100 North Alexander St., Mount Dora, FL
The History of Lakeside Inn
A Timeline of Important Dates, People and Events in the More Than 140 Year History of Mount Dora’s Lakeside Inn
There have been a number of noteworthy dates, people and events for Lakeside Inn and Mount Dora since the establishment of this Historic Hotel more than 140 years ago.
- 1882Several leading citizens, John Alexander, John and Annie Donnelly and Colonel John McDonald, feeling Mount Dora needed a hotel in order to attract visitors and facilitate the growth of the community, formed a partnership for the purpose of building such a facility.
- 1883The partners opened the new, two-story, ten-room hotel and named it the Alexander House, a simple design with a large veranda and constructed with termite resistant Georgia pine.
- 1884Miss Emma Boone, an experienced hotel operator and a bundle of energy, arrived from Boston to take charge of the Alexander House.
- 1887Train service was established into Mount Dora by the Sanford and Lake Eustis Railroad Company, in affiliation with the Seaboard Coast Railroad Network.
- 1893The partners decided to sell the Alexander House to Miss Emma Boone, and she then changed the name to The Lake House.
- 1903Emma Boone married George Thayer of Boston and the two formed the Lakeside Hotel Company. In the process, they changed the hotel’s name to Lakeside Inn.
- 1905Another two-story section was completed, giving the Lakeside Building most of its current look. At the time, the veranda wrapped around both ends of the building.
- 1908Still more guest rooms were needed to accommodate the growing guest list, so The Gatehouse was built and featured several more guest rooms on each of two floors.
- 1909Emma Boone Thayer died and husband George continued to operate Lakeside Inn.
- 1910A very large two-story boathouse was built, featuring a club room and expansive viewing deck. This area would eventually become the original Kumquat Lounge.
- 1914The Sunset Cottage was built to accommodate the need for additional guest rooms.
- 1924Lakeside Inn is sold to long-time guest, Charles Edgerton, and his partners, Fred Wesley Wentworth, Archie Hurlburt and a group of 100 local investors.
- 1926Two ten-car garages were built, with additional employee housing on the 2nd floors.
- 1928An agreement was struck with the City of Mount Dora for the south section of Alexander Street to be privatized by Lakeside Inn.
- 1930A completed $250,000 renovation and expansion project saw the addition of the Gables and Terrace Buildings, a large swimming pool, a new lobby, dining room and the addition of formal landscaping.
- 1930President Calvin Coolidge and First Lady Grace Coolidge, arrived in mid-January for a month-long stay, following his retirement from office.
- 1935Dick Edgerton, son of partner Charles Edgerton, took over management responsibilities for Lakeside Inn.
- 1952The Kumquat Lounge was opened in the basement of the Inn, in the area that is now remembered as the Speakeasy.
- 1979Mount Dora and Lakeside Inn were selected as the site for the filming of Honky Tonk Freeway, a comedy movie from the Academy Award winning director, John Schlesinger.
- 1979Owner, Dick Edgerton, a long-time trustee of Berry College in Rome, Georgia donated Lakeside Inn to the school so Berry College could receive the financial benefit from its sale.
- 1980The Inn is sold to Richard Lee and Associates, who changed the name to Lee’s Lakeside Inn.
- 1984Richard Lee and Associates put the Inn up for sale.
- 1985Fewer than 90 days before a developer’s wrecking ball was to demolish the Inn, a group of investors headed by brothers Richard and Jim Ferrell purchased and undertook a major renovation of Lakeside Inn.
- 1986Fewer than 90 days before a developer’s wrecking ball was to demolish the Inn, a group of investors headed by brothers Richard and Jim Ferrell purchased and undertook a major renovation of Lakeside Inn.
- 1986The Kumquat Lounge was relocated from the basement to the north end of the lobby and the name was changed to Tremain’s Lounge.
- 1987Lakeside Inn was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1990The debt incurred during the renovation of the Inn proved too great for revenues to support, so the corporation was forced into foreclosure.
- 1990Lakeside Inn was sold at sheriff’s auction to James Barggren and John Dempsey.
- 2010Lakeside Inn was sold to current owners Jim and Alexandra Gunderson, who restored this great Inn work to preserve its 130 plus year history.
- 2023Lakeside Inn celebrates 140 Years!
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