2022 Orlando’s Best Neighborhoods: Lawsona and Fern Creek

(ROBERTO GONZALEZ)

Imagine living in the heart of downtown Orlando with all its urban appeal and having access to one of Orlando’s distinctive, natural areas. The Lawsona / Fern Creek neighborhood residents experience this rare balance every day.

First established in 1911, this historic neighborhood represents a diverse mix of structures from the early 21st century to the 1950s, nestled in the sunken, enchanting urban jungle that is Dickson Azalea Park.

Named for a city beautification advocate and co-founder of one of Orlando’s earliest department stores, Dickson-Ives, the park spans five acres of lush vegetation and changing topography, through which Fern Creek flows. Rustic stairs and walls direct visitors and neighbors alike 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.

Encompassing Lawsona / Fern Creek and Thornton Park neighborhoods, the City of Orlando established Lake Lawsona as an Orlando Historic District in 1994. The National Register of Historic Places added the Lake Lawsona Historic District to its roster in 2019.
They recognize three sites within the Lake Lawsona Historic District as local historic landmarks; H.H. Dickson Azalea Park (1935), the Washington Street Bridge (1926), and Orlando High School, now Howard Middle School (1927).

There is something singularly perfect about this neighborhood, tucked away in the corner of Downtown Orlando. A variety of architectural styles and forms are tucked away in the district, including Bungalows, American Craftsman, Minimal Traditional and Colonial, Mediterranean, Mission, Neoclassical, and Tudor revivals. Bungalows are the predominant contributing structures in the district.

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