Atop Old Seminole Hotel   Dick Neil Batchelor, Louise Meriwether Batchelor, Mary Christian Meriwether and four unidentified people photographed on top of the old Seminole Hotel.   Date unknown. Written on the back of this photograph:  "Dick Neil Batchelor, Louise Meriwether Batchelor, Mary Christian Meriwether atop old Seminole Hotel Winter Park, Fla." In an excerpt from The Seminole Winter Park Florida, which is part of this collection, is a description of the view from the top of the hotel: "THE VIEW FROM THE TOP OF SEMINOLE is one of the most beautiful to be found on the American Continent, and no visitor of Winter Park should fail to see it. Taking the elevator we are soon seated upon the extended promenade on the very top of the house, above the stately pines that grow on every hand.  The scene that greets the eye is one of surpassing loveliness. Looking southward we see the house-tops of Orlando, 4 miles distant; nearer, the beautiful lakes Rowena, Sue, Beauty, Berry and Virginia, and Rollins College. Turning to the east we see Lakes Mizell and Sylvan ; on the north are Maitland and Knowles, and on the west beautiful Lake Killarney.  On every hand are the magnificent groves of pines, growing often to the water's edge, making a fringe of green around the lakes, sparkling in the sunlight. Thousands of orange-trees are seen, with their rich green foliage, and their luscious fruit glistening in the sun like balls of gold. Lovely cottages nestling among these groves of pine and orange, the spires of the two fine churches, the long train of cars at the depot unloading guests for the Seminole, and the stylish street-car which is to bring them here - all seen through the pines - add to our picture.  Beautiful, indeed, is the "view," and one not soon to be forgotten."    Atop Old Seminole Hotel  The Batchelor House as seen from the Old Seminole  Hotel  DeHaven Batchelor with a Bicycle circa 1895  E. M. Meriwether  Louise Meriwether Batchelor circa 1890  Richard E. and James D. Batchelor circa 1930s Special thanks to DeHaven Batchelor, DVM of Sanford, Florida and fifth generation of the Batchelor family, for loaning his family's photographs to The Library's Winter Park History and Archives Collection. Click here to return to the Batchelor Family collection page