 1900s Florida. He created his first development in Winter Haven in 1908, opening new groves in the area every two years after that. In 1914, he sold his holdings in Polk County, where Bok Tower now stands. and began purchasing land near Yalaha in Lake County. By 1920, he had amassed 60,000 acres for a grander development project, which would become what he called a "City Inevitable." On May 8, 1925, he incorporated Howey, which he renamed Howey-in-the-Hills two years later. He served as mayor from the town's inception until 1936. Howey opened the state's first citrus juice bottling plant, where he experimented with pasteurizing fruit juice. The threat of hurricanes in the mid-1920s and the collapse of the Florida Land Boom hurt Howey's businesses, so he continued with politics, unsuccessfully running for governor in 1928 and 1932. Howey died on June 7, 1938, leaving a legacy of entrepreneurship, innovation, and public service.

The Howey Mansion
Built in 1925, the Howey Mansion's Mediterranean Revival

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style reflects the influence of Spanish and Italian architecture. New York architect Katherine Cotheal Budd, among the first female members of the American Institute of Architects, designed the 7,200-square-foot, 24-room mansion. The Howey Mansion embraced the opulence of the Roaring Twenties during the Florida Land Boom. The interior blends function with extravagance. The Austrian craftsman who designed and constructed the unique plaster walls of the foyer did so in secret to hide his process. The library conceals a secret passage which leads to a hidden "prohibition vault.” The exterior boasts rose stucco, an elaborate bas-relief frontispiece, two castle towers, and an interior courtyard with a fountain featuring a siren. The grounds featured 15 acres referred to as "The Park,” which contained the Georgian marble mausoleum where Howey and his family are interred. The Howey Mansion was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on January 27, 1983.
A Florida Heritage Site

Erected 2025 by The Howey-in-the-Hills Garden & Civic Club and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-1304.)

Topics.

The Howey Mansion side of marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, October 4, 2026

2. The Howey Mansion side of marker

This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical date for this entry is January 19, 1876.

Location. 28° 43.344′ N, 81° 46.539′ W. Marker is in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida, in Lake County. It is on North Palm Avenue (Florida Route 19) just north of North Citrus Avenue, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1001 North Citrus Avenue, Howey in the Hills FL 34737, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Orlando

and in Central Florida.

It is also in the American South.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 9 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Town of Astatula Cemetery (approx. 3 miles away); Lake County Courthouse

William J Howey / The Howey Mansion Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, October 4, 2026

3. William J Howey / The Howey Mansion Marker

With the Howey Mansion in the background.

(approx. 6.1 miles away); In Memory of the Groveland Four (approx. 6.2 miles away); First United Methodist Church (approx. 6.3 miles away); Lake Apopka Through the Years (approx. 6.6 miles away); Okahumpka Rosenwald School (approx. 7½ miles away); Attorney Virgil Darnell Hopkins (approx. 7½ miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 8.3 miles away).

Also see . . . The Howey Mansion. (Submitted on October 4, 2026, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.)

The Howey Mansion image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, October 4, 2026

4. The Howey Mansion

Credits. This page was last revised on October 4, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 4, 2026, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 6 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 4, 2026, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.

William J Howey⎯⎯⎯The Howey Mansion

William J Howey
⎯⎯⎯
The Howey Mansion