Lakeside Inn stands at the heart of Mount Dora, carrying the legacy of frontier Florida from its earliest days into the present. Before the town became known for its lakeside beauty, artistic spirit, and historic charm, a courageous group of pioneers saw opportunity in Central Florida's open land, growing communities, and promise of new beginnings.
Attorney Colonel John M. Alexander helped lead that vision, recruiting newcomers to visit, settle, and invest in the region. His partnership with Colonel MacDonald, P.H. Donnelly and Anna Stone helped shape the idea of a Florida inn that was more than a seasonal hotel. It became a place of arrival, conversation, leisure, and possibility.
Around Lakeside Inn, the flourishing orange culture helped define the local economy, while the intellectual influence of Chautauqua brought education, culture, and community life into the fabric of Mount Dora. Together, these forces helped form the historic and artistic identity that still marks the city today.
Visitors continue to seek out Lakeside Inn as a year-round recreational oasis, where hints of the Gilded Age remain and the stories of legendary guests still echo through its halls.
Author Madonna Jervis Wise details this and more in the story of Lakeside Inn and Mount Dora's enduring Florida legacy.