::
our town
by mostly minority workers in small frame houses furnished by Chase Groves. It is now a series of huge mansions. Public education began in Windermere with a one-room schoolhouse in 1890. This structure still stands and is being restored to its original look and condition. In 1916 a new school was built with two classrooms and a lunchroom was added in 1933. This building was modified into town offices and unfortunately is no longer recognizable as the 1916 school. The current school is at the north end of town at Park Avenue.
Prepara ere Vir tus tor m
y
ita
ita
Un
s
hool Sc
Wind er
Social life in Windermere developed further in the 1940s when the shuffleboard club took over the Palmer Building and built courts, which were heavily used by day and under lights in those pre TV days. The club
s
r Ve
38
20 0 0
welcomed the local children to participate and they greatly enjoyed it. The Town Hall became a periodic entertainment center with dances during WWII for local servicemen; potluck suppers, itinerant acts such as magicians, movie shows, plays, and any kind of town meeting. It was and still is the center of town activities and is the most important building in town. During the 50s small commercial buildings were built along Main Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. Most are still occupied by retail businesses and real estate offices. Prior to that time the needs of residents were met by Grice’s grocery store on the N.E. corner of 5th and Main St. and Parramore’s Store on the S.E. corner of 6th and Main. These were old-fashioned
country stores with the bare essentials of food and gasoline and kerosene needed by residents especially with rationing during WWII. Neither building still stands. One is a vacant lot and United Medical is on the site of Parramore’s. Windermere residents have always been very protective of the pristine Butler chain of lakes and in 1970 formed the Butler Chain Conservation Association to keep the lakes unpolluted and has largely been successful. They are still among the cleanest lakes in the area. As we all know when the Walt Disney Company decided to locate their massive operation just a few miles South of Windermere the area and town began to change rapidly. Large increases in population and
WINDERMERE PREPARATORY SCHOOL
A P REMIER COLLEGE P REPARATORY SCHOOL FOR GRADES PK-3 THROUGH 12
Investment for a Lifetime Please Contact Us for a Private Campus Tour 8JOUFS (BSEFO 7JOFMBOE 3PBE 8JOEFSNFSF '- t t XXX XJOEFSNFSFQSFQ DPN styletome.com