Instructions:
1....Print this file.
2....At its end, click on "rules" to see a copy of the trail rules, print it, and then click where indicated at the end of the 3-page rules and patch order form to get back to the list of Florida trails.
3....If you want a hand-drawn map showing the locations of all of the sites, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Steve Rajtar, 1614 Bimini Dr., Orlando, FL 32806.
4....Hike the trail and order whatever patches you like (optional).
WARNING - This trail may pass through one or more neighborhoods which, although full of history, may now be unsafe for individuals on foot, or which may make you feel unsafe there. Hikers have been approached by individuals who have asked for handouts or who have inquired (not always in a friendly manner) why the hikers are in their neighborhood. Drugs and other inappropriate items have been found by hikers in some neighborhoods. It is suggested that you drive the hike routes first to see if you will feel comfortable walking them and, if you don't think it's a good place for you walk, you might want to consider (1) traveling with a large group, (2) doing the route on bicycles, or (3) choosing another hike route. The degree of comfort will vary with the individual and with the time and season of the hike, so you need to make the determination using your best judgment. If you hike the trail, you accept all risks involved.
This park was given to the town by L.B. and Stella H. Lee on April 16, 1894. A log cabin was built by the W.P.A. during the early 1930s to serve as a community center, which replaced a wooden gazebo located here. The cabin is built from chinked wood logs covered with wood shingles.
This two-story wood frame building was erected in about 1926.
In August of 1883, the Tropical Railroad, a branch of the Florida Southern Railroad, was completed through here to connect Wildwood and Leesburg.
This depot was originally located on the west side of the tracks, and served the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad until it closed on June 23, 1958. It was moved here in 1987-88 by the Lady Lake Kiwanis Club and now houses the library.
The portion of this establishment which is constructed of rusticated concrete blocks dates to about 1926. This style of block was typical of buildings of that period, but was rarely used in Florida in later decades.
This wood frame commercial block of stores was built here in about 1946.
Masonry Vernacular buildings are generally rectangular and constructed of concrete block with stucco covering. This home is typical of the ones built in the mid to late 1940s, with a continuous concrete block foundation.
Railroad authorities in 1893 desired to name this town Cooper or Cooperstown after a contractor on this line, but the residents instead chose Lady Lake. The name comes from a lake of that name located to the east of the town. One legend states that the lake received its name because the Indians discovered an unknown drowned white woman in it.
Another story claims that the name of the lake came from its appearance to some, as a profile of a woman in a long dress with the ends of a bandana above her head.
The town was incorporated in 1925 when the population was 125. Its first mayor was E.C. Huey.
This congregation organized in 1867. Its sanctuary was rebuilt in 1962 and had an addition built in 1978.
This Commercial style building was built here in 1949.
This is a Frame Vernacular building, built in 1925. The term Frame Vernacular refers to the common wood frame building techniques used in the area. Variations are seen, especially as the techniques evolve over time.
This Bungalow was built in about 1927. The tapered columns at the entrance to the front porch are often used with this style.
This is a Bungalow, built in 1925.
This is a typical Bungalow with a front gable. This home was built in about 1925.
This home was built in 1925, and is an example of the Frame Vernacular structures of the period.
This Frame Vernacular style home was built in 1948.
This home, the residence of John Wilson Dyches, was built in about 1900 in the Folk Victorian style. Its significant architectural features include the two-story stacked shed porch with a scroll-work balustrade, decorative window pediments, double Victorian-style front doors, gable returns, and triangular braces in the gable ends.
This Bungalow dates to 1935.
A wood frame school was built to serve the community in about 1888. Prior to that, classes were taught by Mrs. J.H. Curry, beginning in 1882. The schoolhouse was on this lot donated by Lee and Stevens, and was located behind the present building until it burned down.
It was replaced by a larger stucco elementary school built in 1927-31. It was constructed by W.R. Austin, a Umatilla contractor and builder. The school closed in 1968 and the building is now used as the church.
The building is classified as Mission Revival style. It has a center hip-gabled entry, ribbons of multi-paned windows, and a symmetrical front.
McClendon St. was formerly known as Schoolhouse St.
This home is classified as Folk Victorian, and was built in 1880.
The symmetrical front, multi-paned windows, and the gabled and hipped roofs make this a Colonial Revival style home. It was built in about 1870.
This church building was erected in about 1870, and incorporates elements of several styles. From the Queen Anne style, there are decorative exposed rafter tails, a cross-gabled roof, and decorative work in the gable ends. The bracket work above the front door is more Italianate in style. Representing the Gothic Revival style are the arched windows, steeply pitched roof, round window, and crossbracketing in the gabled end.
This is a Bungalow which started as a residence, built in 1920. It has been substantially remodeled.
This 1920 building is classified as Masonry Vernacular.
At the east end of this road, near the shore of Lake Griffin, once existed the settlement of Slighville. It was established before the Civil War by Sam P. and Jake Sligh. In 1865, Mr. and Mrs. J.M. Walton of Greensboro, North Carolina, joined them, and Tom Adams of Micanopy moved there in 1870.
The community centered around the boat landing. Sam Sligh ran a cotton gin, a stage coach line between Leesburg and Ocala, and the post office, which officially existed from 1882 to 1887. Most of the population moved to Lady Lake with the arrival of the railroad.
Sam Sligh was one of the people who moved here. He soon built a three-story hotel.
This Frame Vernacular structure was built in 1926.
This house, stylistically a Bungalow, was built in about 1925.
The wooden building is classified as Frame Vernacular and was built in 1938. The concrete block Masonry Vernacular building dates from 1949.
This building was erected in 1938 in the Frame Vernacular style.
This Masonry Vernacular building was constructed in 1948.
This Masonry Vernacular building was constructed in 1950.
This is a Frame Vernacular style house, built in 1940.
This Masonry Vernacular structure dates to about 1948. It features a front porch supported by masonry columns.
This house is an example of the Frame Vernacular style of the area, being a simple rectangular building covered with wood siding. It was built in about 1950.
The huge live oak tree may be the largest of its species in Florida. It has a circumference of at least 17 feet 4 inches, and is about 200 years old. It is reputed to be the "hanging tree" used for Lake County executions. The site was once a stage coach stop for the route which ran from Ocala to Leesburg.
About Some Lakes and More in Lake County, by Walter Sime (1995)
Historical and Architectural Survey of the Town of Lady Lake, by Brenda J. Elliott (1994)
History of Lake County, Florida, by William T. Kennedy (Lake County Historical Society 1988)
Lake County, Florida: A Pictorial History, by Emmett Peter, Jr. (The Donning Company 1994)