Overview of Mount Dora, Florida

The city of Mount Dora, Florida, is an older town that was settled in the late 1800s, and as the majority of the original buildings are still in existence they greatly add to the town’s historical significance. Some of the earliest buildings were erected anywhere from the late 1800s to the early 1900s (Fig. 1) and although they have changed, many significantly throughout the years, they retain much of their exterior historic integrity and architecturally significant details (Fig. 2). The town has experienced a decent share of growth and change as many of the original businesses are long gone and the buildings within the historic downtown commercial zone have been flipped in several attempts to stir about new business opportunities.

There is an active and vocal historic board that ensures any project located downtown, within the historic district or considered historic in any matter, follow strict guidelines and request special permission before changes or alterations can occur. This has been the case in the past to an extent, as most of the historic buildings within the downtown commercial core have all been altered or radically changed on their interiors. Before historic guidelines were into effect, most of the local building owners freely manipulated the interiors of their historic structures without much thought or consideration. Although most of these buildings have been ‘rehabilitated,’ they were not rehabilitated with the idea that the interiors should retain some form of their originality. For example, the interiors of the former Mount Dora Bank & Trust building, which was the first bank in town, was completed transformed to fit a local realtor’s office space. The exterior was slightly altered (Fig. 3), but retains much of its original character (Fig. 4); unfortunately this cannot be said for the interior space.

The positive aspect of this occurrence is that the exteriors have been carefully conserved and they are regularly maintained. Therefore, to the average visitor Mount Dora keeps its appearance as a historically, quaint, New England modeled town as the building exteriors retain much of their unique character and charm (Fig. 5, 6). If you consider that the building exteriors have stood the test of time, for the most past, while businesses have come and gone and they have only slightly changed, then it is fair to say that rehabilitation has greatly impacted the area. While several buildings are being utilized, there are many vacancies in town due to overpriced rental rates and therefore a lack of motivation to realize new and different business opportunities. I believe rental rates need to be reconsidered to allow for more potential opportunities to take place and businesses need to be given more thought. Even though the median age is 48, there is a slow growing trend that younger families, originally from the area, are coming back to Mount Dora to raise their new families. As this shift becomes more noticeable, the community’s necessities will inevitably change to meet the demands of newer and younger residents and the downtown area will again face further transitions to stay relevant; hopefully this will happen with careful attention to retain the existing historic charm of the town.

Many of the incentives in Mount Dora, for the rehabilitation efforts, were to maintain a functioning downtown that would be attractive to tourists and remain memorable, adding significantly to the stimulation of the local economy. This economic stimulation has only increased as Mount Dora has set itself on the map for being an arts and crafts community, hosting various art, craft and antique shows and events. These efforts have surely had a positive impact on the local community as many of the buildings downtown have been transformed into restaurants or small retail shops, adding to the commerciality of the town. Through it all, the town retains its charm and likeability, almost in a Mayberry-esque manner.