Orange Avenue has been one of Orlando’s most significant thoroughfares since the town’s incorporation 150 years ago in 1875. According to a business district map from 1885, the street was populated with several businesses including hotels, saloons, grocery and dry goods stores, bakeries, drug stores and more. Orlando was developing rapidly and by the late 1920s the most recognizable historic buildings still standing today had replaced the smaller shops from the previous decades.
The Beacham Theatre was built in 1921 by former Orlando mayor Braxton Beacham. The theater, which cost $175,000 to construct, was two stories, held 1,097 seats and served as Orlando’s first independent theatre. Visitors could enjoy both motion pictures and live vaudeville performances. After Braxton Beacham’s death in 1924, the theater was leased to the E.J. Sparks Theater chain, and then again in 1933 to Florida State Theaters. In 1936 renovations began to enlarge the auditorium and improve seating in addition to air conditioning and lighted stairs. Granted local landmark status in 1987 as part of the Downtown Orlando Historic District, the Beacham still serves as a popular venue for a variety of live entertainment.
Next door to the Beacham Theater stands the San Juan Hotel, built in 1885 by C.E. Pierce at a cost of $150,000. Originally a five-story building, an additional eight-story wing was added in 1922 – likely in response to the newly completed 11-story Angebilt Hotel across the street. The hotel was part of the city skyline for decades, but after a slow decline in business throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, it closed in 1975. Though it reopened under different ownership as the Grand Central Hotel, a fire in 1979 damaged the original 1885 structure and in 1980 the San Juan Hotel was demolished.
The San Juan Hotel’s rival, The Angebilt Hotel built by Joseph Fenner Ange, opened in 1923. Similar to the San Juan, a decline in business in the 1960s and 1970s lead to the sale of the building to Central Florida Investments Inc. in the 1980s, and just like it’s former competitor, the building suffered a fire in 1983. Fortunately, the building was saved and renovations were made throughout the decade. From 1988 to 1998 it served as the home to the Orange County Courthouse annex. After the construction of the new courthouse, the building was converted into offices with restaurants and retail businesses on the ground floor.
Dickson & Ives and Ivey’s were both department store staples of downtown Orlando until their closures in the 1960s and 1970s respectively. Most notably, in 1955 the stores cooperated to install the iconic star and lights across Orange Avenue for the Christmas season. After downtown was in a period of decline and stores went out of business, the star display disappeared from view. This absence wouldn’t last long, as in the 1980s an effort to revive the tradition by Jack Kanzanzas began. His campaign raised a total of $13,000 and in 1984 a brand new, larger star once again lit up Orange Avenue. Though there were challenges through the years, the Jack Kanzanzas Christmas Star has remained a yearly tradition in Orlando ever since.
Celebrating Orlando’s History
You can read more about historic downtown Orlando, including maps and photos, at Orlando Memory.
To celebrate 150 years of The City Beautiful, Orlando is hosting a year-long celebration filled with community events, historical exhibits and public art installations. Residents and visitors alike can participate in a variety of activities, including volunteering, supporting local businesses and exploring the city’s rich history. Orange County Library System has created three unique City of Orlando photo ops featuring the city’s lakes, the historic Wells’Built Hotel and Orange Avenue, currently on display at Orlando Public Library, to share some of the city’s most iconic and memorable locations.
To commemorate this historic anniversary, the public is invited to join in celebrating the past, present and future by sharing personal Orlando history. Visit engage.orlando.gov/150-anniversary to share written narratives, photos, articles, newspaper clippings or any other materials that tell an Orlando story. Contributions will be featured on the city’s community history board throughout the year.
