About Lawsona / Fern Creek Neighborhood

The Lawsona / Fern Creek neighborhood contains approximately 500 buildings  and 3,000 residents that date from 1911 to the 1950's. The area represents a diverse mix of structures that represent a window into the development patterns of Orlando during this time.

It is considered by many to be one of the best places to live in Central Florida.

The neighborhood generally sits between Bumby Ave on the East, Hyer Ave on the West, South St to the South, and Robinson Street to the North.

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About Lake Lawsona Historic District

Encompassing the neighborhoods of Lawsona/Fern Creek and Thornton Park,

the Lake Lawsona Historic District was established by the City of Orlando in 1994

as an Orlando Historic District. Platted and developed between 1911 and the 1950s,

the district contains approximately 700 buildings and is illustrative of the growth patterns

of the city in the first half of this century with its mix of residential, educational and

commercial structures.

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A variety of architectural styles and forms can be found in the district including

Bungalows, Craftsman, Minimal Traditional and Colonial, Mediterranean, Mission,

Neoclassical, and Tudor revivals. Bungalows are the predominant contributing

structures in the district. Three sites within the Lake Lawsona Historic District have been

recognized as local historic landmarks. They are H.H. Dickson Azalea Park (1935),

the Washington Street Bridge (1926) and Orlando High School,

now Howard Middle School (1927).

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The Historic District is bounded by Hampton Ave to the East, Summerlin Ave to the West, South Street to the South and Robinson Street to the North.

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In 2019 the Lake Lawsona Historic District was named to the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service. 

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Dickson Azalea Park is named for a city beautification advocate and co-founder of one of Orlando’s earliest department stores, Dickson-Ives. The park consists of five acres of lush vegetation through which Fern Creek flows. Rustic stairs and walls direct the visitor through the park and out of the ravine. Above the creek’s embankment is the Girl Scout Little House (1940) at 119 North Celia Lane, which has served as a clubhouse for more than half a century. Just south of the Girl Scout Little House is the Beaux Arts-influenced Washington Street Bridge which traverses the park and Fern Creek.

The Neoclassical Revival Orlando High School is located at 800 East Robinson Street. The last class graduated in 1952 when Boone and Edgewater high schools opened. Distinguished alumni include astronaut John Young, former Orlando mayor Carl T. Langford, actor Buddy Ebsen, and Nobel Prize winner for medicine, Dr. Marshall W. Nirenberg.