Once upon a time, five historic homes formed a honeymoon line on Lake Cherokee.
According to a report from GrowthSpotter, most are gone, but one of the remaining homes is for sale for $3.75 million.
“It was the Victorian Queen and it seemed to have been completely in front of her,” says list agent Tom Buitenhuis, along with Olde Town Brokers, who owns the house with her husband. “It’s an incredible, beautiful home, and the historic part is amazing.”
They bought the place in 2022 and did a lot of work to bring the 5-bedroom, four-bathroom home back to its original 1880s glory.
“I’ll say most of the original woodworking and everything we left behind, and we’ve added some modern touches here, like lighting fixtures and stuff like that,” he said. “But we still tried to be honest with the original builder. We managed to bring that a bit to the present day, but still keep that original antique vibe inside the house.”
The 6,261-square-foot home features most of its original 19th-century millwork, pocket doors, floors and claw foot tabs.
“We have an original, spectacular staircase in front of our house. Towards the end there is a small staircase that was originally a servant’s staircase.
“The fireplace is honestly one of my favorites (things) because it seems that all the original tiled fireplaces tell a different story, and I think this is really interesting and cool.”
There are some elevators that aren’t working, but Buitenhuis says Growth Spotter is one of the oldest in Orlando.
“This house was built from Downtown in 1884. This is interesting because we are in the middle of downtown,” he said. Phillips Dr. Centre for Performing Arts is just 0.5 miles away and Lake Eola Park is just over 50 minutes’ walk from the hotel.
In the 1880s, five owners built a home for their new bride and earned the honeymoon line nickname. Among them were Oliver and Matilda Pointz, who built the house.
This house is called the home of Points O’Neill thanks to them, and after the second owner, William Russell O’Neill.
“(his wife) is also in great politics, she has won the right to vote for women in central Florida, and the actual first meeting (group) of that woman’s rights (group) happened here,” Butenhuis said.
The house passed several owners over time, but barely survived in the 1970s.
“The owner wanted to demolish the house and make sure it didn’t happen, so 12 neighbors gathered to buy the house,” Buitenhuis explained. “I think that’s what started the historic neighborhood of downtown Orlando.”
The district is now known as the Historic District of Lake Cherokee, established in 1981. The house achieved local landmark status in 1977.
The house is on .59 acres and is a large lot for the area. It was even bigger before my neighbors bought a portion of the land many years ago.
“It’s still one of the biggest facilities in downtown Orlando. It has a garden, pool and carp pond. When you stand in the sunroom, you’ll see beautiful views of the lake and sunrise. Looking back you can see beautiful views of the gardens, ponds and pools.”
There is also a 1-bedroom and 1-bath guesthouse, just like the main home, which has been completely renovated and meticulously restored.
“I believe in a house that is very historic and has such a historical value. I believe it is very important to stay true to the original.”
The couple is a little too big so they sell their houses.
“The (perfect buyer) is someone we love our old homes and our big land,” Buitenhuis said. “But really, finding this old Victorian home will be a lover of Anne Victorian home, as it’s not anywhere else in downtown Orlando.”
It’s going to be difficult to let go of it.
“It’s definitely our dream home, so it’s sad to see it go. It was definitely a passion (project).”
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