Deland: It’s Home to Medtoxin Venom Laboratories
In addition to Florida’s oldest private college, DeLand is also home to Reptile Discovery Center, which houses the Medtoxin Venom Laboratories. Medtoxin collects venom from a variety of snakes and ships it around the world for use in anti-venom and medical research. The Reptile Discovery Center is one of the only places in the country where you can watch this live venom extraction program take place.
$30.00
Welcome to our continuing wanderings about and around West Volusia
And most recently first by car and now by foot in Downtown Deland—-
Join us in Deland’s award winning down town district with its variety of art galleries, historical buildings many holding great shops.
DeLand offers visitors the chance to explore the Museum of Art – DeLand and De Leon Springs State Park. At the park, you can take a dip 25 feet down to the mouth of the springs that release about 16 million gallons a day. Feeling even more adventurous? Rent a canoe or kayak and paddle down the Spring Garden Run beside the Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge for an eyeful of birds and other wildlife.
$50.00
Blue Heron River Tours offer a unique way to experience the beautiful ecosystems of DeLand’s Hontoon Dead and St. John’s Rivers. There are eco-tours and nature boating trips throughout the year aboard custom-constructed Great Blue vessel, which was specifically designed to traverse Central Florida’s shallow backwater habitats—they are United States Coast Guard- and they explore manatee refuge of nearby Blue Spring State Park. \ Tours operate daily between autumn and spring, with weekend tours available during the summer months.
So we start on the SW corner of Woodland an New York Ave.
You turn left onto New York Ave.
We cross over an Alley which if we turned left again we’d end up back on on Georgia Street But we’ll keep going and we’ll pass over and beyond
Past:
110 Home of
the West Volusia Beacon News Paper
Meeks Law Group at 112
Past 114 which was till just recently You do You Yogi—-but is now permanently closed….Pandemic maybe?
and if it’s Mon – Friday (9 am – 5—on Fridays they close at 4 pm) we can stop at
West Volusia Tourism Visitor Center
where you can get information on
Now we come to another Alley
This one is Artisan Alley
But we will only stroll around Artisan Alley (between Georgia Ave & New York Ave) to experience a unique local farmer’s market. Featuring local produce, prepared foods, handmade arts & crafts and much more! and then only on Friday evening rain or shine from 6 to 9 PM.
and so we’ll continue on westward bound But wait I almost forgot the
The Nest
at
104 Artisan
on the west side of the Alley
One of the most loved local businesses in downtown DeLand, Nest, has been a staple in the community for over 10 years. We have a unique collection of products; from our eclectic blend of furniture, gifts and artwork. We also serve wine and beer, so feel free to sip while you shop!
Ok then we return to New York and continue left going west Young man or woman.
Passing
120
Illume Laser Spa
and
then past another alley
Then down the block and another alley way—or a parking lot?
$15.00
The earliest occupants of what we know now as the City DeLand left little record and for untold ages lived and died here prior to the coming of the Europeans. They left immense mounds full of oyster shells, pieces of pottery, and weapons of war, bones and articles of domestic use.
146:
Tony’s New York Pizza Restaurant
Italian food, fresh baked pizza, greek salad, garlic knot rolls. Full menu and beer and wine offered along with sidewalk seating. Located across from DeLand’s historic courthouse and chess park. Open 7 days a week from 11:00am-11:00pm
and right next door is
The Blind Pig
for drinks and snacks
Re-opened in July 2014, The Blind Pig is located in the South of New York Avenue District, next to Tony’s Pizza. Dale and Sarah have been providing locals, students and travelers with an enjoyable environment to fit your drinking mood.
$50.00
DeLand, Florida
The City of DeLand was officially incorporated in 1882, and became the county seat of Volusia County in 1887. It was the first city in Florida to have electricity.[7] According to city officials, minutes of the first City Commission meeting in 1882 show the city decided to create a seal with the emblems of “Faith, Hope and Charity,” namely a cross, an anchor and a heart.
We will continue walking across Florida Ave
after restaurant and bar.
Southwest corner of New York and Florida Aves. (206 W. New
3.0 York Ave.)
Site of Commercial Club
In the early 1910s, this corner was the site of the
Lexington Hotel.
The Commercial Club was chartered on March 27, 1916.
The clubhouse was completed in 1918 for $12,000. On June 29,
1926, the club changed its name to the DeLand Chamber of
Commerce, which remained here until late 1960s. From 1923
until May of 1932, it was also the home of the public
library. The building here was torn down and replaced by a
parking lot.
