The House on Lake Conway
Part Three: Howe’ Kalorama; Cheney’s Glendonjo; Orlando’s DAR
Robert & Hadassah Howe, as established in earlier posts of this series, built their home in 1883 on the east shore of Lake Concord, information gleaned from historical records. There is another source, however, that not only verifies that the Howe’s built their home on Lake Concord, it also pinpoints the location of where the Howe house was built.
In January 1886, several Orange County pioneers approached a New York railroad builder about building a railroad to connect Orlando and Winter Park by taking a different route than the South Florida Railroad had taken. The railroad builder’s name was Charles Delemere Haines, and on 3 February 1888, Winter Park’s Lochmede newspaper reported, “The first train over the Orlando & Winter Park Railway came in yesterday morning with Mr. Haines in charge.” Traveling with Mr. Charles Haines, said the Lochmede, “was J. Abbott.”
Joshua Abbott, a Civil Engineer, did the survey for the Orlando & Winter Park Railroad. In 1887, Abbott’s detailed survey of the entire train’s route included the curve at Lake Ivanhoe. He showed the locations of orange groves and existing homes along the railroad’s route, and there at the Ivanhoe curve, Abbott identified one home as being the “Robt. Howe” residence (see red arrow in the photo above from Abbott’s survey). Sweet Avenue on Abbott’s survey became Colonial Drive, so the Howe residence was north of Colonial and west of the railroad tracks.
During the early 1900s, Sanborn Fire Insurance produced detailed maps of numerous cities. The maps were used to resolve claims and were updated every few years. In 1919, Orlando Sanborn maps show an existing residence along the east shore of Lake Concord; west of the railroad tracks; and north of Colonial Drive. The home is in the very spot Joshua Abbott identified in 1887 as Robert Howe’s residence.
Sanborn Insurance survey of 1919
The Abbott survey and Sanborn Insurance survey make it possible for us to piece together two of three clues about the history of a home that is still standing these many years later. Six years after the 1887 Abbott survey, as I said in Part Two of this series, ten Orlando ladies met at the home of Mrs. Robert Howe on Lake Concord to organize a social club they named Sorosis (Latin for ‘sisterhood”). Six years before the 1919 Sanborn Insurance survey, as I said in Part One of this series, a 1913 DAR picnic was held at the home of Mary Elizabeth (Alexander) Cheney on Lake Concord.
Both events took place at the same residence. Robert & Hadassah Howe had named their estate and grove Kalorama (Greek meaning, “nice view”). In 1912, John & Mary (Alexander) Cheney acquired the existing Howe residence and grove and renamed the family’s new estate Glendonjo. According to John Cheney’s obituary, the family’s beautiful home was on “Lake Concord and is called Glendonjo, made up from the names of the three children.”
Glendonjo, however, soon encompassed more than one residence, a subject for next week’s post.
Meanwhile, as for the DAR Flag Day Picnic of 1913, Parts One & Two of this series provided a bit of history about two of the attendees, Mrs. Mary (Alexander) Cheney and Mrs. Caroline E. (Packard) Schuller. Another DAR member attending Cheney’s lakeside picnic was identified as “Mrs. A, B. Whitman.” Mrs. Alton B. Whitman (see photo above) was in fact Helen Maud (Neff) Whitman, the wife of a well-known Orlando Dentist.
Born in Iowa in 1878, Helen (Neff) came to Florida at a young age with her parents. She became a NSDAR member because she was a lineal descendant of Moses Childs (1752-1776), a Private in the Massachusetts Militia who died while serving in the American Revolution.
Age 35 when Mrs. Whitman attended the DAR picnic of 1913, Helen (Neff) Whitman in later years served as both a Regent of the Orlando Chapter and a State Vice-Regent. She had also served as President of the Sorosis Club.
“Beloved Orlandoan Dies at 79,” was the 9 July 1958 headline telling of the death of Helen Maud (Neff) Whitman. An Orlando Civic leader during a time when women rarely participated in government, “Mrs. Whitman” had been “the first women in Florida to serve on a municipal board,” according to her obituary, “being the Treasurer and for several years Chairman of the Orlando Park Board.”
Although she did not win, Mrs. Whitman had been the first woman to run for City Commissioner in the State of Florida, but her accomplishments included organizing the Orlando Garden Club. “She started the movement,” said her obituary, “for the establishment of Rock Springs as a public park,” negotiating with the park’s namesake, Dr. Howard Kelly.
The history of the House on Lake Concord is indeed a fascinating one. Many a prominent Orlandoan spent an enjoyable moment or two at this 19th century lakeside residence. We should be thankful that the home withstood the test time, a subject for Part Four of this blog.
Stop by Writer's Block Bookstore in historic Winter Park
for a book signing: Saturday, August 10, 2024 - 4PM to 7PM
Orlando: A History of the Phenomenal City, and my Award-winning, The Ladies were Daughters Too – available at Amazon, or, on August 22, 2024, from 4PM to 7PM, stop in, say hello, and pick up a signed copy at Writer’s Block Bookstore in historic downtown Winter Park.
P. S. I apologize for this blog being tardy. I had planned to release it four days ago, but finalizing my next book suddenly got in the way. Now that the new book is in production, Part Four of Orlando, GLENDONJO and much more should resume timely next Friday.
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