Downtown Sanford Historical Tour
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
1. Location
The walk begins at the corner of Magnolia and First Street, where you will see a historical marker. This corner is also known as ½ Mile Corner, marking the halfway point between two essential locations in Sanford's history – Fort Mellon and Sanford. The first stop on tour is the Lake Monroe Milling Company located on 6th Ave, which was once known as one of Sanfords largest processors of citrus grown in Seminole County. Other stops will include Busbee House, Sanford Museum of History & Art, Pine Street Annex Building, Bank of North Carolina, and other notable buildings that are safe for preservation.
2. Fun Activities
The walk ends at the Sanford Main Street Plaza, where City Hall once stood. This plaza is the tour's southern terminus, providing an excellent endpoint for your historical tour experience. The Downtown Sanford Historical Tour is a cooperative effort between Downtown Sanford Inc. and the City of Sanford. Funds from this travel grant are utilized to maintain city property and repair roads and sidewalks to make downtown more attractive to business and tourism venues who wish to locate there.
3. Historical Information
The Downtown Sanford Historical Tour is unique as it encompasses both the early founding years of Sanford and the "New Town" that was developed later on.
The city of Sanford, Florida, is located in Central Florida and is the county seat of Seminole County. It was incorporated in 1870 and officially became a city in 1883. The city participated in the railroad boom that took place during this time.
Sanford became an important center for the rail industry, and by the early 20th century, it had become an important rail center with connections to Jacksonville and Tampa. The population of Sanford began to increase rapidly during the 1920s, when it reached nearly 10,000 residents.
