04/05/2026
Apopka, FL
We moved from Jacksonville to Apopka in late 1985. Mom told us we were headed to the indoor foliage capital of the world and as a 17 year old, I thought my life was officially over! I was a senior and Jeanne was a sophomore at Apopka High School. After we settled in, it was easy to see that Apopka was a cute small town with dirt roads, cow pastures and lots of foliage nurseries. At that time we focused on being teenagers and then college life. We didn’t take an interest in learning the history of our community until now. 40 years later, Jeanne and I started reading about the history of Apopka, and visited the Museum of Apopkans this weekend. I won’t go into great detail of Apopka’s past, but will share some pretty cool highlights.
The area was originally referred to by the Seminole Indians as Ahapopka which means "potato-eating place". Potato referred to the arrowhead plants growing in nearby swamps. Early settlers started referring to the community as “The Lodge” in the mid 1800’s, in reference to the local Masonic Lodge. The Lodge was officially chartered in 1882 as the Town of Apopka City. In the early 1900’s the “City” was dropped and in 1919, was reincorporated as Apopka.
Apopka is home to the oldest Masonic Lodge in the State of Florida that has been continually used for lodge meetings; Masonic Lodge, Orange Lodge No. 36 F.A.M. The Masonic Lodge was established in 1856. The building was finally erected in 1859. The upper floor is used for lodge meetings while the first floor has been used for a post office, church, and a school.
In October 1985, I remember a beautiful historic home being moved to where 441 and 436 come together. I actually went to 441 to watch this home slowly crawl its way to its new location. I didn’t know the history, only that it was called Townsends Plantation. Now I’m happy to learn that this masterpiece was built by the Eldredge family in 1903 (one of the first families in the area) and eventually purchased by the McBride family in the 1940s (local physician). The owner passed away in 1978, and it was eventually purchased by the Townsend family. In 1985 the Townsends moved the house, the other plantation buildings, most of the live oaks and renovated the buildings. It was a restaurant for a while but became empty again. The City of Apopka eventually took ownership of the property, renamed it Highland Manor and is being managed as a wedding and events venue.
Apopka has some amazing history, such that I will probably write another post about Apopka in the future. I highly recommend anyone who is a history buff to do some reading! The following are books that I’ve read and recommend: Images of America Apopka by Apopka Historical Society and History of Apopka and Northwest Orange County, Florida by Jerrell Shofner.
Until next time ✌🏼
