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| Former L-Shaped entrance gateway for the Colonial Gardens subdivision . The Colonial Gardens subdivision in Colonialtown is located between Hampton and Bumby, North of Colonial, and South of Weber. These entrance walls fl anked both sides of Palm drive, Garden Plaza, and Floral Drive. They were removed when Colonial Drive was widened. Conceptual drawing by Steve Hafer. |
Since I purchased my first home on Garden Plaza in 1998, I’ve heard many stories from neighbors about how Garden Plaza and the subdivision called Colonial Gardens use to look during the first half of the 20th century. Some folks said that Garden Plaza use to be a park with landscaped medians, gardens, and had a gazebo where the current round-about resides. Others told me the area use to be a plant nursery. These stories from neighbors sparked my interest in finding photos & more information about the area.
Eve Bacon’s “Orlando – A Centennial History” documents the development of Colonial Gardens during the 1920’s and 1940’s. According to Bacon, F.B. Mills, a seed farmer from Rosehall , New York developed parts of Colonialtown & Merritt Park. He owned 60 acres North of Colonial between Hampton & Bumby since 1921. He sold gladiolus bulbs on the property which he shipped to all parts of the United States under the business name “Colonial Gardens”. Mr. Mills eventually subdivided the property for residential use and opened his new subdivision called Colonial Gardens in November 1926. Little development in the subdivision occurred after the 1930’s during the Great Depression. Not until the 1940’s do we see major development in the area after Welborn Phillips Sr. planned construction of 100 homes in 45 acres of the Colonial Gardens area with each unit costing only $2,780. According to Eve Bacon, Wellborn Phillips Sr. developed & built most of the houses in Orlando between 1940’s and 1950’s including homes in Azalea Park & College Park.
So the stories from neighbors about Colonial Gardens being a plant nursery are true, since F.B. Mills did indeed sell his gladiolus bulbs from the property. During the 1920’s he also planted three railroad carloads of palm trees around the property, not to sell for profit, but he said as a living memorial to himself after his death. The palm trees planted by Mr. Mills are long gone in the 21st century, but the stories and memories of Colonial Gardens live on.
For more information about the history of Colonialtown & Orlando, check out the Two Volume set of Eve Bacon’s Orlando – A Centennial History” published in 1977.
Do you have a Colonialtown story to share? Please contact me, Deena Mims, at 407-228-1321 or email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
In 1921, a modest wooden church located at the 1100 block of North Fern Creek Avenue was quietly undergoing a change that would permanently transform the congregation over the next 90 years. A retired minister from Michigan, Reverend George D. Reeves, was 75 years old when he and his daughter, Edith, started Sunday school classes at the Highland Grove Chapel church in 1921. This small non-denominational community church was named after one of the many subdivisions sprinkled within Colonialtown, called “Highland Grove”. With growing membership & popularity of Edith & Pastor Reeves, the name officially changed from Highland Grove Chapel to Reeves Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church in 1930. In 1950, construction of the present day Spanish Mission style sanctuary began & was completed 1951. The original wooden church was torn down in 1955 and two additional buildings were added to the sanctuary making the campus what it looks like today. Although Reverend Reeves did not live to see the massive transformation and growth of his church, Edith continued her involvement with Reeves until her death in 1979 at age 90.