Palmer Avenue is named for General John B. Palmer of Columbia, South Carolina. Palmer's wife Frances and son Edmund bought 80 acres of groves in Winter Park in 1879. General and Mrs. Palmer later moved there and built a home on the property, near the corner of what is now Palmer and Alabama avenues. The couple played a prominent role in the Winter Park social scene, and General Palmer was instrumental in the construction of the depot for the South Florida Railroad.
These photographs of Palmer Avenue were taken around the 1880's near the canal connecting Lakes Osceola and Maitland. It was known as Palmer Brook, Maitland Run, and most recently Venetian Canal.
Palmer Avenue featured numerous famous historical homes, including Mi E Taw, or "Big Tree" (1880's or 1890's); Greyacres (1907), the home of Robert Dhu Macdonald; Carlova (1915), the Caldwell-Strong house; and Temple Grove (1910's or 1920's).
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| This black and white photo (1885) depicts Palmer Avenue in the direction of the Hotel Alabama. | Palmer Avenue in the direction of the Hotel Alabama. Click on the thumbnail photographs to view larger images. |
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| This photograph shows a boy relaxing against the canal bridge on Palmer Avenue in the 1880's. | Palmer Avenue at the Venetian Canal bridge. Click on the thumbnail photographs to view larger images. |