Fountains stars and…read morechocolate cake The Paisley Country Library was opened in 2001 and is rather small and architecturally uninteresting. Certainly nothing like some of the wonderful libraries in New England that are literally dripping with history and ambiance. However just because a library is new, small and constructed on a low budget doesn't mean it can't be fantastic, interesting and creative. This library has a nice selection of books, especially on local history, a great children's department, free wi-fi and the other library stuff found in most other places. However it's the special things that make this library one of the very coolest I have ever been in. As you walk through the front door a huge display of a bench under the night sky and stars greet you. A little fountain is on the floor. Sure it's kind of in the way and you have to walk around it but that's what makes it so cool. Look up and you will see all kinds of interesting thingies hanging from the ceiling. Not valuable antiques or priceless artifacts but obviously things made right there at the library. That makes it even better. When I only half jokingly said that this just might be the second most enjoyable library I have ever visited one librarian said wait one minute and then returned with a big plate of chocolate cake and cookies. Yep, that bumped it up and it's number one on my list of coolest libraries now. I'm not above some bribes and gratuities. All libraries have books, magazines and computers and most have impressive programs and displays. But the one thing that separates the very best libraries are the librarians. These two were probably the friendliest, most welcoming, funniest and genuinely nicest I have met anywhere.. Nobody cared if you talked too loudly in here or got crumbs on the floor. Nobody would hush you or ask you not to take pictures. It is a place to learn, talk, enjoy and share and would have gotten five stars even without the chocolate cake.

Love this place and staff. The staff is very nice and helpful. They always have wonderful programs…read morefor the kids.

I love history so therefore I love historical sites and I often seek such sites out when I'm in the…read morearea or in this case right down the road from my home. Although a little off the beaten path I have driven through this neighborhood a number of times and today I decided to stop and take a closer look. It's relatively easy to find but one should obey the speed limit and show some respect. Located in the middle of the street on a tiny tree and flower filled dirt island on Canova Drive in New Smyrna Beach, the memorial is dedicated to Charles Dummett, a teenager who died in 1860. The Historic Account The son of Douglas D. Dummett, a landowner, and Leandra "Anna" Fernandez, Charles Dummett died when he was just 15 years old. While the exact cause of his death remains a mystery, most accounts attribute it to a hunting accident. The elder Dummett was said to be so saddened by the loss of his son that he built the young man's grave right where his body was found. It's remained there ever since. In the 1950s, developers who were working in the area decided to build a road around the memorial instead of embarking on the long legal process of getting permission to move it. According to a 2019 article in the Daytona Beach News Journal, an anonymous artist added a statue of a dog to the gravesite and on most days there are still fresh flowers laid on the tomb...

It looks like your typical sub-station. The only difference is it's on the water, and by a boat…read moreramp. Also has a Pokémon stop. It's beautiful!

While I am very familiar with the blue markers of the state wide Florida Historical Marker Program,…read moreoccasionally I will come across a county or city historic marker. On a recent walk through Lake Concord Park I was delighted to discover that the City of Casselberry has their own historic marker program. Historic markers are a great way to learn about the formative people, buildings, and events in a town's history. This marker is about the Belgian Azalea Gardens. In 1939 Azalea growers Jules and Janis Colle came to Casselberry to grow their particular kind of Belgian Azalea's. They chose Casselberry because they had heard that it was possible to get oil from the railroad to use to heat plants during freezes. The couple created their business Belgian Azaleas Inc. with Hibbard Casselberry, the founder of the City of Casselberry. The azaleas were not just sold and shipped cross the country and to Canada but they were also given away to promote the town. Soon the azaleas became part of the identity of Casselberry and the plants can still be seen in the gardens of homes in the town today.

This particular day was the once a month "Party after 5" event at Downtown Sanford. It's good only…read moreif you like a street carnival ambiance with very little choices on food and music. I rather walk around and enjoy the stores open late and spend my money in one of the nice restaurants that do offer some very good specials during the night.

