Windermere in Orange County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

1887 Windermere Schoolhouse

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, December 23, 2015

1. 1887 Windermere Schoolhouse Marker

Inscription.

Opened in 1887, this structure is the only surviving one-room school house in Orange County, and one of the few still standing in Florida. The Frame Vernacular building, capped with a metal roof, was communally constructed using locally milled heartwood from Florida long leaf pine. A well dug near the front door remains. Maude Adams, one of the first full-time teachers, educated generations of settlers and town builders within these walls. Ms. Adams received a salary of $22 per month for the education of 22 pupils. The students ranged from grades K-12 and were the children of citrus grove owners and workers. During the early 20th century, the schoolhouse served as headquarters for the local Board of Trade, a Women's Club, a Union Church, a polling station, and a meeting hall. The building ceased to be used as a schoolhouse in 1916 when a larger schoolhouse complex was established. In 1918, Lloyd and Minnie Armstrong acquired the schoolhouse and the surrounding property from real estate developer Cal Palmer. The Armstrong family altered the building into a "cracker style" home by attaching two sleeping wings and a broad

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covered porch. (Continued on other side) Reverse: (Continued from other side) The schoolhouse became the center of the home and served as the kitchen and dining room. Eight of the Armstrong's nine children were raised in the building. Many old citrus trees and ornamentals planted by the family are still present. During the 1930s the New Deal's Works Progress Administration built an outhouse at the back of the property. Minnie and Lloyd's daughter, Eunice Armstrong-Parramore, acquired the property after the death of her parents. In 1995, Eunice and Manuel "Perry" Parramore deeded it as a historic legacy to the Town of Windermere. The additions were removed and the structure was restored to its original school house form. In 2011, citizens organized to prevent an attempt to move the building, which would have compromised its historic integrity. On January 31, 2012, a town charter amendment was passed overwhelmingly by the voters of Windermere to preserve the 1880s schoolhouse in its original location. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003, it remains by a citrus grove, within sight of Lake Butler, canopied by

1887 Windermere Schoolhouse Marker reverse image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, December 23, 2015

2. 1887 Windermere Schoolhouse Marker reverse

historic trees.

Erected 2015 by The Windermere Historical Preservation Board, Windermere Garden Club, Windermere Parks and Recreation, Mary Frances Fischer-Howard & Family, John & Deanna Armstrong, Mayor Gary & Kay Bruhn, and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-867.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1877.

Location. 28° 29.584′ N, 81° 32.094′ W. Marker is in Windermere, Florida, in Orange County. It is on West 7th Avenue west of Main Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 113 West 7th Ave, Windermere FL 34786, 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

1887 Windermere Schoolhouse image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, December 23, 2015

3. 1887 Windermere Schoolhouse

South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Official World Trade Center Memorial Site (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Windermere Town Hall (about 700 feet away); Department of the Navy (about 700 feet away); a different marker also named Windermere Town Hall (about 700 feet away); Department of the Army (about 700 feet away); a different marker also named Department of the Navy (about 700 feet away); United States Coast Guard (about 700 feet away); Windermere Veterans (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Windermere.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, December 23, 2015

4. 1887 Windermere Schoolhouse

Credits. This page was last revised on March 4, 2018. It was originally submitted on March 16, 2016, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,455 times since then and 50 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on March 16, 2016, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.