G.O. Kummer    Winter Park businessman and long time volunteer fireman G.O. Kummer was a well-known Winter Park businessman whose lumber business lasted for decades after his death. Gotthilf Oscar Kummer was born in Lundy, Florida on March 24th, 1889.  He grew up in Palatka to German-born parents and attended Stetson University.  As a young man, he worked for a time for his father and then headed up to New York City.  A short time later, he returned to Florida and settled in Winter Park.  It is said that when he arrived in Winter Park, he had only a kit of carpenter’s tools and a total of $12.00 in his pocket.  Shortly after his arrival, he went to work on the construction of the (second) Seminole Hotel. 1913 was an important year for Kummer. On January 18th, 1913, he married Amanda Theresa Larson in Atlanta.  Later that year, he opened up his first business, G.O. Kummer & Co., a company that carried all sorts of building supplies and was located at North Park Avenue and W. Canton. In 1916, he built a home at 121 Garfield Avenue, which still stands to this day.  When first built, it was a single story craftsman style bungalow.  However, it has gone through many additions over the years.  The home sat on a lot that was just south of his business. Because of the outbreak of World War I, very little building was going on, so Kummer and his partner, C.J. Holdorf were forced to end their business venture.  The Kummers left Winter Park until after the war was over, then he re-opened the business as a block making plant and lumberyard.  Since the railroad tracks ran right next to the business, the railroad delivered lumber directly to the lumber yard.  The product was mainly Florida pine and cypress. Kummer was also active  with the Winter Park Fire Department for over twenty years.  He passed this interest on to his son, Charles (Buddy) Kummer. Kummer and his wife also had one daughter, Christine.  After Kummer’s death in 1948, the company was run by his children. It was subsequently moved to 823 Pennsylvania Avenue.  By 1962, the company no longer made blocks, concentrating solely on the lumber.  The Kummers sold the business in 1980 and it closed two years later.   Item: Photograph Source: Newspaper article from the Orlando Sentinel. Title: "This Old House" Reporter: Michael McLeod Date: September 23, 2004 Left to right: Christine Kummer (daughter of G.O. Kummer) Arthur Couture (employee of G.O. Kummer) G.O. Kummer Amanda Kummer (wife of G.O. Kummer)   Item: Map depicting the location of the Kummer home. Source: Newspaper article from the Orlando Sentinel. Title: "This Old House" Reporter: Michael McLeod Date: September 23, 2004   Item: Advertisement for Kummer Lumber Source: Polk Directory Date: 1963 Item: Receipt from Kummer Lumber Source: Kummer Collection Date: December 31, 1969   Item: Photograph of the Kummer home. Source: Newspaper article from the Orlando Sentinel. Title: "This Old House" Date: September 23, 2004   Item: Photograph of the Kummer home. Source: Winter Park History & Archive Photograph Collection Undated. Item: Photograph of the Kummer home after Hurricane Charley Source: Winter Park History & Archive Photograph Collection Date: August 18, 2004