Looking Back | By Leigh Andrus | Photos courtesy of the Orange County Public Library
The Town of Windermere holds a rich history, teeming with stories. One of those stories dates back nearly to the town’s beginnings – how residents brought library services to their community.
The first record of a library in Windermere can be found in the Albertson Public Library’s 1928 annual report. That publication lists 20 branches that were mostly housed inside schools, including one in Windermere. The Windermere location circulated 659 books that year.
Details about a Windermere library are scarce until the 1950s. With donations and support from residents and the town council, Windermere's first library opened in 1959 to replace an informal book exchange located in John Luff's Country Store.
Through the years support from residents never wavered and the town’s library continued to grow and move to increasingly larger spaces. The Windermere Rotary Club took over operations in 1972 and the town began providing funds for a paid librarian and maintenance. By 1983, with fundraising efforts from Rotary’s Windermere Library Boosters, the collection had grown to more than 30,000 books and nearly 10,000 guests visited annually.
A large donation from the Chase family allowed for construction of today’s library building and in 1991, the Franklin W. Chase Memorial Library on Main Street joined the Orange County Library System (OCLS). Today, Windermere Branch fills an essential role for the community. Led by Branch Manager Lelia Higgins, the branch’s knowledgeable staff serve town residents and visitors alike, enriching lives through experiences and opportunities to learn, grow and connect. Learn about all the free resources and services offered by OCLS and sign up for a library card by visiting ocls.org.
You can dig deeper into the history of Windermere and all of Orange County by visiting orlandomemory.info. Compiled by OCLS librarians, the site contains photos, newspaper clippings, interviews and information on people, places and experiences from all over Orange County.