As a fan of both architecture and history, I will sometimes come across a jewel like this two…read morestory, red brick building located at 209 North Oak Avenue on the corner of West Commercial Street, in Sanford. It is in Sanford's historic commercial district. The PICO Building is a historic two story redbrick building built in 1886-1887 for the Henry B. Plant of Plant Investment Co. Henry Plant was a prominent 19th-century businessman, entrepreneur, and investor who played a crucial role in developing Florida's transportation infrastructure and economy. He is best known for building a vast network of railroads and steamship lines, collectively known as the Plant System, that connected Florida to the rest of the United States and the Caribbean. He also built several hotels including the former Tampa Bay Hotel which is now home to the Henry B. Plant Museum and the University of Tampa. The Turkish style of the PICO Building resembles Plant's Tampa Bay Hotel. The purpose of the PICO building was to serve travelers arriving in Sanford on the Plant railroad and steamship lines. President Calvin Coolidge stayed at the Pico Hotel when he came to Seminole County in 1929. The building was designed by local architect William T. Cotter who drew inspiration from the Romanesque Revival and Moorish Revival styles of architecture. It was built by the H. M. Papworth Construction Company. You can see the Moorish influence in the intricate geometric patterns, including stars, polygons, and arabesques. The first floor of the hotel had a restaurant, a store, a reception area, and a guest's lounge. Guest's rooms were located on the second floor. On the right side of the building there is an entry to second floor with beautiful original door. The building is characterized by high ceilings, original wooden floors, and 9 fireplaces throughout the interior. The windows have horseshoe and ogee arches. Originally the PICO building was adorned with an onion shape dome on the right corner on top of a decorative bartizan tower but sometime in the 1950's it sustained significant storm damage and was ordered to be removed by the city. In 1906, the building was remodeled and sold to the Takach family, Hungarian immigrants who operated the restaurant next door. Mr. Plant was a fan of their food so he let them take over the PICO building for their restaurant which operated for the next 50 years. After that the building was used for law offices. On June 15, 1976 the PICO Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The building is currently for sale for $1,645,999 and it comes with an osprey nesting in the chimney! The property is fitted for office space but it could it also be turned back into a hotel or even a museum.

The railway was vital in establishing the flow of goods and people into a town. They were the…read moreprimary form of transportation. The first railway that came to the area was the Jacksonville, Tampa, and Key West Railway in 1886. The 29.5 mile route ran from Sanford, Sylvan Lake, Paola, Cassia, and Sorrento into Mount Dora and then to Tavares. In the 1880's train cargo was typically citrus, goods, from a local cannery, and fertilizer. Town founder David M. Simpson used the citrus to advertise his town by wrapping each piece in promotional materials promising a ree brochure of Mount Dora. The Old Mount Dora A. C. L. Railroad Station is a historic 35 x 93 foot Atlantic Coast Line Railroad depot in Mount Dora, Florida. It was originally built by ACL in 1914 and opening in 1915 at a cost of $8,223. It operated with two trains going in each direction. By 1922 there were four trains running passengers, freight, and mail. Passenger service continued to bring in tourists and visitors until it ended in 1950, and freight service on the line ended in 1973. On March 5, 1992, the station was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The depot is now the home of the Mount Dora Chamber of Commerce who leases the building from the Seaboard Coast Line for $1 a year. The City of Mount Dora along with many community members and businesses restored the railroad station in 2014 in time for it's 100th anniversary with a grant from the Mount Dora Community Trust. Historical details were preserved like the sliding cargo doors and pine wood floors. The building is available for rent for private events like weddings, parties, and seminars.

Much like the Fort Ogden marker…read morehttps://www.yelp.com/biz/fort-ogden-historical-marker-arcadia?hrid=7iTRrXh-ADzYRK34B2XaeQ a few miles down the road, the US army set up this fort in an effort to "quell" the natives and bring European settlers to Central Florida. It's not a great chapter in American history but it is the history and markers like this tell the story. It reads the same on both sides. "During the Second Seminole War (1835-1842), troops under the command of Brig. Gen. Abraham Eustis left Volusia County headed toward the Withlacoochee River as part of a military action in response to the December 28, 1835 massacre of Major Francis L. Dade and his command near Bushnell. In March 1836 the troops camped nearby while a bridge was constructed over the Ocklawaha to the west. They built a fortified stockade about one mile south of this location, on the east side of Smith Lake. It was named Fort Mason, most likely to honor Lt. Col. Pierce Mason Butler who led the expedition and after whom Fort Butler, near Astor, was also named. After hostilities ended, Fort Mason became a supply base to support and encourage settlement in the area, which would later become Lake County. With the coming of the railroad in the1880s, a town on the north shore of Lake Eustis took its name from Fort Mason." The road is wide enough with a breakdown lane that you can pull over to view the sign. [Review 16814 overall - 1538 in Florida - 327 of 2022.]