Tavares Florida - A Rich History in Central Florida 

R & S Realty Group is proud to call Tavares Florida Home.  With offices located in downtown Tavares and with the new exclusive community of Tavares Station on Lake Dora, R & S Realty Group, Inc is an active member of this wonderful Central Florida community.

Tavares Florida has a rich and colorful history and we are proud of it.  Below is an account of the story of Tavares Florida.

Tavares Florida was founded in 1882.  The Town became the county seat in 1888 after a highly controversial election. Historical records say that Tavares won the election to become the county seat, but local historians tell of a different story altogether. According to one account of the legend, the City of Tavares Florida and the City of Leesburg were both vying for the County Seat of Lake County. The election returns in favor of Tavares were so narrow that Leesburg set about to challenge them.  All the while the postmaster, W.D. Mendenhall, determined to keep the county seat in Bloomfield. He went to the nearest circuit judge, who was then located in Deland Florida, in order to seek a court injunction against moving the county seat to Tavares Florida.  But, as luck would have it he was too late. Having heard about Mendenhall's plan, Mr. H.H. Duncan secreted the county records away and transported them to Tavares Florida via rowboat and horse drawn wagon.

Henry Holcomb Duncan is widely known for introducing the bill that created Lake County Florida in 1887 from portions of Orange and Sumter counties. Duncan became the first County Clerk and held the position until 1920, a total of 33 years. He was known throughout the county as a fearless and honorable man, and beloved by the people of Lake County. In his honor a bronze tablet hangs in the historic court house which reads simply "A friend of the People".

Major Alexander St. Clair-Abrams, another notable founding father, is responsible for purchasing the land upon which Tavares Florida now sits. The City is named after a Portuguese ancestor of St. Clair-Abrams. He planned the city, naming many of the streets after family members, in hopes that Tavares Florida would someday become the capital of the State of Florida. St. Clair-Abrams was responsible for pioneering transportation and commerce routes through Tavares Florida, including bringing five railroads through the city and widening the Dora Canal for passage by steamer. He also built much of the early commercial foundation of the City including a sawmill, hotel and an opera house.

Ever since the 1880's Tavares Florida has been at the center of government, the citrus industry, and a destination for tourists who enjoyed the beautiful view of Lake Dora from the old lakeside pavilion. The pavilion is long since gone, but tourists still enjoy the lake front park, the historic sites, beautiful waterways and parks. Tavares Florida is fast becoming a great place to conduct business, with its proximity to the metropolitan Orlando area, all while retaining is small town charm.

We, at R & S Realty Group,Inc hope that you enjoy Tavares Florida as much as we do and look forward to helping you find your new home in the Central Florida community.