Lake View Hotel

History of the Lake View Hotel

Founding of Interlachen, Florida

Nestled between two lakes in Putnam County, Interlachen was founded in the late 19th century as part of the wave of northern settlement and tourism that shaped much of central and north Florida. The town was platted in the early 1880s during the expansion of the Florida Southern Railway, which opened the area to settlers, speculators, and tourists. Dr. O.S. Whipp, a Pennsylvania native, is credited with founding Interlachen in 1880. He built a log cabin on Lake Chipco, which was then called “Blue Pond.”

George W. Hastings, “The Father of Interlachen”

George William Hastings is often regarded as “The Father of Interlachen” for his vision of transforming the area into a thriving community. Born on January 4, 1827, in Connecticut, Hastings relocated to Ohio at a young age. There, he learned the printing trade while working in the office of the Oberlin Evangelist. In 1852, he relocated to Springfield, Ohio, where he acquired a printing business and launched a publication called the Dollar Weekly Nonpareil, which evolved into a daily newspaper the following year.

Hastings, along with his business partner C.M. Nichols, later acquired another publication, the Tri-Weekly Republic, which eventually evolved into the widely recognized Republic. The firm flourished under their leadership, going on to acquire additional daily newspapers as their publishing enterprise expanded.

The Interlachen Winter Resort Company

In 1884, Hastings moved to Interlachen because of ill health, where he operated several orange groves and established a citrus nursery between Lake Lagonda and Lake Chipco. He founded the Interlachen Winter Resort Company and “…proceeded to open streets through the forests, build themselves houses, aided in erecting a modern church…,” as it was reported. It was also reported that the company was “…to erect a commodious hotel of fifty rooms, overlooking in front and rear Lakes Lagonda and Chipco. This hotel was the Lake View Hotel, the first and smallest of three hotels that would be built in the town to accommodate the influx of tourists from the North.

The Lake View Hotel was so successful, Hastings had the Hotel Interlachen built in 1885. The Hotel Interlachen had 76 rooms and stood on Boylston Street between Prospect Street and Tropic Avenue. The block in front of the hotel was named Hotel Park, now known as Hastings Park, and went all the way to Lake Chipco.

H. G. Hastings, Founder of the H. G. Hastings Seed Company

George Hastings’ son, Harry George, was quite successful on his own, having founded the H. G. Hastings Company in 1889 in Interlachen as a mail-order business specializing in garden and field seeds, as well as nursery stock. The company served both farmers and home gardeners, providing quality agricultural products through the mail.

Taking cues from his father, the business began publishing a monthly newspaper by the mid-1890s, offering practical guidance on crop cultivation and gardening techniques. This publication would later grow into the influential Southern Ruralist. In 1899, seeking a more strategic location for distribution, Hastings relocated the company to Atlanta, Georgia, where it continued to expand its mail-order operations across the southern United States.

The Hotel Lagonda

The history of the Lake View Hotel cannot be told without mentioning the other establishments that contributed to the growth of Interlachen. M. E. and C. R. Knapp managed the Hotel Interlachen and were so pleased with its opening season that they ordered the construction of the Lagonda Hotel. The Palatka Daily News reported that “this hotel is to have frontage of 100 feet on Washington Street and overlook Lagonda lake.” The architect and builder was C. F. Balston. The Palatka Daily News described the opening reception, which took place on December 4, 1886:

“The guests found open fires in the office and parlor. Both rooms are models of good taste and comfort. At 3 o’clock the dining-room was thrown open, where was found prepared a bountiful lunch, with such coffee and ice cream as is seldom found in hotels, to which ample justice was done by the invited guests. The dining room leads in from the office, and is spacious, light and well warmed and ventilated.

The kitchen is well provided with modern requirements, and the store house, laundry and out houses are models of convenience. After lunch the house was thrown open to guests, who were not slow in gratifying their curiosity. They found all the rooms handsomely furnished, well ventilated, with facilities for warming, together with beautiful views from every window.“

The Fire of 1910

Interlachen suffered major setbacks in the early 20th century. The Great Freeze of 1894–1895 devastated the citrus industry and led many investors and settlers to abandon their properties.

Like many towns during this era, practically all the buildings were made of wood and illuminated by kerosene lamps and heated with wood-burning stoves, so fires were a common occurrence. It wouldn’t be until 1926 that Interlachen would have electricity. In 1910, a devastating fire swept through the center of town, destroying both the Hotel Interlachen and Hotel Lagonda, and sparing the Lake View Hotel.

After the fire, the Lake View Hotel was joined by private homes that took in boarders to accommodate visitors to Interlachen. However, the town’s era as a winter retreat had come to an end. Today, the old Lake View Hotel stands vacant and boarded up.

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