ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando’s most well-known city park is celebrating its 140th birthday on Wednesday.
The city said 140 years ago, on May 10, 1883, Jacob Summerlin appeared before the Orlando City Council and offered to donate a strip of land along the shoreline of Lake Eola to the city on the condition it be beautified and made into a park.
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To celebrate the park’s birthday, here are 9 things to know about the landmark, according to the city:
1. According to the city, shortly after Jacob Summerlin, the “Cattle King of Florida,” arrived in 1873 and purchased 200 acres of land in what is now downtown Orlando, a sinkhole formed on the edge of his property. Along with the help of a natural aquifer 200 feet below ground and the flooding of stormwater, this area became the lake now known as Lake Eola.
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2. In 1883, the city said the Summerlin family donated a strip of their land around the lake for public use. What was previously known as Sandy Beach was renamed Lake Eola in memory of Robert Summerlin’s dearly departed sweetheart.
3. In 1888, Lake Eola was recognized as a city of Orlando public park.
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4. According to the city, the first swans arrived at Lake Eola in 1922. The Lake is now home to various species of swans including trumpeter swans, black neck swans, whooper swans, royal mute swans and Australian black swans.
5. The Ting at Lake Eola was donated to the city by Nelson Ying. The city said it was originally built in Shanghai and given to the city as a token of friendship. When donated, the Ting had to be disassembled, shipped to Orlando and reassembled in the park.
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6. The Amphitheater, also referred to as the Band Shell, has been a staple of Lake Eola Park since 1886. Originally built on the south side of the lake, it has since been torn down and reconstructed at the west side of Lake Eola. The Amphitheater became the Walt Disney Amphitheater in 1989.
7. The tiered fountain at the center of Lake Eola was built in 1957 and refurbished in 2011. First named the Centennial Fountain, it was renamed the Linton E. Allen Memorial Fountain in 1966 to honor the originator.
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8. The Eola House was built in 1924 by George Marsh in Lake Eola Park. It houses the park offices as well as event spaces.
9. The sidewalk that circles the lake is .9 miles in length.
Photos: Lake Eola Park turns 140: See photos of the park through the years
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