It’s not actually on New York but rather at 120 S. Florida Ave (which it faces)
deland city hall
But even if it’s not on New York (at least in the front) we do walk past the building and the parking lot a bit further down the street
Past the Post Office at 240
at S. Clara we won’t go any farther nor will we cross that street
We’ll cross over to the north side of New York
$8.00
15 Best Things to Do in Deland (FL)
The Deland Fall Festival of the Arts is one of the central Florida region’s most anticipated and enjoyed arts shows and takes place over two days at the end of November when the Florida weather is picture perfect. The event is produced by Deland’s Main Street Association and includes juried competitions that draw artists from around the state and country. There will be plenty of food, drink, and entertainment on-hand to complement the fantastic art, and the festival is a great place to pick up a unique painting or sculpture to remind you of your trip to the Sunshine State.
Once safely across the street we’ll turn back toward Woodland Ave.
Past the large parking lot and city building at 220 and continue on
New plans for Putnam unveiled
at 225 we come to the
Deland built a hotel here in 1880, set among the many citrus tress and called Deland Grove House. He eventually sold off his properties and his full time home in New York after the great freeze of 1894-95—and paid off his obligations (he himself had lost $250,000). He then moved back to New York full time—working as the president and manager and with his daughter’s assistance–at a chemical company. He died in March 1908 never having regain his fortune and being described as Penniless—though one would imagion he got some type of salary from the chemicals.
The hotel was sold to Alfred Putman–also of New York in 1885 and sold again in 1906 to Benjamin Edward Brown—Mr Brown and his wife lived in a house east of the hotel. The hotel which was all timber was destroyed by fire in 1921.
The current Meditteranean Revival Hotel was started in 1922 and completed 1923 and it is said to be the first fire proof hotel built in Florida. It was still managed by the Browns, who finally sold it in 1957. Various renivations were done over the years but more recently the hotel had degenerated and stood empty and abandoned and in sad condition for a while and in 2018 the present building was again involved in a fire.
Recently: The Historic Preservation Board approved a project that will convert the former Hotel Putnam into apartments.Owned by Axia Partners, the building, which will be formally named Putnam Estates, will house 64 one and two bedroom apartments.
Hotel Putnam Project
$8.00
During the 1920s Florida Land Boom, DeLand’s streets filled with fine examples of stucco Mediterranean Revival architecture by native architect Medwin Peek and others, many of which have been handsomely restored, one being the recently reopened Athens Theatre.
DeLand, Florida facts for kids
On past an empty lot now
Then at 201 there
T’s Auto Repair that evidentally has been repairing cars in Deland here for 20 years or so.
Cross back over Florida St.
and past a large parking lot to a lovely large building
Art in Public Places – Historic Courthouse
125
Volusia County Offices in
Historic old Court House
Technically the building actually faces the next street north and
it’s address is
120 W Indiana Ave, DeLand, FL 32720
The Volusia County Historic Courthouse in downtown DeLand is a significant local landmark with its Neo-Classical architecture, fluted Corinthian columns, copper-clad dome and grand rotunda topped by a stained glass dome. Watch four hundred years of Florida’s rich history come alive before your eyes through artist Jackson Walker’s exhibition, Legendary Florida, a collection of dramatic oil paintings on permanent display in the old courthouse, courtesy of the Museum of Art-DeLand.
The courthouse is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tours are available by calling the Museum of Florida Art at 386-734-4371.
So if we made an appointment for a tour we can do that when we’re scheduled.
Built in 1929 in the Gothic Neo-Classical Style at a cost of $500.000.00. It has more recently been restore which took 10 years. It now holds Volusia County Offices—-on this side of the building are the offices of thee Fire Services.
This building is the second county courthouse, second at this particular site (the land was donated by Mr. Deland), and the fourth overall. As you might remembr from our earlier tours south of here, Volusia’s first two courthouses were located in the community of Enterprise, which was the county seat between 1854-1888.
Historic Courthouse Virtual Tour
past the Court House is the
Oh hey, the Chess Park Fountain is working! Great work by the city’s Facilities crew!
Chess Park—–with the main entrance on the same street as the court house. but you can get in here as well
A Conversation Over Chess in 1929 – Acrylic outdoor mural, 2010
a small park on the east side of the Historic Courthouse,
where we can set and rest for awhile in an area with chess tables and life-size chest boards—in outdoor rooms…..there’s even a water wall to sooth one nerves and there’s also a stage for events
$30.00
For a short time during WW II this town was also the location of DeLand Naval Air Station with the mission of training airmen in the U.S. Navy. The base had several aircraft types operating from its facility and they can all be seen in a wide colorful mural done by artist Courtney Canova. His work illustrates the airfield, now DeLand Municipal Airport, the aircraft and some of the life.
we’ll leave the park and continue east back to Woodland
Crossing an alley way and ending our tour at the mural of the DeLand Naval Station on the south side of the Deland Museum of Art.
We’ll return next week starting at the museum on the corner of Woodland and New York Ave. and continuing to walk about in Downtown Deland.
$10.00